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Show t gm War v ' v licgin a week of intensive training in high desert conditions.--. C-14- The flight of seven Air Force Starlifters began their journey west from Pope Air Force Base at Fort Bragg, N.C According to Battalion Commander LTC Ward Miller, it was the roughest ride and the hardest jump he's ever made. WEATHER didnt cooperate C-1- 41 1s, During the week, the 82nd did escape and evasion training, survival training, small and medium weapons training as well as training using a majority of their, annual allocation of training rounds of the TOW and DRAGON ex- star-lifter- t cooperate. well with the airborne troops; upon reaching the eastern slope of the Rockies, the point they wre to anti-Arm- tremely rough weather that made many of the paratroopers lose their lunch. The planes formed a wedge formation at 1,000 feet oyer the desert and slowed considerably for the forty second drop, during which about 14 the 83 man planeload exited the doors on either side of the rear of the . Jimmy Dixons Dirty Dozen agressor force' decided to begin their attack at the same time. SOME OF the heavy equipment they were to use was dropped at about 6:30 Sunday night from six more one Gamma Goat rolled on its side when it landed, and the Battalion Commanders Jeep came down first, thanks to a parachute that decided not to Infantry battalion of the S2nd Airborne Division with its usual attached units parachuted into a drop zone northwest of Michael Army Airfield Sunday to An don their chutes, they ran into ,$t. ' v ,s ' ...i-V,-- " y 'X '.'Vi Supporting the 82nd during this exercise were Utah Air National Guard, 7 Corsair units, from. Salt take and Hill, helicopters from the Utah Air National Guard and Army Reserve, and vehicles from the Army Reserve at Ft. Douglas. FOR THE most part, the units operated on what they brought on their backs, though resupply flights brought in rations and ammo and water trucks, made the trek to the. Cedars to provide canteen refills. Food for the troops was provided by the cooks they came in with who worked out of. the IllIG Dining Facility and Field r k For many of the 585 paratroopers, this was their first experience feet jumping in the thinner 4,000 air of Dugway, and many counted this as their hardest drop. One trooper commented at least there Weren't any trees. night fell,' the weather worsened, rain, high winds, and dropping temperatures were bad. enough, but to add some excitement to their first night here, SSG S? is rsvi S. " ' - sj W y A-- s. .S - ' ; missiles. or i . , ' . jAi- , r , t A. ' ; .V ; v. ' V Airborne! The chute billows from the door of a C-1- . .. stretch over Dugway. 4I ions. Kitchens, as well as The visit of the 82d was a poig- As C-r- at nant reminder of oiir profession, and why we continue to test for theliest. 1 by SSG Phil Hale r V i i cold and dust The. everywhere Around the dug in swarm They launched from Pope With lots of hope That this one would lie easy But when they hit the Eastern 'Mb .v Vi. ' 'V- t. V' J - ' j Vf ... f - . .vS. , . crossed the minds of all Wasnt the desert supposed to be From out the doors of seven birds The canopies did billow And they soon found out When they took the clout That the D2 was no pillow. The 105's lit up the skies W'ith bright illumination Wliile Dragon gunners with open warm? eyes fake by greeted 5-8- -3 C-141-'s. Found sighting a frustration. . wasnt Through an eerie blue The tracers flew. It seemed theyd never stop And all the while from half a mile The Mortars they did pop. 7. jeep was totalled on impact. They packed their chutes And formed in groups While the radios started buzzin As they left their base They had yet to face Dixons Dirty Dozen. Photos by Jeff Droubay and Phil Hale Canopies filled the skies as the seven birds dropped their human cargo near Michael Army Airfield. were artillery These valiant Airborne And many knew this heaven When they heard the AK-4- The Commanders jeep (right) streams in for an exceptionally hard landing during the heavy drop from A cord failed to sever on the chute and the six more As morning came twas . One more time they hit the line This time the press was filming The targets blew as the missiles flew .And many a gunner was grinning. The big front wheel Of a landing 141. '. i' . mV i JyWS-- : -v y ') jf ' i,- . I. .. . : . ' v v- . :'V - xO - . ", 'f- , - -- S ' t V i . . - , ,Jl . ' V . J V 'X CTv- - - ;ir .4.. . a At the dimes they stopped P.ja )? s . 7 the sun .westerly fell Each troop could tell As js.'. - a That the weather was soon to - ru .... . . : t : - worsen . rtt" k.- - , ' But y- A , j ; j- - a s Ifv. 5V I j 'V i . j J S f1! T ; , I ..'..'t-- ii 't. at the landing paratroopers Firing a soviet made was the Divisions best mess Sergeant SFC Jan Malkiewicz who, as one of SSG Jimmy Dixons Dirty Dozen Aggressor -- - .- i K f . a - - W ,. V. ; ' l I . ; ' . - - ' '4 A;vV. a ,, . " - . si . , A ' r ' j ' , - force, threw them quite a curve when he spoke nothing but Polish when he was later captured. AK-M- S i) 508s best " -- ' - They all trained well Under conditions like hell Ami traded many a fusillade And some found no doubt They must throw WAY out That contact hand grenade. . The mission done Twas time for fun For all who did survive And there rose a cheer For the kegs of beer From the crew of Channel 5. For those of you Who this poem read Let me tell you of one PVT Snead The spirit he showed as trigger he did pull And put the Dragon in the bull. We hope successes he has plenty As he endeavors Survived this test As it chilled every person. ".vj i .v .. While the big stuff was dropped From six more birds of silver While the sight of his jeep Sinking fast and going deep Made LTC Miller quiver. T- - - :!r. h Attj- '? J aZ. -- m ,f! , X IV'1 - X I r vX - w t Ts . , - ' I Toward the big sand dune They headed soon While noticing they were higher But one poor jeep In sage brush deep Found out a lot alxnit barlied wire.f still the same On the side of the bare mountain But to lead the way and make the day f 16 20s streamed like a fountain. Some eras ed the runway Not in the fun way But in a triple time run If hot they'd feel 1,1 1 They all grew' quite a bit Queasy. They Streamer! flewj those there Slope V. , to complete his twenty. ' Through thick and thin They all did win A battle every day These men of Millers 508 Who wear the maroon beret. This weekend they depart this Wednesday night was no delight It waS like a different planet As in the night Targets they did sight From the side of Little Granite. . place After washing an acre from each face With memories of other days' And shouts of Airborne - all the way. |