Paratrooper Tribute

Paratroopers past and present gathered together to laugh, reminisce, and pay tribute to the U.S. Airborne Forces on Saturday afternoon.

The Benavidez-Patterson All-Airborne 82 Division Association hosted a national airborne day celebration at their Chapter Home.

“I think the contributions the Airborne has done to this world and our nation as a whole is immeasurable,” said Active First Sergeant Chris Lewis. Lewis shared jokes and memories with retired U.S. Army Chaplain, Lieutenant Colonel John Szilvasy. They also told stories of the hard times.

“Oh your scared,” First Sergeant Lewis admitted, “But i I was more scared of letting my soldiers down.” “You don’t think of fear but you acknowledge it,” added Chaplain Szilvasy.

Lewis recalled the gunning down of the Navy Seals last week.They weren’t paratroopers, but to Lewis the tragedy still hits home.

“Those guys are like all of us. It’s one of those inherent risks that doing this job that we do that you could get shot down in aircraft,” said First Sergeant Lewis. “I could get shot down in this, my parashoot parachute could not open”.For open.” For Lewis, the hardships of combat are worth it. “To see the look on a child’s face or in a village in Afghanistan or a small town or in Iraq where the only thing making a difference or improvment improvement in those people’s lives is me and my boys standing there with a U.S. flag on our shoulders. That’s what its all about.”

First Sergeant Lewis and Chaplain Szilvasy say, it’s the difficulties and triumphs of duty that unites them and all of the U.S. airborne around the world.