Trying to reunite with the 7th Army Parachute Team {Germany}

[SyN1c4L 0]

I'm doing this on behalf of my grandfather: William Waters. We're looking to set up or see who's interested in a get together or reunion of the remaining members. Please contact me if you feel like doing something like this or would be willing to at least touch base with other members. Cheers.

Moderatio est Figmentum

[JerryBaumchen 1,363]

Hi SyN1c4L,

Drop me an email at:

jerrybaumchen (at) verizon (dot) net

I have an old friend from the 7th APT who now lives in Astoria, Oregon.

JerryBaumchen

[davidlayne 5]

Quote

I'm doing this on behalf of my grandfather: William Waters. We're looking to set up or see who's interested in a get together or reunion of the remaining members. Please contact me if you feel like doing something like this or would be willing to at least touch base with other members. Cheers.

I remember your Grandad from my time on the team. We used to call him "Bailout Bill" from his habit of always wearing his rig when ever we were being transported some where by air.

Attached is a picture of Bill taken at Berlin, (see this thread) http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=3050599;sb=post_latest_reply;so=ASC;forum_view=forum_view_collapsed;;page=unread#unread

I know the whereabouts of some of the team members and will be interested to see what you come up with in the way of a reunion.

I don't care how many skydives you've got,
until you stepped into complete darkness at
800' wearing 95 lbs of equipment and 42 lbs
of parachute, son you are still a leg!

[Usetawuz 1]

I wasn't on the 7th Army Parachute Team but I remember your grandfather very well. I hope he is well and healthy.

_________________________________________
The older I get, the better I was!

[WGore 0]

David, were you there when Kenn Heismann, and Charlie Hughs were still there?
In any event I will pass this on to them.

Bob

GUNFIRE, The sound of Freedom!

[andrewhilton 1]

7th Army Team Brochure from the late 1960's attached.

[davidlayne 5]

Quote

David, were you there when Kenn Heismann, and Charlie Hughs were still there?
In any event I will pass this on to them.

Bob

No I arrived there 1970, those guys had moved on by then.

I don't care how many skydives you've got,
until you stepped into complete darkness at
800' wearing 95 lbs of equipment and 42 lbs
of parachute, son you are still a leg!

[JerryBaumchen 1,363]

Hi david,

The old friend of mine is Ray Lowe. He got drafted sometime in 1969 and since he had a college degree ended up in Germany as some type of clerk in an Orderly Room.

I saw a notice in PARACHUTIST that the 7th APT was looking for people who had a D license & wrote to him. He got on the team I 'think' sometime about mid-1970. He tweaked a knee and had to stand down for about the last three months of his hitch; he got out sometime in '71.

JerryBaumchen

[jonstark 8]

Hey Jerry,

Was Ray from Pittsburgh? If so he was one of my early jumpmasters and we hung out a bit afterhours. Had a brother, Bob. They were referred to as R Lowe and B Lowe. That would have been 74-75.

jon

[JerryBaumchen 1,363]

Hi jon,

Nope, from Astoria, Oregon via Oregon State University skydivers. He now is once again living in Astoria, OR.

Sorry

JerryBaumchen

PS) His brother is Gary Lowe, a real 'Richard Cranium' if I ever met one.

[WGore 0]

Charlie was actually in the Army Reserve and he missed so many Reserve meetings because he was skydiving that they activated him. Ended up in Germany on the 7th Army team skydiving. Talk about falling in the shmidt house and coming out smelling like a rose. I had to do the real Army.
When they were trying to get me to re-up I told them I would for a slot on the Knights. The re-enlistment NCO said that he couldn't do that but I could have E-6 and an all expenses paid trip to SEA. I declined!

GUNFIRE, The sound of Freedom!

[Sailmo 0]

Hey guys....I was with Ray somewhere around 1970....I have been trying to contact him for a long time........I have a few old pics of Ray when we were in France at a meet with the Russians....Please forward any info........
Charlie Hughes
Cincinnati
ps
Would love to get together for a reunion....[

[Sailmo 0]

[Sailmo 0]

Trying to attach an old photo...

[zoobrothertom 5]

I'm not quite sure when the 7th Army Team died out do to lack of funding. Sometime in the 80's I think.

After the '84? crash of the Hanau parachute club in a CH-47 that impacted the autobahn killing 20+, the Army started pulling funding for the European army clubs over the next few years.

I arrived in Germany at the end of '85 and all the clubs were defunct or in the process thereof except the Green Beret club. In '86 (or maybe early '87), I got a call from a guy looking for qualified people to jump into the French Army sponsored marathon at the 1936 Berlin Olympic Stadium. Jump went okay. As far as I know, this was the last time anyone called the 7th Army team made a jump in Germany.

Anybody got any more info on the club's demise?

____________________________________
I'm back in the USA!!

[JerryBaumchen 1,363]

Hi Sailmo,

I just got an email & that photo from Charlie and sent him back the info on Ray.

Ray Lowe is third from right in that photo.

JerryBaumchen

PS) I mentioned that he tweaked his knee just before getting out. He still gets a disability check from the VA every month. And he continued to sport jump for a year or so after he got out; go figure.

[WGore 0]

Quote

Hi Sailmo,

I just got an email & that photo from Charlie and sent him back the info on Ray.

Ray Lowe is third from right in that photo.

JerryBaumchen

PS) I mentioned that he tweaked his knee just before getting out. He still gets a disability check from the VA every month. And he continued to sport jump for a year or so after he got out; go figure.

I got a dislocated shoulder jumping in high winds and hit a fence. I was on active duty. Maybe I could get 40years back disability. I think my shoulder is starting to hurt right now.

GUNFIRE, The sound of Freedom!

[Sailmo 0]

By the way....Sailmo and Charlie are on in the same...but thanks for all of the info.....

[andrewhilton 1]

Found this in Germany last week - 7th Army Team Badge

[WGore 0]

Quote

By the way....Sailmo and Charlie are on in the same...but thanks for all of the info.....

I knew that!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

GUNFIRE, The sound of Freedom!

[jaceddie 0]

I was on the team in 68 and 69 with Charlie Hughes, Kenn Heismann, Roy Peake etc. I would love to see a reunion. Have a few pictures if anyone is interested. Jack Robinson, D2291

[JPDECHENE 0]

I found this picture in my old files.

Location : Spa (Belgium)
Date : August 1967 for the Challenge Pitz Competition.

First row : Team I (left to right) : Dal Pagetto, Gutshall, Bob Donahue & Claude Callahan.
Second row : Team II (l. to r.) :John Womack, Thornsberry, Blackshere, Baguette.

Nice guys against whom I had the privilege to compete at several occasions in the late 60ies.

JPD

[Jim_Hooper 4]

Quote

I found this picture in my old files.

Location : Spa (Belgium)
Date : August 1967 for the Challenge Pitz Competition.

First row : Team I (left to right) : Dal Pagetto, Gutshall, Bob Donahue & Claude Callahan.
Second row : Team II (l. to r.) :John Womack, Thornsberry, Blackshere, Baguette.

JPD

While stationed in Berlin, I'd occasionally head down to Bad Keuznach for freebies with these guys. Gene 'Indian' DelPagetto jumpmastered me on my first jump in Germany; 'Gus' Gutshall grounded me for a day for some very bad canopy control; Cal 'No-slack'Callahan officiated when I finally made Cardinal Puff; John Womack was always a font of sound advice; and Bob Donohue sold me his Paracommander. As you probably know, Gus flew P-40Ns with the 23rd Pursuit Group (formerly the AVG Flying Tigers) in 1944-45 in China, before taking a reduction in rank to stay in the army, while John Womack was a veteran of the retreat from the Chosin Reservoir in Korea. I learned a lot from those guys. When Gus retired in the early or mid-70s, he settled in the Tampa area, came out to Z'hills a few times, then sort of disappeared. I don't think he could quite get his head around the idea of the gauche kid he'd known in Germany ending up as a DZO and serious relative work competitor and organizer.
Hoop

[Sailmo 0]

Here are a couple more shots of the team taken somewhere around 1970 at the airport in BK....
The first one is from left to right in the back row..
Bill Madden, Ray Lowe, Lt Craig Walters, Ronnie Walker, Don Strickland,...Front row from the left
Roy Peake, Steve Bienert, Charlie Hughes, Dan "Willie" Williams.

The second one is of a few of us ready to take off for an accuracy run.....
Left to right
Charlie Hughes, Dan Williams, Roy Peake....
Roy always did a back flip before he opened, no matter how low.....

Charlie Hughes

[JerryBaumchen 1,363]

Hi Charlie,

I am sure that Ray Lowe would appreciate a copy of that photo and the other one where he is third from the right. You have his address.

Ray always spoke very highly of Strickland ( and probably still does ). However, there was one rather shorter fellow ( I simply cannot remember his name ) that Ray detested; he may have been the NCOIC at one time.

JerryBaumchen

PS) BTW, you may know/remember that Ray married a German girl ( Christianne and was called Yanni for short ). She was probably the most fantastic, all around woman I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. She died of bone cancer probably 25 yrs ago; very sad.