I Wanted to be a Paratrooper

Heroes Remember

I Wanted to be a Paratrooper

Transcript

In Camp Borden we had another eleven weeks of basic training there. I was inspired by paratroopers too, you know, I heard about paratroopers. I wanted to become a paratrooper. So after the basic training I was sent to Petawawa, the 1st Battalion RCR, and joined the paratroop outfit. So after I completed advance training there, I went to paratroopers and qualified 22nd of December 1950. I found it scary. I don't mind saying, you know, I'm not, I cannot be lying and say, you know, I'm never scared, I'm a tough guy. I jumped with people that been doing it for 15, 20 years and they were scared as I was, you see. You can tell by everyone talking you know and when a plane takes off, everyone kind of joking until you're so many minutes to descend you're told and the red light turns on up there and the door slides open, everyone stopped talking. And you know damn well everyone is scared. And you're not supposed to close your eyes when you come to the door but I did close my eyes anyway. My friend Joe Blow went anyway, you know. I'm going sure as hell, but not with my eyes open. But describing the feeling, it's another matter, you know. When I heard that silk snap open I looked up, “oh, oh, boy!”, I was in the glory to see them coming down. You have to know how to roll and be able to fold your chute and that's what happens. There's no, there's a big difference in the parachutes you see today and the battlefield parachutes, a big, big difference. If you do come down, you come down hard.

Description

Mr. Simon describes the experience of learning to jump from an aircraft, and the tension he felt preceding and during a jump.

Stephen Simon

Stephen Simon, the sixth of ten children, was born in Big Cove, New Brunswick on February 19, 1932. After finishing grade eight on the reserve, he attended school off the reserve where he faced a lot of discrimination. He often fished with his father, who was a police officer at Big Cove. Mr. Simon enlisted at the age of eighteen, took his basic training in Camp Borden, and became a qualified paratrooper on December 22, 1950. After arriving in Korea, he trained as a radio operator, and served in that capacity until the end of his military service. In 1958, Mr. Simon’s skills were highlighted when he served in a top security communications centre.

Meta Data

Medium:: Video
Owner:: Veterans Affairs Canada
Duration:: 2:29
Person Interviewed:: Stephen Simon
War, Conflict or Mission:: Canadian Armed Forces
Branch:: Army
Units/Ship:: Royal Canadian Regiment
Rank:: Sergeant

Language selection

I Wanted to be a Paratrooper

Heroes Remember