A 90-year-old Korean War veteran made the decision to honor his late wife in a rather unconventional way — skydiving. Bill Rogers of Manchester, New Hampshire, jumped out of a plane on Sunday, July 7, 2024, to celebrate his wedding anniversary.
Bill's late wife, Natalie, died in 2017. According to WBZ NewsRadio 1030, this is his sixth time skydiving since her passing.
More from LittleThings: Two Skydivers Soar Over Dubai While Performing Synchronized Routine
The idea of the veteran skydiving came from him wanting to do something to continually honor his wife. "I said, I gotta do something to keep her memories alive, ‘cause we had a lot of beautiful memories. So I said, guess what, I’ll jump out of an airplane," he explained. "We had a great life together. A great life."
"I love doing it, because I know I’m in her arms all the way to the ground," Bill said of skydiving. For his 2024 jump, he said he felt Natalie's presence with him. "My wife talked to me all the way down! She said, 'I've got you in my arms,'" he shared, adding, "Every time I jump out of a plane, I can hear her say, 'Billy, you're as crazy as ever.'"
More from LittleThings: 103-Year-Old Goes Skydiving, Shattering World Record For Oldest Person To Do It
Aside from skydiving, Bill also likes to remember his wife by taking early morning walks on nature trails, which is something that they used to do together. "After she passed, I put a bench out at Massabesic Lake with her name on it, a place she used to like to stand," he explained.
