Rescue riggers pack 67-year-old piece of history with a little help from You Tube

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Leslie Kraushaar
  • 920th Rescue Wing Public Affairs
PATRICK AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. --  "No man is entitled to the blessings of freedom unless he be vigilant in its preservation," General Douglas MacArthur famously said.

Unfold the journey of how a 67 year-old Japanese silk parachute from World War II made its way to a Florida Veteran's Memorial Center where it's on display, and you'll see a detour at the Air Force Reserve Command's 920th Rescue Wing here.

Preservation and a quick history lesson was in store for the 920th RQW aircrew flight equipment technicians (or parachute riggers) when they received an old, silk parachute dating back from World War II with the request to repack it in its original casing. While completely adept at packing the modern day parachutes for the 920th Rescue Wing Pararescuemen (PJs), this was a definite change of pace for the crew.

Mr. Mel Mueller, of the Brevard Veterans Council and Veterans Memorial Center, brought the silk parachute to the professionals to re-pack it for display at the museum.

"During my Air Force career I spent three years in the rescue service, [...] so I was familiar with the rescue folks and knew of their capabilities," he explained.

So, with this knowledge in hand Mr. Mueller made the trek to Patrick Air Force Base to drop off the parachute - which, at this point, was in a plastic garbage bag.

This particular parachute was donated to the museum by a woman whose husband, a retired Air Force fighter pilot, recently passed away. His wish for his possessions, according to Alexander Terrero, Brevard Veterans Council and Veterans Memorial Center, was to keep them preserved and with the military in some fashion.

"I've never seen a silk parachute," Mr. Terrero said. "It's like History Channel stuff!"

Although the Air Crew Flight Equipment Technicians are thoroughly knowledgeable in all-things parachute, it took some research, a little you-tube viewing and good old-fashioned elbow grease to get the parachute in its original bag.

Senior Airmen Jarrod Burgess, aircrew flight equipment apprentice, intrigued by the parachute and its history did a little investigating on his own to find the correct way to pack the parachute - and it came in the form of a six-minute video, in Japanese, on You Tube.

"I just looked it up on You Tube. Once I saw how it worked and how it opened, I was able to see the signature way of packing it," he explained. SrA Burgess also looked at the way the Japanese parachute jumpers wore the parachute when they deployed from the aircraft. All of these factors helped in finding the perfect packing method.

There were major differences though, and these differences were what made this process so interesting.

This particular parachute was the main parachute used by the Japanese fighters during WWII, and was worn on the chest, not the back like the main parachutes of today.

Airman Burgess was surprised at how small this parachute was in contrast to the main parachutes used by the PJs today.

Tech. Sgt. Juan Duharte, 920th RQW aircrew flight equipment supervisor, was amazed not only at the difference, but, surprisingly, the similarities.

"While packing this parachute, we used pretty much the same system we use today," he said.

Sergeant Duharte also noticed that the stitching and some of the knots were exactly the same as those used today as well. "It's very similar to the chest reserve parachutes we use today," he said.

As the 920th riggers exchanged their stories and histories with the group from the Veterans Memorial Center, it was clear that while years go by the code of service remains the same. The same acronyms, deployments, pride in serving America and the same career stories. There is much more in common with the two groups - bonded over the packing of a parachute that represented an entire American era - than not.

These 21st Century parachute riggers successfully packaged up a piece of history - a 67 year-old Japanese silk parachute from World War II.

"I'm thrilled that they are assisting and actually have the interest to assist [with the parachute packing]," Mr. Mueller said.