World War II Paratrooper Parachutes Into Coronado for His 100th Birthday
History
By Matt Fratus | August 19, 2021
World War II paratrooper Tom Rice parachuted into his hometown of Coronado, California, to celebrate his 100th birthday. The Commemorative Air Force’s C-53 D-Day Doll — which flew missions on D-Day and has since been restored — transported Rice over a beachfront drop zone near the historic Hotel del Coronado.
The Sunday, Aug. 15, jump was made possible by Operation Call-to-Service, an organization that honors US veterans. Former Navy SEALs with the Beyond the Teams nonprofit provided a drop zone security detail to ensure everything went according to plan.
Rice completed two combat jumps during World War II. He was the first paratrooper out of his plane to parachute into Normandy, France, on D-Day. He also jumped during Operation Market Garden in the Netherlands.
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