A n important anniversary in June
is upon us, and it reminds me of
one of the great adventures of my
life. In 1994, I was in Normandy,
France for the 50th anniversary of D-Day,
June 6th, 1944. I spent an unforgettable
week there with Army veterans who
parachute jumped that memorable day in
1944. It was incredible to watch as some of
the 70- to 75-year-old D-Day veterans from
Florida jumped again for the anniversary
celebration.
I had the opportunity to do my own
parachute jump with military commandos
from the U.S. Special Forces Command
at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, just
before I retired from WTVT-TV. I drove
to the Zephyrhills Airport and prepared
myself for the jump of a lifetime. I explained
to my wife Mary K why I wanted to do this.
I put on a yellow flight suit and
rehearsed every detail three or four times
until the SOCOM team said I was ready.
It took about an hour of training, which I
was happy to do to avoid any mishap. A
twin-engine plane took us up to 13,000 feet.
I was with some of the most highly trained
combat officers in the U.S. Armed Forces,
and I was literally strapped to one of
them to make sure nothing unpredictable
happened to me. An altimeter was strapped
on my wrist to tell me when I reached 500
feet and my parachute would be opened.
My partner and I scooted up to the
exit door on the side of the plane and
with no hesitation, I stepped out of that
airplane like I knew what I was doing.
We started falling through the sky like a
bullet. We were in “free fall,” but instead
of tumbling and falling like rocks, I pushed
my hands out in front of me and extended
them forward while at the same time,
pushing my feet and legs back just like I
had been taught. The extra material in my
“jump suit” helped control the flight. This
created a “controlled fall” that kept us from
spinning and tumbling. The rush of wind
at that speed made it impossible for us to
hear each other speak as we glided through
128 TAMPA BAY MAGAZINE | MAY/JUNE 2021
the air. Meanwhile, others in our group
quickly positioned themselves around
us. We were now flying together in a
controlled plunge back to earth. After a
few seconds, the others broke away, their
parachutes popped open, and so did mine.
My 120 mph descent ended suddenly with
a heavy jerk, followed by a gentle float
back to earth.
My partner then said, “Do exactly as I
say. Just before we hit the ground, raise
your legs. And you’re going to come down
on your behind.” And that’s exactly what
happened. I made an unbelievable sitdown
landing.
However, I cannot imagine what the
combat jump into Normandy was like in
1944. Their jump was in the dead of night
when they could not see, but knew German
gunners were waiting. They are heroes,
and we should never forget those who
launched the beginning of the end of World
War II. Remember them on June 6th with
a moment of thanks for their bravery. 9
EDITOR’S NOTE: John Wilson, who retired
from Fox TV in 2014, worked more than 50
years in radio and television news broadcasting.
COMMENTARY
REMEMBER WWII HEROES
By John Wilson
John Wilson