KENNEBUNKPORT, Maine – Former President George H.W. Bush celebrated his 90th birthday on Thursday by making a tandem parachute jump near his summer home in coastal Maine, delivering on a vow he made five years ago even though he can no longer use his legs.

The nation's 41st president jumped from a helicopter at about 6,000 feet harnessed to Sgt. 1st Class Mike Elliott, a retired member of the Golden Knights, the Army's parachute team. Elliott guided Bush to a gentle landing five years ago.

"That's what he wanted for his 90th birthday and that's what he got," Elliott said. "It's a very good feeling to be involved and be able to turn back time. He's probably feeling younger now than ever."

The helicopter picked up Bush outside his Kennebunkport home, known as Walker's Point. His family transported him from his wheelchair to the chopper, then sang "Happy Birthday" before it took off.

Bush later floated to the ground using a red, white and blue parachute and landed near St. Ann's Church, where friends and family had gathered, out of the sight of reporters. Elliott said Bush's foot got tangled up underneath him during the landing, causing him to tumble forward onto the ground. A spokesman later said the former president was feeling "fine."

"He had a big smile for the crowd. You could tell he was exhilarated," said Diana Untermeyer, a family friend from Houston. "He's an amazing man. This is just another sign of that. I think that like most of America, our family loves him to pieces. It was just a real thrill to do this again."

Witnesses said Bush was greeted with a kiss from his wife, Barbara, and a hug from his son George. The family left the landing zone without talking to reporters.

Hundreds of people had gathered along rocks near the church to get a glimpse of the jump.

"He has a lot of courage. We need more like him," said David Morris, 79, of Melrose, Massachusetts.

"I think it's wonderful. I hope I can jump out of a plane at 90," said Carol Schierl, 75, of Green Bay, Wisconsin,

The jump was kept secret until Thursday morning partly to give Bush himself the option of bagging it.

Spokesman Jim McGrath said the former president likes both a surprise and an adrenaline rush.

"It's vintage George Bush," McGrath said. "It's that passion for life. It's wanting to set a goal, wanting to achieve it. I'm sure part of it is sending a message to others that even in your retirement years you can still find challenges."

The first time Bush jumped from an airplane was when his plane was shot down in World War II over the Pacific. Later, he decided to jump from a plane of his own accord and marked his 75th, 80th and 85th birthdays by skydiving. Thursday marked his eight jump.

Other birthday festivities included a private dinner with more than 200 relatives and friends, including some from his White House days: press secretary Marlin Fitzwater, White House counsel Boyden Gray and political director Ron Kaufman, McGrath said. His children, including former President George W. Bush and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, will be there, McGrath said.

Kennebunkport is a special place for the president. As a boy, he visited the family home at Walker's Point every summer, except during World War II. The retreat was later dubbed his "summer White House."

During his presidential years, Bush was known for jogging, tennis and fast-paced golf, but he now uses a wheelchair or scooter because of a form of parkinsonism that has robbed him of use of his legs. He signed the landmark Americans with Disabilities Act in 1990.

On this day in 1944, future President George Herbert Walker Bush is serving as a torpedo bomber pilot in the Pacific theater of World War II when his squadron is attacked by Japanese anti-aircraft guns. Bush was forced to bail out of the plane over the ocean. According to the Navy's records, Bush's squadron was conducting a bombing mission on a Japanese installation on the island of Chi Chi Jima in the Pacific when they encountered heavy anti-aircraft fire. The engine on Bush's plane was set ablaze, yet Bush managed to release his bombs and head back toward the aircraft carrier San Jacinto before bailing out over the water. Three other crew members perished in the attack. After floating on a raft for four hours, a submarine crew fished a safe but exhausted Bush out of the water. His bravery in action earned him a Distinguished Flying Cross. The previous June, Bush had experienced a similar close call with death when he was forced to make a crash landing on water after a bombing run; a U.S. destroyer crew rescued him from the sea. After his harrowing experience near Chi Chi Jima, Bush returned to the San Jacinto and continued to pilot torpedo bombers in several successful missions. Over the course of 1944, while his squadron suffered a 300 percent casualty rate among its pilots, an undaunted Bush won three Air Medals as well as a Presidential Unit Citation. In total, Bush flew 58 combat missions during the war. In December 1944, Bush was reassigned to Norfolk Naval Base in Norfolk, Virginia, where he was tasked with training new pilots. He received an honorable discharge from the Navy in September 1945 after the Japanese surrender

nkelsch wrote:
Nice to see those Illuminati life-extending drugs are still working. Good for him. I like to see old Presidents bopping around and still alive.

nkelsch wrote:
Nice to see those Illuminati life-extending drugs are still working. Good for him. I like to see old Presidents bopping around and still alive.

 Jihadin wrote:
I was on Jump Status for over nine years. I am not going to jump from no aircraft at 90. At 90 I expect to be chasing the 80-90 year old ladies in the nursing home. Also a few nurses.

 WarOne wrote:

 Jihadin wrote:
I was on Jump Status for over nine years. I am not going to jump from no aircraft at 90. At 90 I expect to be chasing the 80-90 year old ladies in the nursing home. Also a few nurses.

Begins such pursuits by saying, "I have a vast array of miniatures that I would like you to meet..."

 Zad Fnark wrote:
If he had been captured back then he would have been dead. The Japanese commander on Chichi Jima was a grade A war criminal with a penchant for cannibalism.

ZF-