Wildland firefighting is dangerous and dirty work, with every imaginable hazard beyond the fire — falling limbs, toppling trees, smoke inhalation, fall, a
Redmond, Oregon, sits only 17 miles north of Bend and the quick and easy access to outdoor recreational opportunities help support the city as one of the fastest-growing residential and industrial communities in Oregon. Where mostly sunny days proceed clear, cool nights and precipitation is minimal, keeping true to the designation of the high desert. In the early 20th Century the area was inhabited by settlers determined to carve out a piece of their American dream amongst the sagebrush and juniper trees. Redmond gained its name from Frank and Josephine Redmond, who settled in what would become the downtown area. Lured with the possibility of free homesteading and promise of the railroad s arrival, land and business speculators, along with farmers, came to town. There were even promotional pamphlets stating, Everything points to Redmond as a commercial center. Merchants, professional men, manufacturers, home seekers should investigate Redmond now, before the railroad
Madras Army Airfield served as a training facility for World War II pilots
The population of Madras almost doubled with the influx of military personnel
The United States involvement in World War II led to a need for combat training of Army Air Force pilots and crews.
Training operations were scattered throughout most of the West in isolated regions. In January of 1943, the Army Air Force announced that the war effort would include a training base in Madras.
The Air Force ordered plans to build two hangars to support the combat training of air crews, primarily for the Boeing B-17F Flying Fortress bombers. It was established as a training facility for the 318th Squadron of the 88th Bombing Group of the Second Air Force.