Photo By Christopher Freeman | Derek Sharp, a veteran Paratrooper of the 82nd Airborne Division, talks to his wife...... read more read more
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FORT BRAGG, N.C. -- His hair is gray. His face weathered from years of work. His health isn't what it used to be, but Derek Sharp doesn't let that prevent him from living life to the fullest.
"A few years back, I was diagnosed with terminal prostate cancer," said Sharp, a veteran of the 82nd Airborne Division. "Instead of laying down and accepting that my life was going to end, I decided to travel with my wife and see all the things I haven't had a chance to."
His storied life spans across multiple installations, countries, and homes, but his service in the U.S. Army began with a run-in with the law.
"When I was in high school in San Antonio, I got busted for illegal drugs," said Sharp. "The judge gave me the option of joining the service or going to jail. I was then escorted to the recruiting office and signed up as a parachute rigger."
With his enlistment signed, it was off to Basic Combat Training, Airborne School, and Advanced Individual Training to qualify him as an Army parachute rigger.
"Rigger School was pretty tough," said Sharp. "We had 45 minutes to rig a chute. During one of our final tests, I was struggling. I failed it twice and the instructors told me that if I fail, I was getting reclassed. Thankfully, I passed the third time with no time to spare."
With his training behind him, it was off to Fort Bragg, where Sharp would spend his entire military career.
"The first time I rigged a parachute in the 82nd Airborne Division, I was scared," said Sharp. "The senior riggers let you know that you are carrying the weight of the entire Division with every parachute you pack. You never know who is going to jump with that parachute. It could be the commanding general or it could be you. The only standard for us was perfection. Nothing less was accepted."
During his time as a parachute rigger, Sharp noticed a sound in the sky all to familiar to Paratroopers of the Division.
"Following one of our jumps, we are walking back to our headquarters and I hear a (UH-1) Huey fly overhead," said Sharp. "I then realized that jumping and having to walk back the nine miles was not for me. Three months later, I was headed to Fort Rucker (Alabama) to become a Huey maintainer."
Following his reclassification, Sharp also attended the newly formed UH-60 Black Hawk maintainer course at Fort Eustis, Virginia.
"The course was one of the most challenging things I have ever done," said Sharp. "The systems were so advanced for their time."
Even though his job had switched, Fort Bragg has a way of bringing Paratroopers back to the home of the Airborne.
"I came right back to Bragg after the school and was assigned to the 129th Aviation Company," said Sharp. "It was a small Aviation unit that had recently returned from Vietnam."
The unit had Hueys at the time, but would soon receive helicopters Sharp had become familiar with.
"One day, three Black Hawks showed up at Pope Air Force Base," said Sharp. "These were the first ones to arrive, and I was handed keys to one of them. At the time, we didn't understand how important it was that we were receiving a brand new air frame."
With new aircraft and many missions, Sharp and other crew members found time to leave the marking of the 82nd Abn. Div.
"We were on a mission supporting the Ranger School, " said Sharp. "On our last night there, all of the crew members climbed a water tower and replaced the Ranger Scroll with a giant 82nd Abn. Div. symbol. Of course, we were found out the next day and had to fix it, but it was absolutely worth it."
With the most advanced helicopter in his unit, Sharp could have stayed a crew chief and rose through the ranks. Instead, he found his calling was not to be a career Paratrooper, but a devoted husband.
"I met my wife Mickey in 1982 and after some time together, she had to go home to her family," said Sharp. "Once we met, I knew I had to be with her. I started riding a mountain bike and running extra miles every day.
"On March 1, 1983, I left Fort Bragg on a mountain bike with an alice pack on my back and $500 in my pocket. Three-and-a-half months later, I showed up at her door step, much to her surprise." Sharp continued. "We just celebrated our 32-year anniversary and I have loved every minute of it."
Following his service in the Division, Sharp began working for the manufacturer of the Black Hawk helicopter he had spent the last few years flying in.
"During my time with them, I traveled all over," said Sharp. "I lived in Turkey on three different occasions and delivered aircraft to over 10 different installations."
After traveling around the world, it would be easy for the now-retired Sharp to accept his medical condition and give up on life, but that was something he refused to do.
"I am taking the last bit of my life and seeing friends that I cherish," said Sharp. "This All American Week, I was able to see how parachute rigging has changed over the years and even look at how far aviation has come since I was in."
During his recent visit to Fort Bragg, Sharp was able to spend some time with parachute riggers of the 82nd Airborne Division Sustainment Brigade and Black Hawk maintainers of the 82nd Combat Aviation Brigade.
"It brought a smile to my face being back in a pack shed," said Sharp. "The young guys here are all doing such a great job. I loved talking to them about how we would rig parachutes and learning of the differences between the parachutes that have been used over the years."
"Seeing the Black Hawks still being used today is nothing short of amazing," said Sharp. "We worked hard to set the bar high so that generations later this helicopter would still be in the air doing great things."
With All American Week in the rear view, Sharp shared his thoughts on what drives him to never quit on life.
"If you throw away your tomorrow, you have nothing. Never stop living for tomorrow."
| Date Taken: | 05.25.2016 |
| Date Posted: | 05.25.2016 21:22 |
| Story ID: | 199091 |
| Location: | FORT BRAGG, NORTH CAROLINA, US |
| Hometown: | SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS, US |
| Web Views: | 184 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Terminally Ill Paratrooper Attends AAW for Undying Espirit De Corps, by Christopher Freeman, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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