This montage highlights various aspects of the World War II era Army Air Corps research into determining how to improve the opening shock pressures exerted on airborne soldiers. The main research subject was “Major” the Saint Bernard that would parachute out of an adapted B-17G. The images (from upper left and moving clockwise): adapted B-17G airplane used for the research; custom insignia on the nose of the B-17G; “Major” in his flight suit; custom dog-faced oxygen mask; key moments in the descent where there are great forces exerted on the body; graph showing the opening shock pressure as recorded by the tensiometer.