Claim of 97-Year-Old WWII Veteran Recreating D-Day Jump in 2024 is Outdated

Posts about the World Wars and veterans are frequently shared on social media, but some of these posts are misleading. They often contain inaccuracies, oversimplifications, or outright falsehoods, which can distort historical facts and misinform the public. It's important for users to critically evaluate the sources and content of such posts to ensure they are sharing accurate and respectful information about these significant historical events and the individuals who served them.

Social Media Posts

A video posted on June 7, 2024, shows a 97-year-old World War II veteran returning to Normandy to recreate his D-Day parachute jump on the 80th anniversary of the landings.

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Fact Check

On June 6, 2024, a video was posted on social media claiming to show a 97-year-old World War II veteran returning to Normandy to recreate his D-Day parachute jump. The post, which gained significant traction, celebrated the veteran's remarkable return to the site of the historic D-Day landings.

However, a closer examination of the facts reveals that the footage in question was not recorded recently. The veteran featured in the video is Sgt. Tom Rice, a former paratrooper who indeed returned to Normandy to recreate his D-Day jump. This event occurred on June 6, 2019, marking the 75th anniversary of the D-Day landings. At that time, Rice was 97 years old. The video from 2019 was reposted in 2024 without specifying the original date, leading many to believe it was a new event.

Sgt. Tom Rice passed away in 2022 at the age of 101, making it impossible for the footage to be recent. The misleading context of the video repost has resulted in widespread confusion, with social media users mistakenly attributing it to the 80th anniversary of D-Day in 2024.

A related news video of his jump and death can be watched below.

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Conclusion:

The claim that a 97-year-old World War II veteran recreated his D-Day parachute jump on the 80th anniversary of the landings in 2024 is outdated. The footage is genuine but dates back to June 6, 2019, when Sgt. Tom Rice made the jump for the 75th anniversary. Rice passed away in 2022, further confirming that the video could not have been recorded in 2024. Therefore, we rate this claim as "Outdated."