Looking Back

I had many great experiences when I was in Arizona. Some fun, some exciting, some just outright, well out there. But one of the most profound was when I jumped from the DC3.

The DC3 was a plane had served in WW2 on missions for paratroopers. I know I have talked about it, and probably blogged about it on another site already, but it was a very strong experience. One that has opened my eyes when I didn't know they were closed.

I was excited when the announcement came from manifest that the DC3 was making a load. My friends and I had been talking about the plane and it's history, it's flying abilities, and the coolness factor of being in a plane with it's service record. When the load was announced, we flooded to fill it. It was going to be great. We did the typical tourist thing (had our pics taken in front of the plane before take off) chatted, and got ready for a very cool ride.

On the way up however, my excitement turned to empathy. I was sitting in my seat, geared up and ready to hit the sky, when I started thinking about all the young men who held this seat 60 years before I did. Did they make it home? Were they scared? What did the future have in store for them. They were in a war, away from the people they loved, with no idea how long they had left. They had their objective and each other. Not a whole lot, and yet everything. Where were they going? They had to know that it could be the last moment for them, every moment in a war is potentially your last.

I thought about them on the way up, these nameless soldiers who were willing to give everything for us. I said a silent prayer and I made my jump for them. Small, insignificant, and no where near what they deserved, but it was all I had to give. I still make jumps for them. I have no idea who they are, or what became of them, but I remember and I'm thankful.

Find peace boys.