D-Day veteran Jim Martin gets to parachute into Normandy once again. Age 93. - Polidicks

[url=http://www.cnn.com/2014/06/05/world/europe/d-day-paratrooper-jumps-again/]Source[/url] [quote]Normandy, France (CNN) -- Jim "Pee Wee" Martin acted like he'd been here before, like jumping from a plane is as easy as falling off a log. Maybe that's because he had -- 70 years ago. "I'm feeling fine," Martin told reporters moments after landing in a French field. "... It was wonderful, absolutely wonderful." Martin was part of the U.S. 101st Airborne Division that parachuted down over Utah Beach in their bid to retake France and, eventually, the rest of Europe from Nazi Germany. They actually touched down in enemy-controlled territory a night before what's referred to as D-Day. "And also I just want to show all the people that you don't have to sit and die just because you get old," he added. "Keep doing things." Among those things he'd like to do is another jump in the same plane, one year from now. "If I come back next year, I'll make a jump next year. You can bet on it."[/quote] [img]http://i.imgur.com/fC9bYRq.jpg[/img]

This time with200% less anti-air! Amazing anyway

Ol' badass. Respect for the man, and everybody who fought alongside him.

And then parachute doesn't open.

I was watching the news and it mentioned this, I think it said a British paratrooper veteran also jumped

[QUOTE=Araknid;45015185]I was watching the news and it mentioned this, I think it said a British paratrooper veteran also jumped[/QUOTE] I think he jumped yesterday when Prince Charles was waiting at the bottom to meet him

The guy seems to be in damn good shape for 93, both in body and mind.

Watch as a German senior citizen comes up to the shore with an airsoft.

That's not the guy in the picture by the way.

[QUOTE=Occlusion;45015424]That's not the guy in the picture by the way.[/QUOTE] Yeah I don't know why people suck so much regarding checking sources. Here's the real deal. [IMG]http://i.imgur.com/5wU7Tti.jpg[/IMG]

This seemed to be the last war with U.S involvement where almost all of the veterans were passionate about their service. My grandfather was no different, served on Iwo Jima and beyond and his house is just littered with Marine Corp plaques and honors. I supposed it must have felt nice knowing exactly what they were fighting for.

[QUOTE=Tsyolin;45015441]This seemed to be the last war with U.S involvement where almost all of the veterans were passionate about their service. My grandfather was no different, served on Iwo Jima and beyond and his house is just littered with Marine Corp plaques and honors. I supposed it must have felt nice knowing exactly what they were fighting for.[/QUOTE] It was the last time we properly honored them when they got home. The fucking NY Yankees and other stupid sports teams filled with overpaid assholes get parades through Manhattan, but our troops don't? What kind of shit is that?

[QUOTE=lonefirewarrior;45015603]It was the last time we properly honored them when they got home. The fucking NY Yankees and other stupid sports teams filled with overpaid assholes get parades through Manhattan, but our troops don't? What kind of shit is that?[/QUOTE] Don't they march through the streets when they get back (Like the town/city they've come back to) There's always one (Probably) over here when they get back

its going to be a tragedy when these guys die these were real badasses and heroes

[QUOTE=lonefirewarrior;45015603]It was the last time we properly honored them when they got home. The fucking NY Yankees and other stupid sports teams filled with overpaid assholes get parades through Manhattan, but our troops don't? What kind of shit is that?[/QUOTE] American POW's never got a welcome home, or mental counseling that was so desperately needed for surviving POW's of the pacific. I read that some never got out of the habit of never throwing away or wasting [I]anything[/I], especially after what they went through under Japanese internment.

[QUOTE=Zaravan;45016039]American POW's never got a welcome home, or mental counseling that was so desperately needed for surviving POW's of the pacific. I read that some never got out of the habit of never throwing away or wasting [I]anything[/I], especially after what they went through under Japanese internment.[/QUOTE] Hey, look on the bright side! All Soviet POW's got sent straight into gulags after going through Nazi camps.

What if we rounded up all the World War II vets and asked them to fight one last war for us?

[QUOTE=SexualShark;45015707]its going to be a tragedy when these guys die these were real badasses and heroes[/QUOTE] Everything has to end. They'll be remembered for their heroic feats though.

[QUOTE=Tsyolin;45015441]This seemed to be the last war with U.S involvement where almost all of the veterans were passionate about their service. My grandfather was no different, served on Iwo Jima and beyond and his house is just littered with Marine Corp plaques and honors. I supposed it must have felt nice knowing exactly what they were fighting for.[/QUOTE] I actually did some work the other day at a home owned by a former Marine who served in Korea and Vietnam, was a Platoon Sergeant for a platoon of Ontos tanks in the latter. He has such plaques and insignias all over as well.

[QUOTE=cqbcat;45016692]What if we rounded up all the World War II vets and asked them to fight one last war for us?[/QUOTE] like a hunger games or battle royale

[QUOTE=Zaravan;45016039]American POW's never got a welcome home, or mental counseling that was so desperately needed for surviving POW's of the pacific. I read that some never got out of the habit of never throwing away or wasting [I]anything[/I], especially after what they went through under Japanese internment.[/QUOTE] My great grandfather Joseph P. Dura(named after him), got home and massively abused alcohol, and supposedly from what I understand he was then shipped off to Korea a few years later, and after coming home, he pretty much drank until he died. Eventually dieing in 75' or 76'. Cannot remember the exact year really. The only knowledge my family has of his and my great grandfather Thaddeus was that Thaddeus was a merchant marine, and Joseph in the Western theater and was captured sometime in 44'

I hope the next generations don't forget about this or think it was just a video game when time passes in the same way they thought the titanic was just a movie and never happened in real life.

I like his outlook with his last sentence: "[...] You don't have to sit and die just because you're old" Respect.

[QUOTE=Zaravan;45016039]American POW's never got a welcome home, or mental counseling that was so desperately needed for surviving POW's of the pacific. I read that some never got out of the habit of never throwing away or wasting [I]anything[/I], especially after what they went through under Japanese internment.[/QUOTE] My great grandparents were REALLY bad about that back in florida. Every year we'd come down to visit we'd end up cleaning out/replacing the old nasty shit that's been expired for years.

[QUOTE=Tsyolin;45015441]This seemed to be the last war with U.S involvement where almost all of the veterans were passionate about their service. My grandfather was no different, served on Iwo Jima and beyond and his house is just littered with Marine Corp plaques and honors. I supposed it must have felt nice knowing exactly what they were fighting for.[/QUOTE] There was a clear reason for what they were fighting for. It wasn't controversial compared to modern conflicts. There were invasions all over Europe, the bombing of Pearl Harbor (among other things), the threat the Axis had on the world, etc. It wasn't just soldiers that were passionate about their service but the entire country was basically supporting them. People bought war bonds and limited certain materials in their products so they could go towards military equipment. It was a national effort, really. Hopefully there won't be another conflict like that but I think it's inevitable, sadly.

[QUOTE=OnDemand;45018829]I hope the next generations don't forget about this or think it was just a video game when time passes in the same way [b]they thought the titanic was just a movie and never happened in real life.[/b][/QUOTE] Wait what

[QUOTE=Blazedol;45019336]Wait what[/QUOTE] Some people didn't know the movie was loosely based on a historical event.

[QUOTE=Tsyolin;45015441]This seemed to be the last war with U.S involvement where almost all of the veterans were passionate about their service. My grandfather was no different, served on Iwo Jima and beyond and his house is just littered with Marine Corp plaques and honors. I supposed it must have felt nice knowing exactly what they were fighting for.[/QUOTE] 2/3 of the US army in WW2 were drafted and 2/3 of the US army in Vietnam...volunteered. Source? I'm reading "The Better Angels of our Nature" by Steven Pinker.

[QUOTE=Tsyolin;45015441]This seemed to be the last war with U.S involvement where almost all of the veterans were passionate about their service. My grandfather was no different, served on Iwo Jima and beyond and his house is just littered with Marine Corp plaques and honors. I supposed it must have felt nice knowing exactly what they were fighting for.[/QUOTE] well no shit, they were fighting for the future of the god damn world. if it wasn't for these guys we'd be speaking german. recent decades have been nothing but invading foreign countries with fighting communism as an excuse(vietnam), "terrorism!" & "muh military industrial complex!"(iraq) there was no real goal. the taliban will just come back and fuck over the middle east, you shoot down one al qaeda leader and another pops up in a cave in buttfuck pakistan. it's a waste of resources and lives.