Martin is one of the last D-Day paratroopers still living who jumped over Normandy behind Utah Beach nearly 73 years ago. Today, he bends down to meet future paratroopers. It's not laziness or disrespect that keeps these men and women from standing. It's the weight on their backs.
"They're carrying their basic load, they're carrying stuff to live on, their sleeping bag, things to eat with, so it's about 100 pounds total with the gear the reserve and the main," Sanders said.
Wright-Patterson Air Force Base directed support for the exercises, and today the conditions were perfect.
"Though it's cold, the wind is relatively mild and the visibility is great so this is a great day for them to jump," said Bradley McDonald, installation commander for WPAFB.
The paratroopers were jumping from two C-130 aircraft, one from the Marine Corps in North Carolina, and one from the Air National Guard in Louisville, Kentucky.
The leap can still be nerve-wracking, even for the most experienced.
"Every single time I get butterflies," said John Michael Betz, chaplain with the 412th Civil Affairs Battalion out of Columbus.
But it's the moment after they jump every paratrooper lives for.
"As soon as you get out of the airplane, it's the most peaceful thing," Betz said.
"As soon as I exit, it's nice and peaceful when that chute opens," said soldier Sarah Theobold, of Cleveland.
Smooth sailing through the air, and a skilled landing on the ground make this jump – "It was great," Theobold said – another success.
About the Author