Born in 1927, I have had many life experiences including being with the Navy, Army, and thirty years of fighting wildland forest fires, and in ranger-station district management. I was always amazed of the loyalty, tenacity, and physical danger the job requires. You will find some humorous parts of more serious situations, from the rural areas we work in. My desire is to standardize the required training and hands-on experience of new firefighters to improve the safety of a very dangerous job.