Coronado Native Celebrates With The City
Tom Rice turned 100 years old on Sunday, August 15. Not one to settle for a boring birthday party, he celebrated the day by jumping out of the Commemorative Air Force's C-53 D-Day Doll assigned to the Inland Empire Wing based in Riverside, California. “I think the whole city of Coranado was there,” Rice said. “It was a happy day.” Rice was born and raised in Coronado, and still lives in the same house. Rice was joined by a large crowd and fellow D-Day veteran, 97-year-old Dan McBride. D-Day Doll flew in three missions on June 6, 1944 and the next day. It also flew in support missions and wounded evacuations to England.