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Local veterans take part in D-Day 75th Anniversary jump

Posted at 8:43 AM, Jun 06, 2019
and last updated 2019-06-06 10:53:28-04

In honor of the 75th anniversary of D-Day a group from Colorado Springs is taking part in the Normandy re-enactment with hundreds of jumpers from all over the world.

We had a chance to speak to some of the men about this unique opportunity to honor the many who served on this historic day.

“None of these guys will say they’re heroes. They’ll never say they did something unique or outstanding,” said Shawn Clark a member of the Veterans Parachute Battalion. “They’ll all tell you they did their job.”

“When I was in active duty I jumped in with the 82nd Airborne for the 50th Anniversary,” added Clark. “I met folks on all sides French, Canadian, U.S. even Germans were there.”

“It’s an honor to go out there and see where these individuals actually jumped and walked at,” said fellow member of the Veterans Parachute Battalion Ronald Salas.

They’re jumping at least 1,500 feet in the very same air crafts and uniforms that those brave soldiers used 75 years ago.

“Many of these planes flew the original missions in 1944 and this is the largest gathering of those planes again in the same place they were 75 years ago, flying the same route as 75 years ago,” added Clark.

Over a dozen men from the Veterans Parachute Battalion are taking part in the re-enactment. You can find out more about them here.