LEILA FADEL, HOST:

Good morning. I'm Leila Fadel. During World War II, Tom Rice served in the 101st Airborne Division, parachuting into Normandy on D-Day. Earlier this month, Rice celebrated his 100th birthday with another leap. He jumped from a Douglas C-53 named D-Day Doll over his hometown of Coronado, Calif. The tandem jump went smoothly, as Rice and his partner floated down with a red, white and blue parachute. When they landed, a beach full of well-wishers serenaded him with "Happy Birthday." It's MORNING EDITION. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.