skyjack71

I do NOT need any CRAP from any of you - I am asking you to help not to run me down. 1945 -1946? 1947 - 1949? I know he worked the area 1945 to 1946 and I believe he escaped from the work farm in Ohio 1947 and ended up back in WA. He had to see his Mommie and took a chance on going to CA - ended up getting caught - maybe his own father turned him in or he couldn't drop the habit of stealing (I never knew the specific crime he was convicted of in 1949 - papers say burgarly). You guys wanted this now you are going to get it. I will be damn if some TV station is going to write me up as a comedy. This has been NO comedy and there have been NO laughs in this search! It is real and it really happened and the FBI missed it. NO one would listen to an old woman who rambled her facts. Now you guys start really working on the puzzle - PROVE Duane L. Weber, John C. Collins or what-ever his name was, was NOT Cooper. I do not want to hear anything about - he didn't look like the composite. Depends on which composite and which witness....and NONE of that mean CRAP right now. I have always figured there was more in the FBI file than they wanted to disclose. Like - surely Tina or someone else would have stated which hand Cooper held his smoke in and how he held the smoke? By the way Duane's record indicates a scar on one of his hands - a scar he showed me but I could see - but very very faintly like the one I have in my palm when Glass tubing in Chemistry went thru it. Only if someone told you it was there! Copyright 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 2013, 2014, 2015 by Jo Weber

If the FBI ACTUALLY investigates these yrs a lot will surface. Early part of 1945 - he is supposedly sent to McNeil, but where did he really go. If what I have found is correct we know where he was in 1947, but somehow he ends up in the CA penal system 2 yrs later. Did he escape or was he transferred - never found the answers on my own. One would think the FBI would at least clarifiy or explain the offsets in Weber's criminal history. Missing yrs start in July of 1945 and end in March of 1947, but the sentence he was arrested for in Ohio in 1947 but the trail ends. The time was served consecutively with the San Quentin and Folsom span so were was he from 1947 to 1951? The Folsom record indicates the warrant from Ohio is cancelled in 1954. All of this says he skipped out of Ohio someway...so the one who got away from the work farm was Weber. Some on on the thread found this unusual item about the Columbus, Ohio thing. I mentioned something about escapees. Does anyone remember the DATE of this escape? I am no good at these things. Yrs little is known about Weber's location. July 1945 to March of 1947 (fits the bill with the story he told me). But were was he 1947 to 1951 - on the run or in jail. Did he escape and run right back to the N.W? Do we really know how much time he spent in the N.W. and his parents connections there and in CA? You see I do Pay attention and why I kept harping on the missing yrs and why the stories he told me in WA in 1979 made sense - just to me, I guess. Then we have 1962 to 1966 as John Collins 1966/1968 supposedly in prison under that name. How in the HELL did the system let a man with his record receive a Commutation of sentence under John Collins? Why not under Duane L. Weber? What did Weber/Collins do to earn this commutation or did the system just fail? Copyright 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 2013, 2014, 2015 by Jo Weber

Smoke Jumpers Part 2 This is how it read in 2000 May25. "For the first time in the annal of military history of any namtion, a military orgtainzations of paratroopers was selected to become 'Airborn Firefighters The Triple Nickles became not only the 1st military fire fighting unit in the world, but pioneered methods of combating forest fires that are still in use today. The conduct of the The Triple Nickles during the heretofore HIGHLY SECRET and untold story contrivuted immmeasurably to the well being of most Jampanese Americans in internment camps. If it were known that the Jampanese balloon, the first unmannned intercontinental ballistic missiles, had been successfuly in reaching our shores, the Jampanese military machine would have strengtyhenced its efforts in that area. If the secrecy of the 555 th's operation has been broken, thre is no telling what additional maltreatment would have befallen the incarcerated Japanese in western camps." Not ROBT99 - EAT your words. I certainly did not make these words up. Duane knew a man and his wife and kids in one of those damn camps and he knew where very damn camp was as he point out 1 of them to my daughter and I in North Colorado. I do not know WHAT darn article you were reading! I have this one in BLACK and WHITE, but I can't find part 1...just part 2. I did not even try to find the site, but will before I go to bed just to see how much it changed or if it even exists. The article was written by Patrick O'Donnell in 1996 - you find it if is still available. This all happened just like he told it and the early history was what Duane told me - before they were reconized and when Frank Derry who by the way lived in Cal. helped them to start-up. He taught these guys how to jumps and NOT all of the were BLACK -many did NOT make it. If you are writing a book - do your own DAMN research and try to get it right. In mid 1945 is supposedly when Duane was put on probabation. Duane didn't have to pass for being Black because of who the family knew. YOU FIGURE that one out all by yourself! Copyright 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 2013, 2014, 2015 by Jo Weber

Duane took me to the Bonneville Dam, but I am referring to a camp north of Washoughal - a place even the locals never knew much about....that camp had LOTS of secrets and some of those will NEVER be known - hopefully after all these yrs the government will disclose the truths that took place behind those fences. If my memory serves me right that was Called Bonneville Camp, but I am too tired tonight to look it up. It was use by the state and other facilities on occassion to house workers for the forestry and the state during fires. It was easier than transporting prisoners all the way back to Tacoma or other insitutions. The locals told me no one will ever know all the truths about the facility. The stories have come down thru the yrs - but NO government files released. The darn article I referred to did exist and hopefully I have hard copies of them. Right now I am working with old emails with a scattering of articles. Some of the main articles were moved to a different place. I couldn't keep everything - several feet of "STUFF". This STUFF has been shuffled through for yrs and some of it is no longer in order. I posted an angry post a moment ago and deleted it. I am just going to go on the way I am - just taking the files by the dates of the emails. There are other files that are copies of sites and some copies of pages of books. Those will come in time....the dates on the bottoms will indicate when I found the information. If anyone is in a hurry then they can come to my home and be prepared to spend several wks sorting thur all of this stuff. Some of the useless stuff needs to be discarded anyway. Eventually the web pages or copies of pages I referred to in the post will surface. In the mean time Robt 99 please do NOT call me a liar nor try to make me out to be a basket case. I got upset because of your post and my energy for the evening went down the drain. It is a fact - things change on the WEB - what was worded one way in 2000 is not and or has been cleaned up or shortened because they are not subjects the young people need or care about. Yes, things can get lost in the internet and go POOF! Why I believe in HARD copies. In the mean time - you live in WA. Go to the historical part of a major library and find a very very old book about McNeil. Read it! It was so old the library would not let me check it out - they had to acquire if for me. I read it in the library - and I made some copies of some pics and some pages in it - my income was limited and I had to work to provide for myself - little did I have to spare for paid copies. If I could check a book out - I took it to the office and copied away in the wee hours of the evening when the boss thought I was doing CMA's or proposals or flyers. Copyright 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 2013, 2014, 2015 by Jo Weber

I wonder if the Libary can still get the book after 12 yrs. Information dated 3/25/2000 as a summary of the book: McNeil - Stilicoon Prison: The black smokejumpers trained near Portland Or and did not go to Pendleton until later. Stilicoon used prisoner for road work and forestry work. May of 1945 right after Duane was placed on parole - they inlisted them to help the firefighters - which were at that time Not called the Triple Nickles on a classified mission. The battalion left Camp HACKELL for Oregon. ------------------------------ Sept. 1944 Portland Or dateline headed "Firefighter use Parachutes" The story reported that "Crew have been dropped by parachute to fight many areas of the Northwest". A blistering summer sun indirectly caused fire in six areas in the last 48 hours. An eight man unit crew was dropped to fight a blaze in the Lost Hors Country of Idaho. Other Parchutist were in the back woods of Chelan National Forest a 300 acre fire. A strange object on the ground from the air proved to be a Japanese bomb that had traveled across the Pacific on Hydrogen-filled ballons. It would remain a TIGHTLY guarded secret for a time. Nov 44 fear of these balloon contained chemical-biological warfare devices. (Remember Duane was on CW RGNT in the army training). The 555 Parachute infantry battalion had acquired the nick name "Smoke Jumpers". The WA. OR project became known as "Operation Firefly", and these teams rushed to forest fires and areas where there were suspected Japanese Bombs. FIREFIGHING was entirely a new experince for them. Most of these jumpers had been trained at Ft Benning and were BLACK. This was in a book about Stilicoon Prison (McNeil) The Pensacola Library acquired for me on loan. I could not remove it from the library. What is the chance that with what Duane told me about Ft. Benning that he did NOT know some of these guys and with his Uncle being connected to CW and his short connection to CW that he did not become part of a ground crew...provided by the prison to assist them. Since the Bonneville facility house some prisoners who worked the forestry - remember Duane was very familiar with the facility and spoke as though he had stayed there - (the people in Washougal told me there was always something going on there and the locals never knew what it was). I spoke to several individuals in the area and all told me the same thing. Copyright 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 2013, 2014, 2015 by Jo Weber

Now you are sounding like the FBI and until you see the STUFF it doesn't make sense and it takes days to go thru all of the stuff. As for the Army stint it is NOT just the designation it is the letter John gave to me that Duane wrote his mother. The FBI didn't even bother to read the letter. Duane talks about the chemical end of this being ok. His Uncle helped develope the damn stuff in WWI - he was a chemist...this has been proven by a forensic genealogists...who was trying to HOAX me (without my knowledge) and gave up after 2 yrs and decided to HELP me. When I was contacted it scared the crap out of me - I thought this person was a fraud or someone trying to steal my ID. This person was for real and connected to a very very large university. The papers even give the DATE the government requested the Uncle's services again and he did CS work for them in the chemical end of it when the BOMBS came into the N.W. That brief service ended when the Bomb thing ended. Duane's time in WA was during this same time frame. Duane told me about it and it turned out to be just like he said...he was there. There is one thing about it I am not a BOB KNOSS. I am just not able to scan documents and I have approx 17 ft of paper trails along with the next 7 yrs having been kept on disks. I have to keep a storage unit for some of it....since I am getting ready to downsize and had to cut the clutter to get my home on the market. Copyright 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 2013, 2014, 2015 by Jo Weber

Duh! I only gave you highlights and the site you found is not the culmination of sites and books I have collected. You claimed one place I went was were you went - NO they are not. That old site with the details is NO long out there. Well, the other article is different and I quoted it. The new writers come along - just like quoting the facts about the Cooper case, and before you know it part of history is lost...as the new generation is not concerned about the details. I am not going to dig the article up again and try to type that much...provide me with a mailing address and I will have a copy made and sent to you. I am unable to scan articles. BULL it is well known they kept it secret for sometime and they didn't leaked it to the public in the beginning. It would have caused a panic. All of this is in that same damn article and in a very old book if your library can even find a copy of it. Like the Cooper case - detail get changed everytime some one want to do a book or a web page. . I have closed the book and my eyes are tired - as I said - send me an address and I will copy it and mail it to you. It was a great fear, but they turned out only to be something else....supposedly. As for your racist remarks - take them and shove them where they will do you the most good. This is something Duane and I had in common. I was born in 1940 and our schools were not segrated, but I was taught they were human just with a different color skin like other people all over the world. Duane never had one word bad to say about a persons color - he was color blind in that way...I never heard him use the "N" word - not ever. The articles I have quoted are real and they did exist - perhaps they are no longer on the WEB as they used to be but they did and do exist and I made hard copies. Copyright 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 2013, 2014, 2015 by Jo Weber

The General Westmoreland was there only because his name was mentioned in the artlcle and I was hoping someone might explain to me who this is and why he was mentioned in the Article. I am not saying Duane FAKED an ID, but exploring the things he told me and my finding out they were true and the sequence of events per history was very possible. The rest of this answer is lenghty and within the story below. FBI is very silent regarding the McNeil, but the file says he was there less than 6 month with probation in the summer of 1945 and then the family's claim he was in the Placerville area. The brother worded it "with some people who thought they could help him find direction and to bring him closer to home". (The sister maintained he was never in the prison because of intervention by family friends or family in WA). Duane's own words and what he told me in Tahoe indicate he did live in the mountains between Carson City and Placerville...I forget the name of the little town, but it is in writing some where in all of these file. The FBI has refused to use photo ID to verify the guy in a couple of photos taken there was indeed Weber, but someone I found on my own ground says - yes, they are one and the same. Comparing Navy photos which were the closest I had to the 1945 pics. The fact that he brought that book into our home and talked about this - and showed me these same photos, I know he was there. I do know he went BACK to WA & OR - the things he told me and the 2 eye witnesses who placed him in The Dalles - was all I needed. They even told me where he washed dishes and the same place Duane talked about when he took me to dinner the night we stayed just out side of The Dallas. These guys at the senior center had NO idea who I was - I showed them only pictures of Duane. One brother told me this and then called his brother over and asked him where he remember the guy from - he said the same thing. The Dalles was also where Duane talked about the FIRE DEPT and sweeping out a store in town. He talked about a bar "the Guys" used to go to in Goldendale. He spoke of rock climbing in the area. He mentioned "they use to fly in and out to the airport just as he mention these same guys regarding the Redmond, OR airport. Who were the Guys. Well, I know 3 of them went to Mt. Hood just as Duane told me and a story I told yrs before Snowmman introduced the pic in the thread I had already located on the computer a few yrs before and that Duane showed me in 1984 approx. Duane told me about Karl the one whose guitar was always with him and his boots. He mentioned one of the guys was a rodeo guy. I do not remember if it was bull riding but something makes me think that. Duane talked about the Dollar Corner Tavern and his knowing the man who owned it...and then something about a feed store or hardware across the street. When I was out there in 2001 that store and bar was still there, but changed hands. The feed store or hardware was a Used Furniture store - something like that. There were so many people with us it was hard to pay attention like you do one on one. McNeil provided road workers and forestry aid and Duane worked in the same, I guess on a probabtion type thing and his buddies went to OR - he went also. Somewhere in the 4 missing yrs he goes to Chicago area and ends up in trouble but they loose him - he walks away from an honor farm. NO ONE person could know the N.W. the way he did if he was behind bars the entire time he was there and the family told he was there. Nickles (your specific question): Evidently he was in an area The Nickles were in as he started talking about things before we got to the WA line. He basically told me their history and also a couple of names, but I didn't remember those. He knew some of them personally. I have never read anything about their not being allowed in the restaurants and using wht boys to fetch their meals....and it was better than picking apples. (don't know why I remember the part about apples). Duane knew every airport in WA and OR and ID and he talked about the Indian Reservations in all of them. Indians and Blacks - with his complexion it was easy for him to hide among them. He personally stated he could never go to a reservation and area below Cour de lane because of something that happened with himself and another BOY. So his using the word BOY I assumed he was still a very young man. I could never get the FBI to check the county records in those counties...and when I was out there I ran out of money and time before I got that far. So much to do and so little time. He talked about moving equipment from place to place and specifically Indian reservations and airports. He talked about a camp high up in the mountains above Seattle and to the East near ID. More about the BLACK connection Duane had: Now that picture I was going to post of a man who is a Black man and he lived in N.O. and played a trumpet - a man Duane used to know and he made a point to go see in 1980/1981 (I have pics so I would be able to give the yrs. He made sure he deposited me else where and the guy was not there, but we went back the next day before we left and again the guy was not there, but he left a package for him. This man was alive at 100 a yr ago. What was Duanes specific connection to Blacks? Especially this man and the other one who was a shoe shine guy? Remember my telling about the incident in VA when a woman wanted to know who the "N" was that took care of his pets and pool while they were on vacation. What the service guys and Duane did to that woman was actually hilarious. They invited both of them to a party the next day - and asked Duane and I not to come late. When we got there they introduce the "N" (Duane) to the neighbor and the room roared. Obviously that neighbor was a racist living in a military community and her words just did not set well with any of them....Duane was in on the plan. These guys were all much younger than we were so we were just good neighbors but they all like a good joke. Copyright 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 2013, 2014, 2015 by Jo Weber

NOT forcing things not connected. Information dated 3/25/2000 McNeil - Stilicoon Prison: The black smokejumpers trained near Portland Or and did not go to Pendleton until later. Stilicoon used prisoner for road work and forestry work. May of 1945 right after Duane was placed on parole - the inlisted them to help the firefighters - which were at that time Not called the Triple Nickles on a classified misss. The battalion left Camp HACKELL for Oregon. Sept. 1944 protland Or dateline headed "Firefighter use Parachutes" The story reported that "Crew have been dropped by parachute to fight man areas of the Northwest". A blistering summer sun indirectly caused fire in six areas in the last 48 hours. An eight man unit crew was dropped to fight a blaze in the Lost Hors Country of Idaho. Other Parchutist were in the back woods of Chelan National Forest a 300 acre fire. A strand object on the ground form the air proved to be a Japanese bomb that had traveled across the Pacific on Hydrogen-filled ballons. It woud remain a TIGHTLY guarded secret for a time. Nov 44 fear of these balloon contained chemical-biological warfare devices. (Remember Duane was on CW RGNT in the army training). The 555 Parachute infantry battalion had acquired the neck name "Smoke Jumpers". The WA. OR project became knnown as "Operation Firefly", and these team rushed to forest fires and areas where there were suspected Japanese Bombs. FIREFIGHING was entriely a new experince for them. Most of these jumpers had been trained at Ft Benning and were BLACK. This was in a book about Stilicoon Prison (McNeil) The Pensacola Library acquired for me on loan. I could not remove it from the library. What is the chance that with what Duane told me about Ft. Benning that he did NOT know some of these guys and with his Uncle being connected to CW and his short connection to CW that he did not become part of a ground crew...provided by the prison to assist them. Since the Bonneville facility house some prisoners who worked the forestry - remember Duane was very familiar with the facility and spoke as though he had stayed there - (the people in Washougal told me there was always something going on there and the locals never knew what it was). I spoke to several individuals in the area and all told me the same thing. Copyright 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 2013, 2014, 2015 by Jo Weber

The former Camp Sibert Training facility was established in the spring of 1942 and was used for basic military training and for training in the use of chemical weapons, decontanmination procedures and smoke operations until early 1945. Duane during his short stay in the army was attached to the CW - CHEMICAL WARFARE. Does NOT one of you see how this links. Duane is kicked out of the Army while the FAMILY is legally trying to get the BAD Conduct Charge off of his Navy record. The incident was off base and in a bar. At any rate he wanted to be in the war effort so bad he some how got into the Army - until he was found out and then discharged as an Undesirable. Work was not available for someone with that kind of record. They were scorned and no one would hire them. He then uses Crime as a mean to survive. He is caught and then violates the parole and sent to McNeil. (I also have some article on McNeil no one is aware of which I will post later). But, for some reason Duane is never placed into the population of McNeil according to the family. The FBI on more than on occassion stated Duane was never in McNeil and yet Carr claimed McNeil as the source of the prints. The Fire Bomb thing is in WA and his uncle helped develope chemical warfar in WW1 and was called back in WW2 around the same time as the Balloon Bombs. I know this makes no sense to anyone but me...but it is there. Why did the FBI conceal the McNeil Record until I called them on it - especially when Carr claimed it the source of Weber's prints!!!!!!!!!!!! And prior FBI had said Duane was never in McNeil. Was he or wasn't he...the record I have states he was...and the family records state he was place into a special program with the assistance of family members or relative in the WA and OR area. Copyright 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 2013, 2014, 2015 by Jo Weber

Other prisoner with names same as other suspects and individuals known to Weber - not sure these name mean anything, but I wrote them down and the prison number just encase they might be connected to Duane and his actions after being released from Canon City in 1962. Charles Wilson Coffelt 26757 John Collins 36357 James Brown 33502 James B. Brown 39203 James B. Brown 29729 James Roach 30382 Albert Ross 38201 Albert Ross 33211 Arnold Ross 30160 I don't know why I wrote these down, but obviously because the names had connections to Weber. Ross was the married name of a woman Duane spent time with. Brown - was the name of a man connected to Coffelt (a Cooper suspect. Of Course the Coffelt - was to enquire if that was the Coffelt who was claimed he was Cooper. This is available in the Colorada State Archives. Trivial information - but I investigated any way I could find. Copyright 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 2013, 2014, 2015 by Jo Weber

Yes. No! Same subject but completely different. The one I have seems to be a 1st hand account written on : THE DROP ZONE Virtual Museum Probably a site put up and then later removed. I believe perhaps some the information in this 2 part story may have been a little more the US government wanted the general public to be aware of. I only found a copy of part 2, but maybe I will run into Part 1 later. In fact when I was trying to find more about this is when I discover the DZ as we know it today. Several yrs later. I found another correspondence dated 3/16/2000 and maybe what led me to the articles I found. The site was historian@thedropzone.org (Patrick O-Donnell). Copyright 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 2013, 2014, 2015 by Jo Weber

The old article I have has NOT been cleaned up and there is NO way to retrive it in the world of the internet. I have the paper copy I made when it was first called to my attention in March of 2000, Anyone wanting a detailed copy of this will have to give me an address and I will mail copies of it. One of the name mentioned in the later part of the article is General William C. Westmoreland. In February 1946 after 2 months of NO supervision and watching friends leave for home the 555th was relieved for attachment to the 13th Airborn Div. and attached to the 82nd Airborn. It retained its own authority to discipline and manage its own personnel matters. Now to answer your question about Duane Weber. Duane had curly hair and a dark complexion - and could easily have passed as part white and part black. One of the things that made it difficult when he was growing up....how dark he got with sun exposure and the curly hair and the dark dark eyes. The heritage was German. I am enclosing a photo of a man who resembled Duane very much. He was a friend of Duane's and last I knew was 100 yrs old....this man is black, but appears more white. The two men even resemble each other. Co-incidence probably. Duane also played the trumpet...but this is NOT a picture of Weber. Well, I can't find it. I had computer problems and hope the guy did not remove those files. Will try later. Copyright 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 2013, 2014, 2015 by Jo Weber

There WAS a lot of information at http://www.thedropzone.org/training?smokejm2.html I do not know if this site is still there, but the contact was Patrick O'Donnell. Nylon Rope was used to lower themselves from trees (could that be what was in the paper bag as NO ONE has ever stated what size the bag was Cooper took onto the plane. This way if he hit a tree - he had a way down. The article called Continuation of the Smoke Jumpers Story was in a virtual Museum. Tells how what they were learning to do was NOT normal or known. They used their BARE hands to manipulate the shourd line to control their landing site (exactly what DUANE told me). ON June 8 specially selected men began work with bomb disposal units ot the Army Sevice Command learning the business of handling unexploded bombs. The new chute training was under Frank Derry (also a man Duane claimed to have known from CA and family connections with). Much of his developement was done in area near where Duane lived in CA. A new chute was designed for maneuverability. They learnd to turn themselves in 360's degree circling movments - to seek a wider choice of landing area - a vital factor when trying to avoid tangles with the highest trees. Training consisted of 3 jumps. 2 in clearings and 1 in the heavy forest. C-47 pilots carried the jumper hence why I seached for Ed Huran...claimed to be Copter pilot and mechanic - knew Duane from WA. NOT all of the jumpers were 555th and NOT all of them were back from flying "the hump" in S.E. Asia. Over serveral month things evolved with 2 home bases one in Northern CA and one in Oregon. Chico Base. From July 14 to Oct 6. Capt Biggs - Pilots and Jumpmasters. Where was Biggs originally from? The Chico and Pendlton base participated in 35 of fire mission with indiviudal jumps totaling twelve hundered Very tired - will continue this later tonight. I am very very tired today so I am going back to bed. I was just getting to the GOOD STUFF! Copyright 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 2013, 2014, 2015 by Jo Weber

Matt, my next few posts will take several days. This one is a summary of a post dated3/25/2000 McNeil-Stiliccon Prison: Why it is labeled this I do not remember, but subsequent emails may explain where this was going or why it is. This was research that Doug and I were doing and others who where helping me. Remember Duane told me about the Triple Nickles and was spoke about Walla Walla. He explained to me who the they were and told me the story about not being able to go into restuarants to get food. The Triple Nickles (were not called this in the beginning) and their initial training started near Portland. De. 1955 - jan 1945 the Triples grew to a strenght of 400 and the change of station was Pendelton Air Base - ninth command...HIGHLY CLASSIFIED mission. May 1945 the battalion left Camp Hackal for Oregon. Sept. 1944 Portland Oregon dateline headed "firefighters Use Parachutes". The story reported that "Crews" have been droooed by parachute to fight for many areas of the Northwest. Six fires in 48 hours. 8 man unit crew was drooped to fight a blaze3 in the Lost Hors Country of ID. Ohter Parachutiste were into the back woods of Chelan Nation Forest - a 300 Acre Fire. May 6 of 1944 strange objects on the ground from the air proved to be Japanese bombs tht had traveled across the Pacific on Hydrogen-filled ballloons. A tightly guardedsecret for a time - Balloon Boms. Nov. 1944 - Chemical Biologice warfar concernes. It was at this time that Duane's Uncle was called by to duty - he had served in WW1 and helped develope Chemical Warfar. When he was called in WW11 at that time he did civil service and we believe he went to OR and WA. Duane had been sentenced to McNeil.l Duane's short stint at Camp Siebert was spent in the CW Rgnt. unit. (Chemical Warfare Traing). The 555 parachue infantry Battalion by now had acquired a new Nick Name "Smoke Jumpers" and the WA Oregonproject be came known as "Operation Firefly". These teams would rush to forest fires adn areas where there were suspected Japanese Bombs. They found this presented an entirely new proble do to teh densely forested drop zones adn the had to learn to read forestry maps and that was different from military maps. Firefighting was entriely a new experience for them. You will find most of this a site orgininally located at http://wwww.thedropzone.org?training/smokejmp.html. I can no longer find this site. MOSTS of th jumpers were blacke and trained at FORT BENNING. Duane with his curly hair and dark complexion often passed as black or mixed. Copyright 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 2013, 2014, 2015 by Jo Weber

Did the FBI think I would NOT keep records? Did Jerry think I was that STUPID or is it the other way round - WAS it about Control or was it because he was involved or knew who was? This one email creates a BOOMERANG for not only the FBI but for Jerry? What the hell has been going on for 17 yrs - maybe old BK isn't so crazy after all. His mind is all screwed up and his memory has been scrambled - but there was always some little "thing" that caused me put up with him and listen to his tales - a seed he does not even realize is there. The information is twisted just like Jerry tried to twist my memory about the trip.... and use of coercion to force me to accept what he said along with the threats he made over the yrs. Wonder if Knoss knows Jerry's or Georger's or Sluggo's voice over the phone. He says TOG calls him or McCoy. Would someone who reads this thread stoop so low as to actually make calls to Knoss claiming to be someone from the past...using this man to keep the waters muddy so NO one will hear the truth. Perhaps Jerry and maybe even the FBI has tried to manuever me for 17 yrs. If one reads the old emails - that is what seems to come across. Perhaps it was thought I would die or just fade away and no one would have to deal with me. YOU THINK? Well, all it took was Grey selling the rights to the book for a COMEDY! Not going to happen! This thing is getting ready to BOOMERANG on the FBI if they don't take some action really fast....like yesterday. I have enough just in 3 paper emails to make someone STOP and THINK and listen TO WHAT all has been going on for the last 12 yrs. MY proof that Jerry has tried to maneiver & control me - BUT, one has to ask WHY? A lot of WHYS, but at least I have documents to support Jerry has tried to control things and the FBI actually lied to me more than once....why would they find it necessary to lie about Duane's Army and prison records. Even in this thread we have an agent who claimed they used the McNeil file for prints. YET, I have others who stated Duane was NOT in McNeil. Same goes for the Army record! Jerry's intervention and deliberately trying to convince me this was not this and it was that! His contacting media and telling them I am a liar - if I told him anything different it was because I had NO map or he interprets things a little differently than others do. That is Obvious from his postings in the thread. I told you guys I was going to let loose before the bottom fell out! If you have questions ask them. Copyright 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 2013, 2014, 2015 by Jo Weber

I suggest anyone who intends to state I said this or that - be prepared. I have paper copies of emails dating from Jan of 2000 before I learned how to save them. In 2004 that computer crashed, but the guy made a disk for me - since they are on a very very old version of AOL - I do NOT know how to retrive them. I just retrived the first volume 4 inch thick....of paper copies! In this email I am describing to Doug Pasternak where and what Duane said. NOTE: I had only a recently acquire map of the state of WA and realized Jerry Thomas had been playing GAMES with me. Mar of 2000: The only time I had been to WA at that time was in 1979 with Duane Weber. It would be May of 2001 before I set foot in WA and when I returned some one made sure I got a Really GOOD map of WA. Doug and I are discussing a time for him to come see me. The Trip - just the highlights as the post is 1 & 1/2 pages long. I talk about the trip to Seattle in Sept or Oct of 1979 & Duane wanting to take an extra day. We are on Hwy 14 on the WA side and I am not sure where we had crossed over from OR to WA. Duane made a statement that he had missed his turn and I grabbed the Atlas - suddenly he said "No, here it is" (this was the turn into Washougal off of 14 - knowledge I would gain in 2001 on my 1st trip to WA and no credit to the TV program or JT - but to the Angel Udell - the woman truck driver who came to my aid at the river). I asked where we are going but do not remember his answer. "We went to an area with a gravel road or it had rocks in it. We parked looking out over a body of water" (NOTE I SAID BODY OF WATER NOT RIVER) "and he got out of the car. We both got out at this time. He said there used to be some cottages to our right. There is some evidence of one of the cottage foundations left. Across the water he pointed out a logging road and told me there was a tower down that road. I ask him how he knew this and he told me he knew the area like the back of his hand". "The road turned at the waters edge across the water and he told me about a Boy's Scout camp or some kind of camp not far away." I tell about us pulling back on a paved road and a concrete thing that went under the road, but only after we turned back...after a side trip up a Mt. the one with the wood gate and fence and the rocks and tall mostly dead trees and large large rocks scattered out in the area - like a cemetary. I use the word River in this description because I thought it was a river when it actually was a long narrow lake in 1979 - now it is over grown and larger and looks like a lake. Where the cabins used to be - is not under water now but and not in 2001 when the generous people of WA took me where the TV people nor JT would take me....JT denied such places existed and still denies this to this day. Yet, I told him on the phone or tried to describe the same things I described in this old email of Mar 2000 - yet he has called me a Liar over and over for yrs. Most of my communication with Jerry were by phone - so he was able to twist me and turn me and I would argue NO NO, but he was supposed to be the man on the ground! Who was I - a woman who had only been to WA in 1979 and didn't even have a map of the area. Jerry to this day says I changed things after I was out there - well, well - this email was written more than a yr before I went to WA in 2001 One can twist the words all they want by arguing with me - but the written word of March 2000 STANDS! Jerry loves putting WORDS in the mouths of others and that is what he did - he has NEVER EVER talked about my MT or hill - has denied its existence to me and made sure he never addressed it in the written word in this thread. As I read I had just obtained a map of the State of Wa. I will note that map was just a simple State map and did NOT show the lake...but I knew it was NOT the Columbia we were on and Jerry was misleading me - but WHY? It was on the return trip from Seattle Duane went off of I-5 to the West. This certainly explains the sequence of discovery. No map then nothing, but a simple state map and then a trip to WA in 2001 - when I knew JT had been lieing to me for 4 yrs. Didn't know why. Did he really think he could get by with this and still does - because he claims to have tape which would have been illegal, but at any rate he would take my words and twist them for his own benefit as he still does. I really think Jerry Thomas is evil to the core...I was treated like a prisoner of war - the way they treat them in the movies and force them to say this or that or they don't eat or sleep. He was extremely controling on the phone everytime I tired to describe what I had seen. He would say NO you didn't go there or you didn't see that - there is no such thing...it was endless and in 2001 I did not talk to him until he found this thread. I mention in the letter Duane holding his cigarette with his left hand. Had I not have written this - I would not have remembered this. Perhaps the FBI files will reflect that Cooper held his smoke with the left hand...and he held the smoke in a rather femine way very often - like a woman would handle a smoke and not a man. I note I NEVER SAID Duane had a limp, but that one of his legs had some damage around the knee area and in a Dr. report it was referred to as an old injury. I comment about my dressing him to take to the hospital that last time and asking him about his knee. He said "I got it jumping out of a plane".I remembered looking up at my husband who was bleeding and making a rather cocky remark for the 1st time. "YOU, jump out of a plane - Give me a break". I had also forgot Duane drank "Stingers" when I first met him. I don't even know what a Stinger is anymore. Later it was Chivas and brandy. WHAT IS A STINGER? It was probably just my hearing him order it - I dranked wine or a toasted almond or whiskey sour. John (Duane's brother) had already told me Duane was in McNeil, but the FBI claimed he wasn't. Doug would obtain the PROOF Duane was in McNeil and THEN I confront the FBI agent after he again states Duane was NOT in McNeil...and Doug has sent me the PROOF...I am on the phone holding it in my hands. The FBI agent had also said Duane was NOT in the Army. I have that PROOF in my hands, ALL because Doug Pasternac had the ability to obtain records I could NOT and the FBI took full advantage of my ignorance - they just never dreamt I would ever be able to find these thing. I didn't find them - Doug did and then I confonted the FBI and you guys know the story from that point. I finally get a copy of the newer composite and it arrive while my daughter was there - and her response after looking at what I had in my hands on the ground because my knees had gone out from under me. She thought I was having a problem and when she saw what I was waving up at her she looked at tht composite and remarked. "I'll be damned - I guess he was Cooper" Copyright 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 2013, 2014, 2015 by Jo Weber

Your post is NOT worthy of being repeated! ENOUGH is ENOUGH! YOU know YOU did not tell me anything other than you knew Duane and claimed to have known the wife. I proved you DID NOT know the wife and you had NO idea she was still alive. Originally you never heard of TG and then you used his name as McCoy's. You kept expanding your claims and the garbage started to spew. When you found I was in contact with the wife of the day, you doubled back and claimed she might not have been his wife, but a FBI "type" who was supposed to "control" him. I know WHO was with him during those days. I have had ENOUGH of your lies and fabrications. You knew NOTHING about Duane nor his friends. You created STORIES but had NO knowledge of Duane's wife or her family and you even had the time span wrong. You accuse her of doing a robbery and told Grey it was in the papers. NO records of an arrest existed and NO article in any newspaper. I DID NOT VALIDATE YOUR STORY and never will. Copyright 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 2013, 2014, 2015 by Jo Weber

Matt stated: It would be nice if we could actually stick to facts, investigate theory, with out fantasy being interjected by force. Theory with facts to justify would be acceptable, but thus far we don't have that with that particular theory. Another nice thing would be to expunge all the none-cooper case items from the thread so we can read the facts being discussed. Then, if we could keep the attitudes at a professional level, mine too, we might make progress, or none. But it would be done "proper" at least. Jo States and replies: Would be a little difficult to expunge all none-cooper related post. It would mean posts expunge at the disgression of one individual with following posts not making any sense.

MATT STATED: The name came from you right here, for me it was the first time I saw it. Did you see what he does? do you really want him to call you? You still have not offered up any evidence and proof. All you offer is unverifiable fictional statements that are liable at best. Matt GEORGER STATED: Give it up Matt. You're tilting at windmills and other people's phantoms. The Cooper case itself is a phantom flame (more like a volcano!) which has attracted many moths, who cannot think for themselves. Matt this is what I tried to explain, perhaps you are computer savy, but so many here are NOT. Georger thinks I made the statements above when I only made the first statement. Please do something to ID the individual stating something. Look at the post you made - anyone who did NOT know the characters would not know who said what. Evident from the reply Georger made. Please never quote me in the same post with BK unless you make it specific who said what. Please - pretty please. The old guys here like myself do not get the new WAYS of things and in this case it is creating posts that make it look and sound like - I said what Knoss actually said. Copyright 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 2013, 2014, 2015 by Jo Weber

Tonight I feel I have absolutely NOTHING to loose by putting it all on the line. My explorations and facts I learned over the yrs. If a TV program and a writer thinks they are going to portray me as a comedy act and a slut then I am going on record with the above. I was willing to let lots of things slide in the past if the FBI would just provide me with the information they had and why they dismissed Weber as a suspect. Weber's history should have been disclosed to his wife, but our government does NOT care how they treat "victims" and I am a victim of Weber's past as are several others. My reasons for my decisions tonight are not just for me. There are those whose only objective is to seek notoriety in any form the can or just to make Cooper go away in a manner that would mean NO one would ever DARE speak up with any knowledge they have of this Skyjacking or other crimes. The public is afraid to speak up when they have knowledge of a minor crime being commited or become aware after the fact. Witnesses of crimes are afraid to come forward or to testify in relative minor crimes. The truth and forth right investigations used to be the norm. Now Crime is rampant and the average citizen is afraid to speak out for fear of retaliation and ridicule. This is no COMEDY this is a TRAGEDY for America and the very foundation of America is crumbling. Report a crime and you end up in court as a witness along with the loss of income and fear of retaliation and if the person is acquitted you can get sued. The citizens of America should NOT have to live in fear of standing up for what is right and what is wrong, nor should they have live with fear of being ridiculed and their reputation being destroyed. Copyright 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 2013, 2014, 2015 by Jo Weber

There are things regarding the above I chose to walk away from. If you study the dates of JER's escape, phone calls to a place he worked while on the run, the place he was working, aliases he used and how he managed to acquire money to move about the way he did. Yes, individuals on my behalf have had conversations with a prominent writer and it was decided Ray's bothers could offer nothing of value to my search. I read everything I could find on the subject and then just filed it away with the rest of my "stuff". This is why Sheridan's Freedom Ride was of so much interest to me and the fact that Duane mentioned knowing the guy in the photo. The article I now know was about Sheridan Peterson. This was extremely odd and I could never arrange to actually speak with Sheridan or to send him pics to see if he remember this "joker" called Duane. Sheridan is a bit of "joker" himself. So much happened right after Weber was released from Jefferson. Bobby Kennedy was near Jefferson and had just come off his tour of the very poor areas of KY. He stayed in Jefferson at the very hotel I was told the tie was stolen from. Duane had just got out of Jail and he and his wife worked in the area for a while (hence the tie story). Was it true? I don't know, but the kids (his step-children) were convinced it was and it was a family discussion long after Weber had exited their lives. Bobby Kennedy makes his annoucement MLK had been killed. All of this in just a 2 or 3 wk time span. Duane was a Bobby Kennedy fan.... These are things that BK expands on - and these things have nothing to do with the Skyjacking. His elaborations go beyond anything real. My search has taken me to places & events I thought were just part of history - but, it was the little things that added up. I do not know what they add up to other than Weber was a liar and a criminal. His sucessfully living under an alias (1962 to 1968) and being given a commutation of sentence under that alias does NOT create a LOT of confidence in the investigative abilities of the FBI. I expect this is the one thing that drove me to continue the search. I explored the possibility of the skyjacking being a grudge. But remember "grudge" was not the skyjacker's words. This was Tina's word as she tried to explore his reasoning. Cooper just answered her question. Cooper was a desperate man with no place to go. He was a complete failure and had been given a death sentence (one most people would have feared in 1971). Cooper had enough knowledge to obtain the basics (remember his brother was a Boeing consultant during the war). He knew how to put a chute on and the basic knowledge he needed. Did he expect to survive - NO! WHY the fricking hell did he get so GIDDY when the money arrived?. He expected sky marshalls to storm the plane and kill him or he would be in prison for the rest of his life (at least he would have medical care and dental care and a roof over his head). This was a man who had spent most of his adult life in a prison - 17 yrs approx. The way Weber lived his life had destroyed the lives of individuals he had come to care about...he was a failure as a provider and a man. He thought he deserved to be in prison, but I won't go into the sordid details. If any one of you put yourselves into Weber's shoes in 1971 you will realize this was NOT a man without a conscience. What his life had been (circumstances) he had created and the harm his life had caused to others you might have done the same thing. At Jefferson these guys actually talked about making this jump. He had connections with a jumper in AL. and he had the basics during his military stint as short as it was. When we were in the Fort Benning area he pointed out a white apt - "That's were we stayed and over there is where we used to jump". I immediately stated "You were never in the army". This is when he told me about a guy who took another guys' place during war time until he got found out - about 2 months. So did Weber manage to get basic jump training in that manner. I did not pursue the conversation and that is all I remember about the conversation. That army base still has some closed file - a lot of them. I also had some weird and confusing conversations with a man incharge of records there. First he existed and would contact me under another number and then he doesn't know who I am and has no recollections of our conversation. Then he is no longer there and then he is. I would have to go back to my notes for the specifics of this, but it was weird. He is there and then he is gone and then he is back. That experience was enough to get my curiousity up and that happened before I ever got a computer - prior to 2000. Copyright 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 2013, 2014, 2015 by Jo Weber

Mrsshutter stated: Jo States for the Record: It is nothing new! He has used the racist thing for yrs even before he came to the thread and my reply has always been the same. I actually am the one who tried to link Weber to Memphis - just because of the strange improptude trip we made. Duane told me about the crime and showed me where the shot came from and and where King was standing and Jowers (the guy who had the place up the street). Couple all of that with what he did there regarding handing me keys to the car and telling me if he was not back in 45 minutes to take the car and go home...he would find me. I watched him put something in the trunk of the car before he came up to the room and we left FAST. My knowledge after the fact and after Duane died, I learned Duane actually did know James Earl Ray and was actually in prison when he was there...but James Earl Ray escaped. The "wife" of the days claimed James Ray's "wife" of the day lived with her for a short time in an apartment near Jefferson. That is all the James Earl Ray connection is based on and may be just as simple as I have stated - they knew each other and where in the same prison. This was the story BK built his fable on regarding Weber's connection to Ray. I actually have a tape of the ex stating she knew Ray and she KNEW he was innocent. I do not remember if the statement about Ray's "wife" is on that tape. So we cannot condemn BK entirely about the JER and MLK connections. I will admit to the above I just stated, but NOT to the 'extras' BK has added. Duane was definitely not racists - at least not to my knowledge and why what I stated above is basically all I know. I did try to talk to some of the individuals when the trial was going on in AL several yrs ago. Jower's attorney said he would see if Jower's would talk to me. Never happened - he died. Some place in all of my files I have notes regarding conversations and who I spoke to, but none of it was helpful. I was not able to talk to Ray, but I tried. So, I am responsible or part of BK's rant. He changes things to suit his purpose or reasoning. He colors the truth so much - it is hard to keep up with what actually transpired. Copyright 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 2013, 2014, 2015 by Jo Weber

YOU - Knoss, just admitted your deceit right here on this thread! It is all in the post above. Go back and read that post. YOU need to check yourself into a mental ward RIGHT NOW or someone is going to be knocking on your door with papers to commit you. You deliberately put yourself into the middle of a legitimate investigation with fraudulent statements. Note the remarks within his post in RED and BOLD are my statements. Copyright 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 2013, 2014, 2015 by Jo Weber

Matt do you see what this mad man (BK) does now? Everything I state about Weber reverts to coverts of some kind within his mind. Hell, I don't know where the damn rifle came from - it is just parts of the story of Duane's life and the mysteries he left behind....maybe he bought a rifle in Virginia at a flea market! Maybe he stole it! Best part was the take on Richard Owens. This is how I have had to deal with BK, but he is unrelenting - and keeps on and on trying to make things fit. Oh, Well, such is the world of the lunacy. Copyright 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 2013, 2014, 2015 by Jo Weber