75th National Airborne Day
That’s COB6 giving you the six minute warning above.
National Airborne Day is set on the day of the first parachute jump conducted by the Army’s Parachute Test Platoon on August 16th, 1940.
On the morning of 16 August 1940 the jump began. After the C-33 leveled off at 1500 feet and flew over the jump field, Lt. Ryder was in the door ready to jump. Warrant Officer Wilson knelt in the door waiting to pass the Go Point. When this was reached, he slapped Lt. Ryder on the leg and the first jump was made. Now Number One moved into position. Slap! “Go! Jump!”
Still no movement.
It was too late now to jump on this pass. Mr. Wilson motioned Number One to go back to his seat. As the plane circled Mr. Wilson talked to Number One. Number One wanted another chance. Okay, this time we’ll do it. Back into the jumping position and once again, slap!
Sadly, no movement. Number One returned to his seat.
Private William N. “Red” King moved into the jumping position in the door. Slap! Out into American military immortality leaped Red King… the first enlisted man of the test platoon to jump out of an airplane. Number One was transferred to another post and anonymity. Now there were forty-seven. Was Number One a coward? I don’t think many experienced jumpers would say so. There are things some men cannot do at a given time. Possibly another time would have been fine. He wanted to. He intended to. He just could not… at least that morning.
The first US airborne operation was in support of Operation Torch, November 1942, in North Africa when 531 members of the 2nd Battalion 509th Parachute Infantry Regiment flew 1600 miles in 39 C-47s, of which only ten aircraft dropped their pacs, the rest landed because of navigation difficulties and low fuel.
Fourteen years ago, 3rd Battalion, 75th Rangers secured an airfield in Kandahar in support of Operation Enduring Freedom on October 19, 2001. On March 23rd, 2003, A Company, 3/75th conducted an airborne operation to secure an airfield in Northern Iraq a few days before the 173rd Airborne Brigade parachuted into Northern Iraq when the Turks wouldn’t allow the 4th Infantry Division to off-load and invade Iraq from their borders.
In years past, the 82d Airborne Division Association, mostly the DC Chapter, had to lobby to get recognition for National Airborne Day from the Senate every year, until 2009 when the Senate made it permanent.
We used to get a Presidential Proclamation every year, but for some reason, we haven’t had any since 2008.
Category: Historical
AAh, National Airborne Day, today, August 16, 2015.
75 years of history, “Under the Silk”.
AIRBORNE!
My graduation photo shows me wearing a stupid smile — sure wish I looked constipated instead.
National Airborne Day is one of those memory joggers that I use.
When the wife’s birthday rolls around each year, I automatically remember the next day is Airborne Day. Just like my jogger of knowing our wedding anniversary is the day before St. Patrick’s Day.
Although not jump qualified, I still kinda associate myself with the Airborne, having spent my entire first three year enlistment with the 101 Airborne. Yep, one of those guys with a full color patch on both shoulders.
So, Jumpers, have a great day and here’s hoping you get to enjoy many more.
OK, there are people who do it and love it, and people who would rather be stepped on by a rhinoceros.
I’ll take the rhino and a box of popcorn. The highest I ever jumped was 5.5 feet, and that was because Belinda was a reliable open jumper. I could see everything in Fairfax County from that height. Then I went flying with a movie camera in an open-cockpit biplane, shooting film for someone who was selling the Beechman.
I’ll fly the plane, you guys do the jump.
“Airborne is what you do a Paratrooper is who you are”.
CSM AIRBORNE Hemrick.
One Airborne old man and he was the finest NCO I ever served with.
“why would you jump from a perfectly good airplane?”
“because there are perfectly bad pilots at the controls”
$55/$110 per month which was 1/2 my base pay as an O1 in ’63.
sj… A jump here and a jump there and pretty soon you’re talking real money!
I never forget this day because yesterday was my birthday. I turned 18 years old and completed jump #4 in Airborne School on the same day!
“We used to get a Presidential Proclamation every year, but for some reason, we haven’t had any since 2008.” Gee, wonder why? I would love to see Obama jump like Bush Sr. did as long as he was able. After all he has a double reserve. Main fails he pulls his reserve, the reserve fails, he just cuts it all loose and glides in on his ears.
Sorry, got so wrapped up in the lack of Obama caring I forgot to add the most important thing. Congratulations to all of my Airborne Brothers out there!
Maybe it’s because B. Hussein 0bama thinks he has more important things to do like play golf or plan his next vacation or fundraiser.
January 20, 2017 will be THE END OF AN ERROR!!!
I would like to see obozo jump WITHOUT a chute!
To my Airborne Brothers and Sisters,
ATW!!!
“[We] ain’t better Men then you, [we] just have bigger balls”
In 1981 I made one static line jump from a UH-1 compliments of the Ft. Rucker Sport Parachute Club. Even though I was learning to turn wrenches and crew chief those at the time, except when flying (even with doors open) I did not care for heights.
That jump kinda sealed the deal.
My father-in-law jumped with the 82nd on D-Day.
Congrats to those of you who pay for the whole ride but get out at the half-way point. You’ve earned your day many times over and your boxers contain more than mine. But my wings are bigger
I seem to remember those DZs/airfields being secured by SF on the ground first and then the airborne operations commencing…
Thanks for the reminder, Jonn. Our nephew, currently an E-7 platoon sergeant in the 82d was here this week, passing through, and he made quite a fuss about my old official jump school photo taken at Campbell Army Airfield in December 1959. I just went in to take another look at it and to contemplate for a moment how that clear-eyed young trooper turned into this cranky old bastard.
Airborne!
Best wishes from the motorpool. Last unit was airborne ADA(Patriot). Leg with a red beret. Not right but what do ya do?
2-43 ADA.
I served briefly with one of their sister BNs, 4-43 ADA when they came to Ft Hood from Germany.
AirBORNE!!!!
I remember my first jump at airborne school. in the back of my mind I kept thinking that they wouldn’t really make us do it; any second the Black Hats would shut the door and tell us, ‘well, obviously it’s way too dangerous to jump in training, but in a real combat this is how we’d do it’…
Then the first jumper exited. I was incredulous. Oh my God, we are really going to do this. Someone should stop us.
When my turn came, I was scared shitless. I was so scared I kept my eyes open because I didn’t trust anything or anyone.
55 jumps later, I was still incredulous every time. Every single jump, I thought ‘surely, someone will realize how dangerous this is and stop these maniacs…’
I was scared shitless every time except once. Beautiful night, Fort Bragg, 2-325 AIR, mass tac combat equipment. It was jump 25 or so, I had just finished JM school. I was supremely confident (oddly, because a guy died in my JM class during PWAC). I was jumper 2 or 3, and when I exited I got to four thousand and didn’t really feel an opening shock.. I checked canopy (experienced jumpers already know what I should have been doing at this point), and my parachute was in sort of a squid, so I start shaking my risers and it opened, big and round.
Obviously, I lived. I don’t think it hit me until about a week later that if it hadn’t opened, I had wasted about half of my remaining lifespan shaking it instead of activating my reserve.
After that, I was scared shitless every time, which is the way it should be. After all, it is way too dangerous
Unless I missed it in the story and comments:
On Feb 22, 1967 the 173rd Airborne Brigade made history by making the first combat jump into Vietnam (along the Cambodian border) in support of Operation Junction City. SKY SOLDIERS!!!
National Airborne Day= I hate legs day!
Another paratrooper, who was also a combat veteran, has been killed during a jump.
http://news.yahoo.com/parachutist-undergoes-surgery-chicago-air-show-injury-160301382.html
Additional Information:
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_AIR_SHOW_CHICAGO?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2015-08-16-20-41-55
A day late, but Happy Human Lawn Dart Day to all my fellow Paratroopers.
May your hip and knee replacements all last a lifetime, and your spinal fusions be few and far between.
Airborne! All the Way! Let’s Go!
I got my wings while stationed at Fort Bragg (101st Chemical Company) in 1987. I took my papers to 782nd Maintenance Bn, got a letter of acceptance, and took it to my First Sergeant who promptly wadded it up, threw it on the floor, and slapped my orders on his desk for PCS to Babenhausen, Germany…a Light Wheel Vehicle Mechanic with Jump Wings in Field Artillery. If I knew then what I know now…My GOD I want to jump from a C-130 again!