Something you've done that 99.9% of TW members have not

I touched a 14,400 volt powerline with an irrigation pipe, and lived to write this fact.

 

thats awesome

 

Nice !!!!

I've already posted up one bizzare thing thats happened in my life, your post reminded me of another.

In 1973 I was taking drivers ed & training in summer school & was waiting for my mom to pick me up , the day was busy with thunder showers , I was standing about 2ft away from a 10ft high chainlink fence when out of the corner of my right eye I saw a blinding flash, in an instant I was flat on my back with a pain in my shoulder that felt like I'd been hit with a sledge hammer & the smell of burnt hair, Yep , got zapped by lightening & lived to tell about it......

 

Dammmmmn! Land ya in the hospital?
I was airlifted to the closest hospital, stabilized the best they could, airlifted to a bigger hospital with Critical Care Paramedics on board the leer jet, put in ICU for 6 days, then sent to a burn facility where I stayed for 5 weeks and underwent 4 skin grafts, amputation of 8 toes, left ear.... Good times.

 

HOLY SHIT !! You def. went to direct ground with those exit wounds !!!!

No hospital for me luckily, the fence took the brunt of the ZAP & according to our Science teacher at the time (who happened to see it go down) because of the wet ground around the fence & my close proximity I just got "glazed", had I been leaning against or holding on to the fence I woulda been an ash pile !!

 

Married a woman born on the same day, same year.

I am 20 minutes older, as close as we can tell.

That should get me in the top .1%, I would think


EDIT: And no, it's not my twin sister...

 

lol, y u steal our fun and rob us ofthe sister humor.

 

i have been to algeria

 

It was predictable.

 

I flew first class from LAX to ABQ Without paying for the fare. Ooh, I know not very exciting as others here.

 

Rode in the commander's cupola of a M60A3 when I was 12. That was serious off-roading.

 

Thought I made an awesome invention once and wanted to submit it for a pattent and it was turned down

 

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I started not to post this ... but this is some of the different & unusualy stuff (some serious & some not so serious) that most do not see in their lives.

Was adopted by my grandparents at birth and had a paper route from 12 to 18.

Saved my money and bought a new 1965 GTO when I was in second year in college.

Served in US military ... lost 2 helicopters in combat ... was wounded 3 times & survived with minor injuries when others did not survive.

Was only survivor of 4 other close friends who were 8404 FMF corpsmen (Kirkham, Kemelmacher, Peterson & Vinton) ... all of those 4 died from Jan 31,1968 to about mid April 1968 in RVN. Was 1 of 2 surviving pilots when 4 others in our group were KIA.

When I was just out of the military and back in college in 1970 was offered a ride on the Marshall U chartered plane to a football game (it was my birthday present) to the game in the Carolinas. That plane crashed returning (on final approach) to Huntington killing all 75 on board. I declined the invitation to go because I wanted to stay home and set up for the party upon their return. I was at the airport by the outside gate (no security back then, like now, you could walk to the edge of the runway's low chain link fence) and could see the approaching plane's landing lights when they disappeared when it crashed short of the runway. Quickly drove down the road close to the crash site and it looked like a burning pile of garbage.

In January, 1982 was in DC (staying at Marriott in Crystal City, room faced National Airport's runways) and Air Florida crashed outside my window in the river, a few survived. Was there to meet airport PSD (Public Safety Director) to sell him more CFRs (Crash Fire Rescue - fire trucks). Whet out on command barge on that river the next day and watched them do a recovery operation.

Got to travel to most countries in the world in my civilian job. Was in Iran (March, 1980 during embassy hostage crisis) delivering emergency equipment (fire trucks & ambulances) while drinking tea and watching orchestrated Iranian demonstrations for the international news media.

Was in the Afghanistan Khyber Pass during Russian-Afghan war as a private contractor consultant.

Was in the "special equipment business" and the company built "2 Pope-Mobiles" for the Pope in early 1980s after he was shot in the square.

Got to meet the Pope (4 of us got 15 minutes with him in private) but am not Catholic.

Survived a "flash flood" when wife was killed in 1992 and became an instant "Mr. Mom to an adopted daughter.

After all that stuff almost bought the farm eight years ago ... when I was hit hard by car (backed over me while walking in the post office parking lot) and knocked under another car who also hit me. Took a while to get over that one.

Most of all ... have been "super lucky" and have physically & psychologically survived (mistakes and all) many "unusual things" in my life.

PS ... Shot myself (accidentally) with a Ruger Pistol 22LR round when it bounced off a truck tire and hit me in the chest ... only a big bruise ... it was winter and the ricochet round hit a big button on my winter coat (during target practice when I was very young).

Today .. I have PTSD ... but I have been blessed ... lucky and everyday in my life is a gift now ... everyday ...
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Flown a wing-suit off the Eiger in Switzerland

http://vimeo.com/21330455

 

I got jumped on that one in the Marriage Poll.

Gotta keep you guys thinking. I haven't read the whole thread, but I am sure someone put some twisted spin on it...

 

Thank you for your service, sir

That's quite a life, and you are appreciating every minute of it.


Hopefully many, many more memories to come...

 

Saw some of that on 60 minutes.

Crazy. What an adrenaline rush it must be.

Now you know what a bird feels like...

 

You are a hero, good sir.

 

Your videos are amazing!

 

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WOW ... What you did would have been "my ultimate dream" to do. ... ... Very cool indeed & a super video too. ...

Put on a "flying bat suit", catch the thermals and glide like a bird through the air. ...
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