Wag Dodge was the crew...
Wag Dodge was the crew leader assigned to the Mann Gulch fire in 1949 -- the tragic fire that killed 13 smokejumpers and spared only three. Although he hadn't worked closely with many of the men on his crew, Wag was experienced and knowledgeable about forest fires -- and his crew knew it. So, when he saw that the fire had jumped the gulch and that his crew was in danger, he turned the crew quickly and headed them toward the only remaining exit -- a very steep slope covered with tall, dry grass. Unfortunately, the weather was too dry, the grass too tall, and the wind too fast that day.
