D-Day Vets Plan To Jump Over Normandy -- Without US Army's Permission

An Ohio veteran who wants to re-enact the D-Day airborne jump into Nazi-occupied France is fed up with waiting for permission. Howard Greenberg of Bay Village, along with ten other WWII vets are jumping -- with or without permission from the US military.

"I am really looking forward to it," said Greenberg. He served with the 11th Airborne Division in the Pacific. He and the other WWII survivors want to parachute over Ste. Mere Eglise, the objective of the 82nd Airborne Division on June 6, 1944.

But here's the deal. He's 79, up there in age with the other ten vets who want to mark the June 6th anniversary. The Pentagon is worried that the oldsters are too fragile to survive the jump.

"The Army still wants no part of it," said Richard Mandich, Return To Normandy Association president. "But the French government gave us the OK to jump on June 7, so that’s what we are going to do. I have to admit it makes us feel like second-class citizens. It’s our last chance to make this statement. I don’t think we’ll be doing this jump on the 70th anniversary of D-Day."

"Though we would rather jump on the anniversary," said Greenberg, "I think it’s important to send a message that a lot of Americans lost their lives over there on D-Day."

(Well, former President George H.W. Bush plans a parachute jump on his 80th birthday. What's the big deal? -- ed.)

FMI: www.normandy-dday.com