My friend, Ken Bird shares a story about a very bad day on a training jump.

Early 70s I was on a combat equipment jump on Sicily Drop Zone. I was about 10th man in the stick. Back then we rolled our lowering line at the bottom of our ruck attached to our main parachute harness with a quick release for when we got within 100 feet off the ground. We would pull the release to lower our rucksack below us. Thus insuring that we did not land on our ruck which could cause injuries.

As the jump commands were given by the jump Master toward my front, I completed checking everything and tapping the jumper in front of me a loud OK. Shortly after a one minute signal was passed back down the stick. We began shuffling forward. Immediately I became aware the jumper in front of me lowering line came loose off his rucksack and trailed behind him. My left foot became entangled in the line. I immediately reached out to grab his chute to try to halt his progress. However at that time he was already in the door of the C130. He jumped unaware of any issues.

My legs were immediately pulled out from under me breaking my left leg and ankle. The Jump master thought I had tripped and began pushing me out the door. I was half way out on my back. The safety saw everything and tried to pull me back in. When the jumpers lowering line pulled free from my leg it snapped my leg and ankle. The jumper landed without knowing what happened. I was screaming all hell laying with my legs out side the aircraft. Finally I was pulled back in. Still the jump master not knowing I was injured stopped the stick and began pulling in the deployment bags and at the same time walking over my legs. Finally the door was closed and they heard my yelling in pain. I passed out.

I woke up and noticed as the ramp was lowered we were back on Green Ramp and an ambulance was parked at the ramp. I was taken to Womack and being late at night,, a PA saw me and did not xray my leg or ankle. They put a bandage on my leg and released me to my wife. She drove me home. Later that morning I woke up in pain and swelling. My wife loaded me back up and took me back to Womack. A doctor wanted to know what happened I explained. He sent me to exray and I had two fractures, one leg one ankle. I was put in a cast and sent home. I pulled 3 months CQ duty using hangers to scratch my leg. I peeled off the cast two months early and started walking and finally running two months before the doctors said it was OK. Reason was I was tired of pulling CQ. One last note, my wallet left the Aircraft and a 82nd solider found it and returned it. I did not get credit for that jump when I needed it for pay.