Lowell Bachman, D-700, was born in Chicago, Illinois. He entered the Army in 1954 and was part of the 82nd Airborne Division. He also completed Pathfinder School which trains paratroopers to set up drop zones behind enemy lines, and became a U.S. Special Forces Soldier. In 1960, Bachman formed Para-Gear Equipment Company, starting out in the basement of his parents’ home with just $20. The Para-Gear catalogues are now a fixture in the skydiving community. Bachman became an honorary Golden Knight in 1991 and was a founding member and trustee of the National Skydiving Museum. He died in 2008.