On March 9, a bright and sunny day, 90 skydivers and their friends and families gathered at the Museum of History in Granite in Felicity, California, to make some skydives, to enjoy a reunion of the Pioneers of Sport Parachuting and to attend a dedication of monuments. Jacques lstel, D-2, the museum’s founder and father of American skydiving, hosted the event. In addition to the skydivers and general public, a consul of France and dignitaries from Imperial, California, and Yuma and Yuma City, Arizona, attended.
A playing of “Taps,” which honored the 20th anniversary of the installation of the U.S. Marine Corps Korean War Memorial at Felicity and the 4,617 Marines and 107 Navy Corpsmen whose names are engraved on it, started the program. Istel then dedicated a granite panel celebrating the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and also dedicated a monument on the site where in 1865, French soldiers reportedly chased a Mexican soldier during the Franco-Mexican War. Scotty Gallan, Jim McCormick, Rich Piccirilli and Jay Stokes performed two flag jumps during the program. In a touching gesture, Stokes flew in a U.S. interment flag in honor of longtime skydiver Jim Dann. The military attendees folded the flag after the jump and presented it to Dann’s widow, Donna Wardean Dann.
In addition to the dedications, Istel also honored Curt Curtis, who entered the Hall of Fame of Parachuting and had his name engraved on the History of Parachuting granite panel at the museum. Istel also hosted a ceremony for the eight parachutists who formed the first 8-man star formation (which included Dann). One of those parachutists, Gary Young, Star Crest Recipient #1 (an award Bill Newell instituted for those who participated in an 8-way formation or larger) attended the ceremony, along with several of the other participants’ widows. Newell’s daughter, Rachael Newell Machado, attended with her husband and daughter. Istel then hosted a grand party in the evening.
The pioneers returned to the museum the next day for a day of socializing and jumping. Though the morning was overcast, the skies cleared in the afternoon and the skydivers loaded the plane that Larry Hill of Skydive Arizona in Eloy graciously provided for the three-day weekend. Canopies filled the skies for the rest of the afternoon and well into Sunday.
Kim Emmons-Knor | D-221