19 September 2008
It's "POETS" Day
What a week.
The title of this post is a favorite utterance one will hear in London on any Friday. Piss Off Early Tomorrow's Saturday. By now, some guys in London have already done it. Piss off that is. Usually kicked off by lunch at a Pub with office mates where a spilling out onto the street speaks to the crowd between 1PM and 5PM.
The video is my effort to stop my bitching about the Army and enjoy what I loved so much about it. The exit of an airplane in flight...and fright. This version has a Van Halen score sure to move you into the weekend like the rotor wash of a Huey moves a infantryman across a landing zone.
We used to grab the outside of the door on a C130 jump but some things never change. Weak exits. Retainer bags. Combat Equipment. Sicily Drop Zone...I think that's Sicily. Anyway, watch your fourth point of contact and have a great weekend.
I recall stories of Jimi Hendrix and others tripping (LSD) prior to jumping into the lush green drop zone. Must've been a wild ride! Have a great POETS Day.
ReplyDeleteHi man. Thanks for sharing this, I cannot imagine what it would be like IRL.
ReplyDeleteLast weekend, I shut myself up in my den with a bottle of scotch and read all your old posts. They were just great. Each better than the last.
I bought the Newport Jazz dvd with Anita O'Day and it is all superb.
And, I am in NYC next week and will dine at the Trad endorsed Veau d'Or next Friday night.
Thanks for the great work!
M.Lane
Wonderful. Brought back fond memories.
ReplyDelete"His testicles were a'danglin' from his paratrooper boots. He ain't gonna' jump no more...Gory, gory, what a hellova...."
tintin, at age 45, one of the first serious [long overdue] conversations with phred/dad, said: "I never really liked jumping."
phred/dad: "I didn't either, so why did you do it?"
tintin: "Because you did."
phred/dad: "But you started sport parachuting when you were 16. I thought you enjoyed it. So why did you do it?"
tintin said something about proving something. Well, then, here we were with another of those father/son "Santini" competitive things. How silly.
phred/dad concluded with a reminder that military jumping was really just a way to commute to work -- and a rather inefficient one at that.
However, if you wanted to be more than one of the"straight-leg" common herd, you became airborne qualified and learned to get the most enjoyment from it you could.
You then went on from there.
Here's a phun one:
The Airborne Class is starting the third and final week -- Jump Week. The Cadre leader calls them together. "It's been a tough two weeks, but we've prepared you as best we can. This week's up to you,
but don't dwell on all those scare stories you've heard. It's not all that bad.
Just do the drill the way you've practiced. Jump out the door with energy and you'll be clear of the aircraft.
Chutes almost never fail to open. If it doesn't you've got your reserve. Once you land, just bundle up the chute, put it in the bag and walk, no running needed, to the truck that's waiting. There will be coffee and donuts at the truck, so just relax until it's time to leave. No body will yell and scream at you and demand push-ups or any of that crap.
They chute up and go through the drill, board the plane and go off to the wild blue. When the green light comes on they all jump faultlessly.
One guy's chute doesn't fully open -- shit! a streamer.
He pulls the handle on his reserve -- shit! it wraps around the streamer.
As he falls at a high speed, he mutters to himself, Fuckin' Army. I'll bet that damn truck ain't there either."
wessex-Yep, Jimmie was in the 82nd and so was Kris Kristoferson. Jimmie was an 11B and there are still stories about him about Bragg as well as Kris who flew Hueys and I think flew for a general...usually intoxicated or so those stories went.
ReplyDeletem.Lane - Many thanks for your kind words. You'll love the Voe Door. I actually like it for lunch more than dinner. You may be the only one there.
Phred/Dad
My memory of being a Paratrooper was your pinning your old jump wings on me at jump school graduation and getting me leave when every one else had to stay at Benning over the weekend 'cause the F Stick company comander didn't sign people's leave papers before he took off early for the weekend.
Video is missing...
ReplyDeleteTrish- I know. They took it down about a year ago because of the music rights. I've been looking to replace it with something but haven't found the right vid yet.
ReplyDelete