The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current, April 08, 1976, Image 5

Texas A&M Newspaper Collection

The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current, April 08, 1976, Image 5

Newspaper Page TextitNational Guard I paratroopers lump to work K vile nuj ‘ s troy m 'I 1 - leade, tic From e nce te differetP "s, M os | -stinian “'■can inie md facilit nst the^ meeting* loslemlea 1'ut sofaJ nians. ! By PAT SADBERRY The world seems awfully small and far away when there’s sky all around and under you, a 17-year-old paratrooper says. James Edward Johnson of Bryan is trained to parachute from an airplane into combat areas in the event of war. He has been a member of an airborne unit of the US. Army National Guard for one year. “I like being a paratrooper, ’ Johnson said, “but it’s not something I do for kicks. Tm not a sky diver.’ Johnson received training as a paratrooper at Ft. Benning, Geor gia. “We exercised and exercised and exercised, he said. “Then we learned the fundamentals of parachute techniques,” Johnson said. The real test, he said, was the first jump from an airplane. “The first time I jumped, I thought I could feel my last meal slowly rising and then suddenly turning about in my stomach,” Johnson said. “Then I realized that it was my whole body flipping and whirling around. “Seconds after I had left the plane I felt my' body being jerked upward, but my stomach still churned. I was coming down fast and swaying through the air before I realized that the jerk meant my parachute had opened. “It was no elevator ride,” he said a little breathlessly. Johnson’s mother, Mrs. Ellerine Kearney, said, “I pray a lot when he’s up there.” “When I landed in a pond and caught cold, Mom was really upset,” Johnson said. “But when I landed on my face and broke my nose she was about ready to pass out. “I’ll never forget those earlier jumps,” Johnson said, “and neither will my mother. Johnson and his unit practice their maneuvers near College Station, Austin and Cameron. We try to relax while on practice maneuvers, it’s very important that you don’t panic. I’ve heard guys talk- THE BATTALION Page 5 THURSDAY, APR. 8, 1976 ing to each other on the way down. I guess it’s comforting way up there to hear a familiar voice that’s not your own, he said with a smile. After every landing with the parachute, Johnson said, each member of the unit must run to a truck, which is six miles away. “If you don’t make it,” he said, “the jump was no good. ” Johnson said someday he hopes to be an airplane pilot, but, he added, “Tm not sure how my mother will take it." Ilk LEI IN 'ears ict to penj measun llls e yesle; n require! THURSDAY Student Government Blood 25-226 MSG, 8a.m.-5p.m. fJE RCOLLEGIATE Flower ■ Preliminary Conference, ■C, 8 a.m.-5:30 p.m. ■ RICAN Frontier Re- ye ars Jed, 206 MSG, 8 a.m.- 11 ii every V II„,I ,E ?. T Government Spring ons, Conference nm-MSC, 8 it themiST 111 ' de 1 jFNT Development in Light ■ :opy & Spectroscopy, 402 8 a.m.-5 p.m. NCE Department, 140-A fO-l 1 a.m. &yfl|| c Grants W/S, 228 MSG, 1-4 Graduate Students, 11CW C ’ 3:30-5 p.m. 411 \X& Polaris, 228 MSG, 5-7 [■ Animal Ag Go 1 / ^Bt, 224 MSG, 6:30-9 ' |PA Zeta, Ca Sweetw nference 9 p.m. 301 Tower, 7-10 ■A Processing Management nation, 402 Tower, 7-9 p.m. j'n JE-U Woman 6c Guns, Qty e\ : '> 8 P ' n - hchmaM E o - U Amanda Marga, 1 111. Ain*' 8 P m - •ii’ wn®FTS and Terrariums Ulle ’ M miSC, 7-9 p.m. riders® ^Pl' a Dinner, i i B 1, Jy-plLEGIATE 4-H Club, 139 n a cei® :3 °- 9 P m - DayajE-U Arabic, 141 MSG, ■9 p.m. ■ llfASO Home Town Club, 410 nounted® _ OA , er, 7:30-9 p.m TING Club, 308 Tower, 7:30- p.m. EPHEID Variable, 701 Tower, p.m.-midnight REE-U Guitar, 228 MSG, 8-9 lie sped lousto tonic uu Br ades aii®f A XI Banquet, Ramada Inn, &M Col WM1TTEE for Awareness of rs has hi | can - A m e r i ca n Culture ■isioni d C), Tower 607, 8 p.m. plahned|CTRICAL Engineering Stu- (loodsl'ves Club, 7:30 p.m., Zachry n biennfl , will M FRIDAY le of r®AS Animal Ag Conference, 8 ■ p.m.. Theater and 3, 6, 7 nony/ 's (, f d le Tower, muted* AVION AL 1 n tercoll egiate on drillfci Judging Contest, 8 a.m.- 5 ., Y1SC 225-226. RUMETS, noon-11 p.m., MSG —■OCIETY of Women Engineers, IMSC 201. «A/S/R DUATE Student Council, |J*y 404, 1:30-5 p.m. AT(r ,,! SIGMA Banquet, 7:30-10 ^MmSC 224. E .,a FRICAN Student Association, yi>j 402, 8-10 p.m. SATURDAY E' IS PAPER in the Classroom, I 601, 8 a.m. -5 p.m. ROMETS, 7th floor Tower, 8 •4 l p.m. iOGIATION of Collegiate |ls of Architecture, Tower 301, noon. RIDGE Committee, MSC 228, I Willi 1 ' - .jJiNIAN Students Society, 'Hv Ver 404, 7-10 p.m. K. 10SS Volunteers Banquet & Ice. MSC 201 and 224, 7-9 p.m. fLACK Awareness Dance, MSC 7 PM 1-226, 9 p.m. -midnight. SUNDAY fOMETS, Tower 701, 8 a.m.- iY p-k Plfll i PHA lambda delta, c 201, 2-6 p.m. Beef JRO-RELAY Conference Recep- im |lSC 206, 5-7 p. m. E CREATION-Chess, MSC -11 p.m. fL DENT G overnment Execu- Committee, Conference ^ g -tiin-MSC, 7:30-9:30 p.m. KM Wheel men, auction, 1 grove; bike ride, 2 p.m. Rud- ■ountain. Zacharias 3reen house s and •(her Now Open See page 7 NlNf »p ;)l#: ce sing Buttef'l any Pick-up Cart GARDEN CART Our Reg. 17.97 Handy pick up cart. Comes in red. Shop and save now. 1-Gallon Ortho Fence & Grass Edger ORTHO® FENCE & GRASS EDGER Our Reg. JM 97 Kills weeds and grasses for all season long. PINE BARK MULCH Our Reg. 1.97 Pine Bark Mulch is decorative, stays in place. 3 cu. ft. )n Epic Records and Tapes m ® "EPIC." MARCA REG. © 1976 CBS INC. 2700 SOUTH TCXAS AVE., COLLEGE STATION

Texas A&M Newspaper Collection

Texas A&M Newspaper Collection

The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current, April 08, 1976, Image 5

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