My friend Ray was stationed in Ankara, Turkey for a year. He told me the
Turkish Special Forces were the toughest warriors in the world. One day, out
on the ramp, he overheard a US Major briefing a Turkish Captain regarding a
joint mission they were about to fly. The Major said the plan was to jump
from 800 feet. The Captain said that was "Too high. We jump from no higher
than 400 feet." "Four hundred feet! That's way too low for your chutes to
open." "Oh, you want us to jump from 800 feet with parachutes. That's fine."

Perhaps John Gaquin overheard the same conversation.