World War II Veteran Paratrooper Vince Speranza of the 101st Airborne made a tandem skydive with Art Shaffer of Skydive Palatka on Saturday March 25, 2023 at the age of 98. The pair jumped from the “Tico Belle,” a World War II veteran C-47 aircraft from the Normandy D-Day invasion on June 6, 1944. Speranza has made other tandem skydives for recent commemorative events in the United States and Europe.
In his memoir "Nuts," Speranza tells his story of training as a Paratrooper and first seeing combat in Bastogne, Belgium as a machine gunner in the "Battle of the Bulge." Speranza made training jumps in the final days of World War II in France in preparation for a possible airborne attack in the Pacific before Japan surrendered on August 15th 1945. He was also the featured speaker that evening with a fireworks show in honor of his slightly belated 98th birthday.
Speranza was hosted by the Round Canopy Parachuting Team - USA Foundation which is dedicated to increasing awareness and educating the public about the sacrifices and heroism of Allied Paratroopers from World War II onward.
Earlier in the week over 150 parachutists came from all over the United States and Europe to take part in a 6 day training event at Skydive Palatka to prepare for round canopy parachute jumps into Normandy, France this summer for the 79th anniversary of the D-Day invasion of World War II and air shows around the country later this year.
A class of 30 new students made up for active duty military, veterans and civilians trained in a 5 day beginners course earning their RCPT-USA jump wings on Saturday.
RCPT-USA is the American chapter of an international round canopy parachuting organization whose focus is to highlight the accomplishments of allied paratroopers from WWII onward. Past feature events include annual commemoration activities for the D-Day landings in France and Operation Market Garden in the Netherlands as well as events across the United States.