[October 09, 2019]      

Pictures by Curtis Fox

Two sides of Jim Grimaldi, lawyer and paratrooper.

Jim Grimaldi (L) US Army 1995 and his grandfather Jim Moriearty (R) US Army WWII.

 

World War II era parachute is still used by the Liberty Jump Team with a bit of modification to make it more maneuverable.

 

Jim helps a volunteer at the Elkhart dinner get into his jump rig, main parachute on the back and reserve on the front.

Don’t touch that silver handle! Pull it, and the reserve pops out.

 

Time to load up. The Liberty Jump Team climbs aboard a World War II era C-47, the military version of the DC-3. Several C-47’s were flown from the US to France to take part in this year’s commemoration.

 

The Grimaldi family in France touring a town near the Normandy beaches where waves of soldiers came ashore during D-Day. The paratroopers arrived behind enemy lines hours earlier in the dark.

 

The Liberty Jump Team takes off for their historic jump to commemorate the 75th Anniversary of D-Day.

 

The Liberty Jump Team.