SUBJECT: 50th Anniversary of the West Point Parachute Team Featured as Cover Story in the March/April Issue of Assembly

Charlie Shaw and Jim Malley represented our class team members at activities celebrating the 50th anniversary of the founding of the West Point Parachute Team, 31 OCT – 2 NOV 2008.  In addition to Charlie and Jim, classmates they remember who were on the team include: Dan Buttolph, Sammy Carr, Ken Dean, Bob Dickenson, Fred Doten, Karl Henn, John Lawton, Dean Learish, and Ernie Webb.  Little did they realize when they joined the newly formed team that it would grow so much in popularity, and achieve the prominence it enjoys at the Academy today. 

Fred Doten sent in the following vignette: "Dan (Buttolph), I believe, is the first cadet to use his reserve.  I am (was) probably the only cadet to have authorization to keep a sewing machine in his room.  During the fall of 61, I went to Teterboro, New Jersey to the FAA office and got my riggers license.  From then on, I did all the modifications to our Air Force donated parachutes, made the sleeves and packed all the reserves.  I used to pack parachutes in the hallway. Major Joe Kingston, my Tac, let me keep the machine and all my parachute stuff in a box in my room.  During my Cow year I got slugged for drinking at the Navy Academy, and for the four months I was in confinement. Major Kingston, authorized me to take my 1 hour of athletic activities at the DZ.  He concurred that travel time to and from the DZ was not considered part of the hour.  On a good day I could get two jumps before the hour was up."

Charlie was able to jump with the cadets on their training day, which also happened to be his birthday, on you guessed it, Halloween.  He reported the fall colors in the Hudson Valley looked awesome from 13,500’.  Click here for pictures of the weekend events, and a YouTube video of Charlie’s jump.  Unfortunately, it seems WMG owns the background music, and had YouTube disable all audio tracks containing its music.  Further details about the weekend are in the Assembly article, pp. 18-20.  Note Charlie and Jim in the top row of the team picture at the bottom of p. 20.  Charlie’s in the green sweater, and Jim’s two persons from his left.   

The parachute team arguably delivers more PR bang for the buck than most other Academy activities, jumping after parades, delivering the game ball for football games, and participating in numerous off-post competitions and demonstrations.  Army and AF go neck to neck each year for the top spots at the intercollegiate championships.  See the

2008 Collegiate Nationals Scores for the results of December’s competition.  However, it is an expensive sport.  The parachutes are costly, as well as the non-military aircraft jumps.  AF enjoys a competitive edge with a vertical wind tunnel for practice, two DeHavilland Twin Otters for jumps, and subsidized equipment funding.  It’s great, though, to see an Army team compete at this level, even more so given the training limitations.  Navy just authorized a team in 2007, and with proper support, we should watch out for them in a couple of years.  

The following extract from the Assembly article is of particular note: “Of the last six cadet first captains … four have been parachute team members … in 2006 and 2007, the majority of the pinnacle command slots in the U.S. Corps of Cadets were held by sport parachute team leaders.”   A fund is being set up through AOG to establish an endowment for the team, which will hopefully assist in gaining the resources necessary to begin closing the gap with Air Force.