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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."
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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#:
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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 &
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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.
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