BAXTER SPRINGS, Kan. —
An indication of Paul Buckner’s longevity on the Baxter Springs Fire Department is that the firetruck he used when he started is now on display at the local museum.
Buckner, who will turn 88 on Sept. 5, joined the fire department in April 1947, two years after returning home from serving in the Pacific during World War II. A Marine, he fought in the battle of Tarawa in 1943, in which more than 1,000 Marines were killed.
“I was working for a guy who was on the fire department,” Buckner said of his situation in 1947. He went to a few fires with his boss. “I put my application in and they accepted.”
Memorable fires
He battled fires for the next 65 years, in every type of weather and any time of day one might imagine. He turned in his fire gear after his 65th anniversary.
His colleagues promptly returned it to him.
A grain elevator fire in Baxter has stuck in his memory.
“That was my first really big fire,” he said. There also was a later grain elevator fire in Columbus he mentioned. He and other firefighters were standing on the roof of a side building spraying water when the building’s roof collapsed. No one was injured.
A fire at the Milner building, near the Coleman Theatre in Miami, Okla., in the early 1950s also was memorable.
“There were fire departments from 10 different towns,” he said. “We were able to contain it to that building.”
He also recalled a hotel fire in Quapaw, Okla., in the late 1950s.
Robin Wene, a former fire chief who served on the fire department with Buckner for 35 years, said there also was a 1978 fire that caused serious damage to several downtown buildings.
Buckner said there were people living in apartments upstairs in the downtown buildings.
“I guess that was probably one of the worst downtown fires we had,” Buckner said.
Wene said Buckner is the most reliable colleague he could ever want. He said Buckner often was the last firefighter to leave a fire scene.
“Paul did whatever needed to be done,” Wene said. “He knew so much. He had been around so long, and he saw so many changes.”
Buckner said firefighters pooled their money early in his fire department career to expand the size of the fire department building, adding truck bays and an office area.
Friendships
He said his fondest memories are of the firefighters he’s served with.
“I’ve had some great friendships over the years,” he said. “I served under 10 different chiefs and I got along well with all of them.”
Buckner served as assistant chief for many years.
The past few years, he has reduced his role at fires. He has replenished the oxygen tanks, rolled up hoses and done other maintenance. He said the younger members of the fire department have taken good care of him.
While serving on the fire department, Buckner worked as a rural mail carrier for the U.S. Postal Service.
He has received the State Firefighter of the Year honor from the Kansas Veterans of Foreign Wars. He received a letter from President George W. Bush honoring him on his 60th anniversary on the fire department in 2007.
Buckner has been married to his wife, Evelyn, for 67 years. They married upon his return from the war.
Because of his military service, he didn’t complete high school. He was awarded his high school diploma in 2003.
Bill Hall, longtime Galena fire chief, called Buckner his “old pal.”
“He’s kind of my idol,” Hall said. “I want to follow in his footsteps.”
Calling Hall a character, Buckner said several years ago Hall honored him during a recognition ceremony with an honorary membership to the Galena Fire Department. Buckner said Hall had joked with him that the vote had been close.
Buckner said he still gets the notification when there’s a fire, and feels the urge to join his colleagues, but he resists. He said he doesn’t feel guilty.
“My body told me it was time to quit,” he said.
Reception
Paul Buckner, 65-year veteran of the Baxter Springs Fire Department, will be honored at the Aug. 14 Baxter Springs City Council meeting. A reception is planned after the meeting.
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Related Photos
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Paul Buckner, who has left the Baxter Springs Fire Department after 65 years, describes the advances in fire trucks during his career. Globe | Roger McKinney
Discussion
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