D-Day veteran takes to the sky to mark Normandy landing’s 74th anniversary

Jack Commerford, a 94-year-old veteran of the Second World War who retired with the rank of Major, decided to do something he’s waited years for — a parachute jump from an airplane.

Family and friends of Commerford gathered at the Gananoque Airport Saturday afternoon to watch him take the leap .

Commerford wanted to make this jump to celebrate both his 94th birthday and the 74th anniversary of his service in the D-day landing in Normandy, event that both fall during the first week of June. But there’s a particular reason why jumping from 13,000 feet was on his bucket list in the first place.

When I asked Commerford why, he laughed and said, “‘Cause I want to show off.”

But then he told me why this was so important for him.

“I’ve always wanted to be a parachutist and I tried during the war, and I was accepted,” he said.  “Got injured just a few days before I was supposed to start, and they cancelled my appointment and I never jumped from an airplane until now.”

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Retired Brigadier General Ernest Beano was also in Gananoque to cheer Commerford.

“We can all be very proud of veterans like Jack Commerford, and he represents [the] million or so that were in uniform that were representing Canada,” said Beano. “It’s great to see his fighting spirit still alive today.”

Commerford’s family was supporting him from the ground and up in the air. His grandson also decided to do a separate parachute jump at the same time as his grandfather.

Jack’s son, John, was on the ground, cheering for both his father and son. “Congratulations, proud of you,” he said.  “It’s a great opportunity to celebrate your birthday and to be a reminder to everyone of the invasion.”

“I want to say how honoured I am and how blessed I am to have such a good family and so many good friends,” remarked the retired veteran.

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Commerford’s vibrant energy and humour had all his supporters smiling and laughing. We asked him the secret for his zest for life.

“If you want to live a long, long time, act as if you’re young,” he said.

And that’s the plan. Commerford wants to fly to Normandy, France to attend the 75th anniversary celebrations of the D-Day landing on June 6, 2019.