A bipartisan group of House lawmakers jumped out of a plane Friday morning to mark the 80th anniversary of D-Day and honor the veterans who mounted the air and sea invasion that led to the liberation of Western Europe from Nazi Germany.
Led by Reps. Mike Waltz, R-Fla., and Jason Crow, D-Colo., the group of nine congressmen who parachuted into Normandy, France, were Ronny Jackson, R-Texas; Rich McCormick, R-Ga.; Mark Green, R-Tenn.; Cory Mills, R-Fla.; Darrell Issa, R-Calif.; Derrick Van Orden, R-Wis.; and Keith Self, R-Texas, according to multiple reports.
The Washington Examiner reported the lawmakers jumped from a vintage C-47 Skytrain, which was a widely used aircraft during World War II.
Crow, an Army Ranger who served in two units that played key roles in the D-Day invasion of Normandy, told ABC News that the ceremonial jump "is about recognizing service and sacrifice" and remembering that "America is at its best when we come together, unite under common cause and purpose."
"We serve and we make individual sacrifices to do big and important things," Crow said shortly before departing for France. "And in an era where we're wondering about our place in the world, about American leadership, this is a reminder that American leadership matters."
Waltz, the first Green Beret to serve in Congress, said that the jump is a way to honor the dwindling numbers of World War II veterans while there's still time.
"This will be the last major anniversary with the World War II veterans," Waltz told ABC. "The youngest that we know of is 96. The oldest is 107. We need to honor them and need to keep their story and their sacrifice alive. What better way to pass that story on to the next generation than by jumping out of a perfectly good World War II-era aircraft?"
He added that the "American people need to see" Republican and Democrat lawmakers come together and said electing more veterans to Congress would help the country.
"If we were all in a tank or a ship or a plane together just a few years ago, as veterans, as Americans, we're all willing to die together and we should be able to roll up our sleeves and get things done," Waltz said.
Both Crow and Waltz participated in a similar jump over Normandy five years ago, for the 75th anniversary of D-Day.
The New York Post reported that the congressmen were clad in khaki World War II uniforms and sported patches of the 101st and 82nd Airborne divisions, as well as standard-issue paratrooper helmets and boots of the same period.
With just two seats holding the Republican majority in the House, some Republican members reportedly expressed anxiety over the prospect of their GOP colleagues jumping from a plane.
"You know what? Some things are worth doing," Van Orden told Politico. "And if we lose the majority because some of us are paying respect to the Greatest Generation, so be it."
Waltz tried to reassure House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., that although their uniforms were "vintage," all "the parachutes are new."
"Don't worry, we'll be fine," Waltz said he told Johnson.
For his part, the speaker appeared to be monitoring the jump from across the Atlantic, posting on X after the lawmakers had safely touched down.
"Safe landings for our great patriots honoring the Greatest Generation!" Johnson wrote.
Nicole Weatherholtz ✉
Nicole Weatherholtz, a Newsmax general assignment reporter covers news, politics, and culture. She is a National Newspaper Association award-winning journalist.
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