76th FIGHTER PILOT’S GUARDIAN ANGEL
by: Ed Tavares - July 96


I am Edward Tavares, and was the parachute rigger for the squadron. I arrived around the first of January 1944 from India to Kunming. I took care of the parachutes until October 1945, at the conclusion of the war.

As there wasn’t a parachute-loft to air and check parachutes, I was detained in Kweilin. I took care of the parachutes that were shipped from Suichwan for three months until April 1944.

In April, I was shipped to Suichwan to do my work. Upon my arrival, I met Lt. Jack Green who was the “Parachute Officer”. I asked him where the loft to hang parachutes was - he said “There isn’t any”. I used my ingenuity and used the dining tables to spread the parachutes and air them and check them thoroughly. This was done after meal time! The pilots took care of the parachutes quite well. Some times they might be dropped near puddles of water. This evoked a negative response from me. If any parachutes were unsafe, they would become 24 scarfs!

The parachutes were repacked and I never heard of any not opening. I had always wondered who would be the first recipient of my work. Lt. Glen Beneda became the first one to test my work on May 6, 1944. At the Portland, OR Convention, I met Glen. Some time later I received a wine glass from him with the inscription “5-6-44; Ed, The chute opened - Thanks, Glen Beneda”. (As I am writing, I am drinking wine from it!)

Lt. Robert Schaeffer became the second “Parachute Officer” in the squadron. I enjoyed knowing him while in Suichwan and other bases. (I met his wife Jean who lives near me in Cupertine, CA after the war).

I have listed all the pilots that have bailed out from the chutes I took care of doing my China tour. In sequence:

1) - Glen Beneda 

2) - Wilson 

3) - Leisses 

4) - Jack Green 

5) - Irv Saunders 

6) - Leonard O’Dell 

7) - Rod Sees 

8) - Eisenman 

9) - Leonard O’Dell 

10) - Carter 

11) - L.R. Smith 

12) - Moore  

 13) - Raymond

14) - Ed Rector

15) - Baird

16) - Brenegon

17) - Massey

18) - Shull

19) - Lyon

20) - Lawman

21) - B. Gilmore

22) - Tapp

23) - W. Quimby

 
All the above were confirmed by pilots in their flight groups. (I most always used last names only).

Col. Rector came in to one of the bases and requested that his parachute be re-packed. As he was a Colonel and I was a Stg., I immediately complied with his request! About a half-hour after he continued his flight, he bailed out!

During parachute rigging school, I was informed that a pilot would automatically give the “rigger” a “fifth” for a good job done. The only “fifth” I saw was after the war when I bought one!

I recalled a sad event - when Col. Griffith and his wing-man went down and were killed. The wing-man had just been at the base about a week. I looked at his empty parachute bin and shed some tears.

The following is a list of pilots whose parachutes I repacked:

Johnson, Wheddon, Eldridge, Athanes, Price, Breeder, Classon, Hair, Caulkins, Genlot, Baker, Sees, Iryland, Inman, Melgard, Hawk, Butler, Harrett, Castonette, Carter, Gibson, Short, Evans, Dahlberg, Murray, Lellie, Teeter, Massey, Scott, Baird, Lyon, Teague, Hunter, Chrest, Begley, Browne, Sweeney, Schaeffer, Wilson, Olney, Schaible, Trecanten, George, Cottrell, McIntosh, Florance, Bonner, Herbst, Templeton, Green, Leens, Gavalos, Clark, Daniels, Reeves, Tanner, Bullock, Morris, Patterson, Colton, Griffith, Shull, Raymond, Older, Perkins, Anderson, Celancy, Tracy, Newsome, Dawson, Policano, Moore, Stoneham, Ward, Stein, Slocomb, Lawman, Thompson, Schafersteen, Kagan, Worthington, York, Walterman, Christensen, Leece, and Van Voohres.

Some names may be misspelled and maybe some were not included.

In summary, I was my own “boss” and worked carefully during appropriate weather to ensure that each pilot could depend on his parachute, if needed. 

I respected and admired the pilots duties and their unselfish courage. ( I appreciate Leonard O’Dell’s request to write about my job as a parachute rigger).

by: Ed Tavares - July 96