JUMP DAY!!!!

Finally getting to do the jump my older son bought for me last Christmas. Been 24-25 years since the last time I jumped out of a perfectly good airplane, I'll see a C-130 fly over every once in a while and will just remark, "man I'd like to jump one more time". Apparently, the boys were paying attention. Orginally, both sons were supposed to do it with me, but the younger one couldn't make the 240 lb. weight limit, he's a big guy 6'6" and it was asking a lot of him. So we substituted one of my older sons best friends from Iraq, he's coming down from Nashville (the jumps were already paid for so we needed to use the slot). If ya'll don't hear from me anymore I burned in like a lawn dart, but I went out like I wanted to, with a bang (and maybe a bounce) and not a whimper. SKY GODS! Bobby (A-58) will understand.



An old pre-jump picture from 1987.

 

Good for you!*


*did he include me in his will I wonder

 

Enjoy it.

 

On a weather hold right now.

 

Just like Gene Hackman in "A Bridge Too Far"

 

What's this "one more time" business? If Pres. George H. W. Bush can do it at his age, you should be able to do it for a couple more years at least!

Here's hoping the weather clears for you. Have a great jump, Price. We'll expect pics or a video.

 

It's also 25 years since I did my last jump. I was almost tempted to do another when a friend asked if I would like to join him jumping at Arnhem back in September. I had to give it a miss as I don't think the old knees and back would have withstood the landing.

Good luck and come back in one piece with plenty of photos and video to share with us here.

 

What thoughtful sons . That is a great gift and hope you fully enjoy it. We all need a little excitement in our lives.
Let us know how it turns out...............or have someone let us know ...LOL

I am envious of your courage and the opportunity.

Gaines

 

Well back home. I survived, had a blast. The canopy steers a lot like an MC1-1 Bravo only a lot more responsive. 14,000 feet is a long way up, 2.65 miles. I'd never free fall jumped before, all mine were military static line, and IIRC the highest we ever jumped was about 1500 feet, when we jumped UH-1H's or CH-54 box jumps. Altitude can be deceiving, at one point in the aircraft, I said to the instructor looks like we're at about 1500 ft. he said he couldn't judge altitude visually that's why the altimeter was critical. We were actually at 4500 ft cause he checked. Anyone that has toyed with the idea should give it a shot, it's definately a rush.

 

It's good to know that you enjoyed yourself USMCPrice! Someday I gotta do something like that. It's on my bucket list.

 

For about a decade the runway about 100 yards from my front door hosted Skydive Houston and so I have watched hundreds, if not thousands of jumps. And once or twice a year saw Lifeflight come out to transport a injured jumper to the Hospital. Fortunately only one fatality (survived the landing, but passed due to a blood clot breaking loose from a sever leg injury and causing a blockage in the Brain).

Though asked many times, I politely declined. Step Momma didn't raise no fool!

 

We saw a woman get injured (not badly) on the plane load before us, it was jumper error and I saw it coming. We were standing at the edge of the drop zone and I told the boys, that lady coming in there better correct her body position or she's gonna get hurt. She didn't and she did. I guess the fact that over the years I saw so many jump injuries and virtually all were attributable to jumper error, that I never worry about it happening to me because I don't intend to let a mental lapse cause me to make an error. That's really saying something because in my everyday life I tend to be a bit accident prone because I do take unnecessary chances. I always tell everyone it's part of God's plan, he made me accident prone, but he also made me a quick healer. That said, the risk is well worth it because you never get to feel so fully alive, as you do at those times.

 

Do it Smiley! My 18 year old nephew did it with us today and he's now hooked!

 

From what I have seen, most serious injuries befell 'experienced' jumpers who were 'showing off' rather than exercising prudence as you do. Just can't account for stupid sometimes.

Glad you had a fun and safe jump.....even if I didn't inherit anything.

 

Crickey! Is that Marines with...hair!?

 

No sir, this was after I'd ETS'ed the Marines and gone into the Army. This picture, IIRC, was actually taken at Camp Bullis and was while I was attending the Special Operations Medical Sergeants Course 300F1 at Ft. Sam Houston, TX.

 

Phew...thought the world had gone topsey turvey...

Bloody hippies...

 

To be fair haircut standards are relaxed in many SF units because a fresh, military haircut identifies you as military personnel and in most areas they operate in they need to blend in with the people they're embedded with. That said, in the Marine Corps (more so on the ground side) where grooming standards are generally strictly enforced, it often depends upon the situation. In garrison you get a fresh haircut every week. If you're in the field for 45 days, you get a little scraggly by the time you get back to where you can get it cut. I have a picture of myself on a Med float, we'd been at sea for a couple months and the haircuts during that time were done by navy barbers on ship and were a little on the long side. Then add in that we'd just spent around another three weeks ashore operating with the Turks, no haircuts, and the picture was taken the day we got back on ship. Yes, my hair was long enough it's pretty long and embarrasing when it's seen without context, because I look a bit like a nasty slacker.

 

I remember seeing some pictures of some fo the Special Forces types embeded with the Northern Militia before they toppled the Taliban. Fit right in with the long hair and beards. The concept of calling in close air support from horseback was rather interesting as well.