Happy National Airborne Day!

Picton

Picton

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On this date in 1940, Lt William Ryder and the Test Platoon made their first exit over Lawson Field, giving birth to the US airborne forces.

So? Lift some grog, Brothers of the Silk!

AATW
505th PIR
 
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Picton said:
On this date in 1940, Major Bill Lee and the Test Platoon made their first exit over Lawson Field, giving birth to the US airborne forces.

So? Lift some grog, Brothers of the Silk!

AATW
505th
Click to expand...
Here’s to the 505th and Jumping Jim Gavin, regimental commander who later commanded the 82nd Airborne. MG Gavin carried a rifle while commanding the 82nd - a tradition that continues to today. The last US soldier to leave Kabul last August was MG Donahue, the CG of the 82nd. Faithful to MG Gavin’s precedent, MG Donahue was armed with an M4 Carbine.

Sent from an Army Aviator: Above the Best!

MG Donahue boarding a C-17 - the last US soldier to leave Afghanistan

1660695143925.jpeg
 
At a hunting camp with multiple WWII vets in the middle 1970's, and after passing the 1.75 of Jack Daniels for some time. The Army Air Corps vet of 30 flights over Germany, said, "Hey Mugsy.... tell him about the hedge rows."

I then learned that Mugsy parachuted into Normandy for the invasion. After a little preliminary the hedge row story came out. A group of 3 made it to a new road separating fields and bordered by hedge rows. Mugsy went left and the other two went right. As Mugsy rounded a corner, there were three Germans and all 4 went to the shoulder. Mugsy got two with his carbine and was hit in the right thigh with a round. His buddies showed up, dispatched the 3rd German and dragged Mugsy back around the corner as a Medic showed up.

Mugsy knew he was losing at least his lower leg, it was to be a matter of if he would lose it to the hip. It was all brown and red, nasty looking and the leg was numb.

The medic dropped his pack and cut the uniform away and began to laugh.

Mugsy said, "What the f&%@ are you laughing at? Am I going to save some of that leg?"

The medic held up was was left of a can or pork and beans that was in Mugsys thigh pocket. The can was hit, exploded and left Mugsy with a big black and blue on his thigh.

That camp had a Normandy guy that hit the beach and walked all the way to the Rhine. The Air Corps 30 mission fellow, an Iwo Marine, and Army So Pacific island hopper and Mugsy. Quite a crew, I was humbled.
 
Picton said:
On this date in 1940, Lt William Ryder and the Test Platoon made their first exit over Lawson Field, giving birth to the US airborne forces.

So? Lift some grog, Brothers of the Silk!

AATW
505th PIR
Click to expand...
Crazy SOBS jumping out of a perfectly good airplane! I get nervous on a 6 foot ladder so a tip of the hat to all of you. :)
 
kjt said:
Here’s to the 505th and Jumping Jim Gavin, regimental commander who later commanded the 82nd Airborne. MG Gavin carried a rifle while commanding the 82nd - a tradition that continues to today. The last US soldier to leave Kabul last August was MG Donahue, the CG of the 82nd. Faithful to MG Gavin’s precedent, MG Donahue was armed with an M4 Carbine. //
Click to expand...
My son’s middle name is Gavin. He was an extraordinary man ; raised as an orphan, took a USMA admission as an EM, and a Captain at the beginning of WWII when he volunteered for the “Test Platoon.” Ended the war as a three star, commanded the Berlin Garrison; became Chief of Army R&D, and resigned over Vietnam policy.

He was later Ambassador to France, and became Chairman of Arthur D. Little, living in the Boston area with his wife and two daughters.

His daughter ( who lives in CT) later released a book of his WWII letters and I bought one for my son. She wrote an inscription: “Jonathan, Be Brave.”

We visited his grave at USMA in 2015.
 
frenchman said:
I was Told ours do. Never got to try it tho.
Click to expand...
It makes sense that they would, but I don't think that I'd want to rely on it.

It was a long time ago, but from what I remember we were trained that in case of a planned or unplanned water landing to:
- remove the waist belt.
- unhook the chest strap.
- unhook one side of the reserve and tuck it back.
- jettison the backpack (still captured by the lowering line).
- Stage hands on leg strap buckles.
Upon contact with the water:
- Release leg strap buckles.
- Slip out of the harness.
- Inflate UDT vest.
- If necessary, follow a seam to the edge of the parachute.
- Signal "OK" for pick up.

That picture was before my 13th jump, where I needed to make the decision to conduct a water landing, a tree landing, or run with the wind to try and make the LZ, but that's a story for another time.
 
frenchman said:
I was Told ours do. Never got to try it tho.
Click to expand...

I heard that rumor about the old pre-MIRPS reserve chutes. I doubt anyone has actually had to try it.

garandman said:
My son’s middle name is Gavin. He was an extraordinary man ; raised as an orphan, took a USMA admission as an EM, and a Captain at the beginning of WWII when he volunteered for the “Test Platoon.” Ended the war as a three star, commanded the Berlin Garrison; became Chief of Army R&D, and resigned over Vietnam policy.

He was later Ambassador to France, and became Chairman of Arthur D. Little, living in the Boston area with his wife and two daughters.

His daughter ( who lives in CT) later released a book of his WWII letters and I bought one for my son. She wrote an inscription: “Jonathan, Be Brave.”

We visited his grave at USMA in 2015.
Click to expand...

Shoulda renamed Bragg for Gavin.
 
Andy in NH said:
It makes sense that they would, but I don't think that I'd want to rely on it.

It was a long time ago, but from what I remember we were trained that in case of a planned or unplanned water landing to:
- remove the waist belt.
- unhook the chest strap.
- unhook one side of the reserve and tuck it back.
- jettison the backpack (still captured by the lowering line).
- Stage hands on leg strap buckles.
Upon contact with the water:
- Release leg strap buckles.
- Slip out of the harness.
- Inflate UDT vest.
- If necessary, follow a seam to the edge of the parachute.
- Signal "OK" for pick up.

That picture was before my 13th jump, where I needed to make the decision to conduct a water landing, a tree landing, or run with the wind to try and make the LZ, but that's a story for another time.
Click to expand...
All of our training for water landings whether planned or just fate we were told to dump everything, get out of your harness and swim away before the main chute starts to collapse around you like a giant jellyfish. Part of our drown proofing included being blindfolded, spun around in circles til you’re dizzy AF and then violently shoved off the high dive so you’re completely disoriented as you fall.

You learned quick to keep your rifle out and away from your face or suffer the pain and to get out of the harness fast, swimming down, out and away. Even with just a fully loaded LBE, 6 mags, compass, bayonet, personal knife, butt pack, 2 full canteens of water (for weight-and they checked to make sure they weren’t empty), BDU’s and boots that stuff gets heavy fast when it’s wet.

If we dropped a rifle (rubber ducks) during the drill you were a nogo and you had to get back in line. Of course when the weather was nice we did this inside at the post pool, and when it was freezing cold we did it outside, sometimes having to break the layer of ice first just to get started. Dicks. lol
 
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