Who Packed Your Parachute?

October 25th was my son's 40th birthday and his son's 6th birthday. On this occasion I had the opportunity to again reflect on how fortunate I have been to have had such a wonderful family.

Living and growing up with this family was not an easy task. That was of course mostly my fault. I had a military career that covered 37 years of service, two wars, numerous assignments in both the United States and overseas. Moving the family from post to post was always bothersome for me. While I did not really realize the impact of these relocations on the younger ones I suspected that they were having a negative impact on their development and personality.

The military environment provides much needed discipline and understanding that most folks are not accustom to. You see first hand what others might just talk or read about as you move from assignment to assignment. The travel itself is very educational and when added to the experiences gained during this travel it provides a firm base on which to build a strong personality, self confidence, and a moral compass which can be drawn on when most needed. Although one does not readily realize this as the events are taking place because we get lost in the moment with personal challenges that are real enough, but when taken as a whole really do not demand the attention that we readily give to them.

I titled this article “Who Packed Your Parachute” because I wanted to reflect on who really packed mine all these years. While I do have one actual experience which I will share with you, the answer to that question is our children and their children. Just watching our children grow up and develop into outstanding adults, and then producing the fine children that they have makes one as proud as a peacock. I kiddingly take credit for the way the grandchildren are developing by crediting their success to “Generation Skipping Heritage.” This of course in not even close to being correct. We the grandparents really have very little to do with the development of these young lives. But the thought of it is exciting.

While I have had many wonderful experiences with the kids, Elizabeth, Edward and Elaine one stands out as a good example of what I am talking about when I ask the question “Who Packed Your Parachute.” This took place at Fort Bragg, North Carolina in 1974.

I was doing some free fall work back in those days and it was not unusual for me to make practice jumps on the weekend with any of the parachute clubs or the team that operated on Fort Bragg. On this particular Saturday I went out to one of the drop zones and my son Ed who was just seven years old at the time decided to accompany me. Ed was a very enterprising young man at that age and still is.

We usually had a small garden in our back yard where we raised cucumbers,

tomatoes, carrots and other seasonal produce. At this time of the year the cucumbers were in so Ed would harvest some 20 or 30 and take them along with us to the drop zone. Once on the drop zone, I would lower the tailgate on the pickup and Ed would set up shop selling cucumbers. At the end of the day he would have three or four dollars in his pocket as the result of this industrious efforts.

On this Saturday morning we reported to the drop zone and Ed has his bag of

produce for sale. Once there we he set up shop and immediately began selling his

wears. While he was busy doing that I got on the jump helicopter and made a relatively low level jump from about 5,500 feet. Upon landing I gathered up my parachute and

went over to the parachute packing area and started laying out the parachute for

repacking.

As I was untangling and stretching the parachute out Ed approached and asked if he

could pack the parachute. I looked him in the eye and asked if he thought that he could

do it. He said that he had help me repack several times and he thought that he could

handle the job. Accordingly, I said, sure I trust you.

After a short review of the many steps that had to be accomplished in order and with

great attention to detail I left Ed with the task at hand and went over to the manifest area

where jumps and jumping orders are made up. I immediately starting talking to the

person responsible for organizing the jumps or the manifestor. That was probably about

20 yards from the parachute packing area where Ed had already began the first task of

flaking the canopy to get all the wrinkles out of it.

I watched as closely as I could from my position and it appeared that Ed was doing

everything by the book. After completing several steps he came over and ask me to

come over and review the next few steps with him. Doing this did two things. First, it

gave me the opportunity to review what he had done to this point and second, to discuss

the next two or three steps with Ed.

This exercise continued until he had completed the packing and was ready to close

the parachute and insert the pins. These two final steps required a little more strength

than a seven year old can muster. So again, Ed came over and got me to help him close

and pin the parachute.

After we completed that step the parachute was packed and ready to be jumped. I

congratulated Ed for having done such a fine job. We sat there reflecting on what he had

just accomplished and visited on the importance of always doing a good job regardless

of the task. After a while, the manifestor called for the next group to jump. I stood up

pulling my parachute on and Ed asked what I was doing. I told him that I was on the

next lift and had to get ready. Ed immediately replied that he had packed my parachute.

I told him that was true and he had done a fine job.

As we both walked to the helicopter I told Ed that this jump would be from 12,500

feet and that I would be the first out of the door. I had arranged for this altitude while

Ed was packing the parachute and I was visiting with the manifestor. I told Ed to stand

next to the manifestor because the helicopter reported to the manifestor when the

jumpers started exiting the aircraft. Again, I would be the first person out and would be

exiting the right side of the aircraft.

As we took off I remember seeing Ed standing there by the manifest table staring at

us as we gained altitude. It takes a UH-1 Huey helicopter almost 20 minutes when

loaded with the maximum number of jumpers to reach 12,500 feet. Of course that

depends on who is flying. If it is a young inexperienced pilot trying to log some much

needed flying time it may take longer because the turn and climb rates are most gentle as

he feels his way to this uncomfortable altitude for any helicopter pilot. The more

experienced pilots are quicker with their turns and have faster climb rates.

Once at jump altitude and the helicopter was in the proper position relative to the

drop zone and target area I signaled the pilot that I was on my way out of the door.

He immediately notified the manifestor that we had began the jump operation.

When jumping from 12,500 feet which is the maximum height that can be jumped

without using oxygen it takes about one minute to free fall to 2,500 feet. Once at that

altitude you are to pull your ripcord and your parachute should be fully deployed by the

time you are reached an altitude of 2,000 feet. Those were the rules in those days. I

have no idea what the current rules are, they could be the same now as they were then. I

just don't know.

As I was in free fall, I did a few turns, flips, and some other exercises to put the

minute in free fall to good use. Once my altimeter read 2,500 feet I started to wave off

to signal anyone around me that I was about to deploy my canopy and then I thought –

why not put a little more excitement in this jump for Ed's sake. I knew that he was

watching with much anticipation and wondering just how the parachute he had packed

would perform.. So I waited a while longer before waiving off and pulling the ripcord.

Once the canopy was fully deployed I am sure that Ed as I did have a sigh of relief. I

circled and turned into the wind and landed in the pea gravel pit where I was met by Ed

saying something to the effect that he had packed my parachute. Again, I congratulated

him for doing such a fine job. He helped me recover the canopy, threw it over around

his neck and as we walked off of the drop zone toward the truck he took that opportunity

to announce to any and all that he had packed that parachute and it worked perfectly.

What a proud moment it was for the two of us. Watching your children perform well

is perhaps the most rewarding thing that can happen to a parent. So again, I have been