the vacuum-cleaner whine of the S-3

So, is that why they called the S-3 the "Hoover"? I thought is was because those big low-mounted engines were particularly good at sucking up FOD.

Here's another jump story:

The first jump after Jump School is called the "cherry jump." In many units, cherry jumpers are put at the head of the stick, meaning they're the first ones in the door. My cherry jump was out of an old C-7 Caribou. Unlike planes like the C-130 or 141, we couldn't go out of the side doors on a C-7 because they were too small. Instead, we jumped from the tail gate.

OK, so there I was, first in the line and ready to jump. The Jumpmaster was down on the floor because that's where he had in a Carabou to be able to see the ground panels. The plane was very loud. He looked up at me and said something.

"What?" I asked.

Suddenly, I was falling through the air. I thought to myself, "Did I do that? I don't recall doing that."

After landing, I got the story. The Jumpmaster had told me to jump but I didn't understand him. The guy behind me did. I didn't jump - I was pushed!

Which confirms the old paratrooper saying, "You can jump or you'll be pushed. One way or another, you're going out the door."

That saying came to mind when the big drawdown of 1992 hit. I knew my military career was over. I could jump or wait to be pushed, but I knew I was going out the door.