Pee Wee's Big Adventure

Today is the 70th anniversary of D-Day, the Allied invasion of Normandy, that began on June 6, 1944. Time has claimed nearly all of our WW II veterans from that day, they would be into their 90's now.  But not quite all of them are gone, and some of them are still parachuting into the French countryside.

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. 

His jump Thursday in the same area was different and -- despite his being 93 years old now -- a whole lot easier.

"It didn't (compare)," Martin said, "because there wasn't anybody shooting at me today."

Amazing.  Here's to you, Jim.

As he told reporters afterward, "To tell you the truth, riding around in the plane is boring. It's when you get off the plane, that's when it gets exciting ... But there's no fear to it. It's just something you do." 

Martin admitted that he was motivated by "a little bit of ego, (to show that) I'm 93 and I can still do it." 

"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."

There's a reason they're called the Greatest Generation, folks.  These Depression-era teens of the 30's turned into WW II heroes in the 40's, GI Bill and suburban parents of the 50's, saw the rise of civil rights in the 60's, the rise of feminism in the 70's, survived the Reagan 80's, the Clinton 90's, and the Bush aughts. They lived to see a black President, and they jump out of planes at age 93.

Hell, I hope I simply make it to 93.