Remembering D-Day: Army vet to parachute into Normandy to mark invasion's 80th anniversary

JUPITER — Army veteran Chung Wong of Jupiter today will parachute out of a plane near the beaches of Normandy to mimic the intrepid journey that paratroopers took 80 years ago on D-Day.

The D-Day operation involved allied land, air and sea force troops who stormed ashore on June 6, 1944. It marked the start of the invasion that turned World War II in Europe. An estimated 4,414 Allied soldiers died that day, 2,501 of them Americans. Another 5,000 were wounded.

Wong, a 56-year-old West Palm Beach native, said the homage is vital to reminding the world about the horrors of war.

“This is keeping the legacy of World War II and the memories of what happened,” he said Monday from Normandy. “War is a horrible thing, and once we forget it, history will eventually repeat itself.”

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Jupiter man will parachute twice today to mark D-Day's 80th anniversary

Wong plans to jump from planes in two nations today. Before he reaches Azeville in Normandy, where a former German artillery battery sits, he will parachute from a plane in Devon, England, about 150 miles across the English Channel from the northern coast of France.

He'll then fly from Devon to Normandy in a historic plane and parachute down, wearing a World War II-style uniform, with about 1,700 other parachutists Among them are cast members of "Band of Brothers," the HBO war drama, and retired U.S. Army Lt. Col. Allen West, who once represented parts of Palm Beach County in Congress.

It's not the first time that Wong has flown across the Atlantic and donned a parachute to pay tribute to those who gave their lives that day. His first tribute jump happened five years ago, on the invasion's 75th anniversary. While it didn't go as planned — he missed his drop zone — it showed him the heart of the French people.

Several met him where he touched down to help carry his bags and give him a ride. He walked away unscathed.

Wong said he realized one major difference while strolling the streets of Normandy: There are not as many World War II veterans there to watch from below.

“Since I’ve been here, I think I counted maybe four World War II veterans,” Wong said. “I think there are less and less of them around. Most of them are close to 100 or over 100 years old now.”

Less than 1% of the 16.4 million Americans who served during World War II are still alive today, according to the National World War II Museum. Wong saw one WWII veteran praying alone at a tombstone at the Normandy American Cemetery on Monday, searching for others like him.

“It’s an honor to jump as tribute to the guys who started the legacy of airborne (troops),” Wong said. “There’s always a big line here to shake their hands.”

Not only Americans pack those lines, but French locals do, too.

“People say that French people don’t like Americans, but I don’t think that’s true, especially not in Normandy,” Wong said. “In (small towns near) Normandy Beach, they are more patriotic than small-town America on July 4.”

Wong said he has seen more U.S. flags flying in the towns surrounding Normandy than the number he usually sees in his Jupiter neighborhood.

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U.S. Army veteran from Jupiter calls parachuting 'peaceful'

Wong enlisted in the U.S. Army after graduating from high school in West Palm Beach in 1986, a decision he made over wanting to serve the country that welcomed his parents when they immigrated from China.

Wong and 11 other soldiers were chosen out of a pool of more than 100 others to participate in airborne training and become a paratrooper. He later fought in the Persian Gulf War and became a sergeant before he left the military in 1991.

He then got a bachelor’s degree in finance from Florida State University and now works as a principal for Raymond James, an investment banking company in Palm Beach Gardens.

Parachuting is a central part of his life again. He jumps from planes every few months with Round Canopy Parachuting Team-USA out of Palatka in northern Florida.

“Jumping out of a plane is peaceful,” Wong said. “The plane passes and you float in the air. Maybe I can make it to the 100th anniversary (of D-Day) if my knees can hold up!”

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Maya Washburn covers northern Palm Beach County for The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA TODAY Florida-Network. Reach her at mwashburn@pbpost.com. Support local journalism: Subscribe today.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Jupiter man parachutes from a plane to mark 80th anniversary of D-Day