Rod Serling
Sep 5, 2021 09:27:22 #
Aside from Twilight Zone, Rod Serling was quite a guy. Rather than go to college, he enlisted in the army in 1943 and served in the South Pacific (the war, not the musical). After the war, he tested parachutes for the military - $50 per jump. He was paid $500 to perform a test that killed the three previous testers, and $1,000 to eject himself from a jet. Testing parachutes?! That's worse than being a test pilot.
Sep 5, 2021 09:34:07 #
Sep 5, 2021 09:36:00 #
Sep 5, 2021 10:51:54 #
phlash46 wrote:
There's a reason he was in The Twilight Zone...
He was always fascinated by the unusual.
Sep 5, 2021 16:07:36 #
He was from Cincinnati Ohio also. I believe he did a radio show here.
Sep 6, 2021 07:41:43 #
Sep 6, 2021 07:52:33 #
Rod Serling went to Antioch College in Yellow Springs, Ohio.
Sep 6, 2021 09:08:41 #
Sep 6, 2021 09:37:29 #
LXK0930
Loc: Souh Jersey
[quote=jerryc41]Aside from Twilight Zone, Rod Serling was quite a guy. Rather than go to college, he enlisted in the army in 1943 and served in the South Pacific (the war, not the musical). After the war, he tested parachutes for the military - $50 per jump. He was paid $500 to perform a test that killed the three previous testers, and $1,000 to eject himself from a jet. Testing parachutes?! That's worse than being a test pilot.
About 50 years ago, I worked with a guy who was into skydiving. He asked me to try it with him, and I agreed to go to the airfield and make my decision then.
While helping him pack his chute, I saw stamped on it in big letters "USAF REJECT".
I decided to stay on terra firma.
Note: he had a successful jump.
About 50 years ago, I worked with a guy who was into skydiving. He asked me to try it with him, and I agreed to go to the airfield and make my decision then.
While helping him pack his chute, I saw stamped on it in big letters "USAF REJECT".
I decided to stay on terra firma.
Note: he had a successful jump.
Sep 6, 2021 09:46:06 #
Leo_B
Loc: Houston suburb
Robert Serling, his brother, was an excellent writer and wrote many engaging books on the aircraft/airline industries. Very enjoyable reading.
Sep 6, 2021 10:10:27 #
Sep 6, 2021 11:06:26 #
JeffL
Loc: New Jersey
Rod Serling was my mother’s second or third cousin. He was born in my hometown of Syracuse, NY. He grew up in Binghamton, NY. He enlisted in the army in 1943, the year I was born. I never met him, but I learned about the familial connection as a kid once he became famous. All of a sudden there were “bragging rights”. I guess it’s like saying we are all related to the first homo sapien, but seeing how screwed up the world is, I’d challenge the sapien part.
Sep 9, 2021 11:55:24 #
You don't need a parachute to jump out of a plane ... only if you want to jump twice.
Sep 9, 2021 12:04:29 #
Paladin48 wrote:
You don't need a parachute to jump out of a plane ... only if you want to jump twice.
I thin Rod liked that steady $50 income.
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