The Phantom Airborne Brigade

50th Anniversary Commemoration Parachute Jump with The Phantom Airborne Brigade and The Rakkasans - Russ Brambi, Secretary Reported by: Ron Stirlacci

On 19 October 1950, three battalions of the 187th Regimental Combat Team made a combat jump into Suchon-Sukson, Korea They lost 442 men, sustaining 1,656 casualties.

On 19 October 2000, nineteen former active duty paratroopers jumped at Zephyrhills FL, commemorating that jump. Out of the Nineteen, five were members of the South Florida Chapter of the 82nd Airborne Division Association. The aircraft we jumped is called a CASA, similar to a C-123. We tail-gaited it and they were three great jumps!

Gus Vass and I made three jumps, Steve Mueller and Chris Watson made two, French Shannon, who arrived late, made one. We used a Set-10 parachute, a modified T-10 canopy with steering toggles and gores missing from the rear to give it an eight mph forward speed. If you land into the wind it makes for a soft landing.

Jumpers From The 82nd Airborne Divison Association, South Florida Chapter L to R: French Shannon, So Fl Chapter and Don Wright, one of the original Jumpers on Suchon-Sukson

L to R: Gus Vass, French Shannon, Ron Stirlacci, Chris Watson and Steve Mueller

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