DAN'S PAPERS, June 20, 2008 Page 73 www.danshamptons.com
Dan’s North Fork
Skydiving For Soldiers A Family Jumps Out Of An Airplane Over The North Fork In Honor Of Soldiers By Henry J. Salmaggi The family of a Long Island Korean War Veteran bailed out of perfectly good airplanes over the North Fork for veterans suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. 18 people took the plunge with 77year-old paratrooper veteran John “Red” Pelan. The fundraising jump this past Sunday was dubbed “Reckless with Red.” It was the first time Red had jumped since Korea, and the first time for all of the other jumpers, with the exception of the event‘s organizer, Red’s granddaughter, Darah Salmaggi. Darah came up with the idea as it got closer to Red’s birthday. “The last time I jumped Pop (Red) told me ‘we’re doing that for my birthday next year’.” A year later Darah teamed up with more than a dozen family members, friends and the not-for-profit organization Veterans Health Alliance of Long Island. “Working in the mental health field we’re seeing more and more people suffering from this……growing up hearing war stories from both of my grandfathers... and recently watching neighbors return from Iraq with similar stories……they need better resources”, said Darah. Together, they drew up the launch plan, and Skydive Long Island in Calverton was more than happy to accommodate the group of eager thrill seekers. On the day of the jump there were four generations of Pelan’s at the drop zone. Just about all of Red’s 20 grandchildren, including myself, his eight grown children, his wife and lifelong friends were on hand for the jump. However at a year old, little John Pelan,
Red’s great grandson, was too small to jump. Instructor Curt teamed up with Red and jumped tandem. Curt is a retired Port Authority detective who was inside the Twin Towers on September Eleventh. Curt told Red that in four thousand jumps he had never jumped out of a plane with three generations of one family before. A first for all involved! In all his years of military service, this was the first time Red jumped without a static line. He served with the 187th Airborne Regimental Combat Team in Korea. The highest altitude he had parachuted from before the 14,000 foot drop point at Sky Dive Long Island was 1,200 feet. “He was a little anxious on the way up”, notes Red’s oldest daughter, Bridget Salmaggi, who was in the plane with him. “I
mean, really, how many people can say they’ve jumped out of a plane with their parents and their grandfather,” said Colin, Red’s 22-year-old grandson, “What a rush.” For Red, the best part of the descent was the minute of freefalling before the shoot opened. “Wow, now that was really awesome!” the first words from Red’s mouth when he safely touched down. “It was just a little different than the last time I jumped; at least no one is shooting at us.” When asked about the jump, Darah said, “Being thousands of feet in the air, the Long Island Sound on one side, the Atlantic on the other, and my grandfather freefalling next to me…I mean I can’t even describe it.” The Veteran’s Health Alliance of Long Island’s veteran outreach program helps vets and their families deal with the effects of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. John Javis, President of the VHALI, was thankful for the work the group had done. “We’re grateful to the family of John “Red” Pelan for conducting this rather unique fundraiser’” said David Nemiroff, the Executive Director of the Mental Health Association of Nassau County. Many people say the Korean War is the “Forgotten War.” But to Red and the other 151,000 Korean War Veterans in New York State, it is a memory they live with every day. In the end, awareness and thousands of dollars were raised. Both will help returning soldiers fight the war they are coming home to when they leave the battlefield. “If one vet gets well because of what we did, it’s all worth it, just one.”
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