Former President George H.W. Bush Tandem Parachute Jump



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Former President George H.W. Bush celebrated his 80th birthday with a 13,000-foot parachute jump over his presidential library Sunday, November 14, 2007, and said he felt the same thrill of prior jumps even though his hopes of skydiving solo were dashed. He made a tandem jump -- harnessed to a member of an Army's Golden Knights parachute team -- after officials decided the wind conditions and low clouds made it too dangerous for the 41st president to jump alone, which he did when he turned 75. The crowd included his wife, Barbara, his son Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and former Soviet president Mikhail Gorbachev -- whom the former president had invited to jump with him. The jump, Bush's fifth, earned him parachutist's wings that were pinned on him after he landed. The wings include a small bronze star, indicating he'd made a combat jump in a hostile area. Bush made his first parachute jump as a 20-year-old Navy pilot shot down over the Pacific during World War II. In 1992, he bailed out over Yuma, Ariz., fulfilling a wartime promise he made to himself that some day he'd jump from a plane for fun. Bush said he hoped his stunt sent a message to people that "at 80 years old, you've still got a life."

Published by: MyEarbot Published at: 16 years ago Category: اخبار و سیاست