MikeRipcord

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Posts posted by MikeRipcord

  2. Since we may have vets of a certain age and era reading this thread, listen up!!!!

    The US VA has attributed ISCHEMIC HEART DISEASE to Agent Orange.

    If you have heart problems get checked out, and if it shows disease FILE a CLAIM thru tour County Veteran Service Officer, The DAV, VFW American Legion etc.

    The only burden of proof you have is that 1.) You served in Viet nam and 2.) You have ischemic Heart disease. (To my knowledge, approx 87% of all heart disease is Ischemic in nature.)

  4. Well, at least I have heard of utube, but I have never seen it. We have dial-up with no expectations of hi-speed in the future. No cable TV, no cell phones, but most of all few people. LOL

    By the way, I am no expert, all my jumps are "back in the day", but I have a pretty good memory, and may be able to access those stored brain cells now and then.

    Thanks for the Veteran's Day wishes, and I pass them on to all other vets.

  5. Quote

    skratch...



    But anyway... I am looking through my vast archives to find more stuff about Chuck Alexander, an engineer for Pioneer, who jumped out of one plane and deployed. His canopy bridle was then snagged by a hook from another plane and he was winched back into it. Don't know what year -- mid-sixties sometime -- though I did know him slightly. It was not a stunt, but done for a military contract, as I recall.



    HW



    Howard, i was at a little get together at Woody Woodhouse's in Lemon Grove (CA) in 72 0r 73 and Chuck was there with the film of his air pick-up. He, Woody or Stretch Harris may have a copy of the film. Oh, Tiny Broadwick was also there.

  6. Mylogs were lost 30+ years ago, but I was in the 50 FF range on a club jump at Bragg (XVIII Corps) 4 of us sidestepped out of a UH1H, and kinda turned into each other.

    Two of the other jumpers were Skip Gallagher and Dave Regenthal. I don't recall the third. Fall of 1971. Spent that winter jump bumming it at the Corps Club, on Bragg, as a civilian(I had ETSed at Bragg in May, 71)

  7. They may have changed the requirements sinve then, but in the mid 70s, not all Leap Frog members were SEAL qualified. Case in point, my old friend, Linda Stewart, who i believe was the first female on the team. If I recall correctly, at the time she had more jumps than any other menber (and more flying hours too.)

  9. I just got off the phone with D-41, Roy Martin. He is alive and well. I let him know about D-16.

    Does anyone know how to get in touch with Ernesto "Marty" Martinez, former APT and XVIII Corps Club member??

  10. Wow!! Another friend in about a month. First Skip, now Ted. I just called the Pepperell DZ and passed the word. They had not heard. Many there had worked for Ted in the early 70s. Ted checked me out and cleared me for "ups" back in '71 though he followed me out "a bit close, near clouds". D-1 was flying.

    Ted, you will be missed.

  12. It was a dark and rainy night (REALLY) in January 1971, in Fayetteville. The Longbranch Saloon was closing and I had no way to get back to Bragg. There was a Maverick firing up, with 4 slightly drunk GIs on board. I knocked on the window and asked for a ride. The driver, a big guy with the map of Ireland on his face, said, "Yeah, get in." He then asked if I had any money on me. I had 20 bucks (lots of $$$$ then) and said "No" Then he said, "Do you jump outta airplanes" and I thought, what have I got myself into??? I said "No" Then, before we started back, he asked, "Do you wanna learn?"

    Remember, it is closing time, there is an ICE strom going on, and it's 10 miles back to Bragg. I said, "Sure!!"

    So began my friendship with Skip Gallagher. Made my first jump 10 days later, on a SES rig that Bob Patterson and I packed the morning of the jump, because someone had taken the rig I had already packed and been signed off on.

    Later in my short jump career did my first 4 man (from a UH1H) with Skip.

    John L Gallagher, it is so sad to see you go, Johnny, we hardly knew ya.