{"id":22123,"date":"2019-06-07T22:08:46","date_gmt":"2019-06-07T22:08:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/uncategorized\/2019\/06\/07\/the-backstory-behind-97-year-old-tom-rices-d-day-75th-anniversary-jump-over-normandy\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T06:04:34","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T06:04:34","slug":"the-backstory-behind-97-year-old-tom-rices-d-day-75th-anniversary-jump-over-normandy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/military-honor\/2019\/06\/07\/the-backstory-behind-97-year-old-tom-rices-d-day-75th-anniversary-jump-over-normandy\/","title":{"rendered":"The backstory behind 97-year-old Tom Rice\u2019s D-Day 75th anniversary jump over Normandy"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

It all started at an air show in California last fall when two strangers bonded on the tarmac over a love of aviation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bob Lange told Bill Linn he\u2019d love to jump out of a plane over Normandy, France, for the 75th anniversary of D-Day this year, and the two retired lieutenant colonels \u2014 one a soldier and the other a Marine \u2014 starting formulating a plan to make it happen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHe said, \u2018I\u2019ve got a credit card and you\u2019ve got a plan, let\u2019s see how far we can get,\u201d Linn told Military Times.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fast forward eight months, and the duo has grown to a team of five American and two French paratroopers, who just jumped out of a World War II-era C-47 to commemorate history.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI sent a blast out to about a dozen people and these six people were the only foolish ones to respond,\u201d Linn joked, speaking to Military Times via phone from France.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The view from inside a World War II-era C-47 as the paratroopers prepared to jump. (Photo courtesy of Ret. Army Maj. Gen. Edward Dorman)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The team of experienced jumpers, all of whom Linn had met at different points in his career, had been physically preparing for the 1,500-foot jump for months. In April, they traveled to Oklahoma for three intense days of training with the WWII Airborne Demonstration Team to get certified.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe had to have a qualifying jump within 180 days in order to be able to jump into Normandy” \u2014 which basically meant they each had to jump out of an airplane at least twice without breaking anything, said Ret. Army Maj. Gen. Edward Dorman III, who has more than 200 jumps under his belt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another requirement was that they look the part, so the men scoured antique stores and internet sites like E-bay for World War II uniforms, helmets, boots, patches and other items from the 1940s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe were in the business of doing things that served the memory of the original paratroopers,\u201d Dorman said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Tom Rice, a 97-year-old World War II veteran, also jumped out of an airplane over Normandy 75 years after his initial jump. (Photo courtesy of Ret. Army Maj. Gen. Edward Dorman)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

One of those original paratroopers was Tom Rice<\/a>, a 97-year-old veteran who also jumped out of an airplane this week, much like he did 75 years ago, and was signing people\u2019s uniforms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHe\u2019s 97 years old, and he\u2019s still wearing his uniform that he wore back in the day. He\u2019s alert, he\u2019s as sharp as a tack, and he\u2019s very passionate about this,\u201d Dorman said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rice was thrilled to be able to jump again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt went perfect, perfect jump,\u201d Rice told the AP after his jump. \u201cI feel great. I\u2019d go up and do it all again.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\t