Thank you for the info on Jack Joerns. He was a real inspiration early on in my life. On the day he came back from Peru I drove my first car-his full midget racer and the my first jump. Jack and my father were very big into hot rods and fast cars as well. I remember riding with Jack in a car he totally built from scratch-sometime in the 50s. We were on our way to the Convair plant (now General Dynamics). There was a big line going into the gate-no problem Jack went in the shoulder, around a long corner at 70+mph in a full 4 wheel drift with the road straightening out just before the gate. The guard appeared to know him as he just waved us right in. I have a picture of this one-off car. His midget was a competitive racer and had not been run in several years. That same day he got back from Peru we uncovered it, put in some nitro-he told me to get in and proceeded to give me a pre flight on how to drive it down the residential street-my dad never protested. In my memory I often think of that day being one hell of a day ! I continued to jump (off and on with Jack) up until I went into the Air Force. Looking back I am sure Jack had some influence on me going into Pararescue. Jack's continual persistance on being precise and methodical stayed with me and probably kept my butt out of a sling more than once.Throughout the 80s he would come by my father's house at least once a year on a cross country motorcycle ride-I was always somewhere else and never managed to catch up with him since before 1969 when i went in the Air Force. One other thing from that one hell of a day-T when he got back from Peru- we went to a local cafeteria for lunch. Again, a long line. Jack said to my father "Bill, I dont have time for lines, Bobby, come with me". We went to the front of the line where Jack cut in front of a very tall cowboy with the largest belt buckle I had ever seen. Jack says to him "Im cutting in front of you, right here, you dont have a problem with that, do you?" The Cowboy replied "NO SIR"... I have often credited my alleged in your face demeanor to Jack, dating back to that day!! Whenever I eat shrimp, people around me gasp, why do you eat the tail? I have always told them because Jack Joerns told me only whimps dont eat the tail !! I am of course sadened to learn of the passing of Jack Joerns. My father's eyes always came alive when he told stories of him and Jack and now mine do the same.
