The Life of a Us Air Force Firefighter 1960–1980


Book Description

When I entered the air force so many years ago, I would never have guessed that life would take so many twists and turns. I would meet colorful people, have ten different duty assignments in three countries and four states, see many nice places, and have some rewarding experiences. With so many different jobs, I would learn that leadership is a combination of being able to follow orders and lead the team with the same enthusiasm. The US Air Force firefighting force is much different today than when I was in uniform. Gone are the converted military trucks that passed a fire trucks; now the equipment is state-of-the-art and the best that the fire equipment industry can provide. Firefighters at all levels are trained to meet standards established by the National Fire Protection Association, a consensus organizations of fire department leaders from small communities, large metropolitan areas, and the Department of Defense. I was proud to have been associated with the firefighters I worked with in those twenty years but wish that I had been able to participate in the organization that exists today. This book is about that adventure and those experiences.




A Day in the Life of a U.S. Air Force Fire Fighter During the Cold War


Book Description

I decided to write my memoirs so my grandkids and friends might enjoy some of the adventures I had while I was in the Air Force. I not only did something interesting, I did something very exciting. I had a great life growing up. I had wonderful parents and I was allowed do a lot of things most kids did not get to do. I always wanted to be a pilot, so one day while I was in college I stopped by the Air Force recruiter, to see what I would have to do to become a pilot for them. The recruiter gave me some tests and I passed them. I then took a physical, but I did not pass the eye test. I decided to stay in school. When I passed the test to get into the Air Force, the recruiters would not let me go. One day during the Christmas break he called me and said he could get me into weather if I would enlist before the end of the year. I was tired of school, so I signed up. I did not tell my parents until the day before I was to leave for basic training and that was a big mistake. They were very upset I was leaving school for the Air Force. I had already signed up, so I had to go. When I got to basic training the T.I. thought it was very funny when I told him what I was going to do in the Air Force. He told me they would decide what I would do and to just forget what my recruiter had said. Up to that time in my life, I was a big shot and I did what I wanted to do. No one was going to stop me. The Air Force changed my thinking about that very quickly. I became a government issue [G I] and they owned me. After basic I was sent to school in the intelligence field. I hated that, so I asked to be transferred and I ended up at Carswell AFB, as a fire fighter. My time at Carswell AFB, was some of the most exciting times I had in my life. I went on hundreds of emergences and chased a bunch of aircraft down the runway in my time at the base, but I am only going to tell you about the ones I can remember. I do want to say these stories are how I remember them; I hope they are how they happened. To be honest, I did not like everything in the Air Force. I complained like all G Is, I found out the world did not evolve around me. My life in the Air Force was a good one, I was glad I got to do it. I grew up a lot during my short career I was never a hero. My mission was to put out fires, and that is what the Air Force paid me to do. I hope I earned my pay. I did learn in the Fire Department to make every day count as it could be your last one.




Jet Age Man


Book Description

Nominated as Best Military History Book 2013 in the prestigious journal Air Power History, published by the US Air Force Historical Foundation The events in Jet Age Man took place during the early Cold War, an era that will go down as a period when civilization teetered on the edge of the abyss. To some, nuclear deterrence appeared as utter madness, and was in fact commonly referred to as M.A.D. The concept of Mutually Assured Destruction provoked protests and marches, and the architect of M.A.D, General Curtis LeMay, became a symbol of madness himself. Raised during those turbulent times, most contemporary historians conclude that we were lucky to have survived. What they fail recognize is that for LeMay and the thousands of Cold War warriors who fought and won while serving in the Strategic Air Command, the proof of concept lies not in the "what if?" but in the reality, "what did." Historically, M.A.D. succeeded where appeasement, diplomacy and even hot wars failed. When The Wall came down, strength, not weakness, had prevailed. Most of this story takes place in the Cold War trenches of the Strategic Air Command. It is about those who served and the many who died, told by someone who, as a young man, literally held the fate of all mankind within reach of a switch. More particularly, this is a story of man's interaction with two bombers that changed the course of political history, and were perhaps the most influential aircraft in the annals of aircraft development. The author piloted and instructed in both the B-47 and the B-52, starting out as a copilot in the B-47, then aircraft commander and finally, instructor pilot in both aircraft. Jet Age Man chronicles his fifteen-year relationship with the B-47 and the aircraft the B-47 became, the B-52--a bomber still in service today.




The Life and Times of a New York City Firefighter/Fire Investigator


Book Description

The day-to-day activities of a New York City firefighter and, later, fire investigator as he deals with fires, fire-related deaths and criminals.




Pentagon 9/11


Book Description

The most comprehensive account to date of the 9/11 attack on the Pentagon and aftermath, this volume includes unprecedented details on the impact on the Pentagon building and personnel and the scope of the rescue, recovery, and caregiving effort. It features 32 pages of photographs and more than a dozen diagrams and illustrations not previously available.




Leading the Way


Book Description

"Leading the way describes how the men and women of Air Force civil engineering have provided the basing that enabled the Air Force to fly, fight, and win. This book depicts how engineers built hundreds of bases during World Wars I and II, Korea, Vietnam, the Gulf War, and Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. At the same time, these engineers operated and maintained a global network of enduring, peacetime bases. It describes the engineers' role in special projects such as the ballistic missile program, the Arctic early warning sites, and construction of the U.S. Air Force Academy. Using hundreds of sources, this detailed narrative tells the story of how civil engineers have been organized, trained, equipped, and employed for more than 100 years. From the beaches of Normandy to the mountains of Afghanistan, civil engineers have forged an unmatched record of success and built a solid foundation for today's Air Force."--Back cover.




Non-VA Care


Book Description




Young Men and Fire


Book Description

National Book Critics Circle Award Winner: “The terrifying story of the worst disaster in the history of the US Forest Service’s elite Smokejumpers.” —Kirkus Reviews A devastating and lyrical work of nonfiction, Young Men and Fire describes the events of August 5, 1949, when a crew of fifteen of the US Forest Service’s elite airborne firefighters, the Smokejumpers, stepped into the sky above a remote forest fire in the Montana wilderness. Two hours after their jump, all but three of the men were dead or mortally burned. Haunted by these deaths for forty years, Norman Maclean puts together the scattered pieces of the Mann Gulch tragedy in this extraordinary book. Alongside Maclean’s now-canonical A River Runs Through It and Other Stories, Young Men and Fire is recognized today as a classic of the American West. This edition of Maclean’s later triumph—the last book he would write—includes a powerful new foreword by Timothy Egan, author of The Big Burn and The Worst Hard Time. As moving and profound as when it was first published, Young Men and Fire honors the literary legacy of a man who gave voice to an essential corner of the American soul. “A moving account of humanity, nature, and the perseverance of the human spirit.” —Library Journal “Haunting.” —The Wall Street Journal “Engrossing.” —Publishers Weekly




Khobar Towers: Tragedy and Response


Book Description

This account of the Khobar Towers bombing tells the story of the horrific attack and the magnificent response of airmen doing their duty under nearly impossible circumstances. None of them view their actions as heroic, yet the reader will marvel at their calm professionalism. All of them say it was just their job, but the reader will wonder how they could be so well trained to act almost instinctively to do the right thing at the right time. None of them would see their actions as selfless, yet countless numbers refused medical attention until the more seriously injured got treatment. Throughout this book, the themes of duty, commitment, and devotion to comrades resoundingly underscore the notion that America's brightest, bravest, and best wear her uniforms in service to the nation. This book is more than heroic actions, though, for there is also controversy. Were commanders responsible for not adequately protecting their people? What should one make of the several conflicting investigations following the attack? Dr. Jamieson has not shied away from these difficult questions, and others, but has discussed them and other controversial judgments in a straightforward and dispassionate way that will bring them into focus for everyone. It is clear from this book that there is a larger issue than just the response to the bombing. It is the issue of the example set by America's airmen. Future airmen who read this book will be stronger and will stand on the shoulders of those who suffered and those who made the ultimate sacrifice.




Page One


Book Description

Reproductions of the front page of the New York Times newspaper for the past 100 years.