SHORT PARATROOPER STORIES
My first rotation to JRTC (Ft. Polk, LA) was in the late fall of 96. You know, the time of year when the south gets really cold for no reason except that you are in the field. And mother nature is always pissed off at paratroopers.
I had been hit with a 750lb. bomb droped over our FARP (Field Artillery Resupply Point) along with the rest of my platoon. I was filling in for the ammo plattoon in JRTC. And as any of you know who are in the 82nd, the ammo plattoon is not to well kown for great defence. Anyway. We were all notionally killed, or wounded. I was one was of the lucky ones who got wounded. Which meant I got to spend a night in the hospital. Heat, showers, hot chow, etc. etc.
We went through our SOP pertaining to casualties. I was poked, proded, and generaly used as a ginuie pig for the new medics to play with. Around nightfall I was medivaced to the hospital where I would be "operated" on by the doctors who where playing ARMY.
They loaded me into the bird and off I went. 90mph, tree level, doors open, and freezing outside. We flew for about 25 minutes, probaly just in circles. Then touched down at the hospital.
Two guys grabbed my stretcher and ran me inside and threw me onto a very, very cold steel table. One of the Lt. nurses comes over and does her normal checks. Then asked to see my "kill card". It said lower abdomonal wound and burns to the lower........(well you can guess the rest). Next thing I know, she has my BDU trousers ripped off, and is trying ro recover from the shock of realizing that most of us don't wear drawers in the field..........Then came the worst part. During the cold night, the cold chopper ride, and the cold table. Man's worst fear had come true. It had shriveled up like a prune. And of course to top it off, the damn Lt. had to show all her frineds the poor "war casuality" who lay naked and shrivled on the table.
I must say that the next few days in the hospital were not much better. Every body in the whole damn place had heard the story, including friends, which is not good, and thought it would be great to start calling me.....yep, you guessed it, Stubby!
To this day I hope I run into that Lt. again. But this time I have a BIGGER, and better surprise for her......(Now here is the moral of the story) Never mess with a Paratrooper cause you will only get screwed!!!
April 10, 1997 - The Red Devil taskforce is on it's way to the National Training Center in the Mojave desert to re-enforce the 3rd Infantry Division.
We started boarding the bird around 10 in the morning. It was a great day to be a Paratrooper. The sun was shinning, the wind was 0 knots, and the smell of jet fuel was making everyone sick. Not to mention that this was a daytime jump onto a 90 sec drop zone didn't hurt either. Anyway. We all get buckled into our seats, and the bird is gone. Now since this is a 6 hour flight, we have to do an in-flight rigging about 2 hours from the DZ.
We all get a little napping in untill we hear the Jump Master come over the intercom. "Get up you lasy asses, and get your chutes on." We all stand up, trip over eachother, and throw our chutes on. I see a JM about 3 seats down, and ask him to JMPI me (Jump Master Pre Inspection. Used to check our equipment before we jump). He comes over and performs the torture test. Helps me get my ruck sack on, and ties my weapon off. Then comes my Plattoon Sergeant saying that he wanted to check my equipment himself. This man cared about us. All was great untill he started to get sick from the mapping of the earth that the birds were doing (low level flying through mountains). He gets to my reserve parachute, tells me to "Hold. Squat" with my ruck. Then procceeds to puke all over my boots!
I get over this little inconvienence, and sit back down, waiting for the jump commands. We stand up, yadda-yadda.....you know the rest. The right door safety comes down the isle to check out the routing of our static lines. He stops when he gets to me. And there he is. SFC G. The man who puked on me earlier. I look at him and smile. He looks at me and pukes again! At this point in time I'm thinking "damn....only 6 hours into a month long mission, i'm covered in puke, and my boots are leaking. Can it get any worse?" Famous last words.....
The green light comes on and we all start to shuffle toward the door. I can see my Plattoon Sergeant up there just a grabbin static lines! As luck would have it. I'm the one at the door when his stomach decides to give out on him again. I look him in the eye as all good paratroopers do, hand him my static line, turn to the left, and feel this awefull slime come shooting across my neck!
I still don't remember watching my feet on the exit. All I can see is this little man in the door, with the biggest grin ever, just happy as hell that he didn't get any on himself!
Up untill SFC G, moved on to bigger and better things. He always took time out of his day to check on his troops, and thank his "barf bag" for being in the right place at the right time for once in my career! Good luck SGT, where ever the bird has taken you to.
This is more of a thought than a story, but I would like to relate it to you anyway.
Today I had to stand on the ramp and watch my unit board a bird headed to the Middle East. With all the turmoil, and trouble going on over there these days, you might say that it is a good deal that I didn't have to go with them. But there is more to it than that. I have never felt more love in my life than with these guys. I have never seen more comraderie. I have never seen more sefless actions. And I have never felt closer to anyone, than I have with these kids that are being sent off to a battle that none of you will even hear about. They are fully prepared to risk their lifes for eachother, and for us, and know they will get nothing more than a hand shake from their friends. But that is all they need, and all that they want. There is no monotary wish for their actions. Only the pride in serving their country.....and the feeling of "love" when a buddy walkes up to them and says "Thanks man. You saved my life." We should all follow their example, and act out of love, instead of acting out of greed........
