To celebrate his 90th birthday, President George H.W Bush did what he loves to do on every birthday milestone: jump out of an airplane.
The former President of the United States has made eight parachute dives since World War Two. He jumped on both his 80th and 85th birthdays. During an interview with the TODAY show two years ago, H.W vowed that he would jump one last time on his 90th. Although he is now wheelchair bound due to Parkinson’s disease and and can barely walk on his own, H.W did not break his promise.
His first jump, as a young fighter pilot over the Pacific in 1944, sparked his interest in parachuting and inspired his passion for skydiving. He parachuted into the open water after his plane was shot down, and was rescued by an American submarine, but to this day, he says that he “did it wrong.”
“I pulled the ripcord too early and hit the tail of the plane with my head, just [a] glancing blow. I’ve decided that later on, well, I want to do it right.”
Back at it again, the birthday boy sent out a tweet from his vacation home in Kennebunkport, Maine at 8:32 a.m. on Thursday June 12, proclaiming that he was ready to go.
It's a wonderful day in Maine — in fact, nice enough for a parachute jump.
— George Bush (@GeorgeHWBush) June 12, 2014
He jumped tandem-style with a retired member of his team, Mike Elliott, along with members of the All Veteran’s group.
Even at the age of 90, he still holds to an adventurous spirit. “I enjoyed it all, I enjoy life.” he said.
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