MASSACHUSETTS — Seventy-five years after the historic Mann Gulch fire tragedy in the rugged forests of Montana, a solemn ceremony was held on Aug. 4, 2024, in Plymouth, Mass., at St. Joseph’s Cemetery to honor one of the fallen victims.  

On Aug. 5, 1949, 15 smokejumpers, joined by a fire guard on the ground, set out to fight a major wildfire in what is now Montana’s Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest. That day, thirteen men —one fire guard and 12 smokejumpers— perished from their injuries fighting the inferno on a blazing mountainside. Only three smokejumpers survived.

According to historical reports, the firefighters were overtaken when the fire suddenly spread below them and raced uphill toward them. One of those who gave his life responding to the wildfire was Joseph Baron Sylvia, a native of Plymouth, Mass.  

From the sea to the smoke

Sylvia was born on Oct. 10, 1924, and grew up in the seaside community. In 1942, he graduated from Plymouth High School and enlisted in the Marine Corps, where he served during World War II, fighting on islands in the Pacific. He was discharged from active duty as a corporal in October 1945 and remained with the Marine Corps Reserve while attending college at the University of Minnesota, in St. Paul, where he majored in forestry.

Sylvia trained as a smokejumper in the summer of 1948 in Missoula, Mont. It was his second season as a smokejumper when the Mann Gulch disaster occurred. He later died of his injuries sustained in the fire while receiving medical treatment in a hospital in Helena, Mont.

The recent ceremony in Plymouth was held in honor of his sacrifice and that of the dozen other men who perished. Sylvia is survived by his younger brother, Alton, who attended the ceremony, and a son. About 30 people from across the region attended the event, which was held by the National Smokejumper Association. The NSA’s Roger Archibald, himself a former smokejumper, served as the primary speaker and master of ceremonies.  

At the ceremony, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts presented the NSA with a citation signed by Gov. Maura Healy, recognizing Sylvia’s connection to the local community and honoring his service and sacrifice on behalf of our nation. In addition to reading this citation, the ceremony included an overview of Sylvia’s life and the history of the Mann Gulch tragedy, recognition of the NSA memorial medallion on the back of Sylvia’s gravestone, a reading of the Governor’s citation, brief comments by some attendees, an American Legion/VFW Color Guard tribute, a moment of silence, thanks and a group photo.    

Looking back to learn

Among the ceremony participants was Eastern Region Cooperative Fire Specialist Helene F. Hochholzer, who served as an official representative for the region. “I was honored and humbled to be there,” Hochholzer said. “The story of Mann Gulch is well known in the wildland firefighting community and much has been learned from the events of that day. It changed the way the agency approached wildfire suppression. Every time there is any wildland fire fatality, it reminds us of the inherent risk in fighting wildfires.”

There were also four days of events near the site of the tragedy in Helena, Mont. Chiara Cipriano, who works for the Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest in Montana and whose brother, Miles, was instrumental in obtaining the Massachusetts governor’s citation, helped organize those events in Helena, including taking 80 family members down the Missouri River by boat. Fifty-three family members hiked up to Mann Gulch carrying wreaths and many of the family members took rides in the original DC-3 plane that flew the smokejumpers on Aug. 5, 1949.

“Throughout the years it has been expressed by family members that the memories of these men and their story live on,” Cipriano said. “That was our intent in working with students throughout the process. From across the country, volunteers, firefighters and family members came to support and participate in the Mann Gulch 75th anniversary memorial tribute events.”

In addition to the events in Helena, there were 13 Mann Gulch memorials that took place across seven states.

Today, the back cover of the National Wildfire Coordinating Group pocket guide, which is handed out to firefighters, includes standard firefighting orders that originate from lessons learned from the Mann Gulch fire. Investments in a new fire lab next to the smokejumper base in Missoula also serve as testament to the agency’s desire to better understand fire behavior to keep firefighters safe.  

To see more, view a video of the ceremony in Plymouth.