At 85, ex-president Bush skydives over Maine coast

Shirleypal · Post by **Shirleypal** » 06-12-2009 05:34 PM

June 12, 2009

Bush rides tandem with Sgt. 1st Class Mike Elliott as he celebrates his 85th birthday with a parachute jump on Friday. "Just because you're an old guy, you don't have to sit around drooling in the corner," he said. "Get out and do something. Get out and enjoy life."

Bush and his wife, Barbara, immediately after his jump. "Well, we made it. It was a great day in the air," Bush said after he was removed from his harness.

KENNEBUNKPORT, Maine (AP) — Former President George H.W. Bush marked his 85th birthday on Friday the same way he did his 75th and 80th birthdays: He leaped from a plane and zoomed downward at more than 100 mph in freefall before parachuting safely to a spot near his oceanfront home.
Bush made the tandem jump from 10,500 feet with Sgt. 1st Class Mike Elliott of the Army's Golden Knights, who guided them to a gentle landing on the lawn of St. Ann's Church.

"Well, we made it. It was a great day in the air," Bush said after he was removed from his harness.

He said he enjoyed it so much that he planned to do it again when he turns 90.

When he was president, Bush was an avid jogger, speed golfer, fisherman and tennis player. He said he has slowed down since then, but he doesn't intend to stop moving
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/200 ... hute_N.htm
Barbara Bush when asked what she thought of his skydiving again said I don't like it very much but if it all goes wrong I won't have far to take him...he landed in the church yard.

racehorse · Post by **racehorse** » 06-12-2009 06:39 PM

racehorse · Post by **racehorse** » 06-12-2009 06:45 PM

I know a fellow Attorney who has been skydiving since the mid-1980's. When he first started doing it, he tried to convince me to join him. I declined. Sometimes, I wish that I had, but not most of the time.

USSGoblin · Post by **USSGoblin** » 06-12-2009 07:03 PM

60 is not old anymore, but I can think of a few that would want his son to sky dive, without the chute, and I am not one of them.
Avenger Pilots are tough dudes. i flew in a restored one, rode in the ball turret. What a difference than flying in an Airliner. It was loud, shakey, but it was more fun. But they wern't loaded so no target practice, when I went up in the AC 130, I got to let loose with the Vulcan Gun.

Live365 · Post by **Live365** » 06-12-2009 07:54 PM

I loved George H.W. Bush. It was because of him that I went Republican. It was because of him that I voted for his son.

I'll never forget that night (the Gulf War). I was all of twenty-six. Watching America -- for the first time in my coherent life -- drop bombs. Watching Saddam "fight back" with his "bombs". It was the first real war I'd ever seen. Or lived through. Courtesy of CNN. I called my sister, and we were so scared. Long story short, we won that war in three days. Because George H.W. Bush knew how to unite the world. In the good way.

Thank you for posting this, Shirley. Wonderfully open-minded of you.

Shirleypal · Post by **Shirleypal** » 06-12-2009 08:05 PM

Live365 I am not closed minded, I didn't vote for him but liked him and have a lot of respect for him.

USSGoblin · Post by **USSGoblin** » 06-12-2009 09:17 PM

Live365 wrote: I loved George H.W. Bush. It was because of him that I went Republican. It was because of him that I voted for his son.

A lot were fooled by George Bush's son George W.
he made a lot of bad choices.

Live365 · Post by **Live365** » 06-12-2009 09:42 PM

Shirleypal wrote: I didn't vote for him but liked him and have a lot of respect for him.

Live365 · Post by **Live365** » 06-12-2009 09:51 PM

USSGoblin wrote: A lot were fooled by George Bush's son George W.
he made a lot of bad choices.

Please don't be so quick, Ray.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wLCbr0Vu ... EE&index=0

I miss when our Country was One. I miss it a lot.

Sorry to thread-jack, Shirley.

Live365 · Post by **Live365** » 06-12-2009 10:06 PM

Live365 wrote:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wLCbr0Vu ... EE&index=0

Well, this was not the link I posted. The link I posted was one of the entire Congress standing in ovation for America, nine days after September 11th.

Oddly, that video seems to have been pulled, and switched with this one.

I'm scared.

Thanks for all you did, George H.W. Bush!

racehorse · Post by **racehorse** » 06-12-2009 10:07 PM

Live365 wrote:
Thanks for all you did, George H.W. Bush!

Live365 · Post by **Live365** » 06-12-2009 10:24 PM

This is the video I'd intended to post. Hopefully the powers-that-be won't pull another bait and switch.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aeMiIIJ8Uvw

(Shirleypal's gonna pop a blow-hole when she sees what I did to this thread. Apologies in advance.)

Shirleypal · Post by **Shirleypal** » 06-12-2009 10:37 PM

Laura I would appreciate it if you would stop assuming how I will react to something.

Live365 · Post by **Live365** » 06-12-2009 10:42 PM

Apologies!

Cherry Kelly · Post by **Cherry Kelly** » 06-13-2009 09:48 AM

AM glad he had a great birthday. 85 is getting up there.

But it is good advice - do something! (stay young at heart and go out and do things)

Fantastic Forum the Original Art Bell's Midnight in the Desert and Coast to Coast AM Forum

At 85, ex-president Bush skydives over Maine coast

At 85, ex-president Bush skydives over Maine coast

Re: At 85, ex-president Bush skydives over Maine coast

"America has no true-er friend....."