Pathfinder Completes
25 Years in Airborne
FORT BENNING --- MSgt Julian R Guzman,
chief instructor of Fort Benning's Pathfinder Committee recently
completed 25 consecutive years of airborne jump status.
This is a feat equaled by few soldiers. The Airborne School
graduates 15,000 parachutists each year, but the overwhelming majority
remain on jump status for only a few years.
Guzman lost count of his jumps in 1965 when he had jumped more than
500 times..
He has never had a malfunction and plans to remain on jump status
with the Pathfinder Committee until he retires.
Having enlisted on April 26, 1944, Guzman decided to volunteer for
airborne training when he was crossing the English Channel with the 66th
Infantry Division for the Normandy Invasion. His craft was
torpedoed and sunk. He said that motivated him to go airborne as
soon as possible to keep away from submarines and torpedoes.
Guzman graduate from Fort Benning's jump school on Sept. 6, 1947.
Since graduating, he has been continuously assigned to airborne units
which have included the 11th Airborne Division, the 82nd Airborne
Division,anbd the 5097th Regimental Combat Team (Airborne). He has
served with these units in more than five different countries.
Then Lt. Col John M. Wright, who later as a major general was
Fort Benning's commanding general, was Guzman's battalion commander when
he served with the 508th at Fort Benning in 1950, Guzman's platoon
leader at that timnne was then Lt. Paul F. Forman, recently promoted to
brigadier general and Fort Benning's assistant commandant.
In 1961 Guzman was assiugned to the Pathfinder
Committee. since then he has remained with the Pathfinders, except
for two tours of duty in Vietnam, the first with Vietnamese ranger and
airborne units and the second as platoon sergeant of the 101st
Pathfinder platoon
As chief instructor on the Pathfinder Committee, Guzman supervises
25 enlisted men, checks training sires and manages all administration of
the committee.
Fort Benning's Pathfinder Committee runs the only course in he U.S.
that trains pathfinders.
Pathfinders are parachutists who assist in navigating and
controlling Army aircraft in landing zones, assist units in planning
airmobile operations and help prepare both men and equipment for air
movement.
[Columbus Daily Enquirer, Columbus, FA,26 September 1972] |
[courtesy of Linda Moore Mora] Grave marker for Julian R.
Guzman in Section H, Site 970, Fort Benning Post Cemetery, Fort Benning
(Muscogee county), Georgia.
Julian registered for the draft in Sarita,
Texas on 10 January 1944 and was inducted into the Army on 26
April 1944..
During WWII, Julian served
in France with the 66th Infantry Division on D-Day where his LST
ship was torpedoed and sunk. He later said that was when he
decided to volunteer for parachutist duty. He went on to serve in Germany and then with Occupation forces in Japan. He was
awarded a Bronze Star Medal, Soldiers Medal, Purple Heart and Combat
Infantryman Badge.
Keeping his own word, he graduated from
jump school at Fort Benning, GA on 7 September 1947.
Pfc Guzman re-enlisted in
the Army at Newport, KY on 27 November 1945. In July 1951, he was an
instructor at Army's Airborne School, Fort Benning, GA.
In February 1954, Sgt
Guzman was assigned to Company I, 508th ARCT at Fort Benning.
In an unusual assignment,
MSgt Guzman completed his 100th jumps while serving in Saudi Arabia with
the the U.S. Military Training. Mission, By that time, he had been in
the service more than 16 years.
He re-enlisted again on 15
March 1969 and retired on 31 July 1974. |
