Pvt. Wester
visited in Sevier County last week with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. J.
W. Wester, Route 1, Horatio, and other friends, and told of the
thriling experiences of the U. S. Army Parachute Troops. He is the
forst Sevier to become a full-fledged paratrooper, and he posed for
the above picture in his "jump suit,"
The parachute soldiers
are volunteers, in the strictest sense, and they receive
considerably more pay than regulars. The training is intense, and is
carefully mapped to minimize danger of injury or death. The
percentage of fatalities is as low as almost any occupation in which
a man might engage, according to Army records. First aid men jump
from planes right along with the troops to be of assistance to any
who need them.
Wester, now 26 years
old, is in one of the most exciting branches of the Armed Services,
and he will have many experiences to relate when this war is over.
(Photo by Kingham Studio). |