Rogan said, “I love you too!” …….. An essay by William Marshall

I was sitting next to my daughter in Austin, TX. It was a very nice BBQ restaurant. We were visiting her and had just left Top Golf. I looked up and Joe Rogan and a buddy was being led right to the table next to us. I watched him appear on the deck and start the trek towards us. I recognized him immediately. As he got close to the table, I said, “I love you Joe!” As he sat down, he said, “I love you too man!”

He was gracious enough to take a picture with me after he ate. I told him about Heroes I Know and his wonderful inspiration to me. He agreed to be a guest (in theory). I guess I’ll have to track him down now and ask him more formally.

Most importantly, Rogan loves me.

Name dropping……. An essay by William Marshall


Blankenbecler, Thagard, Santana, Arroyo, Calderon, Cranston, Gillings, Oxendine, Paternostro, Leach, Bennett; Squad leaders


Cuevas, Rodgers, Diggs, Hunter, Godwin; Platoon Sergeants


King, Hilton, Lehr, Chavez, Stout, McGovern: First Sergeants


Parker, Adams, Harvey, Patterson, Miranda, Eimer, McBride, Tilley: Command Sergeants Major


Burnley, Foley, Harris, Martinez, Davis, Brown, Copeland, Ferrierra, Buynar, Hayward, Felicetti, Craig, Friend, Smith, Miga, Feilmeier:  Peers

One of the scariest briefings ever……… An essay by William Marshall


Hi, I’m SGT Marshall, today I will be administering your JMPI exam.  You have three jumpers, two Hollywood, one Combat equipment, they are configured, Hollywood, Combat Equipment, Hollywood.  You task is to inspect the jumpers using proper sequence and technique. 

When you find a deficiency you must call it off, using proper nomenclature and if applicable, its location in relation to the jumper’s body.  If you do not use proper nomenclature, you will not get credit for finding the deficiency. You have 5 minutes to complete this task.  You may not miss a major deficiency, you may not miss more than two minor deficiencies. Do you have any questions?


The number one jumper is standing up and ready for inspection behind you, time starts when you turn and face your jumper.

Rookie Numbers…….. An essay by William Marshall

Dan tells the story about how when they got back from Desert Storm, we had so many new TURDs(Trainee Under Rigorous Development) that they couldn’t remember their names.  One of the old school hats, may have been Tim Bingham, started giving them numbers, those number became the Rookie numbers we all know and love now……..

I wrote the book ……… An essay by William Marshall

In January of 1995 Edition V of the 82nd Airborne’s Airborne Standing Operating Procedures was published. For all intents, I wrote that book. It started as manilla folders at the old school at Green Ramp. As I was promoted in the organization to deputy committee chief, Dan Bennett also gave me the project as my baby. I gathered up all those folders and began typing and scanning. In the folders was the old ASOP broken up into the chapters and sections. All of us hats had sections that we edited and updated. I was the central collection point.

I used PC Word as the word processor and a dot matrix printer to print out and edit. For a time, it was on 5 1/4 inch disks but soon changed to 3 1/2 floppies. It was also the first Army manual that I know of in color. We wanted some of the colors of the Stiner aids and such to be in color. So, the first run was in color.

I will never forget the elation of delivery day from the publisher, Edition V of the ASOP.

I spent many an hour reading typing scanning and editing. When it was published, I got all the hats to sign the first copy. I have that copy still. Hafner, Hankins, Bufkin, Shirley, Bennett, Roberts, Bates, and Garcia are just some of the names on the inside of the front cover.

I wrote the book!

18 hours away…… An essay by William Marshall

I spent a significant portion of my life 18 hours away from death. If not mine, someones. Someone was dying if I got the call. When I was in the 82nd Airborne Division, I spent years of my life 18 hours away from somebody’s death. Maybe it was mine. Maybe I had to kill someone else, either way, it was only about 18 hours away……. AATW!

Wall Locker Ops C-9349………… An essay by William Marshall

It was a big ruckus in the latrine, somebody had opened the door to the other side, I walked through to the Charlie side. There were Soldiers everywhere. I think it was a Sunday and we were off the next day for some reason. It was still daylight but not much longer. The day drinking was obvious, I wasn’t even of age to drink yet. I had downed a few myself.He got in willingly, it was leaned up against the wall, one leg already bad.

The wall locker was destined for the scrap pile. But it had to get down stairs, it couldn’t go without a rider they told him. That was his duty, the cherry. He had his old school yellow and black PT shorts on, jump boots, ballistic helmet, no shirt. They closed him in it, he gave a thumbs up. He said, “Not on my head, not on my head.”They hoisted it up, cheers all around. Outboard personel stand up! Stand in the Door! Green light, Go!

Out he went. We were all hanging out the windows by then. He landed with a crash, the thin little wall locker sort of folded in the middle.He yelled Geronimo! You could hear him inside. He was ok. He had to pound the door open, only the top part opened up. The ground crew ripped the door off. The cherry emerged to a roar of cheers. He rode it in. Dynamite Parachute Landing Fall.

Wall Locker Ops.