I am also deeply saddened by the demise of the Fort Campbell Sport Parachute Club. I recall numerous fond memories of the Demo Jumps I participated in during the years 1979 through 1981 when I was a member of the Demonstration Team. My Skydiving days ended forever involuntarily shortly after I reported to South Korea in August, 1981. Early my first winter in South Korea I slipped on some sidewalk ice, jamming a hand railing into my lower spine. The Flight Surgeon at my Class II Flight Physical was a Skydiver from Camp Casey. He took an “extra-careful” look at the X-Rays. He told me I could continue Skydiving, but there would likely come the day after a possible rough landing where I would never walk again in my life. The choice was extremely sad, but necessary. My Skydiving days were over after only 4 years in the sport. I also remember Kurt Eckstein from my days at the Fort Campbell Sport Parachuting Club, and having a few jumps with him. It was a shock to learn he died on the demo jump at Anniston, Alabama. During my jump days at Fort Campbell I recall some of the names of fellow jumpers at Fort Campbell - Command Sergeant Major “Arnold” (can’t recall last name), Russ Pinney, Paul Bliss, Paul Reynolds, John Shelton, Laurie Beegles, Mike Weber, Max Kohnke, Ed Lally, Doug Harris, Jon Pejka, Vickie Michaels, Don Hinton, Guy LaBrecque, Marsha Bickford, Al Brown, “Rod” Rodriguez, “Stu” Kaufmann, among numerous other names I cannot recall. I fondly recall the DZ chorus of “case of Beer” for anything/everything done for the first time. I know I bought my share during those years. Who recalls “Rod” eating refried beans the night before Saturdays and Sundays? He could make everybody gag inside the helicopter and pissing-off more than a couple of the pilots. Did Leanne Eckstein ever get her Skydiving Equipment home store started? My Telstar Rig and Blue/Red Strato-Cloud were bought through her home-store. Did John Shelton ever marry the widow of Kurt Eckstein? Whatever happened to all those photographs that lined the walls of the two Parachute buildings back in 1979 thru 1981 when Mike Weber was taking all the photographs? I recognized myself in the Army Team in Paducah.jpg. I sure would like getting my hands on some scanned copies, especially where I am in them. Shortly before I returned from South Korea the 2nd time in 1986, I was notified by mail that there was a fire where my storage goods were kept; I totally lost everything, to include my Skydiving photographs. From all the photographs I had, the only surviving photos were the ones I chanced to have with me in South Korea. Reminiscing is usually nice, sometimes sad; remember the ageless saying - “You can never go back again.”
