It struck me as I slowly made my way from the floor of the plane and stood in the center of the walkway. There were at least 30 other soldiers on the C-140, a military aircraft that was flying over the field where those of us in jump school would soon be taking our first jump.
It was the smell of fear. Not only from me, but from the collective outpouring of the young men in front and behind me. We were all going to flee the safe and secure cabin of the ship and pray that our chutes would open without a flaw. We had practiced this for two whole weeks and had run dozens of miles to get into shape to face the fear and put it all behind us. We could do this. We could jump with joy and become one with the universe as we floated in the sky like a bird viewing the vast openness of the land beneath and all around us.
Jump School helped young men and women over fear of flying in the wild blue yonder
All we had to do was to stand up, hook up and shuffle to the door. Even if we faltered and wanted to back out there was a big, burly sergeant whose only purpose in life was to not so gently push us out should the fear of the unkonwn eventually overtake us.
All of us jumped. All survived with nary a broken leg or a broken spirit. All got our wings and will have from that moment war stories to tell our grandchildren about our brief moments in the air. We overcame fear and lived to talk about it.
We all can proudly say today “Airborne – All the Way Sir!”
Contoveros 
I salute you ❤
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Thank you Patrice. Ain’t it great to have a vehicle like WordPress to share ideas with others throughout the world?
Nice meeting you!
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I remember reading the lyrics to “He ain’t gonna jump no more” in my brothers friends Airborne School Album. To the tune of glory glory hallelujah … No way !
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The song is entitled “Blood on the Risers” “has quite a sad and gory ending:
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That’s great – I remember the line “they picked him up and poured him from … ” I guess it would make you take a little more care with your rigging!!!
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In a way I kind of envy you that experience. Was there a tow-line involved, or did you have to pull your own ripcord? I had to do the tow-line thing. It was a great experience that lasted all of about 30 seconds, and I’m about 99% certain I didn’t jump from the same height you did. Though I’m having a tough time trying to imagine what it must look like from a C-140. I can imagine a Hercules – because I was in one of those one time. Or a two-seater Cesna – from where I made my jump. I think it was originally a 4-seater, but they removed the back seat to make room for us on the floor.
Anyway – great story! Here’s what I want to know though: if you had the chance, would you do it again? And if so, why? What was it about the experience that impressed you the most? (Conversely: what was it about the experience that turned you off from ever wanting to do it again?)
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Wolfshades:
I’d jump in a New York minute if I had the chance to do it again!
As you know, it was one helluva experience that only a few brave (crazy?) people have taken part in. I did it so that I could toughen up before being sent to Vietnam.
But looking back, I see how it has become a mystical experience for me. Let me explain.
The moment I looked up and saw that the chute had opened without any problems I relaxed and took in the world around me. I became one with the world around me and felt so insignificant but so expansive at the same time.
The world was inside of me as much as I was within the bosom of the world, the entire universe. I had no concerns, no worries and no thoughts of anything except those few moments — seconds really — in which I lived totally in the present.
I didn’t have to pull the cord and chute deployed automatically upon my voluntary expulsion from the aircraft. I don’t know much about the C-140s except for a cadence song that we sang in the army. I even got the nomenclature wrong. It was the “C-130” and not the “C-140.” I guess I had a hearing loss even back in boot camp!
Here is the cadence song:
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