Origins of military parachuting

[edjackson 0]

Here’s an interesting article about the origins military parachuting. It was written by Norm Olson, a retired Navy Seal that still jumps at Zhills.

[steve1 5]

I think most seals found jump school really easy compared to the training that they had just been through. There were several seals training with us, in jump school, back in 1970. When one was dropped for pushups, they all dropped and did them as a group. You had to admire that kind of comradery.

The first thing I learned in Jump School was that you'd better do what your Black Hat (instructor) said or you were in a world of trouble. One thing you didn't do was joke with a Black Hat. I mean this training was supposed to be serious shit!

I read an interesting story a few years back about Harry O'connor when he went through Jump School..... One day it was really really hot. The trainees were allowed to jump in this big water trough to cool off.

Seals are trained to hold their breath forever. So there lay Harry O'connor on the bottom of that deep water tank. A Black Hat figured he must be drowning so he reaches in with one arm to pull him out. The next thing you know this Black Hat is yanked off his feat and into the tank by Harry.

I'll bet he got some pushup for that....Steve1

[SWATcop 0]

Yeah, they are hardcore. When I went through jump school in 1991, the SEALs got in trouble for climbing the 250 foot tower and hanging a SEAL flag the night before we started tower week (the second week). When we went out for PT that morning there is was hanging from the tower. All the SEALs in our class were called into the BN commander's office.

Kevin

Muff Brother #4041
Team Dirty Sanchez #467

[NickDG 23]

As a former Marine, and a flaming liberal, I love the spirit displayed by our various military organizations. Once in Hawaii I was jumping with the Kaneohe Marine Sport Parachute Club and we screwed up the spot enough to come down in the midst of a VIP golf game full of visiting Japanese dignitaries.

When called on the carpet and being dressed down, in front of his battalion commander and the U.S. Japanese ambassador, for not being able to throw things from an aircraft and have them come down in the correct place, our club President said, "Well, we didn’t do so bad in Hiroshima!"

NickD BASE 194