Had Jumped Into Normandy On D-Day In 1944

A week after his 100th birthday, Polito "Paul" Olivas did something he had done on D-Day. He jumped out of an airplane.

But this time, Olivas jumped from 14,000 feet over Hawaii rather than 300 feet. And no one was shooting at him.

Stars and Stripes reports that Olivas has hundreds of jumps in his logbook. He served in the 101st Airborne that was among the first to land in Normandy on D-Day. But none of those jumps included a minute-long freefall. During his military career, Olivas made low-altitude jumps attached to a static line that opens the parachute on exiting the airplane. "The closer you are to the ground, the less of a target you are," he told reporters before his birthday jump.

The birthday tandem jump took place over Oahu's North Shore and ended at Dillingham Airfield. After he landed, he told the reporters "I'd do it again."

And he may have the opportunity. Olivas is described as being in excellent health. He needs neither glasses or hearing aids, and takes no prescription drugs.

Olivas retired from the army in 1970, and has lived in Hawaii for the past 50 years.

(Image from Skydive Hawaii YouTube video)

FMI: Source Report