November 17-19, 2005 continued

We drove through Ft. Bragg and saw streets, roads, parade fields, barracks, buildings, and training areas that brought back memories of my time there many years ago. I was amazed at the new construction taking place there. The wooden barracks my grandfather and uncles helped to build in the early 1940's have been replaced by ultra-modern brick veneer quarters to house elite soldiers of the 82nd Airborne.

We toured the silo-like structure where free-fall training takes place. We drove several miles into the fort and arrived at Normandy or Sicily drop zones where the paratroopers practice their jumping from airplanes. The picture here shows five jumpers drifting down and the second picture shows the plane circling back to land and pick-up the next group of jumpers. As we sat in the car watching this action, I thought back thirty-eight years ago when I was floating from the sky onto that same ground.

Have a good day!