No Water Survival For Me

One perk of being in naval aviation maintenance wasto attach to a parachute that would be packed in the
the occasional opportunity to fly in the backseat of aejection seat. The last item was a heavy survival vest
jet. In 1979, while in the training command in Kingsville,containing a life preserver and pockets that bulged
Texas, I went through ejection seat training and waterwith survival items. Pulling on a helmet and gloves, I
survival to do just that. Following a lecture about theclimbed down into the pool and waited for every
ejection seat, we took turns strapping into a seatcavity to fill with water. Both my natural buoyancy and
mounted on a twenty-foot vertical rail. Pulling the D-ringmy runner's fitness left me. That wet flight gear was
at the base fired the seat, which shot up the rail toheavy! The instructor worked with me for three days
simulate an ejection. We also went into a pressurebefore I finally passed the swimming strokes portion.
chamber to experience the feeling of being at aWhile resting after one practice session, I watched a
25,000-foot altitude. Then we hung from parachutegroup of young Marines enjoying themselves at the
risers to practice releasing ourselves during land, waterother end of the pool. One of them leisurely did the
and tree landings. Water survival included performingbackstroke across the pool - with a regular-sized
survival strokes the length of a swimming pool, treadingconcrete block balanced on his chest. It was disgusting.
water and swimming across the pool underwater.I could not tread water. Whenever my mouth dipped
Although a poor swimmer, I practiced enough to passbelow the water line, I panicked, even knowing there
the first part of the test. Getting across the poolwas no danger of drowning. I never got far enough in
underwater was another story, however. Beingthe process to practice climbing into the liferaft. The
naturally buoyant, I always popped to the top. On myinstructor gave me an "incomplete" grade and I
third monthly attempt I finally passed. We completedreturned to Atsugi. Thinking those water-filled boots
water survival by going out into Corpus Christi Baywere the problem, I practiced drownproofing and
where a helicopter hoisted us up in a practice rescue.treading water while wearing flight boots, until I felt
Flying in jets was worth all that effort. I made severalcomfortable in the water. The next time I went to
cross-country flights with my squadron and IOkinawa for a meeting, I scheduled a retest. I spent
experienced landing on an aircraft carrier. I even wentthe entire meeting dreading my appointment, but when
home to South Dakota in a T-2C aircraft the weekendI reached the pool, it was dry. The Marines had drained
my best friend got married. Fast forward eighteenit without notifying my instructor. The Air Force would
years. It was pleasant news to learn my position asnot allow anyone wearing flight gear to enter its pool.
maintenance officer for the Western PacificBack to Atsugi. In November I returned to Okinawa,
authorized me to fly in jets once again. Because I hadand was surprised to learn the temperature could drop
previously been backseat-qualified, our headquartersto 62 degrees on that "tropical" island. It was a chilly
agreed to let me fly if I updated the water survivalday to be in the pool. My first attempt to tread water
portion. I'd only gone swimming twice in those eighteentold me I'd failed again. The boots were not the
years. I didn't look forward to the test but hoped I couldproblem - it was the total weight of the flight gear
tough it out. The underwater swim portion had beencoupled with my fear of drowning. Although I told
dropped and I was now a physically fit runner. Themyself I only had to stay calm and breathe slowly for
new requirement to wear a complete set of flight gearfour minutes, "self" didn't listen. My mental attitude
didn't concern me. I signed up for the next-scheduleddefeated me in spite of what my logical mind knew.
class and caught a hop from mainland Japan toChoking and swallowing water, I flailed around and
Okinawa, where the Marine Corps provided the onlygrabbed for the life ring. This story has no happy
military training west of San Diego. Because femaleending. My motivation disappeared and I never made
captains are so rare, I felt conspicuous in that class fullanother attempt. Although I'd dearly have loved to
of young men, especially since I expected to be thestrap into a jet and take off from one of our new
worst swimmer. After the classroom session, weaircraft carriers, I couldn't make myself go back to the
went to the pool. The men, who were all qualifying forpool. My desire to fly lost out to my dislike of being in
helicopters, wore life vests in addition to flight suits andthe water.
boots. I was the only one there for ejection seat"Live Fast, Love Hard: The Faron Young Story," by
training and I dressed in a complete set of flight gear.Diane Diekman, the biography of Country Music Hall of
First came the anti-gravity suit (G-suit), a set ofFame member Faron Young, was published in 2007 by
bladders covering the legs and stomach. It zipped upthe University of Illinois Press. Diane is currently working
the inseams and fit like a pair of tight jeans. Next Ion her second CMHOF biography, "Twentieth Century
stepped into the torso harness, pulling it up and overDrifter: The Life of Marty Robbins." To learn more, visit
my shoulders. This was a body suit made of heavyDiane Diekman.
nylon straps sewn to a nylon jacket, with metal fittings