How can I track down anyone who went out on helicopters and was dropped off to help fight Tundra fires during the 70s?

SP5 Mark Aaron — Tue, 14 May 2019 16:53:20 -0400

Anyone who went out on helicopters and was dropped off to help fight fires during the 70s VA saying we never did this just need statement from others that we did this? I was in the 23rd Engineers as a parts clerk I think it was in 1975 our company had to take a turn at doing this. We had one soldier that didn't want to jump and they forced him to. We couldn't land because of the trees and brush. We had to use water packs we had to put out any fires coming up from the under growth

Response by CW3 Private RallyPoint Member made May 15 at 2019 9:20 AM

CW3 Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 15 May 2019 09:20:01 -0400

Do you have orders, awards, statements, anything from this mission? If not (and if you can't contact anyone who does), your best bet is to reach out to the national archives to see if they have something (start with your own complete military files): https://www.archives.gov/veterans

veterans

Response by LTC Jason Mackay made May 15 at 2019 10:00 AM

LTC Jason Mackay — Wed, 15 May 2019 10:00:17 -0400

SP5 Mark Aaron your provided information is really thin. Do you have a year or years? Which unit were you with when you did this? Where was he fire? According to an NPR article there have been 37 instances of fires in 2010 alone in the Noatak National Reserve. Army units are depicted fighting these fires.

News reporting from the time and your records could be sufficient to establish the service connection. Are they saying it never happened or questioning the connection to an illness?

Response by SP5 Mark Aaron made May 15 at 2019 2:27 PM

SP5 Mark Aaron — Wed, 15 May 2019 14:27:16 -0400

It was in 1974 or75