Re: Eric Olafson, First Journeys (GC VI) - Chapter 16: Admiral Web

Re: Eric Olafson, First Journeys (GC VI) - Chapter 16: Admiral Webb - [FineStories} Show Details   I spent my time in the Infantry with 5 of my 10 years as a second generation Paratrooper, my youngest son is now serving as the third generation jumped. Two of my nephews are serving in the Corps today. I spent a few trips down to S. Carolina to play a few wargames with y'all down there while I was with the 82nd.

Jake

-- On Thu, Jan 31, 2013 5:15 PM EST Vanessa Ravencroft wrote:

>Well many of Eric's Academy experiences are born out of real situations. Many of the instructors have more or less counterparts on Earth.I spend a considerable time with Uncle Sam's Missguided Children (so you know what USMC stands for...) But then I am sure I can't really hide that fact even in my stories so it seems..;-) >With great joy did I read your reply and it brought back many memories of a certain Island in South Carolina, of my time at Quantico and of course my days at Ft. Benning as we don't have our own jump school. >I wish I had known the trick with the canopy lights...I was running around for almost a day and carried all sorts of heavy boxes over considerable distances only to find out "No marine those aren't the "right" kind." >So yes this recall of yours made me lean back and see and smell it all over again as well. > >Semper Fi > >VR > > >________________________________ >From: FineStories Feedback <[mailto:feedback@finestories.com feedback@finestories.com]> >To: [mailto:vanessaravencroft@yahoo.com vanessaravencroft@yahoo.com] >Sent: Thursday, January 31, 2013 9:42 PM >Subject: Re: Eric Olafson, First Journeys (GC VI) - Chapter 16: Admiral Webb - [FineStories} > >Message from:  <[mailto:gjkezski@yahoo.com gjkezski@yahoo.com]> : > >You got me to laughing so hard tears came to my >eyes with the scene with Admiral Webb Stokes! I >spent 10 years carrying a rifle for Uncle & have >seen many similar situations over the years. >There are So many ways & things veteran troopers >will put new troopers through to test their >resolve & dedication. Every so often we would have >someone who had gotten out & decided to reenlist & >some of those didn't tell anybody that they had >been there before. Some of those would have a lot >of fun turning the tables on those trying to trick >the newbies. I knew one who was told to get things >that didn't exist & he actually had been able to >think of how to come up with acceptable >substitutes. He was sent after some 'flight line', >he brought back several sections of interlocking >pierced steel planking that used to be used to >assemble rough field runways. He was sent after a >box of 'grid squares', he grabbed a number of old >maps, cut them along the grid lines & put them in >a box. They finally gave up on harassing him after >they sent him after a set of 'canopy lights' that >were supposed to illuminate his parachute during a >night jump. He took a dozen handkerchiefs, >chemical lights & locking shower curtain rings. He >assembled them into a dozen little parachutes. >When his canopy deployed he attached 3 of them to >each of the 4 main shroud line sets spread out on >separate lines. As he continued towards the ground >the air flow pulled each of them up to the edge of >the parachute canopy & as he neared the ground we >all looked up & saw the ring of lights descending. >The one who had been giving him the most inane >things to find just shook his head & said "I give >up" as the rest of laughed until we cried. It was >just after that that we found out he had already >served 4 years & was coming back after being out >for 2 years, he didn't look that old & had been >having a lot of fun screwing with Us while we were >trying to screw with Him. > >Jake