Hog’s Exit: Jerry Daniels, the Hmong, and the CIA

27. Until Horse Grows Horns

|| 347 27 Until Horse Grows Horns S UNDAY midday and afternoon: The Hmong ceremony at the funeral home concludes with the “leaving song” [qeej sawv kev]; a group photo; pallbearers; the drive to the Missoula Cemetery; Higgins Avenue bridge remembered. Hmong burial rituals at the Missoula Cemetery; a blessing on the Daniels family; final gifts; Lao dirt; comments after the burial service. [See Map 3 on page 230.] HMONG CEREMONY CONTINUED The kheng and drum play the “leaving song” [qeej sawv kev]1 as the kheng player leads the pallbearers and the casket out the door of the funeral home. Though a short song with a strong quick tempo, the message is still sad: “This is your last day on earth. All rituals have been done. Close your eyes and don’t miss the friends you left behind. Now you go on your own. You will see your ancestors, so go.” All the guests, Hmong and American, stand in two lines as Jerry’s casket passes between them on its way out. Now all is done at the funeral home. The drum is dismantled while everyone prepares to leave and go to the cemetery for the burial. Jerry’s tools need to go with him: the split bamboo pieces, the crossbow and arrow, the umbrella and the small horse carrier. The family ritualist gathers them up and carries them in a bag. KEN HESSEL, former smokejumper; former Continental Air Services (CASI) Air Operations, MR3, Laos There was a crowd of people in that chapel. When it was over we all filed outside. Probably ten or fifteen of us were former jumpers who had worked overseas with Jerry. Someone took a picture of just about all the jumpers that were there. Some local friends got into the picture too, but mostly it was just a select bunch of guys that Jerry jumped with and worked with for years. After that picture was taken, one of the jumpers turned around to me and said, “I’m gonna go get a beer at the Ox. You comin ’?” I said, “That sounds good to me.” 348 || Hog’s Exit CHARLEY HUGHES, Ovando rancher; friend of the Daniels family Without any question all the pallbearers were there on the third day. We moved that casket from the funeral home to the hearse, then from the hearse to the gravesite— and I’ll never forget the weight of it. Because I’ve been a pallbearer to a lot of different people, including all three of the Daniels that have passed away. And I’m telling you, I’ve never run acrost a casket that weighed like that one did. They said it was lined with lead. There was six of us pallbearers, and if there wasn’t five other fellas there that was pretty danged husky we could never’ve packed that thing! It was that heavy. JON FOLAND, Missoula crony; former smokejumper I was a pallbearer along with some of Hog’s other local cronies: General, Ringman, Peterbilt, and Terrible. My wife was all concerned because all we had with us was our fishing clothes from Clark Canyon, no decent clothes to go to a funeral. I said, “I don’t need funeral clothes. I just need my Whites.” It was Jerry’s mother that reGroup photo of smokejumpers, government representatives, and Missoula friends of Jerry Daniels. Left to right in order: Kirk Samsel, Ken Hessel, Mike Oehlerich, Jon Randall, T. J. Thompson, Kent “Dan the Animal Man” Daniels, Burr “Mr. Clean” Smith, Bill Demmons, Joe Glasgow, Kurt “General” Olsen (with beard), Elmer Olsen, Ted O. “Little O” Lympus, Randall “Peterbilt” Olsen (with beard), Leonard Krout; three in back at right: Lee “Terrible Torgy” Torgrimson, Roger Savage, Brent Russell; one in front at far right: Loy “Ringman” Olsen (with beard). Photo taken outside the Mountain View Mortuary, Missoula, May 1982. Toby Scott collection. Until Horse Grows Horns || 349 quested I wear my Whites. Those are jump boots, and she thought that would be good. There’s always enough people to tote a friend’s box. We toted that box to the hearse, and I’m telling you it was hugely heavy. And I’m pretty good sized—six foot two inches, and my jumpin’ weight was 200 pounds. CHA MOUA, Hmong friend; Hmong funeral organizer I will never understand why the Americans say the casket was heavy. Only three or four of us...