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| Post 372, Martin Ave. at Marlboro, Cherry Hill, NJ 08002 (856)665-3889 | |
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VETERAN'S CORNER My first duty assignment was Holloman Air Force Base, located just outside the town of Alamogordo, New Mexico where the first atomic bomb was tested. I arrived in the early morning hours and was directed to the mess hall for breakfast. While standing in line with other enlisted men, I noticed a man entering the officer's mess. His face was swollen and his eyes were black and blue. Surely he must have been in one heck of a fight. I was told that the man was Lt. Col. John Stapp. The day prior, December 10, 1954, he hurtled down a track on a rocket sled in White Sands, New Mexico at a speed of 632 miles per hour, exerting 46.2 Gs of force and came to a stop in less than one second. He traveled faster than a bullet and was subjected to nearly two tons of air pressure. The sudden stop was equivalent to running into a brick wall at 120 mph. Virtually every blood vessel in his eyes ruptured and his eye balls literally popped out of their sockets. The test was valuable in that it established guide lines for pilots and the force they could safely withstand when ejecting from aircraft at supersonic speeds. John Stapp died in 1999. He still holds the land speed record and the title of the fastest man on earth. Submitted by Air Force Ernie Brosh |
  To contact American Legion Post 372 email Don McDonough at donmac0412@yahoo.com. Print This Page / Email this site to a friend / Message Board Website Design and Hosting by DesirePC Corporation. Email sales@desirepc.com. http://www.desirepc.com . 2005 Copyright |
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