Sheridan really hated Duffy, for whatever reason. I'll post a thing he said about Duffy, and a list of known members of the Saigon Sport Parachute Club.

Here's a funny email exchange, that showed the depth of my looking for stuff...

here's an email where I pointed out there was a "Dan Cooper" who was a "bad boy" in Santa Rosa when Sheridan was a kid (9 years old). I was wondering whether Sheridan might have known this Dan Cooper. He said "Yes" and said Dan T Cooper became a minister. I didn't investigate further, and am unsure if Sheridan was joking....but it's an interesting thread.

Because Dan Cooper was evidently a "bad boy"...with prior brushes with the law. I like this better than the comic book!

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Re: When Sheridan was 9, did he know Daniel Cooper, 21, who ran the service station in Santa Rosa?

bulldogpete <You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login>
Mon, Oct 3, 2016, 11:43 PM

Yes Dan went on to become a Presbyterian minister and repented his evil ways.


On 2016-10-01 21:05, I wrote:

Dan lived on 818 Cherry, Santa Rosa in 1935

more detail on the chase, which some say went to 80 mph!
The cops shot at Daniel 3 times trying to stop him.

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BUFFI'S CAR INVOLVED IN WILD CHASE

Jailed Youth to Face Two Charges In Santa Rosa

SANTA ROSA, Feb. 19.—Daniel T. Cooper, formerly of Sebastopol is in the county jail facing charges of drunken driving and grand theft, and Frank Buffi is without the services of an automobile for some time as result of a wild ride last Saturday night.

Buffi's car was parked outside a Mendocino avenue cafe when Cooper, allegedly drink crazed, left the restaurant, climbed into Buffi's car and shot around the comer into Fourth street at breakneck speed. Captain Elmer Bennett, of Santa Rosa traffic squad was nearing the intersection at the time and immediately gave chase, siren screaming.

The fleeing youth raced out Wilson street, cut through a woodyard and then sped away. For 20 minutes the officer pursued the wildly careening car. Finally, fearing that Cooper would crash into another car, Bennett ordered Special Officer DeLoss Huntington to open fire. Three shots were fired in a futile attempt to -stop the speeding car, traveling at a speed between 70 and 80 miles an hour.

The chase ended when the car crashed into a tree. Two others were arrested by Santa Rosa police over the weekend for drunk driving. Each was given a 30-day jail sentence by Justice of the Peace L. E Pulwider in police court.

They were Mike Jabin, and Lee Grayson, both of Santa Rosa. Llyod Parkins, Mill Valley, Bernard Eathertson, Petaluma, and Otto Rehaag, Vineburg, are also facing charges of driving while intoxicated.

On 10/1/2016 8:41 PM, I wrote:

Dan was a good driver though! 70 mph chase in 1935 with the cops in pursuit.

Dan also was the driver of a stolen car in a holdup in Southern California a number of years before

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April 11, 1935

Healdsburg Enterprise

'WORST' DRUNK DRIVER FINED IN SANTA ROSA

SANTA ROSA, April 9 Branded at the time of his arrest several weeks ago ns the most flagrant violator of the drunk driving law in Sonoma county history, Daniel Cooper, 21-year-old Santa Rosa service station operator, has been "let down" with a fine of $l5O.

The youth was captured in a sensational 70-mile an hour chase through city streets in a stolen car after pursuing officers had emptied their guns in a futile effort to halt the wildly careening machine. The chase ended only when the heavy sedan leaped a curb and crashed into a tree.

At police headquarters Cooper was pronounced drunk and the car was identified as the stolen property of Frank Buffi, Healdsburg.

Police records revealed that young Cooper had once before clashed with the law, acting as driver of a stolen car used in a holdup in southern California, according to local authorities. The youth was released on bail and the case continued from week to week until last week, when the case was set for trial.
 

I had forgotten that Sheridan's name was in the jump logs from back then, that Thom Lyons has posted online (with his extensive jump history)

I believe 377 had asked Thom about that, but Thom couldn't remember Sheridan specifically.
I don't have a link to the jump log, but it's probably still online.

I had said above that Sheridan's name was in a log, and my memory faintly remembers that.

Quote

Eugene Hausnfus D-1569,

I'm going from memory here, but is this the same individual who figured in the Iran/Contra dustup during the Regan administration?  A "kicker" was the only survivor (he parachuted out) of a CIA aircraft that was shot down by the bad guys in Central America.  He was captured by the rebels, paraded before the cameras, gave a name similar to the above, and said he was from Wisconsin (I think it was).

wow, that's a random connection. Your memory is outstanding Robert99

Eugene Hasenfus was born in 1941, so he was young in Vietnam.
It's probably the same guy. if he was in the marines 1960 to 1965, the timing is right. I'll have to review whether he served in vietnam. the years are right, so probably.

Eugene Hasenfus was born on January 22, 1941. In 1986, he lived in Marinette, Wisconsin. The U.S. army described him as having joined the Marine Corps in May 1960 and having spent five years in the corps before receiving an honorable discharge. At the time of his capture, he was married to Sally Hasenfus. He had a brother named William.

Sheridan really is Forest Gump

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Eugene H. Hasenfus (born January 22, 1941) is a former United States Marine who helped fly weapons shipments on behalf of the U.S. government to the right wing rebel Contras in Nicaragua. The sole survivor after his plane was shot down by the Nicaraguan government in 1986, he was sentenced to 30 years in prison for terrorism and other charges, but pardoned and released the same year. The statements of admission he made to the Sandinista government resulted in a controversy in the U.S. government, after the Reagan administration denied any connection to him.

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EUGENE HASENFUS

CIA operant Hasenfus was a "kicker" on a C-123 cargo plane which ran shipments to the Contras over Nicaragua. He would "kick out" the cargo which then parachuted down to the Contras in the field. When the plane was shot down by a hand-held surface-to-air missile, Hasenfus was able to parachute out. The plane's crew also consisted of a Contra radio operator, American pilot Bill Cooper, and copilot Wallace "Buzz" Sawyer. Sawyer had in his possession the White House phone number of Vice President Bush. Telephone logs from the phone company in El Salvador for the "safe houses" used by the plane crew showed many calls to North's White House office. Bush's office was the first place notified after the C-123 crashed. Hasenfus claimed that this was done with the knowledge and approval of Bush. Telephone logs from the phone company in El Salvador used by the plane crew showed many calls to North's White House office.

It was discovered that the plane was the same C-123 which had been used by Seal to run drugs into the United States. Earlier in 1983, Harry Doan had sold the C-123 to Seal who flew it to Rickenbacker Air Force Base in Ohio. It was there that it was outfitted with hidden cameras by the CIA. Seal then piloted the aircraft to Nicaragua and returned with 1,472 pounds of cocaine. The cameras filmed Federico Vaughan, who was an employee of the Nicaraguan Interior Ministry, helping load cocaine into the plane. Also, the plane's logs indicated it had flown out of Colombia, home to the Medellin and Cali drug cartels. Flight logs in the plane indicated that it had made trips between Barranquilla, Colombia and Florida in 1985.

Only days after the downing of the aircraft Hasenfus told Nicaraguan authorities that "there were two Cuban nationalized Americans that worked for the CIA that did most of the coordination of the flights and overseeing all operation projects, transportation... also refueling and...flight plans." Hasenfus identified the two as Felix Rodriguez and Ramon Medina. After Hasenfus was released by the Sandinistas several weeks later, he returned to the United States and testified that he worked for the CIA and that he reported to Gomez (alias Felix Rodriguez) and Medina (alias Luis Posada Carriles) with the knowledge and approval of Bush.

A Reagan administration official, who was familiar with contra activities, claimed that the crew of the C-123 was flying supply missions for the State Department's Nicaraguan Humanitarian Assistance Office, which was responsible for providing $27 million in nonlethal aid to the Contras earlier in 1985.

The Kerry committee learned that Southern Air Transport of Miami had provided the plane. Southern Air denied any knowledge, and no charges were brought against this front.

The CIA denied any knowledge of Hasenfus and also stated that he was working outside the jurisdiction of the federal government. After several weeks, Hasenfus was released and returned to the United States where he subsequently received no aid or support by the government.

Just in case you're wondering if I made up the Hasenfus connection. Here's where it came from.

Bruce, there's a phone number for Bob Horn there from 2011. Another guy maybe you could call for background on Saigon Sport Parachute club, or the vietnamese club: Vietnam Parachute Club NHAY DU

The information I had in the list of members above came from Bob Horn 1/28/11 in a comment he posted at You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login

Actually maybe I got my list elsewhere. Because Bob Horn lists some others that might not be on my list?
But Bob Horn names Hasenfus. Maybe the two lists should be combined. Note the Hasenfus D license number matches what I wrote.

Bob Horn   
01/28/11

Brings back a lot of memories reading about the pioneers guestbook, I, knew about all that have been mentioned, had forgot a few of the names but also a few not mentioned.

I had the XVIII Abn Corps Sport Parachute Club at the same time period when Gene Paul Thacker D-167 had the Green Beret Parachute Club.

Nolan Bowlin C-3134 had the 82nd Parachute Club, Nolan left and Bobby "SPIDER" Wrenn D-459 took over the 82nd Sport Parachute Club. I got to jump with the best that was in the sport. I, was a member of the Vietnam Parachute Club NHAY DU.

President of the club was Ray Duffy D-148, Sec=Tres was Nolan Boling C-3134.

My membership #3. You know who had #1 #2, Ray then Nolan.

Some other members were Richard "Dick" Harmon D-936, Phil Flynn D-190, Eugene Hausnfus D-1569, Fostervold D-1488, Buddy Bouden D-1586, David Rudlem C-3798, Bob Armis B-5990, there are a few more but I have no record of them. 

I live real close to a great friend of mine. a lot of you might remember as Hawk-Eye,  Sherm Hawkins D-369. Buddy D-1586 if you read this call 918-759-9930.

THANKS:

Great detail from Thom on jumping in Saigon with the club

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The only pig in Nam (I ever saw), was home made (photo coming soon).  The owner actually made it from a B-12 harness and container and an Air Force 28' chest pack (all sage green).  He had a 28' reserve (old C-9) and a 32' Navy HiPo with a 7-TU in it.  Big fella, almost 6'4" and can you imagine what that rig weighed!!

He didn't have to TSO it because Viet Nam didn't require it.  In fact our club set the rules for the whole country.  There was a few jumpers in the Da Nang area but for the most part we were it.  Our club trained the Viet Nam National Team and I was the style coach and assistant accuracy coach.  We couldn't use any real accuracy techniques because of the rock hard DZ!  The DZ also had shell holes in it from the odd mortar attack when we were jumping.

It happened twice while I was there, the first time it was 3 rounds and no way near us but the second time the rounds started to fall while I was in freefall.  I seriously wondered if I should open at all and just go in and get it over with the easy way.  Then I wondered about opening low to minimize ground fire under canopy but the attack was all over by 2500'.  Its silly to think they were after us and the chopper was in the air at the time so its a pretty good guess the target was the fort or just harassment in general.  I came to my senses and dumped at 2500' and it was all over by the time we hit the ground.

Nice pic of Thom's membership card for Vietnam Parachute Club Nhay DU (the related vietnamese club mentioned before)

Thom mentions how he blocked out a lot of memories from that time

One very odd part of my jumping experience in Viet Nam is that I have blocked out some of my memories including jumping.  I can't for the life of me remember any of the people except for Matt Farmer and an Army Caribou crew chief by the name of McKay. He had about 80 jumps with us at the time and when he was flying he used to lower the ramp and sit on the edge with his rig on!  I can dig on that because I developed the habit of sitting in an open door (above 2000') myself and rather enjoy it especially in hot weather.

Most of my logged sport jumps are signed by a guy named J. Kennedy (C-3048) who might have been the club CSO or president.  The rest are illegible but have the numbers B-4927, C-151 (might be Wally Moms) and C-2107.  I don't honestly know if we had any D-license jumpers in the club at all?

I have no idea what ever happened to the club but I do know that enemy action got a lot more intense after I left.

someone had posted this here before.
I wonder if it was fact or speculation. If fact, how did someone find this out? I thought Bruce interviewed someone connected to the Emrich's and got no such info?

Also, it's worth mentioning again, Linn Emrich is the guy who fingered Sheridan as Cooper to the FBI. Sheridan is the guy that Linn is referring to in the 1971 Issaquah Press article that has recently been posted on this site. Linn hadn't seen Sheridan for 6 1/2 years at this point.

EDIT: some searching shows that it apparently was made up by EU? If so, it's a good example of how I've always thought EU's focus on making money off cooper has created a bias that creeps into anything he does.

Lynn said this:

  I don't know where the statement came from, but unless someone has a paper I don't, I would assume this was conjecture. I  would have guessed the same based on the proximity of the redacted report to the SP article. appearing in File 12 of the FBI docs, but it would be a leap of faith to state for certain it was Emrich.