First ones on the ground in Operation Urgent Fury?

[RGR Mac]

You see I knew I was right when I posted that you were Carpenter's static line safety. PAC Man PM'ed me that you were his! Sorry for the screw-up.
PS Has Wilburn ever forgiven you for mashing him up against the side of the A/C while you were trying to get back to the door?

Tommy went on to a lot more than that little mission, and I'm sure he probably don't even remember it. I slammed him pretty hard, and he turned and shot me a look that made me go white. I started thinking fuck , what I do..started yelling something like "fuck ya, we're going in first..and I'm getting to that fucking door",, Ranger Wilburn got a sick look, and said something like "get the fuck by me and get up there". It was pretty cool.
As far as John in the other door, I was staring at the "red light", and heard his static line clank and turned to look over my left shoulder at the right door, we had just crossed the beach, I looked back and the light was green and the CSM was slapping my shoulder and jumped. I know it's been a while, but I believe he told me his actions were deliberate, good for him. I didn't know until I was on the runway that the bird was being shot at.

[ma91c1an]

Oh, yeah. Believe me. Greer picked me up by the pack tray and threw me out. It happened. I will never forget falling over that crate of mortar rounds so far from the door, and I will remember crawling for the door for the remainder of my days.

When Greer hoisted me, I could not believe it, as we weighed so much, and it was a hell of a good "Doc toss." I bounced off the bird, got my bell rang, and lost my helmet, but I was also relieved to be off that aircraft and under good canopy. I do not even remember if Greer followed me out, race-tracked, or air-landed. I was pulling apart the twists in my risers, bicycling like a madman, and when I yanked them out, I looked down and realized that mortar rounds were hitting the runway.

Please return my regards to KK. No doubt in my mind that it was a miracle that Eskridge lived. I was just an agent of God's will, and I played a minor role. The heavy lifting was done by Eskridge himself, who displayed conspicuous bravery while he was in a very dire situation and simply refused to die, and by the Big Ranger in the Sky. He decreed that it just was not Bill Eskridge's time to go.

[PAC Man]

You see I knew I was right when I posted that you were Carpenter's static line safety. PAC Man PM'ed me that you were his! Sorry for the screw-up.
PS Has Wilburn ever forgiven you for mashing him up against the side of the A/C while you were trying to get back to the door?

It was MY screw up, Mooch. Mac has it right. Too many years as a civilian, I guess. And, you know after all those beers.

As for the question of my first jumper in that starboard side stick (if all my credibility is not blown by now)......

After attending the reunion and getting a few cobwebs blown out, I can recall the said Ranger moving a step closer to the door and looking at the ground. I remember thinking, "WTF is he doing?". He moved back, then a moment later got this strange smile on his face and exited the damned bird! Just then, I realized he had been looking for the site of dry land. So, Mac is right-- the light was still red when he left. So much for my having control of the A/C! :o

When Mac talks about no room-- he is not kidding. We were on an EC-130 with the electronics on board. Like sardines, we were!

What a "goat rope" that jump was!! There is lots more to tell, but I need to go get another beer. :)

[PAC Man]

Hell, if the bird is taking hits, and the light changes while a guy is standing in the door, I can understand him jumping. I can understand the entire stick following him out, no matter what color the light might be.

I know that I wanted the hell out of my bird. I hated being the last guy on the right-hand side. It felt like it took forever for the stick to move!

:)

I've got a full beer now-- ......

The rest of the stick didn't follow him. As Mac said, I don't think any of us realized we were taking fire. In fact, the birds behind us (I'm sure to include your bird, ma91c1an) took a lot more fire as I recall by what I saw once on the ground. I think they were still trying to get set up and zeroed in when we jumped since we were the first one in....

I think the said Ranger wanted to be first on the ground-- had it planned all along I'm thinking. I bet his fellow squad members could say. He could NOT have kept a story like that to himself. That would be an interesting interview, huh Mooch??

[ma91c1an]

You have to seriously wonder about a guy who deliberately jumps on a red light just to have bragging rights.

:)

[RGR Mac]

You have to seriously wonder about a guy who deliberately jumps on a red light just to have bragging rights.

:)

JR often caused his peers to seriously wonder....................... :D

Driving on post in Dec/Jan in his VW "Kubble Wagon" w/ no roof, w/ a Rabbit fur hat, and a down jacket, many times I looked and said "there is something wrong w/ that boy"

[Earthpig]

I think with the talk about Reich, this thread is bordering on being moved behind the doors. I hate to do that, since some of the major contributors to this thread won't have access to it. Can we tone that down, por favor?

RLTW
EP

[K.Ingraham]

Now there is a bit of conjecture as to whether John went out before the green light went on. Mac swears by it but PAC Man who was the JM doesn't recall...actually he told me he remembered the light being green. I'll go back check my notes.

I thought that John's uniform was at Benning but now the only one on display is BG Taylor's. They must have his back in the equipment archives which is what they normally do with displays that rotate out. For sure it was on display there for a while.

It was, I believe. I don't know the names but when I was at the NIM in '07, there was a set of OG107s labeled as the commanders' RTO's uniform, if that's helpful.
Mooch, thank you for your contributions here! Put me down for your books also. Signed, of course.

[Trigger]

Did the Ranger who jumped early land anywhere near the drop zone (or even on land)? Was he able to regroup with his element?

[K.Ingraham]

60 replies now Trigger, aren't ya glad you asked? :D

(I am, great thread - thanks all!)

And Merry Christmas!

[Trigger]

60 replies now Trigger, aren't ya glad you asked? :D

(I am, great thread - thanks all!)

And Merry Christmas!

Definitely so, Ranger K. Ingraham.

I was hoping someone here would have knowledge of who was first. Instead, I'm getting to hear stories directly from those who were actually there, and there first too! Pretty damn hard to beat that!

- Trigger