You’re never too old to jump
Evidently, the Army doesn’t agree with that statement. A group of World War II paratroopers planned to parachute into Normandy to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Allied invasion there. Unfortunately their plans were cut short when the Army said that the men were too old to make the jump.
Howard Greenberg, a Jewish soldier from the 11th Airborne who served in the Pacific, said that he planned to jump to honor two of his Jewish friends killed in the war. Greenberg did the same jump in 1994 for the 50th anniversary at the ripe age of 69.
While I can’t completely fault the Army for not wanting to take a risk with men of this age, I have to give these guys credit. I mean this is the definition of chutzpah!
If anyone has any stories or photos from the jump in 1994, please email them to me or post them as a comment.
Well, the actual definition of chutzpah is a child who murders his parents and then begs the court for leniency because he is an orphan. But wanting to jump out of an airplane when you’re in your 70’s or 80’s is pretty damn close.