Remembering

[BLUEHAWK]

Steve & Tom -
Thanks for all this PLF... helps.

The helmet hitting ground story reminds me of what a horse trainer taught me about tacking up horses... he DID NOT want to hear the bit hit the animal's teeth, no fetching of anything upside of heads, but the next thing to it.

[frisco-kid]

MIKE: I never make fun of anyone asking a legitimate question. We'd all be dumb as doorknobs if we didn't ask questions about things we don't know.

Griz: My last jump was in JAN68 at Ft. Bragg with the 82nd, before going back to Nam in FEB with them.

Packo: Jungle boots, Bud. This was an ARVN jump, and a spur of the moment thing for us. I'da felt bad jumping into 2' of paddy water and mud in a nice pair of jump boots.

Doc: T-10. Good description of a PLF. Remember the phrase "Get your head out of your fourth point of contact?" With 23mos. in Nam, I only have 23 jumps. And a few of those were for other guys that paid me to make theirs. Isn't your son Airborne qualified? I thought I remember you telling us that a couple of years ago.

Steve: Yeah. The wind was a BIG deal on this jump. I don't know what speed it was kicking, but if this had been at Bragg the Safety Officer probably would have called it off. Between coming in on that wind, and the mud and water, I just couldn't get my feet back under me quick enough. Alot of guys were banged up, including me. Some of those light-in-the-ass ARVNs took some REAL good licks on the dikes .

I really enjoyed jumping. This one was one of the tougher ones, and not all that much fun at the time. But, I'm glad to have the braggin' rights

PROUD TO BE A PARATROOPER!

[BLUEHAWK]

Montana, Tom, Steve -

Is a T-10 the chute that is roundish looking (like at D-Day)?

How is a Dash-One different?

Is one preferable over the other?

[frisco-kid]

Mike, the 'chutes in WWII were, I believe, T-5s. Yes, like them, the T-10s were "roundish looking." In between was the T-7, also "roundish looking." I never jumped a dash-one. This was the MC-1 and, like MK said, was the first steerable 'chute. Steve, when were these first used for mass jumps? I have a younger cousin who was with the 82nd in the late '70s-early '80s. He said they were being used then. Mike these, for sure, would have been more preferable.

[82Rigger]

Col Murph, if you're reading this thread, jump in here and help me out.

The T-5 and T-7 troop chutes were the US military personnel chutes in use during WW2 and Korea. They were, I believe, 28-foot diameter circular chutes, static line deployed. The deployment sequence was canopy first, then suspension lines.
That open canopy was up there waiting for you to hit the end of the suspension lines. OUCH!!!
I had the opportunity to jump a restored T-7 up at the Rigger School in 1969 and it was NOT a pleasant experience.
Troops at D-Day lost some of their heavier items of equipment such as pistols, loaded magazines, etc that they carried in the pockets of their trousers...it ripped right through the bottoms of their pockets when they got that opening shock.

The T-10 entered service sometime in the late '50s. It has a 35 foot canopy, parabolic, not circular.
In deployment the suspension lines deploy first so you get kind of a "braking" effect as the canopy opens, rather than a sudden shock.
There was also a T-10 MANEUVERABLE chute in use during the VN era. It was steerable and was used mainly by small special units.
Shortly after I got out in 1970, an ANTI-INVERSION skirt was added to the T-10. No more inside-out canopies!

The MC series (dash one) came into service sometime during the mid or late '70s. There is an MC-1B and an MC-1C.
Both are parabolic steerable canopies with a 7 gore TU steering configuration.
I don't know if the Dash Ones are for mass jump or for special units.

Airborne! Steve / 82Rigger

[BLUEHAWK]

Wow, this is an amazing amount of information, thanks guys!

I bet not many who have not come down under one have much idea at all this history!

The one time I was under one was in Zihuataneo Mexico, one of those deals pulled by a boat... got up about 100 feet in the air, the boat slowed down too much, and I went right straight down like a rock into the Pacific ocean, being dragged along by my crotch under 2 feet of water. Dang, got all my pesos wet, scared the crap outa my lady... they pulled me in the boat and I was laughing my ass off. I think they thought I was nuts.

Fascinating...

[frisco-kid]

I knew either you or Col. Murph would have the answers on this. Wasn't Col. Murph jumping T-4s when he started jumping ? I remember a Master Blaster telling me that the other advantage to the harness coming out first on the T-10 was that the canopy opened BELOW the prop blast. This was also a big factor in lessening the opening shock. Jaysus, those T-5s and T-7s musta' been real ball busters, especially for a big guy like Col. Murph. I'm surprised none of those old senior NCOs and officers didn't have high-pitched voices .

[exlrrp]

Youre jump reminds me of one that I made in Panama on the Gatun drop zone, except it was in about 3' of water and I damn near drowned.
I was jumping the M60 (I was Asst MG) in a PAE bag. You let this down on a 10' line to lessen the impact. The wind was higher than normal and that PAE bag acted like a drag anchor when it hit and my last 10' described a perfect arc and I mean SPLAT!!
It stunned me but I knew I was underwater and I understood that this was not good. We flew over water a lot and wore inflatablewater wings in case we landed in water so I popped the release and it opened; Unfortunately the wings had had got caught under the harness and it knocked whatever wind I had leftout of me.
I was panicking, flailing around; It looked like curtains for yr boy and if someone hadn't come along and drug me up it might have been.
On this same jump a medic left his thumb in the static line

I made 3 jumps in the Nam, all on secure (?) drop zones like you did. This was out in the Plei Me area where we trained after Recondo School; Some training area, this was the Gateway to the Ia Drang

My last jump was 1993 on Dillingham Airfield Hawaii, up by Mokuleia on the north shore. Had to prove to myself that I still could. This was my only freefall jump. After that I retired undefeated-- I hope they retired my Jump School number. You guessed it: #911

Going out to Caen today, renting a car, then touring the battlefields for a couple of days with special attention to the Airborne and Ranger areas: St Mere Eglise, Carentan, Pointe Du Hoc, Pegasus Bridge, etc. The Airborne have always been my heroes and, since I was "grandfathered" into the Rangers, now they are too

Ciao all, hope its good where you are

James