The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1941-05-16
GIN Accepts Mediation Proposal
Rescue Violates Orders But
Proves Thrilling, Successful

Mesa, a Navy bombing range. His
hips and legs were snaried in the
shrouds. The three men in the
plane couldn't pull, him back up.
The plane couldn't be landed with
out dashing him TO death on the
ground.
That was the situation when
Navy Lieut.. w. W. Lowrey, "a,
Dallas, Tex, and Navigation Chief
Machinist's mate ]. R. McCants,
IL, Jordan. Mont, took off with
out permission or authority in an
open cockpit Navy scout plane,
Lowrey at the controls; McCants
holding a butcher knife.
They made the rescue but they
came SO close TO killing everybody
concerned that Lieut.. osipoff be.
cd me hysterical and swooned be-
fore they landed him. ~ pifrs,-vs'
II happened during parachute in
vasion practice Thursday evening.
Lieut.. Osipoff. Akron, o., and II
other marines were the jumpers.
As each man left the plane a rip
cord fixed above the door auto
matically opened his parachute.
After each man, bundle contain
ing machine gun and ammuni-
ton was dropped, also by para.
chute.
Caught by Bundle
When Lieut. Osipoff stepped up,
only three men were left in the
plane. Before he was ready 10
jump, a gun bundle slipped loose,
caught him and pulled him out.
but he didn't fall free.
Lieut.. Lowrey and McCants
were watching from the North
Island Naval Station. Here is
what happened, in the words of
Lowrey, McCants and Osipoff, who
is recovering in sick bay from
shock and a cut under his armpit
that took % stitches to close:
tLowrey's version) I'VE went
up to 500 feet and there met the
transport. | tried to get under
it but the air was too bunny, so
signaled the pilot OF the transport
to climb and head for the ocean
where | knew it would be smooth.
err. He did and l signaled when
we got into a quiet layer of air.
| then made the second attempt
Il essed up to the transport on
the left side. II was like flying
in formation. got on Tin posi-.
ton With the left wing of the
big ship and then slipped in under
Osipon's body. Then McCants did
all the hard work.
Drops into Cockpit
He had his knife out and as
Osipoff dropped into the rear
cockpit, McCants began cutting the
shrouds.
(Modesty and Difference to a fell
low officer forbade Lowrey telling
here that Osipoff became hysteri-
cal, seized McCants in a death
grip and that he-Lowrey-saved
the day by turning the planes nose
up in a vertical climb. making the
propeller cut the shroudsD
Il pulled back the stick and
raised the shir so the propeller
would help cut the shrouds," Low.
rey continued.
Then came the only bad part 81
the whole experience. It seems 90
me. When the last OF the shrouds
were cut the wind whipped them
around. the tail OF our plane. We
had some hectic moments trying to
handle the plane, before we landed
II on the Navy field. During those
moments II seemed to me we might
end in a disaster"
Hacks at Ropes
(McCants' version was briefO
When Lieut.. Osipoff dropped into
the cockpit he was still conscious
and he grabbed me around the
waist in what might be called a
deaths grip II was so tight. /
don't think | could have shaken
him on IL ! had wanted to. 1
hacked at the ropes but Lieut..
Lowrey whipped the plane up and
we were free in a few seconds"
tLieut. Osipofs version:) 81
was waiting my turn to Jump when
] was jerked OF my feet
and out the open door.
Hurled Back
The slipstream OF the big mo-
tors hurled me back. When the
shrouds OF my chute snapped
taut thought / would lose cons.
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