harding-D44

Here's a list of the top 100 that I snagged from another post List of Early D License Holders: No. - Location - Name 1 MA Lewis B Sanborn 2 MA Jacques A Istel 3 MA Dana Paul Smith 4 MA Darius Vakharia 5 PA Steve Snyder 6 MO George P Taylor 7 AK Heisel Christian 8 VA Verlin Glenn 9 CA Lt. James P Pearson 10 NY Robert M McDonnell 11 GA Danny Byard 12 NC Loy Brydon 13 NY Jim Arender 14 Ernest Lynn Pyland 15 NC Merrill L Shepard 16 MA Edward F Strong 17 Ray Love 18 KY Michael Kremar 19 Jack Helms 20 NC Herry E Arter 21 MA Mark Schmidt 22 NC Gerald F Bourquin 23 PA William C Edge 24 PA Robert Spatola 25 NC Harold R Lewis 26 MA William G Jolly 27 Lee Ray K Smith 28 GA Elfers, William 29 KY Kirtley, Thomas 30 NY MacPherson, Allan 31 MA Straus, Bradford 32 Unziker, William J. 33 CA Hulick, Gerald W. 34 PA Bahor, Erick M. 35 KY Meyers, Lee A 36 OH Reed/Sherman Wilson 37 TX Duncan/Edmond C 38 NC Fortenberry, Richard T 39 NC Jorgensen, Keith C 40 NC Dunphry, Richard 41 NC Martin, Roy D 42 TX Jacks, Clyde E. I had about 50 Jumps with Clyde who had Gold Wings 1 or 2. With about 1500 jumps he was killed doing low altitude rolls in his stunt plane near Houston, Texas in Nov., 1962. 43 CA Pol, James E. 44 OH Harding, Daniel E 45 CA Skinner, Robert W. 46 IN MacPherson, Dennis H 47 FL Poppenhager, Paul J. 48 VA Hale, Roger, C. 49 MA Moge, Maurice R. 50 NJ Guilfoyle, Lee 51 CA Stevens, Perry D. 52 CA Murry, robert A. 53 CA Duncan, Edmond C. 54 CA Williams, Verne 55 CA Kilsow, Arthur 56 FL Brezin, Ben 57 MN Mathwig/Jerry E 58 MO Williams, Douglas E 59 CA Kochenberg, Dale R. 60 IL Stoyas, James C. Creamed In 1982 61 APO NY Chace, John P. 62 NC Ward, Richard F. 63 CA Simbro, Henry L. Jumped with Hank and Muriel at Lancaster, Taft and Arvin DZ's 64 CA Percival/John Moring 65 WI Goetsch/Phillip L 66 APO NY Charland, Normand E. 67 GA Edwards, Roy L.D. 68 OH Beyan, Dennis P. 69 VT Pond/Nathan 70 KY McDonald/Coy O 71 NC Letbetter, Bobby W. 72 SD Smith/Richard Nelson 73 NC Hollis/John T 74 AZ Hirschberg/Kenneth Allen 75 NC Perry, James M 76 CA Buckner, Robert H, Jr. 77 NC Norman, Joe 78 CA Muriel, Jean Simbro Wife of Henry Simbro D-63 79 NJ O'Reilly, James J. 80 NC Yost, Charles E. 81 FL Benoit, Chritten P. 82 NC Cole, Ray S., Jr. 83 CO McCarthy/William E 84 CA Cupp, Jack M. Jumps with Cupp at Lancaster, Taft and Arvin DZ's. 85 OH McLean, Howard 86 CA McClellan, Haynes, F. 87 NC Mills, Wesley G., Jr. 88 FL Horvath, Martin J. 89 TX Fitch, Edward D. Dr. Fitch (C-198), a friend of Clyde Jacks, was a Heart Surgeon in Houston. Had about 30 jumps with Fitch at Bee Line and Midway DZ's near Houston,Texas 90 NC Charette/Wja 91 OH Gates/Dale V/ Jr 92 NC Webber, Claude A 93 OR Scott, John A 94 MO Garrison, James W. 95 CA Molitar, Don Jumps with Molitar at Taft and Arvin DZ's. 96 SC Coleman/Maurice C 97 OH Draper, John D. 97-A NC Palmer, Ralph K. 98 PA Pasquale, John F. 99 NC Williford, Sherman H. 100 FL Shuford, Richard H.

Yep Sparky, Dan was my dad, did you know him?

I was 13 back in 69 Yes, I know, it wasn't legal, but that was a different time in a much different era for full disclosure D44 is my dad's license#, not mine

Hey John, glad to see you're still jumping after all these years!! Dan Harding was my dad, hence my handle... I remember you, but you probably don't remember me as I was just a kid at the time...made my first jump at 13...Dad's long past now, but it's nice to see some of the old timers that he jumped with and trained, still active... best of luck to you Danny

Larry, I sent you a private email thanking you for the picture I just thought it appropriate to thank you on this forum as well It's an excellent picture and is appreciated more than you know. In appreciation Dan

Thanks Jerry The reason I asked is that at the time, 1969, we thought I was the youngest at 13. Didn't know about the VA kid at the time My dad was from your era, one of the pioneers from back in the day, (hence my "D-44 handle). The sport in those days was a huge part of my childhood and after years of hounding, he finally let me jump. probably not one of the wisest decisions, but it seemed like a good idea at the time lol Anyway, I've been away from the sport for decades and recently I'm considering getting back into it... which of course brought me to this forum to catch up Anyway, thanks for the info, and best of luck to you! Dan Harding

I'm curiouse as to who holds the record, official or non, as being the youngest solo jumper (static line included), and what is the age Thanks Dan

Larry, talk about a small world, I actually accompanied my dad to Pontiac for that jump, in fact if memory serves me we stayed at Connie's place, and the reason I remember that is because he had a well or a spring on his property that spewed out the most aweful smelling sulphur water, and being a 14 year old kid from the city, I thought that was quite strange (we are talking about the same Connie right?) Anyway I was thrilled beyond words to hear you had a picture of my dad...and here's why; all of his many scrapbooks, all of his pictures, his news clippings, his memorabilia, his airborn wings, his silver, gold, and platinum wings etc were all lost leaving absolutely nothing of his history or even his image. It's a long story as to how and why that happened and probably not appropriate for this forum, but bottom line, we have nothing to even know he existed other than his grave site; that has been a major heartbreak for my family, and his many grandkids don't even know what he looked like If there is a way that I could get a copy of that picture, it would mean more to my family and me than I could begin to express in words And I would appreciate it more than you could ever know---we've actually been looking for guys that may have some pictures, and bam, there you are I'll paste and copy this post and send it to your email along with my contact info, then we can decide how to do it; scan and email?? send hard copy?? Of course what ever the costI'll cover, and which ever way is easiest for you is the way we'll do it In closing, thank you Larry, you have no idea what having a that picture means to us and the gravity of your kindness to offer it! In gratitude beyond words Dan

Bill, thanks for the quick response, and the thanks for remembering my dad and "The Red Eagles" I just wanted you to know what an honor it is to actually communicate with you, a true pioneer of the sport, and a true ground breaker. I just wonder if a lot of the newer guys understand the caliber of the man they are talking to in terms of what you've meant to the sport in those early days. A lot of the old timers are gone now, and with them went a rare breed of ground breakers that shaped what the sport is today. Anyway, I reread your original post and I see that you did mention Larry and the other jumper; missed that the first time. Also, was the "Johnson" you refeRred to in your post Roy Johnson? And finally, I seem to recall an incident with you, not long after the Lake Erie incident, making some hay about jumping off a building in Canada...decades before the term "base jumping was ever uttered lol, is my memory correct on that? Again, thanks Bill for the quick response, and thanks for all you've done for the sport, you truly are the last of the Mohicans Take care Bill, and best wishes to you and yours Dan

Bill, my father was Dan Harding D44, he talked very highly of you, and I actually met you a few times as a child. I was at the field that day and we were all shocked when all we saw were two parachutes instead of the expected 18. There were actually 20 guys on that plane, Larry Hartman and another jumper (I don't recall his name)were going up for an altitude record attempt, and didn't exit with the first 18. Of course nobody knew what had happened at the time, but we knew something was definitely wrong My Dad was supposed to make that jump but unfortunately he hurt his back earlier in August and couldn't make the jump. I say "unfortunately", because had he been on the plane he probably would have been jump master, and although he was something of a maveric, he would not have allowed the jump through the clouds; it seems destiny had other plans. Like you he knew every guy on that plane, some were part of his team, some were his best friends, and unfortunately he had the grizzly task of identifying many of the bodies---although he continued jumping for several years before finally breaking his back, like you, he never got over it