80-year-old veterans take to the skies for repeat of jump

DEFYING age and the advice of local authorities, six US World War II veterans yesterday parachuted into this northern French village with youthful vigour to remember the invasion of Normandy 60 years ago.

On D-Day, four of the octogenarian veterans had parachuted into Sainte-Mere-Eglise, one of the first villages to be captured by the invading Allied troops.

Sixty years on, on a glorious summer afternoon, the six parachutes unfurled against the sky and all the veterans landed safely to the rousing applause of the hundreds of onlookers.