Putnam man ventures west for milestone jump | Palatka Daily News, Palatka, Florida

Skydive Palatka owner Art Shaffer, left, and World War II veteran Tom Rice, 100, smile Sunday after skydiving in California to celebrate Rice’s birthday.
Shaffer and Rice come in for a landing Sunday in California.
Skydive Palatka employees take a picture with Rice.
Positively Putnam FL

Two people attached to an American flag-painted parachute glided onto a California beach to an enthusiastic audience Sunday.

When their feet planted firmly on the sand, Skydive Palatka owner Art Shaffer turned around to hug 100-year-old Tom Rice.

It’s what the D-Day veteran wanted for his centennial birthday. Shaffer flew to Coronado, California, last weekend to grant the birthday wish, even leaping from a restored D-Day aircraft. The two men tumbled into the sky after Rice gave a thumbs up and landed with smiles.

“(Rice) did great,” said Shaffer. “He ran marathons until he was in his 70s. So, he’s in really good shape.”

And more than two years ago, the Skydive Palatka owner, who has skydived across the world, helped Rice commemorate the 75th anniversary of D-Day in 2019. They jumped from a plane onto the beaches of Normandy, France, when Rice was 97-years-old.

But Rice’s days of jumping from planes started more than 70 years ago while he fought for America.

Staff Sgt. Rice served during World War II from 1942 to 1945 and was a member of the 501st Parachute Infantry of the U.S. Army 101st Airborne Division.

Shaffer said Rice’s first jump was in 1943 when he trained as a paratrooper at the Toccoa, Georgia, military base.

“After Pearl Harbor, he enlisted. And the whole Airborne had ads to join (them), and he thought it’d be cool. So that’s what he did,” Shaffer said.

Back at Palatka Municipal Airport on Friday, Shaffer said he does not get nervous anymore about equipment malfunctions or leaping from an airplane when taking someone skydiving. But he did get nervous Sunday because of all the people who were there to watch him and Rice. Shaffer said he wanted to put on a good show.

“These guys did stuff for us, you know. I don’t know if we could get people to do the kind of things (veterans) did to give us what we have today,” Shaffer said. “To me, it’s just a small thing to thank him for what he did for us.”