BS: German politician dies parachuting

Subject: RE: BS: German politician dies parachuting
From: Lonesome EJ
Date: 07 Jun 03 - 06:01 PM

By coincidence, Herman Schnell, the inventor of the rope-start lawn mower, died in the 1930s in a parachute accident. Witnesses claim he pulled the ripcord over 100 times.

Subject: RE: BS: German politician dies parachuting
From: alanabit
Date: 07 Jun 03 - 04:17 PM

He always seemed something of an attention seeker to me. He was definitely a troubled man. However, if only for the sake of his family, any sense of Schadenfreude which I might have felt at his fall (whether you take that physically or metaphorically) has long since been put aside.

Subject: RE: BS: German politician dies parachuting
From: EBarnacle1
Date: 06 Jun 03 - 08:58 PM

One down, millions to go. He must have made quite a splash, though.

Subject: RE: BS: German politician dies parachuting
From: Keith A of Hertford
Date: 06 Jun 03 - 12:25 PM

Thanks for the picture and song Wilfried. I have not heard it for a while.(and of course without a band, which was better I think)
I sometimes sing an English translation of the Crete song.
Best wishes,
Keith.

Subject: RE: BS: German politician dies parachuting
From: Kim C
Date: 06 Jun 03 - 10:15 AM

It's in the Berliner Kurier today too, for anyone who wants to read it in German:

Berliner Kurier

I don't know if this is considered a good newspaper or not - I just read it for the practice.

Subject: RE: BS: German politician dies parachuting
From: EBarnacle1
Date: 06 Jun 03 - 09:06 AM

I have seen a bumper sticker that applies to this politician's fall from grace: GRAVITY RULES. It was on a car belonging to a member of the 82nd Airborne

Subject: RE: BS: German politician dies parachuting
From: Wilfried Schaum
Date: 06 Jun 03 - 07:59 AM

Keith - and here is the song. You must have heard it before.
Don't forget to click at the picture on top of the page.
Play the song in remembrance of a merited politician whose convictions I couldn't share always - but he stood to them straightforward and earned the respect of his fellow officers.

Wilfried

Subject: RE: BS: German politician dies parachuting
From: Wilfried Schaum
Date: 06 Jun 03 - 05:34 AM

Hi Keith - no, I'm proud of my oak leaves, the sign of the light infantry. I was with the oldest Jäger Bataillon of christendom, the Hessian Jägers (founded in 1631, first in Yorktown, last out).
But my uncle was airborne, because as a boy he had seen his father's brother jumping. This was Otto Heinecke, the inventor of the automatic parachute.

Wilfried

Subject: RE: BS: German politician dies parachuting
From: GUEST,Keith A of Hertford
Date: 06 Jun 03 - 03:06 AM

Wilfried, were you airborne?
I have German para wings.
Keith.

Subject: RE: BS: German politician dies parachuting
From: Wilfried Schaum
Date: 06 Jun 03 - 02:48 AM

He served his time in an Airborne battalion and left the Army with the rank of 1st Lieutenant.
It was a fine day to die, and the sun shone red ...
R.I.P.

Wilfried

Note: Red the sun is shining is the start of the German Paratroopers' hymn

Subject: RE: BS: German politician dies parachuting
From: GUEST,ozmacca
Date: 05 Jun 03 - 08:00 PM

I wonder if we can persuade more of our glorious leaders to take up sky-diving. Trouble is, the amount of hot air generated could mean that many would go up instaed of down..... and just think what kind of impression that could make on any innocent passing UFOs

Subject: RE: BS: German politician dies parachuting
From: MarkS
Date: 05 Jun 03 - 04:27 PM

Bitte, schicken Sie uns etwas Fallschirmere fur unserer Politiker.
Mark

Subject: RE: BS: German politician dies parachuting
From: Kim C
Date: 05 Jun 03 - 11:37 AM

Das ist sehr unglücklich. :-(

Subject: BS: German politician dies parachuting
From: Wolfgang
Date: 05 Jun 03 - 11:13 AM

German politician dies while parachuting

What the article doesn't say yet: indications are that this was suicide a few minutes after police raids of his home and offices started. He was jumping with several others. They say his main parachute was safely open and he was on a slow descent when he suddenly disconnected himself from the parachute for his last dive.

He always loved being on page 1 of the newspapers, more than any other German politician. He will be on all German pages 1 tomorrow.

Wolfgang