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Subject: 509th Airborne, Vicenza Italy
hailhero    9/28/2007 4:06:23 PM
Has anyone here served in the 509th/Nickle "0" Nasty? back in the 1980's?
 
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paolo       4/16/2011 4:19:39 PM
Hey Wolfhead I was in c co.  from 75-79 whats your real name . I'm Flanegan
 
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paolo       4/16/2011 4:36:06 PM
I don't real a greek but I was in c co from 75-79
Paul Flanegan
 
[email protected]
 
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Wolfhead       4/17/2011 11:07:31 AM
David Gaddie, Memphis, TN.  I was in 3rd platoon, A Co. from 75-77.  Went to Belgian Commando school with Jay Costanza from C Co.
 
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Wolfhead       4/17/2011 11:15:40 AM
Charlie Capps, 3rd Platoon, A Co. and Mike Rohrer, HHC both died in that jump in 1976.  Charlie was being towed, and Mike hit him on his way out.  The impact broke Charle's hung up static line, and they both went down. 
I was on that jump, but for the life of me, cannot remember whether it was Hohenfels or Wildflecken.  We went back the next year, and the locals had built a little fenced memorial near the site where Charlie and Mike died.
 
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Wolfhead       4/17/2011 11:17:27 AM
Mike Milbrodt passed away last summer.  Cancer.
 
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Wolfhead       4/17/2011 11:23:55 AM
Doc Rob,
 
Glad to hear Mac's okay.  I still talk with a few guys every now and then.  Dan Dunham (Treeman), Jerry Demouth (Moose), Terry Williams, Gary Nation, a few others.  I don't if you remember a Craig MacGillivray (aka Junior, a nickname that Dave Coleman gave to him).  Anyway, he passed away in GA about 5 years ago.  Don't really know any circumstances.
 
Just hearing that you and your family are doing well does me well.
 
David Gaddie
Memphis, TN
 
 
 
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paolo       4/17/2011 1:44:36 PM
It was Wildflicken.  I was in Charlie Co. & that jump cracked 1 of my spinal discs
 
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doc rob       4/17/2011 6:05:50 PM
Yep, it was Wildflicken. A real nasty day for us. I remember driving up to the Bn. Aid Station w/ Doc. Gardner (Bn. Surgeon). He has a high femur fracture. Any way, Top Hagans & Col. Draling asked me for Capps first name, when I told them - their faces said something was wrong. I don't think any of us knew how bad it was until the end of the day. That was the low point for that trip to Wildflicken, to me the high point was the Memorial Jump we made 2 or 3 weeks later and the road march back to Wildflicken that same night.
 
We were an Airborne Battalion made up of special men.
 
I have one favor to ask from anyone who reads this. Either in the front or back of our year book there is a picture of a medic coming off the DZ with a big bag on his back, main parachute & reserve, and looking like ______. The picture was taken after making a jump into Germany, kicking off Alpine Friendship. If you can scan a copy of that picture & email it to me I would appreciate it. Here is my email address: [email protected]
 
Wolfhead, if you hear from any of the guys again - give them my best & email address.
 
You all take care - Doc Rob - SFC, Retired, U.S. Army 
 
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ABN Ortiz    Wonder if you remember   4/18/2011 7:48:28 PM
I was with A co 1/509th from 76-78 and then went to B co from 78-79. You may remember me better as the leg that came on board. I remebered LTC Darlings. Some of us motar maggots called him the Silver Fox, because of his white hair. I remember him giving BN PT once and he loved running! I heard that he said that he could not out run the NVA and was a POW and this is why he had us run to Mont Bereco and back. Do you remember Chico, Garcia and Zavala? Cpt Arron? I finnally went to jump school at Bad Tolz Germany under the 10th SFGA Det. there. Aug 12 77. Came back to make that Sardinia jump that went bad for 39 jumpers that were hospitalized. I was one. But got back to jumping. The 09 was my best unit in my 20 good years of service.
 
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ABN Ortiz       4/18/2011 8:11:20 PM
Doc
 
My name is Alberto Ortiz, I don't know if it was Norway or somewhere in Germany where you at least I beleive it was you that came up to me and asked how I was doing after the jump in Sardinia. You gave some good advice about reporting my injury to the VA as soon as I got out. I did and I got my paper work right away because it was fresh.  The person Capps from HHC and the other Paratrooper was the news when I arrived among my platoon. I beleive they mention Hornefelt. I was wondering if you remember a kid from A co mortars last name Marks that was found dead in Vicenza river? He was a Black kid a nice kid. walk very bowlegged. Look forward to hear from any one of yous 09er's
 
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