On his 75th combat mission in Vietnam, US Navy jet pilot Charles Plumb was shot down and parachuted into enemy hands – eventually spending 2,103 days as a prisoner of North Vietnam.
Years later, Plumb encountered someone who identified themselves as his parachute rigger, reminding him of an important lesson: Every individual plays an essential part.
The American Dream
The American Dream is an ideology promoting the belief that anyone can achieve their goals in America through hard work and determination. Popularized through Horatio Alger’s post-Civil War works, it offers hope to American citizens that social circumstances do not determine their destiny.
Though the American Dream may not guarantee success, it has provided a foundation for entrepreneurialism and individual ambition. Furthermore, its philosophy promotes happiness no matter one’s wealth or status in society.
However, in order for the American Dream to be revitalized, it must expand beyond its narrow definition of individual wealth and success. With economic turmoil deepening, we must refocus our understanding of its original intent.
The American Dream was originally about more than material wealth; it represented our belief in democracy as well. With our understanding of it changing to include material wealth as its focus, people found it more challenging to realize their dreams and aspirations – leading many Americans to give up faith in it altogether; according to a recent poll, only 36% believe in its continuation; this number represents a dramatic decrease from 53% and 48% who thought so in 2012 and 2016, respectively.
The Parachute
parachutes depend on an aerodynamic feat of physics: air resistance. Without air resistance, everything that falls from an aircraft (from feathers to paratroopers) would fall at an equal rate–a constant speed known as terminal velocity. Parachutes reduce terminal velocity by adding drag.
Parachute designs must meet certain specifications to effectively serve their intended function: light in terms of weight reduction and flexibility for steering while remaining firm enough to withstand flight forces safely. Care must also be taken when folding (packing) it to ensure its opening will happen as planned – a complex, labor-intensive, and time-consuming process; improper packaging could leave you freefalling for miles before landing safely on earth!
Plumb was shot down over enemy territory when his parachute failed to deploy, forcing him to fight for survival as his chute failed to open. While struggling, he thought of all those anonymous sailors spending long hours weaving and folding silk chutes for someone they had never met, as well as the unsung fighter pilots who played vital roles such as parachute packing or fighter piloting that made up any community’s success story – from fighter piloting fighter aircraft to packing parachute bags behind-the-scenes and seemingly less critical roles such as parachute packing or fighter piloting roles such as filling parachute packs or fighter piloting roles; everyone plays their part so for every community’s success: all players must play their part if we want it to thrive; whether that means being known or being just behind-the-scene such as parachute packing!
The Brotherhood
As a Navy fighter pilot, Captain Charles Plumb flew 75 missions before his plane was shot down over enemy territory and held captive for six years. While in captivity, he realized the importance of those supporting him for his success – something all people should learn: those doing seemingly minor jobs provide your parachute when you need one!
One young cadet finds themselves drawn into a secretive fraternity where its members are infested with bloodthirsty demons, making escape difficult; his roommate was an evil shaman locked away in an insane asylum for her corrupt practices. Megan lures Chris to a DTO house party where Devon Eisley seduces him, during which time Chris becomes hooked on drinking their shared blood regularly – becoming increasingly addicted and demented as time progresses.
Martin Ritt directed this 1968 Technicolor mafia drama featuring Kirk Douglas, Irene Papas, and Alex Cord. Reportedly, it was a box office failure, making Paramount leery about greenlighting Francis Ford Coppola’s more successful Godfather four years later. The Brotherhood tells an epic tale of family and loyalty: Frank Ginetta (Douglas) welcomes Vince into his family but soon finds themselves at odds over how best to run their organization – Frank wishes to stick with traditional approaches, while Vince wants things to move forward and experimentation with new strategies.
The Wire
Charlie Plumb was shot down over enemy territory in 1967 and parachuted out, only to be captured and held prisoner in Vietnam for six years by communist forces there – where they attempted to break his spirit by sending fake newspaper headlines claiming that the USSR had successfully conducted their first moon landing mission.
But Plumb maintained his optimism and kept his spirits high, crediting those who helped pack his parachute as being instrumental to his survival. He noted that everyone needs someone or some source to provide what they need every day: physical support, mental support, emotional support, spiritual support… etc – these resources were all available during his ordeal.
The Wire was an intricate show that dealt with characters who existed on an ethical spectrum yet never shied away from showing both their admirable traits and those less-than-admirable ones – something I love in great movies or shows.
The Wire was widely hailed as an iconic, critically acclaimed series in TV history. Even after its contentious final season – which saw creator David Simon at odds with media members – The Wire left its mark on Baltimore and beyond.
