 Proudly, we hail! New York City, where the American stage begins, here is another program of a cast of outstanding players. Public service time has been made available by this station for your Air Force to bring you this story. As Proudly, we hail the United States Air Force. Our story is entitled Trouble Jumpers. Proudly, we hail the Air Rescue Service and more particularly, it's sometimes unsung heroes, the paramedics. Their mission is mercy and their duties, for which they're always prepared, may include risking their lives to save others. In a moment, you'll hear a lot more about them. But first, I've got a question to ask all you young fellas listening in. Say, tell me fellas, are you a service veteran? Well, if you are, then listen real carefully because this message is just for you. You know, you may be qualified to enlist in the United States Air Force in a grade that'll be a real pleasant surprise to you. If you possess one of the critical skills needed to keep America's air defense strong, then the Air Force offers you an opportunity to put your skill to work and at a higher grade and with higher pay than you may realize. Yes, indeed, right now the Air Force needs experience and know how gained in the Armed Forces. And now, thanks to the new Career Incentive Act, you can put your service gain skills to work to your best advantage by returning to the Armed Forces as a member of the Air Force team. I'll tell you what to do. You'll write or visit your Air Force recruiter for the special prior service man's folder. Now remember it's called the special prior service man's folder. It's full of important details and after looking through this little pamphlet you'll see why I keep saying over and over again, today and tomorrow. You're better off in the United States Air Force. And now your Air Force presents the proudly we hail production, Trouble Jumpers. I'm Sergeant Vern Hardison, a paramedic. Well, we heard the warble, that's the Air Rescue Service alert signal, about 0300 one morning. When the warble goes off, every man in the outfit falls out of the sack and starts heading toward the ops building. You might see some yawns when you get there, but inside of five minutes, there's not a man who's not ready to go. And that's the way it was that night. It had been a busy week for us in the squadron. There'd been a hurricane out in the Caribbean, which had dusted over the southern tip of Florida. And working closely with the Civil Air Patrol and others, we'd been assisting in rescue operations almost around the clock. The grapevine soon had it, that this was something unconnected with the hurricane. The grapevine being my buddy, Tom McKay. Hey, McKay! Hey, Tom, what's the word? Oh, hi, Vern. I thought you'd slept through it. Are you kidding? That warble could wake the dead. Did you find out what it's all about yet? Yeah. It's a light plane, civilian. Flight plan filed for Jacksonville, and it's overdue. His known fuel supply was exhausted a half hour ago. The hurricane spread outs left us to do the job. Where? Where do they think he's down? Where else? Over Big Cypress. Oh, it would be. They never come down near the Rony Plaza or anything like that. All kidding aside, Vern, it's a rough deal. You can say that again. The worst stretches of swamp and marsh in the world. I remember when we were dropped in there on training. I sure wouldn't like to land in there without equipment or supplies. Yeah, and maybe busted up, too. Yeah. Listen, wait here, will you? I'm going to check with the captain. We're on deck first tonight. I know. Well, the ready aircraft and SA-16 Albatross had commenced the search, Captain Jensen said. And though it didn't look as though they'd be able to spot any wreckage in the dark, there was always the chance that the down pilot would have flares and be able to build a signal fire. The Civil Air Patrol was already turned out, and there was nothing for us to do but wait. When and if they spotted the aircraft and provided that it appeared we might be needed, we'd be called. And that's about the worst thing about our jobs. When you get the order to go, you know what you're doing. But that waiting, now, once in a while, that gets me. Thinking about some poor guy out in the swamps, maybe unconscious. You could fly over them all night without spotting anything. And maybe that time would be just the difference between saving his life and not. This particular time we had a long wait. It wasn't until 1100 the next day that word came in. Artisan? Yes, sir. Major Helms has reported that aircraft. Confirmed, sir. Well, one of the crews spotted a piece of wing caught in a tree. It had part of a serial number on it, which corresponds to that of the missing aircraft. I see, sir. They were about ready to turn back when they saw it. Seems like it always happens that way, doesn't it, sir? Just once more around is the time you do it. Yes, I guess so. Sometimes. Anyhow, the colonel's offered to send medical help. Well, that's us then. Right. The spot they located the wreck is 20 miles in big Cyprus from the nearest road. And that's a two-day march in that swampland. Well, easily, sir. Could be longer. A ground party coming in would never get there in time if that pilot is lying there injured. Exactly. The sheriff wanted a form of party to walk in. There were one or two men there that know the area, but it would delay things too much. Besides, they have enough on their hands with the hurricane damage. Now, you'll need an extra man. If you have to carry a litter, two men may not be enough. Take anyone you like and make sure you have everything you need. Yes, sir. We'll be on that aircraft in three minutes. Good. See you there. Well, we were airborne within seven minutes of receiving the orders. In addition to Tom and myself, there was Bill Houston, our extra man, the regular aircraft crew, and another paramedic who would not make the jump with us but would assist in dropping us the supply packs once we had jumped ourselves. We would take turns in carrying the litter which can get pretty heavy traveling over rough terrain and scouting ahead for the smoothest trail. I guess we look a little like men from Mars, what with our tree-jumping paraphernalia, the heavy, high-collar suits, our face protectors that look like fencing masks, and the parachutes behind us. Partisan. Yes, sir. Keep a sharp lookout now approaching the critical area. Right, sir. Okay, fellas. Almost there now. Is spotted yet, Byrne? No, not yet. Listen, give me a little more line on my ICS so I can warn the captain as soon as I do. All right. Is that better? Yeah. You're there, Hardison? Yes, sir. I'm in the doorway now. Haven't seen anything, though. Okay. Keep your eyes glued to it. Major Helms said it was just barely visible. Yes, sir. Captain Jensen. Yes. I see something off the port wing. About two points. Can't see it, Sergeant. Over there, east, sir. Yeah, I see it now. Okay, Sergeant, you all ready? Yes, sir. We'll make a pass at it so you can take a good look in case the terrain. Yes, sir. Okay, you guys, get ready. You see it? Yeah, Bill. Looks like a hunk of wing, all right. About halfway up in a tall cypress. Captain's gonna make a dry run first, but you guys get ready and check your gear. Lieutenant King got a good look, Sergeant. It's that aircraft, all right. Last three digits are clearly visible. Yes, sir. I saw them, too. We'll come back around now. You men both ready? Yes, sir. We're airing to go. Okay. Okay, you guys, get ready. Tom, you first, then Bill. But don't go till I give the signal, huh? And remember, try to bunch in there as much as possible. I don't want to go out looking for one of you up a tree someplace. Okay. All right. Okay, one. Right way. Two. Here I go. See you in a couple of days, Captain. Right. Good luck. Thank you, sir. When you come tumbling out of that door, the thing that strikes you most is how cool and quiet it is. And the jolt of your chute as it bites into the air. And the gentle descent. You look down towards the earth. I can tell you, when you're jumping into those trees, you just never know exactly what you're gonna run into. But maybe that's what makes us like it. And they come up at you more quickly than you think. Suddenly, you're busy. Trying to avoid a big one and come down between. Maneuvering your shroud lines. And then... I gather up your chutes and watch out for the equipment packs. Over here, get a move on, huh? This stuff is caught in the tree here. As soon as I get out of this straight jacket. Right. Tom, where are you? I'll be here. Anybody seen anything of the crash yet? I don't think so, Captain. Far away. Well, okay, Tom, get going now, huh? We gotta get these supplies together here and locate that airplane. We'll fan out from where Bill spotted the wing section. Captain began to hunt for the wreck. Though it seems unbelievable, due to the thickness of the undergrowth, it was almost an hour later and we still hadn't been able to locate it. It appeared as though there couldn't have been a fire since there was no evidence of the woods being recently burned. And all the more, we were encouraged to think the pilot might be alive. Hey, you're in my territory, Vern. Seen anything yet? Not yet. Not even a clue. I guess Bill hasn't either, he's a signal. That airplane has got to be right in here someplace. Yeah. The question is where. That wing section was positively not an old one. And it came from that airplane. Well, the trouble is you can't see more than a few feet ahead in here. Come on, let's go. Wait a minute, what's that up there, huh? Hey, we found it. Yeah, come on. Yeah. Think you can get up there okay? Yeah, sure. You know, Vern, it's a miracle. That cockpit is almost intact. We ever got down through the trees. He's in here, Tom. He's breathing, but he's out. Listen, give the signal, huh? We'll need Bill to bring the supplies over here. We don't want to move him any more than necessary. Right. Just two shots, huh? Come up here and give me a hand, huh? Let's try to get him out. Easy there. All right. I got him. Yeah. Looks bad, doesn't he? Yeah. Shock. As soon as we get him down on the ground, we'll administer plasma. Yeah. Easy now. Yeah. Now listen, get a move on. Get that medical pack over here. Oh, and have Bill start cutting some saplings, huh? We're going to need braces for a stretcher. This man is going to have to be carried the entire way. Right, Vern. You know, it's a lucky thing maybe that he is out. Just from here, I'll bet you he has a fracture of that right leg. Well, if he comes to, we can give him sedation. Yeah. Yeah. Before listening to the proudly we hail production of The Trouble Jumpers and we will return to our second act in just one moment. But first, high potential. What do those two words mean to you? To a young man concerned with his future. Well, they can mean success in his chosen field because the young man with the high potential in today's specialized world is the one with specialized training. Now, you can get that training as an airman in the United States Air Force. Today, Air Force schools all over America are graduating skill specialists and literally hundreds of jobs. Previously unskilled men are now highly qualified X-ray technicians, aircraft repairmen, and intelligence specialists. And these are only a few of the wonderful assignments open to ambitious young men. There's a job to suit every aptitude and interest. So if you're of military age, well, now is the time for you to decide on your future. And your Air Force offers some of the finest specialized training to be found anywhere. Yes, the young man with the high potential for success is the one with the good training. So start building your future today by becoming an airman in the United States Air Force. The friendly people at your local Air Force recruiting station will be only too glad to talk it over with you and give you complete information, so see them soon. You are listening to Proudly We Hail and now we present the second act of Trouble Jumpers. While we aren't doctors, we are trained to recognize a bad case of shock. And that's what this man was suffering from. What other injuries, in addition to the fracture we're present, none of us were willing to guess at. But it seemed likely that they might be considerable. We administered plasma to counteract the effects of the shock. Then after splinting the injured leg and readying a litter, we were ready to start the long trip back to the nearest road. The most important thing now was time. Okay, Bill, you go ahead and scout. We've got to make as much time as possible. This man needs more than first aid. Listen, try to pick the easiest trail, huh? We have to try not to jolt him any more than is absolutely necessary, but you know what to do. Sure, bro, and I'll do my best. Tom and I will start off with a litter. We can switch later. When it begins to get dark, we'll have to make camp. Whoever's scouting can look for a good location. You don't think we'll make it out tonight? Yeah, but what about the patient? Well, we'll have to hope for the best. Can't travel after dark. Too easy to slip and fall in this terrain. Go into one of those mires, litter and all. Yeah. Well, I'll get going then. So long. So long. Okay, Tom, let's take five. I want to check the patient. He's never even opened his eyes. Yeah, that worries me. Me too. After the plasma, he should have come around by now. I thought his blood pressure's staying constant. Well, he can't do any more than we are, right? No. Well, everything's still the same. Let's get going then. We're not covering much ground. We're doing better than I thought we would. Yep. You ready? Yeah. Let's go. Long since we checked first. About an hour. Guess we better call another hold. He's still out. Yeah. Well, let's see how the blood pressure's holding up. Pulse is very rapid. Tom, open that pack, huh? We're going to have to give him more plasma. Right. Despite the plasma, our patient still did not regain consciousness. More than ever, we were convinced he must have serious internal injuries. And more than ever, every hour, every minute, became more important in our race toward the predetermined point where the ambulance would be waited. Our destination was still more than 10 miles away. The terrain was becoming more difficult. And it was growing darker every minute. It would be impossible to get the man out that night. Hey, this litter's getting heavier all the time. Yeah. It feels that way. Only five o'clock, and it's almost dark. Yep. It's as heavy foliage. Hey, can I hear something? What? Hey, it's Billy's making camp. Yeah. What are we waiting for, Brian? As much as we'd like to get this man to the hospital, I can show you some chow. All right. It's okay by me. We'll give you a hand in a minute. Okay, Billy. He's about the same last time we checked. Gonna take another look. Did he come to you? No, not yet. Gave him another bottle of plasma a while back, and it slowed down the pulse some. Gave the patient an intravenous feeding and more plasma. We divided into watches so that one of us could attend the injured man if he should regain consciousness. Mine was three to five. I was almost ready to wake Tom for his turn when... Tom McCay. Yeah. Oh, what, Burn, what's up? Quick, watch the patient. There's something out there. I'm going out to get it. Yeah, sure. Hey. Hey, what's up? I don't know, Bill. Burn heard something. Those were shots. What's going on? I don't know. Burn just woke me up and he took off. Oh, we better look at the patient. I'll do it. I think he's dead. Uh-huh. Hold it. I think he's coming around. Yeah, you must have heard Burn's shots. Take it easy now, sir. You're going to be all right. He's opening his eyes. I'm Sergeant Tom McCay, sir. We're taking you to a hospital. Just take it easy. You'll be okay. How do you feel, sir? All right. You think he's going out again? Yeah. Check his pressure. Okay. Pulse is steady. Oh, it's very... Hey, what were you firing at? Bobcat. Bobcat? Yeah, big one. Those things are dangerous. Did you get him? Uh-huh. He must have been attracted by the fire. How's the patient? You missed it. He came around for a minute. His pressure's 90 over 70 and the pulse is strong and steady. Oh, you say anything? I answered fine to the standard question. He's out again. It's more like a normal sleep now, though. Good. I don't know how you guys feel, but I was thinking, as long as we're awake, how about fixing our chow and then mushy eye? It suits me. No sense in trying to get back to sleep now. By the time we eat, it'll be light enough to go on. Okay, by me. All right. I'll put the coffee water on. Yeah, and that's all you're gonna do. I'm not even gonna let you add the coffee. Well, that stuff you made last night just about takes a genius to ruin instant coffee. Yeah, you ought never go near a stove. Well, I don't have to. I got a wife that's the best cook in seven counties. Well, maybe she should have come along instead of Bill, on top. Yeah. With luck, meaning no further delays or detours around places too thick to carry the litter. We figured we could make the road that day. Tom went ahead of scout, but the heavy swamp growth proved so dense that he was seldom out of your shop. Okay, Bill. Set the litter over here where it's level and get out your machete. We'll have to help Tom with this one. Hey, Tom. We're gonna help. Hold it. No way around it, huh? You can see. We have to go on indefinitely on both sides. Well, I better climb a tree. We might be able to spot a trail or skirt some of this stuff so we could see where it ends. That's a good idea. I'd rather go a half mile out of the way. It's gonna take us a couple of hours to get through this stuff here. Well, this one over here looks like the tallest. Give me a hand here, huh? If I can get hold of that first branch here. Here. Here. There. I got it. Bill, how's our patient holding up? He ain't about to sing. We've got to get him out today. Yeah. How are you doing, Vern? I'm still not high enough to see anything. Hey, wait a minute. I think I see a way. That's just about a quarter of a mile off our course, is all. It'll be worth it. Well, it went like that just about all day. The scout would go ahead for a mile and when he'd come to a spot that looked bad, up he'd go. The patient's pulse and blood pressure remained the same, though he didn't come around again. Once when we halted for a cigarette and some chow, we gave him another bottle of plasma. What time is it? Almost four. Well, if we don't make the road in the next hour, we may have to hold up again until morning. No, no, we've got to keep going. This man's got to get to a doctor. Once it gets dark, climbing trees won't do any good. I know, I know. That means we've got to make it before dark. Vern, how much further do you think we've got to go? Well, I think we're pretty close. How close? Maybe two, three miles. It took us two hours to do a quarter of a mile stretch back there this morning. I know, but we've got to make it tonight. What are we standing around talking for? Let's get a move on. It was almost an hour later when we caught up with Bill. Again, we were facing a tangled mass of vines and trees stretching out before us on either side. On the floor of the swamp, with a thick foliage above, it was nearly dark. Give me a hand, huh? That branch's solid enough to hold me. Easy now, Tom, with that litter. Okay, Bill. There you go. Hey, you're getting pretty good. Yeah. You know, when I was a kid, I used to do it for fun. Boy, right now I just don't care if I ever see another one. You said it. Hey, hey, we're there. We made it. No kidding. Can you see the road? Yeah. And something else too, something beautiful. Oh, what's that? That shiny, big blue amulet. And does it ever look good? You know, Vern, I'll hand it to you. You hit that compass course right on the nose. Pretty sharp navigating, if I say so myself. We can get around this mess off to the side there. It doesn't look too far. Good, let's go. And it's about time, too. It was deep twilight in the swamp. Yet when we emerged a half hour later, it was like coming into daylight from a dark room. And there, just as Bill had said, was the prettiest sight we'd seen in a long while. That familiar blue ambulance. The doctor took charge immediately and for us, it was all over. We'd done all we could. We waited tensely, however, for the doctor to finish his preliminary examination. Okay, man. I think he should be fine until we get him back to the base hospital. Yes, sir. Uh, will he... We'll take some X-rays and I'll be able to tell you more when I get him to the hospital. One thing I can assure you, he owes his life to you, fellas. You did a great job, men. Well, we, uh, we did the best we could, sir. Each one of you volunteered for those jobs, knowing you might have to face this sort of situation many times. I just want to tell you, my hat's off to you, paramedics. Doctor. Wait, Sergeant. Yes, what is it? Now, don't try to talk now. Just take it easy. I will, but I just want to say... You know, what you just told those fellas? Yes. Well, for me, you can say it all over again. You can sure say it again. Power is peace power. And today, the United States Air Force is seeking alert and ambitious young men to become airmen and help safeguard the peace of our country. While serving their country, today's airmen are attending the world's finest specialized schools. There, they're learning such interesting and rewarding skills as photomapping guided missiles, aircraft, electronics, and, well, gee, many, many others. And upon graduation, they're highly skilled specialists, ready for interesting and good-paying assignments in the United States and in many fascinating countries around the world. So if you're a young man of service age, well, then you owe it to yourself to investigate the amazing career opportunities open to you as an airman. And in addition to an outstanding career, well, you'll enjoy educational and travel benefits that are second to none. You'll wear the smartly-styled blue Air Force uniform, and you'll enjoy the respect and prestige that goes with being a member of the world's finest Air Force. Visit your local Air Force recruiting station, talk it over with the friendly people there. They'll tell you how you can qualify as an airman in the United States Air Force. This has been another program on Proudly We Hail, presented transcribed in cooperation with this radio station. Proudly We Hail is produced by the Recruiting Publicity Center for the United States Air Force, and this is Dick Herbert speaking, and inviting you to tune in to the same station next week for another interesting story on Proudly We Hail.