Posted on 08/17/2021 8:26:44 PM PDT by 11th_VA
CORONADO, Calif. - A World War II veteran took a giant leap to make his 100th birthday memorable — literally.
WWII Airborne Veteran Thomas "Tom" Rice participated in a tandem parachute jump in his home town of Coronado, California on Aug. 15.
Rice, along with a member of Skydive Palatka, jumped from the Commemorative Air Force's (CAF) D-Day Squadron C-53 D-Day Doll, Rice's favorite aircraft, according to CAF.
"The airplane that he loves is our C-53D DO ‘D-DAY DOLL’ and refers to her as his favorite aircraft which he nicknamed DOLLY," a CAF spokesperson told FOX TV Stations.
Rice served with the Charlie Company, 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division, according to the WWII Airborne Demonstration Team.
"His first experience in combat was parachuting into the dark flak-filled skies above Normandy—dropped at 160 mph as the pilots of his C-47 tried to evade the enemy fire. Needless to say, he and his comrades were scattered everywhere including one man who ended up in the ocean but who was able to swim to shore. Three months later Mr. Rice parachuted into Holland and then served in Bastogne where he was severely wounded. Nothing, though, could keep him from joining his unit. He managed to get back just in time for the capture of Hitler’s Eagles Nest and seeing the end of the war," the WWII Airborne Demonstration Team said.
Once the war was over, Rice got his degree at San Diego State University. He taught social sciences and history for almost 44 years in California and he wrote a memoir titled "Trial by Combat: A Paratrooper of the 101st Airborne Division Remembers the 1944 Battle of Normandy," which was published in 2004, according to WWII Airborne Demonstration Team.
(Excerpt) Read more at fox13news.com ...
Awesome!
Thanks for posting this. It’s a story that needs telling!
And, the pics are AWESOME!!!
Bump
Our neighbor who lived across the street from us when I was a boy in the 1950s was one of those who helped capture Hitler’s Eagles Nest. My brother still has a silver spoon with a swastika on it from Hitler’s lair that he gave to my Dad, also a WWII vet.
Wonderful
Not many versions of DC3 built known as C53
Amazing one still flying....
Amazing! God. Bless him!
That’s cool - I had a few teachers that were WW2 vets as well. One was an 8th Air Force pilot - grieves me to think how much trouble we (I) were back then - didn’t appreciate their greatness then …
Well, at least you didn’t give him as much trouble as the Nazi’s did...
Wonder if he was tempted to do it without a parachute. Today’s world he fought for must make him wonder why his generation bothered.
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