Smokejumper Obituary: Hurst, Randle Melville (Missoula 1954)

Authors

National Smokejumper Association

Files

Obituary

Randy Hurst, 73, passed away February 23, 2003, in Oklahoma City of complications from hernia surgery. He was born June 19, 1929, in Oklahoma City, OK. Randy served his country proudly in the Korean War earning several medals. He jumped at Missoula from 54-56 and 58-62 with 109 jumps. Randy graduated from the Univ. of Oklahoma (1959) with a degree in geology. He then went back and got a degree in mathematics from the University of Montana in 1969 and taught for 15 years in Fresno, Calif. Randy was working as a security guard for the Oklahoma Dept. of Transportation at the time of his death. Randy loved smokejumping more than any occupation that he held. He authored "The Smokejumpers" in 1963 dedicated "to every smokejumper who has ever cracked a chute over the Gila N.F." He continued to write and portions of a manuscript on his Korean War experiences were included in "Disaster In Korea" by Roy Appleman.

Identifier

Hurst_Randle-Melville_Missoula_1954

Publication Date

February 2003

Keywords

Smokejumping; Smokejumpers -- United States; National Smokejumper Association; Wildfire fighters; Obituaries

Disciplines

Forest Management

Recommended Citation

National Smokejumper Association, "Smokejumper Obituary: Hurst, Randle Melville (Missoula 1954)" (2003). Smokejumper Obituaries. 1153.
https://dc.ewu.edu/smokejumper_bios/1153