The Evolution Of U.S. Army Paratroopers Parachutes

[rangerrebew]

The Evolution Of U.S. Army Paratroopers Parachutes

By Matt Fratus | May 19, 2020

Even though the U.S. Army had plans to implement sky soldiers as early as World War I, American paratroopers may have arrived late to the airborne scene — Soviet engineers had innovated parachute designs and German Fallschirmjägers had completed airborne operations over Norway at the beginning of World War II.

The U.S. Army’s 29th Infantry Regiment formed a test platoon and conducted their first ever training jump in August 1940. Two years later, the 509th Parachute Infantry Regiment completed their first major implementation of airborne combat troops during Operation Torch in support of the amphibious invasion in North Africa.

https://coffeeordie.com/paratroopers-parachute/

[sneakypete]

It's now official.I am old.

I am old because I actually served with and was friendly with one of the original US Army Airborne Test Platoon members.

His name was Hardy Batchelor,and he was a CWO W-4 running a motor pool when I first met him.

He had been an infantryman during WW-2,made every combat jump the 82nd Abn Division ever made,and even made a combat jump with the 187th in the Korean War.

He was running a motor pool when I met him because he was too old to carry a rifle anymore,and nobody was brave enough to tell him he had to retire.

He was "all Army,all the way",and if he knew you well enough to determine you could be counted on to do your duty,you could call him "Hardy". If he knew you well enough to know you COULDN'T be relied on to do your duty,you called him "Mr.Batchelor",from a distance.

Regardless of what the job was,Hardy always did it at the best level possible. When you checked a vehicle out of HIS motor pool,you KNEW it had been properly serviced and there was nothing wrong with it.

And shame on anybody that brought one back at any time of the day or night that didn't check the oil and fill it up with gas or diesel fuel before leaving it. You WOULD be hearing from him the next morning shortly after PT call and breakfast,and it was an absolutely certainty that you weren't going to like what you heard.

 Newbies to the unit were warned and given strict instructions on how to deal with him before ever being sent to the Motor Pool for the first time. Hardy had been on the 82nd Abn Division boxing team as a heavy weight during WW-2,and still went to the gym several times a week. Hell,he lived on base,and double-timed back and forth to work every day,doing the "airborne shuffle" all the way.

He owned at least two houses off-base that he rented out,but he preferred to live on base.

Piss him off,and he wouldn't hesitate to remove his rank with his fatigue shirt,and offer to go behind the building to discuss it with you,man to man.

It was easy to tell if any of the mechanics had pissed him off by doing substandard repairs. You could look at their faces and tell.

Hell of a nice guy,and VERY interesting to talk with if you knew him,but he was a definite throwback to the army of the 1930's that he joined.

One of my scariest moments in the army came when he asked me one day if I would like to work with him. I liked and respected him,but no way in hell did I want to work in a motor pool,and trying to turn him down without offending him was a more delicate matter than my usual responses to people.

I supposed he died on duty,wearing his uniform. I can't imagine any other ending for him.

I wonder if anyone else here ever ran into him?