World War II paratrooper veteran finally takes his 1st jump
92-year-old Ralph Mayville trained as a paratrooper but never left the ground
A World War II veteran finally completed a mission he has waited 70 years to complete.
Ralph Mayville, age 92, trained as a paratrooper in the Second World War, but the war ended before he had the chance to make his inaugural jump.
Mayville was awarded with a set of "wings" and was part of an elite unit of paratroopers called the Black Devils.
“He's never been, in his mind, entitled to wear the jump wings, either the American or Canadian ones. And now this fulfills his dream, that he can wear the wings as part of his uniform,” said family friend, Paul Chaytor.
Mayville, who's from Windsor, gathered up his courage to finally make his first jump at a skydiving school in Wainfleet, Ont., near Niagara Falls on Saturday.
The veteran and his instructor climbed to 14,000 feet in a plane and leapt out of the plane in a tandem jump.
“It was so beautiful,” said Mayville.
Generations of Mayville’s family joined him at the school to be there for his big moment. Watch his amazing story here.