unforgiven Posted July 15, 2021 Report Share Posted July 15, 2021 https://www.military.com/history/meet-soldier-who-earned-medal-of-honor-after-smoking-joint.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rsquared Posted July 15, 2021 Report Share Posted July 15, 2021 An excellent read. Good find Rene. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrianK Posted July 15, 2021 Report Share Posted July 15, 2021 (edited) I knew one troop who couldn't function unless he was stoned. But stoned he functioned well. I also knew one who tried (emphasis on the tried) to exit a C-130 at 1200' with his hook in his hand and not on the static line while beaucoup stoned. I don't suggest that to anyone. Edited July 15, 2021 by BrianK Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cunuckgaucho Posted July 16, 2021 Report Share Posted July 16, 2021 Got to say I liked the story from the first paragraph. In a strange twist Leo Major mentioned in the the second paragraph was actually born in Massachusetts to French -Canadian parents but moved back to Canada as a baby. The opposite of Peter Lemon born in Canada but moved to the US early in life He is best known for single-handedly captured 93 German soldiers during the Battle of the Scheldt in Zeeland in the southern Netherlands. During a reconnaissance, while alone, Major found shelter in a house from the rain and the cold. While there, he spotted two German soldiers walking along a dike. He captured the first German and attempted to use him as bait so he could capture the other. The second attempted to use his gun, but Major quickly killed him. He went on to capture their commanding officer and forced him to surrender. The German garrison surrendered themselves after three more were shot dead by Major. In a nearby village, SS troops who witnessed German soldiers being escorted by a Canadian soldier shot at their own soldiers, killing seven and injuring some others. Major disregarded the enemy fire and kept escorting his prisoners to the Canadian front line. Major then ordered a passing Canadian tank to fire on the SS troops. He marched back to camp with nearly a hundred prisoners. Thus, he was chosen to receive a Distinguished Conduct Medal. He declined the offer to be decorated, however, because according to him General Montgomery (who was to present him with the award) was "incompetent" and in no position to be giving out medals. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
98Z5V Posted July 16, 2021 Report Share Posted July 16, 2021 5 hours ago, BrianK said: I knew one troop who couldn't function unless he was stoned. But stoned he functioned well. I also knew one who tried (emphasis on the tried) to exit a C-130 at 1200' with his hook in his hand and not on the static line while beaucoup stoned. I don't suggest that to anyone. How did the other jumpers around not notice that - and the JumpMaster? And the Safety? Hope he got very familiar with the Reserve Ripcord Grip. Jump Commands (SHOUTED VERY LOUDLY, IN A THUNDEROUS COMMAND VOICE)" +++Time callouts,vary by unit SOP, but there is usually "SIX MINUTES!" at a minimum+++ Get Ready! Outboard personnel, Stand UP! Inboard Personnel, Stand UP! HOOK UP! Check Static lines! Check Equipment! Sound off for Equipment Check! THIRTY SECONDS! STAND BY! GO! Those three in red were ignored by the jumper, and those around him. JumpMaster should have kicked him straight in the chest, back into the aircraft, as he approached the door - with no static line to handoff... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lane Posted July 16, 2021 Report Share Posted July 16, 2021 2 minutes ago, 98Z5V said: and those around him. JumpMaster should have kicked him straight in the chest, back into the aircraft, as he approached the door This is the kind of analysis that brings me back here; day after day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
98Z5V Posted July 16, 2021 Report Share Posted July 16, 2021 1 minute ago, Lane said: This is the kind of analysis that brings me back here; day after day. I've got a little bit of JumpMaster time under my belt - you stand the chance of seeing some crazy shiit inside the aircraft. You have to be ready for anything... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unforgiven Posted July 16, 2021 Author Report Share Posted July 16, 2021 25 minutes ago, Cunuckgaucho said: Got to say I liked the story from the first paragraph. In a strange twist Leo Major mentioned in the the second paragraph was actually born in Massachusetts to French -Canadian parents but moved back to Canada as a baby. The opposite of Peter Lemon born in Canada but moved to the US early in life He is best known for single-handedly captured 93 German soldiers during the Battle of the Scheldt in Zeeland in the southern Netherlands. During a reconnaissance, while alone, Major found shelter in a house from the rain and the cold. While there, he spotted two German soldiers walking along a dike. He captured the first German and attempted to use him as bait so he could capture the other. The second attempted to use his gun, but Major quickly killed him. He went on to capture their commanding officer and forced him to surrender. The German garrison surrendered themselves after three more were shot dead by Major. In a nearby village, SS troops who witnessed German soldiers being escorted by a Canadian soldier shot at their own soldiers, killing seven and injuring some others. Major disregarded the enemy fire and kept escorting his prisoners to the Canadian front line. Major then ordered a passing Canadian tank to fire on the SS troops. He marched back to camp with nearly a hundred prisoners. Thus, he was chosen to receive a Distinguished Conduct Medal. He declined the offer to be decorated, however, because according to him General Montgomery (who was to present him with the award) was "incompetent" and in no position to be giving out medals. Great share brother 🍻🇨🇦 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jtallen83 Posted July 16, 2021 Report Share Posted July 16, 2021 16 minutes ago, 98Z5V said: (SHOUTED VERY LOUDLY, IN A THUNDEROUS COMMAND VOICE)" Was there a required decibel level to be a JumpMaster? Pretty sure they had to have a bit of esp as well, you better be thinking correctly on that man's plane! I have no doubt some jumps have been made at different levels of intoxication, fight club rules I imagine, but never saw anything near loose enough for something like that to go unnoticed. Anything to do with a parachute was surrounded by mounds of meticulous minutia! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
98Z5V Posted July 16, 2021 Report Share Posted July 16, 2021 (edited) 14 minutes ago, jtallen83 said: Was there a required decibel level to be a JumpMaster? Pretty sure they had to have a bit of esp as well, you better be thinking correctly on that man's plane! I have no doubt some jumps have been made at different levels of intoxication, fight club rules I imagine, but never saw anything near loose enough for something like that to go unnoticed. Anything to do with a parachute was surrounded by mounds of meticulous minutia! Definitely, a "minimum decibel level," or you'd never pass the JM Course. If jumpers couldn't hear YOUR VOICE inside a C-130 bombing along at 130 knots and doors open (or tailgate down), WITH earplugs in... Then they couldn't repeat the jump commands... The only things I ever saw that were truly crazy inside the aircraft were (2) Jump Refusals. They get dealt with rapidly, effeciently, inside the aircraft, and then they get dealt with again at the airfield when the aircraft lands, and then they get dealt with again ASAP back at the unit. Only time I had to take a dude out was... He approached with his eyes closed, literally threw the static line out, and promptly slammed his arms down hard against his sides - well, like he's supposed to, in order to exit the aircraft... "Arms and Elbows TIGHT into your sides!" BUT... with his eyes closed, and throwing that static line, when he slammed his arms down to his sides, he did it so fast that the static line went UNDER his arm. No Bueno, as a static line jumper knows... I close-lined him into the aircraft. He got close to the door, but he never made it out. It was during the conduct of a JM course, and he was a JM student, and he was scared to death of jumping. We had video cameras all over the interior of the aircraft. When all was said and done, he was dismissed from the course - after proper counseling, where he was shown the videos from all angles... I have a couple other "as$hole jumper" stories that I'll share sometime. Most of the time, they're just scared and inexperienced. But, they learn fast. As Fuk. Edited July 16, 2021 by 98Z5V Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrianK Posted July 17, 2021 Report Share Posted July 17, 2021 (edited) 98Z I can't answer that. I can only tell you that he was short and had to stand on the bench seat to reach the static line. I saw what was about to happen as we shuffled (more like a run*) to the door and I slammed his hook onto the cable before he exited. He was doing hashish and some sort of mushroom at the time and was totally out of it. I don't recall the name of it (silosybin?). He was an anal sphincter and I have no idea if he's alive today but he reached the ground safely that night. I have been known to enjoy alcohol, but never on a jump. I wanted my wits about me. There is a time and place and during a jump wasn't one of them. I could never understand why someone would do that to themselves before hazardous duty. I'm glad we never went into combat. Soon after that I joined the battalion recon team to as much as possible insure my survival based on my own wits and the volunteers in the team, and no troops around me doing dope. *My unit (CoA 12th Engr Bt 8th inf Div USAREUR) would exit the C-130 in about 10-12 seconds. Door position? Forget it. When other folks (MPs mostly) would be mixed in with us we could tell who they were when we were on the ground looking up. We'd see troopers being squeezed out of a toothpaste tube, then the others would exit as per normal. I don't think the jumpmasters had much time to see anything once the stick began moving. They barely had time to grab the static lines and pull them to the rear. Edited July 17, 2021 by BrianK Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
98Z5V Posted July 17, 2021 Report Share Posted July 17, 2021 Makes perfect sense - but JMs and Safeties need to be watching everything, even when it's at blinding speed on a Mass Tac. Or jumpers die. It's freaky from the JM and Safety side - it looks fast as fuk if you're a jumper, but on the other side of it - it's fast, but in slow motion. If that make any sense. You did great, hooking that dumbass up. No chance for the safety wire in the snap hook on that one. If he's still alive now - he's alive after that jump, because of you. No chance he would'a yanked that Rip Cord Grip... Well done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrianK Posted July 17, 2021 Report Share Posted July 17, 2021 I've been trying to remember more from that jump and I just can't. None of the rest of it was memorable. The rest of it was just another jump. Heck, It was over 50 years ago. MC-1s were a pleasant rumor and we still used T-10s(?). At least I think they were T-10s. There was no time for even closing the hook. Oh no, there was no chance he would have known what was happening before being a grease mark in the sugar beets 10 seconds after exit. What a moron. Yeah, I could never understand the attraction to getting high. But I'm repeating myself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrianK Posted July 17, 2021 Report Share Posted July 17, 2021 FWIW, it was soon after that when the army started with the surprise urine tests on the Parade Field in the morning. I never said a word but drug use was rampant and the powers that be knew it. But it was demeaning to have us pee into cups in public view and not give us warning when we woke up so that we wouldn't visit the urinal on waking. What were we going to do ? Pee into each others pee tubes to save the troops who were doing drugs? I never understood the mindset that didn't tell us not to pee when we woke up. Many mornings found me at the dispensary drinking all sorts of water to make sure I could force a pee again. I had work to do that only I could do. Army thinking. I wonder if they could detect the Chivas Regal from the night before? ☺️ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jtallen83 Posted July 17, 2021 Report Share Posted July 17, 2021 8 hours ago, BrianK said: I could never understand why someone would do that to themselves before hazardous duty. Same reason I joined the 1/75th in the first place, the challenge, the adrenalin, THE RUSH! Only certain types of people jump out of perfectly good airplanes and they tend to like excitement, just some more extreme than others. 7 hours ago, BrianK said: Pee into each others pee tubes to save the troops who were doing drugs? That's been done a few times, anything for a Brother. When I first got to RIP there had been a battalion wide piss test. The whole shebang was trashed by the commander, if he followed through his battalion would not have been at strength, cocaine use was rampant, it was dirt cheap and in big chunky rocks. At least a couple guys went to jail over coke, they had the mounting tube in a jeep for a 50 stuffed full of coke when they came back from a Panama exercise. In my honest opinion drug use is overrated by BOTH sides of that coin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Magwa Posted July 17, 2021 Report Share Posted July 17, 2021 Great read, it is amazing how a man finds himself in the middle of something and it just all works out no matter what happens,Indians approached battle like that they just figured it would work out or not either was ok..... great find thanks for sharing... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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