Together with the students, the elders had
constructed a bridge from the 1940s to the 1990s and, in doing so, had
contributed to the historical records of an important era in American
history. Further, the process had strengthened lines and clarity of
communications and understanding across generations.
Memoir
I wrote about my WW2 work as a parachute rigger. To set the stage, I
described the parachute's purpose, e.g., to lower a weight, be it a human
being or an object (cargo) at a safe rate of descent from altitude to the
ground. In time of war, the controlled descent might be that of an
aircrew member who had to abandon an aircraft because it could no
longer remain safely airborne.
In another context, during WW2, more than one hundred thousand
airborne troops parachuted from transport aircraft with their weapons
and gear as part of military operations. At least equal in numbers, cargo
parachutes lowered food, equipment, ammunition and other essential
supplies to the fighting forces and to isolated civilian communities.
Parachutes also have a wide range of uses in peacetime, as examples,
sports parachuting, 'fire jumpers' fighting forest fires, and rescue
operations in terrain or other circumstances that preclude less hazardous
access.
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