WWII paratroopers grounded

[Dougiefresh 0]

Check it out...

http://www.cnn.com/2004/US/Midwest/05/08/veteran.parachuters.ap/index.html/


I say let 'em jump, and that's not just the skydiver in me talking. They earned it.

Human beings, who are almost unique in having the ability to learn from the experience of others, are also remarkable for their apparent disinclination to do so. --Douglas Adams

[ChrisL 2]

Clicky

__

My mighty steed

[Romericus 0]

I was there in 1994, when we did the 50th anniversary jump. Talk about high winds.....probably 25-30 mph. Usually that would be high enough winds to scratch a jump, but this was a huge deal to everyone involved. It was incredible to see the old timers from WWII jump along with us whippersnappers.

There was this old jumper who landed kinda hard and layed there for a few minutes after landing, and one of the soldiers designated to collect chutes came over to help him up. The old man said, "Are you airborne qualified?" The soldier replied, "No" as he was trying to help the old man up. The old man then said "Get your f#*king hands off me, then, ya LEG!"

Very funny stuff. I have a huge admiration for those veterans who jumped into France and other places during WWII.

(Leg is the term used by Airborne personnel to describe non-airborne personnel. It is almost always an insult)

[CDRINF 1]

Quote

8/17/2000 Fayettville, NC MED,EXC 78 6 ?/?
Description: This individual had made 4 jumps during WW II, and then 1 back into Normandy during the 50th anniversary of D-day. This jump was into the opening of the Airport and Special Operations Museum in Fayetteville. He apparently suffered a heart attack after a hard landing, and passed away a few hours later.

This is from a fatalities website which I believe refers to the same veterans group. Note the complete lack of skydiving experience. I do not know any of them personally, but they have had a couple of high profile fatalities at commemorative demo jumps.

There are some great, experienced, WWII Airborne veteran skydivers out there, like Tom Morrison who I was privileged to jump with on a 101st Airborne combat vets demo jump a few years ago (I was the Desert Storm jumper). However, I am not sure how many of this particular group are even licensed skydivers. So, I think it is not so much a question of age, as currency.

CDR

[dylan 0]

I'm assuming they're not talking about putting a bunch of 80 year olds out under T-10's are they.

[Romericus 0]

actually, 80 year old guys under T-10's is exactly what it is. Kind of dangerous, and it brings a new light onto "I've fallen and I cant get up," but these paratroopers are extremely proud.

Oh, and for them, it's not about currency. There are currency restrictions on active duty in the military, but these people are not in the military anymore. And if you think about it, when they jumped into Normandy, they couldn't have been all that current anyway.

Please keep in mind that this isn't a skydive that they want to do. It's a military static line jump from 800-1250 feet. It's a part of their personal history. If they want to jump, and they are physically fit enough to do so, I say go for it.

[adtjumpmaster 0]

It is my understanding also,that these men were lobbying the Army to jump with them using T-10c or d model parachutes from a C-130 or C-17.
As a member of the WWII AIRBORNE Demonstration Team,a group of commemorative parachutists,I am acquinted with a number of WWII combat jumpers.I have given refresher training to some of them who had hopes of jumping again.There was one who privately made several MC1-1C jumps from a C-182 at Skydive Missouri and did so without mishap.But,a Cessna isn't a C-47 either!!The turbulence vortex created by the low wing design of the C-47 radically changes locations with small airspeed increases/decreases.Jumping any of the T-10 series canopies(T-10 thru MC1-1C) is affected by it.Anything other than a good,tight body position will probably result in a line-over.WWII jumpers didn't have this problem because the T-5/7 systems were canopy first deployments.
These men jumped in one or more of the combat jumps in WWII and fought their way across the Med and Europe.I can't speak for the US Army or even WWII ADT,but as the primary jumpmaster for a C-47 load of jumpers scheduled to jump in Ste Mere Eglise,Normandy,France on 5 June 2004,I can say,that if one of these great men were to die on my watch,I'd have a difficult time living with it!We jump to honor them,not get them killed after all they've been through.
As an older jumper,my sympathies lie with them,I wish they could all jump.I know that they want that one last shot at being the men they are.There are so many things that factor in however.Age,aircraft,deployment system,canopy,weather,ability to react to an emergency situation(at low altitude)etc.
As a civilian organization,obtaining the necessary invitations and government authorizations required to jump in France for the 60th Anniversary of D=Day was an uphill battle that has taken months,world politics being what they are may still screw things up.All of that notwithstanding,we'll have 4 WWII troopers with us on the DZ.We're jumping for them and all of their brothers alive and dead.
REMEMBER-------HONOR--------SERVE-----------
JP

reply]