Here are some letters I recieved from Paratroopers who actually jumped from the C-119.They are amusing, sad, and beautiful to read.
I had the pleasure of taking part (flight engineer) in a big drop with some of these Troopers.
See
Paratroopers of the 50s
After seeing what they went through; I then and now have the greatest respect for all of thoseCrazy Troopers.
SSgt. Bill Holt
Rhein Main Air Force Base
Germany1951-54
Letters From My Airborne Friends
JBoney6507@aol.com
First let me thank you heartily for your comments.As a fifties paratrooper and early contributer to CJ Magro's page, I read with delight your story. Again Sergeant Holt I thank you.
What chills I got as I heard again the roar of the two engines. On my page, somewhere near the end, there is my glances at my last month. Is was for a while what I thought was my last days period! I hope you don't think I came down on the USAF. On the contrary, I admired then and now our guardians of the sky. Please check out my site when you get a chance. Without you, there was no us!
Jack's 50's Paratrooper Short Stories
namronft@bellsouth.net
F. Norman Taliaferro
SSgt-RA14513597
Served 1954-1957 in 11th Abn Recon Company
Senior rated parachutist and qualified jumpmaster
Bill: I signed your guestbook a little earlier this evening and I've watched a little football since.I'm still elated (damn---that's an understatement) over Tennessee's win over Florida (your address indicates "seminoles" to me----not "gators").
There were things in your account that really brought memories back to me and made me think too.
I was trying to remember when I had witnessed these guys pulling the static lines and empty chute bags back into the plane and then I remembered. It was on my first jump in jump school. 
We were behind schedule already because of bad weather and when the "manifest" came out I was number 13 in the stick.(The line of Paratroopers on each side) I'm not superstitious but I wasn't happy about that; anyhow I can relate to all your descriptions of the engine sounds. The airplane rattling-hell-I thought we had taken off quite a few times before we even left the ground. They had closed the clamshell doors and the portholes on the side only showed "sky". I had never been in an airplane before. An Air Force vet was right beside me in the stick and I asked him after one of the BIG engine revs "are we in the air now?---he laughed and screamed "HELL NO"---we haven't even took off yet".
I found out that we were only going to drop 10 out each door on the first pass (on what we called a "tap out", which means a slap on the butt from the jumpmaster or stick leader on the opposite side of the plane and you jumped on that butt slap). I thought "Thank God" now I'm number 3.
We actually made 3 passes on that first jump. An Air Force Path Finder jumped "wind dummy" on the first pass for us and I still remember vividly this guy with a stubby cigar in his mouth, conversing with your type (the man behind the door with a headset on--the man in contact with the cockpit) and then he just suddenly "disappeared".On the second pass the first 10 on each side of the plane went through the ritual and then-hell-they all "disappeared".
OK, this is where I witnessed you guys struggling to pull those static lines and chute bags back into the plane, first and maybe only time I ever saw it. It was just 10 on each side instead of 20 but I remember the guys (I never really remember you had an "assistant"----I thought you were it-----crew chief and crew---you are the only one I really remember) struggling to get them in. But you guys had to clear the way and the static lines for the rest of us to jump on another pass.
On the next pass over the DZ as number "3" on the right stick, I was close enough to the door to get a great view. I didn't know in my mind whether I would jump or not,but the slap on my butt must have worked because the next thing I knew was "AIRBORNE".
We had to load onto trucks and go right back to Campbell Air Base and re-chute and go back up again. We jumped all 20 out each door on my second jump without a "lovetap" on the butt. I don't remember my position, I think 2 but it wasn't 13. All I really remember is I was "TIRED"----whew!!
Please Visit Normans Paratrooper Site
rrm1aurum@fuse.net
What a GREAT addition Bill's info. is to Para's of the '50s.
I agree the flight crews did a great job,with the possible exception of the navigators, who couldn't seem to tell forest from grassland!!!!!
The graphics, content and especially the VIEW of jumping from another perspective.... a first class job gentlemen.
Thanks for sharing those great memories.
PS. In 1963 we "may" have been responsible for one Air Force crew member making his first jump. All I can say is their 'chutes were more colorful than ours...... especially as part of a mass jump.
AIRBORNE. ALL THE WAY. ALWAYS.
ABN BOB
Please Visit Bob’s Paratrooper Site
Kenny Flowers
Email
(horse doctor)
Subject: C-119
CJ. I pulled up your page on the gentleman that flew the C-119s and I think that they were the crazy ones. I always thought the safest place to be on a C-119 was standing in the door with a chute on. We crashed one at Ft. Bragg in 1960 on takeoff, luckily no one was hurt. We unloaded and got on another one and took off again.
The best part of being on a C-119 was being able to jump out of it.
I often wondered after jumping out of one of the m... if the crew ever made it back to base. I always thought of those guys as a bunch of nut's that would fly anything. Hopefully they all made it back to base.
I never got to meet any of them personally but I would like to thank all of them for always getting us to the D.Z.
AIRBORNE
Kenny Flowers
Daniel Cooper GuY
Bill,
Just a note to personally express my appreciation for a great page posted at "Paratroopers of the 50s" and your web page, "12th Troop Carrier Squadron".
Never though about how we were perceived by the AF. Your position as flight engineer, how you viewed paratroopers and the way you have expressed it in text, graphics and pics is captivating. Does it bring back memories? You betcha!
I remember my fist take off.That old C-119 spit, sputtered and back fired a few times and off we went... into the wild blue yonder. We had a couple of fellows use the "clear and colorless burp bags". This was my "worst jump" I ever made 
and C.J. has it posted.
I spent some time in Germany with the 1st ABN BG, 505th Infantry and we would fly into Rhein Main on occasion. When the Berlin Wall went up, we had a big operation near Hanover. On our return, we landed at Rhein Main and the AF had their band out to greet us. As Jack said, "without you, there was no us".
Thanks to all of you!
Regards,
Dan
Pay Dan a visit for some great pictures!
SGT Phil Arledge (Felipe')
Idaho
CJ, I just read one of the most wonderful stories from Bill Holt and his perspective of us Paratroopers!!!
In the military there is always the competition between the different branches, and different units, and sometimes tension gets real high.
But this page and Bill Holt's story really describes what true patriotism and commradre is all about.
Sometimes we can get so focused on our units and branches and full of pride about our individual jobs that we forget that it takes an effort from EVERYONE to make any operation happen. It's at those moments that everyone really drops what ever distaste they have for whatever unit, and we all come together as Americans, do our jobs right, and truly have a bond like no other country!! And Bill Holt's page brings out that pride like no other.....
SGT Phil Arledge Web site. Pay him a visit.
Charles E. Beck,
Charles E. Beck Hi CJ, wife and I just left the page where he described the mass jump in France. Some good pictures there! Wife said I remember some of your stories. Many of us had those same experiences didn't we! In 54 55 an Eng. with the ass end of that flying coffin plowed up an area at Bragg Maybe you know the story. He didn't have a chute of course. What I really wanted to say; when 40 men and equipment left in 12 sec that plane went rodeo time. Most of those crews were very young also.
For Bill:
Man we weren't brave to jump, you were a lot braver than us to ride that thing down! It looks like herding buffalo or trying to corral Tx longhorn watching them land. We prayed for altitude on take off. That's why we smiled later.
Bless you,
just Charlie
Thanks all you crazy guys for the kind words.
BILL
