102-Year-Old WWII Veteran Goes Skydiving for Her Bucket List: ‘A Thrill’
“There are a lot of things that I can look back on,” Millie Bailey said of her full life
[Oct. 21, 2020: Joelle Goldstein]
For First Lt. Vivian "Millie" Bailey, age is nothing but a number!
The 102-year-old World War II veteran recently proved that's the case when she completed a task on her bucket list by going on "a parachute jump" in Maryland with Skydive Baltimore, according to the business.
In a post on their Facebook page, Skydive Baltimore celebrated Bailey's thrilling accomplishment on Sunday, which they noted had been a long-time goal of hers.
"It was discovered that 102-year-old WWII veteran First Lt. Vivian 'Millie' Bailey, who has been honored by two sitting presidents, had one wish left on her buck[et] list- to do a 'parachute jump' like president George [H.W.] Bush did when he turned 75, 80, 85 and 90," the business wrote in its post.
"Today we were honored and privileged to help make that dream come true! Congratulations Ms. Bailey!!" continued Skydive Baltimore, which included two photos of the centenarian falling from the sky and one of her after she had landed.
Bailey told CBS affiliate WJZ that the jump was completely worthwhile.
"[I] just always thought it would be a thrill," she explained to the outlet.
"At one point when we were tumbling in the air, I felt like I was by myself," she added. "I thought, 'Where did the paratrooper go?'"
The accomplishment marked another memorable moment in what has been an already exciting life.
She was born in 1918 in Washington D.C., and later moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma, WJZ reported. In 1942, she joined the U.S. Women's Army Auxiliary, according to the outlet.
"...The unit, it's called WAC detachment. I was the commander in charge," she explained to WJZ, noting that her time in the Army earned her several awards, including the Women’s Army Corps Medal, World War II Victory Medal and American Theater Medal.
Bailey was honorably discharged from her role as first lieutenant in 1946, the outlet reported. She proceeded to work for Veterans Affairs and the Social Security Administration for close to 30 years before retiring in 1975.
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Following her retirement, Bailey continued to stay involved locally, WJZ reported.
To date, she has performed nearly 50 years of community service in Howard County, with services that have helped a variety of people, including troops overseas (she has been sending care packages to them since the Vietnam War era), local food banks and nearby schools, for which she has raised an average of $10,000 annually, according to the outlet.
"I try every day to do something for someone else," Bailey told WJZ of her service.
Besides her military honors, Bailey has earned several accolades over the years, such as having a "Making a Difference" police award named after her, according to WJZ.
She has also been honored by President Donald Trump and the late Rep. Elijah Cummings, and she once met former President Barack Obama, the outlet reported.
Still, Bailey told WJZ she still has something remaining on her bucket list: to meet former First Lady Michelle Obama.
"There are a lot of things that I can look back on," she said of her life. "I thoroughly am happy and feel blessed that I’ve been able to do whatever I've been able to do."
This Brighter Side of News post courtesy of People.
Tags: #People, #Barack_Obama, #GoodNews, #Skydiving, #Bucketlist, #Baltimore, #Maryland
