A World War II veteran celebrated his 100th birthday by skydiving onto a Southern California beach. After a perfect landing in front of the Hotel del Coronado, Tom Rice recalled parachuting into enemy territory on D-Day, the date that marked the Allied invasion of France.
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“I tried to get out of the harness and couldn’t do it. I went over by my double zipper here and pulled out my switchblade knife and started cutting through,” said Rice.
Rice is a graduate of Coronado High School, class of 1940. After the war, he had a long career in San Diego County as a teacher and running coach. A big crowd helped celebrate the day by cheering his landing and singing “Happy Birthday.”
For his 101st birthday next year, Rice plans to go skydiving again, but he also wants to return to France.
According to the Times of San Diego, Rice plans to return to Normandy to visit two French villages and the grave of his great-great-grandmother, “lying there waiting for me. Her name was Abilene. That’s all we know of her.”
“Phenomenal view,” Rice said of his drop to the beach.
“It was spectacular. I think they brought some sand from the desert and made it perfect.”
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