Fifty years later the events of that night are still vivid in Jim's mind

"When the F-89, in which I was a crew member, slipped under the lead F-89 I was certain we would collide and actually ducked down a bit.  The nose of lead came across the canopy area aft of the front cockpit and directly over my head in the rear cockpit.

A very loud noise erupted with the removal of the canopy.  I was unable to see after that but felt the aircraft pitch forward and at that time I ejected.  Following ejection, I was in a spin mode around the longitudinal axis of my body. The horizon lazily passed in and out of view as the world spun rapidly by.  I flung both arms and legs as far away from my body as possible and the rotation stopped.

The horizon passed slowly into view with me laying on my side in a position that appeared proper to pull the dangling rip cord located directly in front of my face. I pulled it. 

Opening shock, at approximately 22,000 feet, was mild to nonexistent. The collision, ejection, and wild ride until parachute opening, was terrifying.  However, at no time did I loose my sense of training and reacted by the numbers.   

I landed in the high mountains of Northwest Washington just below the tree line.  My parachute began hanging on limbs as I fell through the forest.  Gradually the chute came to a stop as my feet touched the ground. 

Forty two hours later I walked out of the mountains into civilization. "