-) OT RE: [at-l] Re: Exploding Stoves

[nealb@midlandstech.com (William Neal)]

Years back in Reader's Digest's Humor in Uniform was the following story:

During WW2, a 90-day wonder Lt. was preparing a boat load of sailors and
soldiers for D-day.  His job was to prepare them to jump into the water in
case their boat got him.  He was ordered to make sure they all jumped
properly per standard procedure into the water -- even the older guys.  He
got to one old hand who refused to jump.  

"But chief, you've got to.  It's orders."

The chief refused.  The water was cold and the process looked dangerous.

"Be reasonable.  Supposing the boat got hit.  What would you do?"

"I'd wait 'til the deck got down to water level and step off.  Like I did in
Pearl Harbor."

William, The Turtle
-----Original Message-----
From: greyowl@rcn.com [mailto:greyowl@rcn.com]
Sent: Tuesday, May 28, 2002 12:26 PM
To: at-l@mailman.backcountry.net
Subject: Re: [at-l] Re: Exploding Stoves



> 
> From: russboltz@comcast.net
> Date: 2002/05/27 Mon PM 01:03:31 EDT
> To: at-l@mailman.backcountry.net
> Subject: [at-l] Re: Exploding Stoves
> 
> Anent exploding stoves: 
 
> A skydiver pulled his ripcord, with no results;  trying his reserve
'chute, it failed as well. Knowing he was in serious trouble, he looked down
at the ground, rapidly approaching him. As he did, he saw a small dark speck
that grew larger. As it came close, he could tell from the clothes and the
beard it was a backpacker. "Hey," he yelled. "Do you know how to fix a
parachute?:" 

This reminds me of a story I heard many years ago at Ft Bragg N.C.  A young
trainee was going to make his first jump from a plane.  He was very neverous
and asked the jump master what would happen if his chute did not open.

"Well son" said the jump master, "count to ten and pull the rip cord for the
emergency chute"

The tranee though for a few seconds and asked the Jump master "what happens
if the reserve chute does not open"?

The jump master immediately replied' "if the chute doesn't open you will be
about 10 ft from the ground.  If you cannot survive a 10 ft jump then you
should not be in the Airbourne".

Grey Owl
WHo wonders why anybody would want to jump from a perfectly good airplane?