K OBOL, Cambodia-American and Cambodian Indochina War veterans made a D-Day
commemorative parachute jump on June 6.
"The D-Day invasion was the
greatest feat of arms in the 20th Century and worthy of celebrating half way
around the world," said Colonel Alex McColl, 62, a retired US
soldier.
Six Americans, most retired special-forces veterans, make up
"Friendship Airborne," which promotes goodwill parachute jumps around the
world.
Among the four Cambodian army personnel to make the jump were two
female medics, trained in the 1970s by US advisers.
Sok Elina, 40, and
Chan Kim Seng, 47, are still serving in the Cambodian army and are two of only
four survivors out of an original group of 25 women parachutists trained by the
US Army between 1970 and 1975, they said. Their friends were killed by the Khmer
Rouge after 1975.
Both women, just returned from fighting around Pailin,
said the jump did not frighten them and proudly wore their original US
Army-issue silver parachute wings.
"Even thought it's the first time in
almost 20 years, I wasn't nervous when I jumped from the aircraft. It's not new
for me. In 1975 I jumped 18 times," said a beaming Chan Kim Seng.
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