And what country can preserve its liberties if their rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit of resistance? Let them take arms. The remedy is to set them right as to facts, pardon and pacify them. What signify a few lives lost in a century or two? The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.
My uncle was a paratrooper in WWII with the 101st. The first time he jumped out of an airplane, was also the first time he was ever in an airplane. 17 years old and all balls.
yeah. and those damn jump boots. worthless in the field, unless you had them resoled and they leak like crazy when wet. but you didn't break your ankle ! most guys who did break a leg, it was always above the boot.
the trick I was taught with jump boots was to get them really wet like soaked in the sink for a hour or so. put on 2 pairs of socks and wear them for a while, go up and down steps helps a lot to break them it, after wearing them until they almost dry- sort of anyway. let them sit and dry out. then oil them or use mink oil on them. and get them resoled too. back in the 1970's it was the lugged sole by Virbam (?) not sure anymore as it was a but ago now. but anything was better than the sole they came with ! what you ended up with was a lot better than the standard "leg" boot. long time ago, 1/503 PIR
All of the above. I lived in jump boots for my whole 4 years in, starting at Benning with the 82nd. Wear em new, through a creek, then walk em dry, and they'll learn your dawgz. After a month I'd turn em into the post German cobbler for side zippers, stacked vibram soles, and some sort of finish that never required polishing. They and the rest of my strack uniform were instrumental in getting the supernumero time and time again and escaping nasty winter guard duty in Wildflecken Germany.
Yup. Supposedly, there was a combat jump by the 173 Airborne in Iraq in 2003. Problem was, the SF embedded with the Kurds had already seized the airfield.
Corcorans (pronounced Cock-Rins) - great for non jungle use. If broken in as above, they were as comfortable as bedroom slippers. Some may also remember the "Corcoran bites" - the blisters that they caused during break in. I still have a pair that are over 50 years old - only regret is that I missed the brown model ("Brown Shoe Army") by about a decade. 3RD Brigade, 82nd, All The Way!
My brother was drafted to Vietnam, was 6 years older than me, got grabbed by the Rangers after 6 months in Vietnam. He liked the Army after He was wounded twice they sent him back home, then to Ft Benning to go through the full training. Then Ft Hood. He learned to jump in Ft Benning but he told me he did not like it. He spent 6 years in the Army with 3 years in Vietnam, which he said most was not in Vietnam but in Laos, North Vietnam, and Cambodia.
My uncle was a paratrooper in WWII with the 101st. The first time he jumped out of an airplane, was also the first time he was ever in an airplane. 17 years old and all balls.
ReplyDeleteyeah. and those damn jump boots. worthless in the field, unless you had them resoled and they leak like crazy when wet. but you didn't break your ankle !
ReplyDeletemost guys who did break a leg, it was always above the boot.
yeah, do to a screw up (on my part), I ended up doing a road march in jump boots, tore the crap out of my feet.
Deletethe trick I was taught with jump boots was to get them really wet like soaked
Deletein the sink for a hour or so. put on 2 pairs of socks and wear them for a while, go up and down steps helps a lot to break them it, after wearing them until they almost dry- sort of anyway. let them sit and dry out.
then oil them or use mink oil on them. and get them resoled too.
back in the 1970's it was the lugged sole by Virbam (?) not sure anymore as it was a but ago now. but anything was better than the sole they came with ! what you ended up with was a lot better than the standard "leg" boot. long time ago, 1/503 PIR
All of the above. I lived in jump boots for my whole 4 years in, starting at Benning with the 82nd. Wear em new, through a creek, then walk em dry, and they'll learn your dawgz. After a month I'd turn em into the post German cobbler for side zippers, stacked vibram soles, and some sort of finish that never required polishing. They and the rest of my strack uniform were instrumental in getting the supernumero time and time again and escaping nasty winter guard duty in Wildflecken Germany.
DeleteA friend of mine earned his Combat Jump Wings in the first wave into Grenada. I guess Combat Jump Wings are getting hard to come by at this point.
ReplyDeleteYup. Supposedly, there was a combat jump by the 173 Airborne in Iraq in 2003. Problem was, the SF embedded with the Kurds had already seized the airfield.
Delete3rd Ranger Bn did a combat jump early on in Afghanistan, but I don’t remember the details.
DeleteAirborne All The Way!!
ReplyDeleteMy last jump ever was in 2001, from a C-47. It was cool.
ReplyDeleteGod bless them.
ReplyDeleteCorcorans (pronounced Cock-Rins) - great for non jungle use. If broken in as above, they were as comfortable as bedroom slippers. Some may also remember the "Corcoran bites" - the blisters that they caused during break in. I still have a pair that are over 50 years old - only regret is that I missed the brown model ("Brown Shoe Army") by about a decade. 3RD Brigade, 82nd, All The Way!
ReplyDeleteYou can still get brown ones, if your money's right.
Deletehttps://www.carolinashoe.com/en/corcoran/
My brother was drafted to Vietnam, was 6 years older than me, got grabbed by the Rangers after 6 months in Vietnam. He liked the Army after He was wounded twice they sent him back home, then to Ft Benning to go through the full training. Then Ft Hood. He learned to jump in Ft Benning but he told me he did not like it. He spent 6 years in the Army with 3 years in Vietnam, which he said most was not in Vietnam but in Laos, North Vietnam, and Cambodia.
ReplyDelete