Wally Benton

[steve1 5]

I was just wondering if anyone remembers Wally Benton. He once owned the drop-zone at Star, Idaho back in the 70's. One of his exploits involved jumping a para-plane into a stadium and breaking his back at a football game.

Wally had cancer back then and the word going around was that if it got too bad he would make one last jump, with a large group of friends, and then forget to pull. I don't think that ever happened though, because he lived for a number of years before passing on.

I talked to Greg Nardi last summer. He said that Wally was a tought old bird, and he just wouldn't die. I was just a young pup way back then, and I didn't know him very well. He seemed like the type of guy who would give you the shirt off his back if you needed it. Most of our ten-way team stayed at his house during a meet back in about 74. The word boogie hadn't been invented yet. I was just wondering if anyone else had a good story to tell about him....Steve1

[darkwing 4]

I started jumping at Star, ID in 1973, and Wally was pretty much as recovered from his stadium jump as much as he would ever be. He died in the late 1980's, as I recall from "natural causes" which I interpreted to mean he lived a really rough life, and it caught up with him.

I never heard the story about him jumping with a group and forgetting to pull. I don't think he would have done that.

Wally's house (known as the Monte Vista house, because it was on a street of that name) was certainly legendary as a crash pad. No doubt much to the dismay of the other residents of that otherwise normal neighborhood. I spent many nights there. I think we jumped in there once or twice too.

That whole era (primarily the early 70's) spawned a group of jumpers who are still around. Unfortunately, the jumping community fragmented and now the Boise area has 3 Cessna DZs, when it could easily support one turbine DZ.

I will add a footnote to that time and place: another prominent jumper, Crazy Ed Pancoast, cashed in his chips about a month ago, by his own hand. Eddie was the first freefall photographer I ever met.

-- Jeff
My Skydiving History

[steve1 5]

Darkwing,
Sorry to hear the loss of your friend Eddie.

I still have relatives in the Boise area. I haven't been there since the meet in 74. I'd like to attend the boogie at Star in June. I planned to be there this year, but something came up at the last minute.

I also heard that Greg Nardi is bringing up his King Air from Florida a few times each summer, so I should be there at least once this summer. I'll look you up....Steve1

[JerryBaumchen 1,076]

I remember Wally from the mid-60's (in fact I've jumped the very canopy that broke him up). He was a wild & crazy guy back then (as most of us were). I always felt sorry for Wally, mostly because he was so full of life before the crash.
But for fate, there go many of us.

[airtime1 2]

I always regretted not knowing Wally before the infamous stadium accident. I never knew the man who did so much for skydiving in the Boise area. I heard so many great stories that never seemed to match the man I knew.

The man I knew showed the signs of daily endurance of tremendous pain, and the effects of the use of things that helped relieve that pain.

The after-life is considerably more lively now that Wally and Crazy Ed are together again.