| Show t t Paratrooper Tells Story of First Jump Feelings Feeling B By a U. U S. S r PARATROOPER as Told to Corporal Stewart AV W. Smith Written for NEA Service I wanted to jump from from rom a plane I wanted to be an army boy a sky soldier with high leather shoes a shiny jump badge and a month a bonus It has been 30 days since I started the muscle-building muscle special special cial training routine that has been turning me into one of Uncle Sams Sam's paratroopers Now I am approaching the climax of the course Im I'm about to experience ence my first jump The motors roar as this gr great at Douglas transport cl clears ars the ground with 11 other recruits and myself Each of us Is ready to bail out into space for the first time I cant can't help but feel that its it's all a dream I ask myself What am I doing here It all seems fantastic Im I'm imagining imagining imagining ing things No I must get a grip on myself I l' must stop this feeling feeling feeling feel feel- ing of hysteria Now above all times I must be rational I must be cool This is the big test This is where all my wits are needed My very life depends upon my coolness Ill I'll look out of the window The ground is serene and beautiful ful below It seems to soothe my nerves Bring Back Realty But the hammering of those motors They bring me back to reality seeming to reach right into the core of my brain The vivid mental picture of myself standing in m the big doorway of the plane ready to jump ke keeps ps coming back to me I fight against It but its it's a losing bat bat- tle I cant can't seem to stem the vision of that intense moment waiting wailing for the command Go from the jumpmaster Will I Ibe Ibe Ibe be able to hold my nerve or orwill orwill orwill will I give out at the last moment moment moment mo mo- ment Stand up Number One Its It's the command of the jumpmaster It brings me back to my senses senses My heart beats faster as the leading man gets ready to go through tho the ordeal of his first jump Mine isn't far away I start thinking of all my paratrooper paratrooper paratrooper par par- training It was much more Intensified than my ordinary ordinary ordinary nary infantry recruit drill I re recall recall recall re- re call all the parachute course coursework coursework coursework work that I went through which is supposed to make the actual jumping mere childs child's play Those hours of calisthenics hardened me and gave gave me endurance endurance endurance en en- durance beyond my wildest imagination Those daily dally dou dou- time ble-time hikes started off as nightmares but soon I could go for miles without a whimper I never knew my body could be bent Into so many positions until I had finished weeks of physical drill on the that that man-made man torture device I crawled upside down and backwards backwards backwards back back- wards through its squares of iron pipes climbed its hand- hand burning ropes jumped off its high platforms ad ran down its inclined ladders until I thought I was standing on my head Dont Don't Regret Work ork But I dont don't regret one twist one jump one rope burn for I know full well that every bit of work made my chances of coming coming coming com com- ing through my jumps without injury considerably better The planes plane's slowing up It jolts me back to the pr present sent It means the number one man is about to to jump Hook up commands commands commands com com- mands the lieutenant Stand to door The jumper h has s his static line hooked to the long wire running the length of the cabin The static line is attached to the chute and will rip the cover off I automatically when he lie leaps I opening the chute to the blast of the airplane propellers Go barks the commanding officer Only a slight hesitation hesitation hesitation tion to gulp down a lump in his throat and away into space springs the number one man We watch from the windows Like clockwork the static line rips rips' off the cover cover and th big chute pops out We appreciate the welcome feeling that hits the jumper in inthe inthe inthe the pit of the stomach as he is jerked that jerked that heavenly jerk jerk to slow speed by the billowing of If the silken sil chute Now hes he's probably hooting and howling with glee Eflee as he dangles dang on the end of of the big silk umbrella u His training in operating the risers and hitting the ground will insure his safe landing He will know how to turn himself so that he hits the earth while facing facing facing fac fac- ing in the direction the wind is carrying him We had plenty of practice doIng doing doing do- do Ing that in our jumping on the big training towers My first experience riding on m the chute which is controlled in its descent by wires seems like childs child's play compared to what lies ahead of me Cant Can't Forget Feeling But it didn't seem so then I cant can't forget that feeling of at height in looking down from its foot top the first firt time Nor can I forget when they hauled me up feet on an apparatus that suspended me parallel to the ground and then ordered me to pull the rip cord It dropped me 15 feet where i I was brought up sharply by my harness It didn't feel so good at first but I soon learned how to cushion the shock which is supposed to simulate the actual actual actual ac ac- ac- ac shock in plane jumping I thought I could claim I was wasa a parachutist wh when n they cut me loose from the free tower for forthe forthe forthe the first time My big chute carried me away from the tower gliding on the wind but I landed landed landed land land- ed like a feather I had my heart is my ly throat at first but I soon found that there was nothing to It it and from then on I looked forward to my next ride I tell myself the plane jumping jumping jumping jump jump- ing shouldn't be any more difficult difficult cult than the tower jumping The only difference being the height And the 1250 feet at which Ill I'll leap from the plane will only be further insurance against any mishap for it will give me more time to correct my fault time fault time if necessary to pull the rip cord on my emergency chute which is packed across my chest But I cant can't quite convince my my- self I get an increased feeling of panic near-panic as I realize my turn is getting so much nearer Try to Remember The plane is about completing sits Its circle to get in position for forthe forthe forthe the next jumper to make his exit I try to recall the many things I learned in my parachute parachute parachute para para- chute basic course Im I'm well up on tumbling in inthe inthe inthe the wind They put me on a chute and turned that speed speed high wind machine on it carrying me across the field at a frantic clip and still I was able to re regain regain regain re- re gain my feet teet and c collapse the chute But I shouldn't need much of that training today for forthe forthe forthe the wind is extremely mild My chut packing chute packing training so important in the life of a paratrooper paratrooper paratrooper para para- trooper will come In handy though for Ill I'll have to gather my chute and repack it this afternoon afternoon afternoon af af- af- af right after I jump I suppose Ill I'll be just as busy after I get my five qualifying jumps Ill I'll have to learn how to operate locomotives run all kinds of other vehicles including including including ing a tank Ill I'll be instructed in methods of demolishing tank cars bridges how to cut wires v etc A paratroopers paratrooper's schooling seems never to be done one Plane Slows Up The plane slows up again Number two goes Im I'm next The plane continues on its wide circle course The plane is at atthe atthe atthe the right speed for jumping jumping 90 90 miles an hour My thoughts keep racing along Ill I'll take a good hand hold and on the command command command com com- mand Ill I'll give a healthy spring and leap far o out t. t Stand up number three My breath seems inadequate as I Irise Irise Irise rise to my feet Hook up There my static line is securely fastened Stand to door Ill I'll get a good grip Go Whoosh Things are confused Why Im I'm floating like a lily on a lake My gosh Ive I've ve jumped Cant Can't believe it It was nothing But how did I get out of that plane I can remember the command Go It sounded like a shot in my ear Did I spring out There seems to be something missing But the jerk I cant can't forget that sudden lurch I thought I hit hita a tank But I dont don't care how hard they come The harder hard hard- er the better Therell There'll never be too nard hard a tug by that big bum- bum Good old silkworm |
