Ran into a former parachute rigger at breakfast yesterday.
Last edited Sun Jul 9, 2023, 07:01 AM - Edit history (9)
Eating yesterday morning at the diner this young lady approached me I saw her get up from her table and walk over to my friend and I. She commented right away 325 I replied yea along time ago the ball cap I was wearing has on it 2/325 PIR regiment flash it’s just one of those if you know you know moments if you recognize what the symbol means.
She said that she was a rigger cool I said i was 11B to explain to the reader just a rifleman she said hey my father was 11C explanation Mortars. I laughed and said next time you talk to your father you tell him you ran into an old 11Boo tell him
i wasn’t smart enough to be in the tubes.
Yet in that time in that world if weapons platoon was attached to you out of Headquarters company. Chances are you’re gonna either help at times rucking the base plate tube or tripod the trinity of pain along with the shit you have to carry or most definitely two 60 mm rounds Per man.
Ok stay focused Duncpup I was rambling sitting here remembering. Yet once again I will say I was one lucky dude 84-87 all peace time.
I said kiddo I’m gonna hug you and I said thank you to you and all riggers of the past and future. I then mentioned I only had ten jump with division and that doesn’t include the five I had at Benning Airborne school jumps do not count in the Testosterone loaded arrogant superstitious Airborne community you want to be here nobody forced you as in you’re not a Paratrooper until you make the division.
And the reality is once you hit the D.Z. always in the dark after you get up and Check that nothing is broken P.L.F. precision landings fall is what they taught us in actual reality it was a P.F.L. a perfect fucking landing as you all rally and get ready be on the move listening to the C-130 four fans and a trash can C-130 insulated to keep the noise in or the C141 fly away you think I should have joined the Air Force and then yet the Air Force is like the army although only for smart peoples.
Yet in that moment usually in total darkness you’re doing what you gotta do training takes over surrounded by others. And you can forget any noise discipline loud whisper bitching NCO ‘s whispering keep it the fuck down they can hear us in downtown Istanbul making sure you got comms with all others in platoon squads or company with PRC I'm asked by L.T. we ok we good I was his RTO I reply Sir what in the fuck you think no we’re not ok we’re in Turkey in the middle of the night because some asshole in the pentagon thinks that those assholes in the Kremlin will try and push on the Black Sea if WW 3 breaks out.
Lt maybe his reply goddammit I do not need your world views at the moment I reply smiling in the dark thinking this LT is solid good leader and we only fuck with him because he’s worth his salt he’s one of us he proved that when he fought with 6 on radio when jonesey needed a bird yea jonesey had heatstroke that time we was on NTC out at Irwin yea we’re solid we got comms with 6 explaining the company commander so I guess discussing that we should be thankful for Vlad the impaler is definitely out later huh LT if it wasn’t for Vlad all those dudes living in downtown Bucharest today would probably be sporting those Turkish staches you only see moustaches like that in cheap porn back in the barracks.
Or your command element the L.T. and Platoon sgt Checking the maps under a poncho using a red lens shooting azimuths reason you gotta get to that point on the map. Where the ring knockers say you gotta be so you can just wait around with your thumbs up your scrawny assholes.
And then you’re just gonna walk like your fellow Non Airborne 11 series primates. It was a pleasure meeting this young lady on way out I grabbed her waitress and said give me that tables ticket I got their bill.
In closing just saying the kid made my day in meeting her it’s always a pleasure to run into vets of any branch yet it always great to run into a member of the tribe of the 82nd -the eighty deuce-The All American/ Alcoholics anomymous or my personal favorite S.T.D.’s from the sky. Yea I never think of my time serving very seriously.
= new reply since forum marked as read
Harry J. Frear
Worked his way from Pfc to Major. You'd have enjoyed coffee and eggs with this guy, just one of the nicest, firmest - but nice people ever.
Silver Star Medal (SSM)
Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:
1st Lieutenant
Unit:
504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division "All American", U.S. Army
Awarded on:
August 31st, 1944
"For gallantry in action on 28 January 1945, near WALLERODE, BELGIUM. First Lieutenant FREAR, a platoon leader, distinguished himself by establishing himself as the point of his platoon which was the spearhead of his battalion's assault upon the outlying fortifications of the SIEGFRIED Line. In an action lasting eleven hours and fought in waist-deep snow drifts, First Lieutenant FREAR displayed a high order of aggressive and courageous leadership by personally entering enemy occupied bunkers on five different occasions and killing and routing the occupants with hand grenades. He killed seven Germans who were attempting to hold up the advance of his platoon with his Thompson Sub-Machine Gun, one of whom was later identified as the battalion commander of the enemy troops, in the vicinity. Throughout the entire action he completely disregarded all consideration of his personal safety as he directed BAR and machine gun fire upon enemy strongpoints. By his exhibition of fearless disregard of the intense enemy fire, he instilled great confidence in his men and inspired them to the successful completion of a hazardous mission under the most trying conditions of weather and terrain. His conduct during this action was such to reflect highly upon himself and the United States Airborne Forces. Entered military service from JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA.
[signed]
JAMES M. GAVIN
Major General, U.S. Army,
Commanding.
Silver Star Medal (SSM)
Bronze Star Medal (BSM)
Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Bronze Star Medal (BSM)
Purple Heart
Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Purple Heart
Combat Infantryman Badge
Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Combat Infantryman Badge
US Army Parachute Badge
Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
He jumped into Normandy on D-Day.
Some of his experiences are written up at: http://www.writecorner.com/they_remember_war_1.asp
His story is at the bottom of the page.
Lot different than Jump School.
Don’t delete it lol.
Funny coincidence, I started off as a 11B in a headquarters detachment in the scout platoon. After a year and half, they decided . They would would go to Cav Scouts, so I had to retrain anyway, so went to the mortar platoon. RTO and retrain as 11C
No way I could be caught with a Stetson. 
That’s Army humor by the way.
Fellow paratrooper
in 11series world.