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The Corpus Christi Army Depot proudly celebrated the Army’s 250th birthday by recognizing its artisans. Ervey Martinez, an Alpine native, is a Multimedia Imaging Specialist assigned to the depot’s visual information department, documenting the depot’s history through photography. He recently flew with the Golden Knights, the U.S. Army Parachute Team, during the Wings Over South Texas Air Show at Naval Air Station Corpus Christi. The demonstration squad showcases the Army’s cutting-edge parachuting capabilities while also serving as a recruitment tool. The Strategic Air Command Parachute Team was established in 1959 during the Cold War. Competition and conflict between Western democracies, particularly the United States, and communist countries led by the Soviet Union, characterized the Cold War —a time of global tension. Nineteen soldiers were personally chosen from a variety of airborne units. The Soldiers were organized by Brig. Gen. Joseph Stillwell Jr. to participate in the then-dominant Soviet sport of skydiving. The newly established All-Army squad competed internationally that year. It was renamed the United States Army Parachute Team by the Department of Defense in 1961. The team’s nickname, the “Golden Knights,” was derived from their dominance in the skies and the number of gold medals they had won in international competitions. Together with the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds, U.S. Navy Blue Angels, and U.S. Navy Parachute Squad, the squad is currently one of four Department of Defense-approved aerial demonstration teams.
