97-year-old veteran reenacts historic jump on 75th anniversary of D-Day

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97-year-old veteran reenacts historic jump on 75th anniversary of D-Day

Veterans recreate D-Day parachute drops over Normandy.

This is a rush transcript from "The Story," June 5, 2019. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.

MARTHA MACCALLUM, HOST: Bret, he's a remarkable man. We spent time with him today and that's coming up. Thank you, Bret.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT: Some will never return. Embrace these, father, and receive them, the heroic servants into thy kingdom. And oh, Lord, give us faith, give us faith in thee, faith in our sons, faith in each other, and faith in our united crusade.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MACCALLUM: Well, that was President Trump, reading the prayer that Americans gathered around the radio to hear 75 years ago tonight when President Franklin Delano Roosevelt addressed the nation. He asked America to pray with him as our troops were beginning to storm the beaches in Normandy.

Good evening, everybody. I'm Martha MacCallum, and this is our story tonight live from the Normandy American Cemetery in France. We have an incredible lineup for you this evening. At this hour, 75 years ago tonight, paratroopers were packing up. They were beginning their trip across the channel in black darkness like you see before me.

One of them was Tom Rice. Then, he was 21. Today, he is 97. We were with him when he did that jump. And our interview with Tom, who has become a friend of ours is coming up shortly and you want to stick around for that, quite remarkable.

Plus, two brothers who were just children when U.S. paratroopers landed in their hometown and freed them and their family from German occupation. But they never forgot it, and every day they continued to give back to those American soldiers in thanks. We had a wonderful conversation with them, that's coming up as well.

But first, the stunning D-Day tribute that unfolded today in England where world leaders, royalty, and hundreds of veterans all gathered to honor the pivotal moment of our world history.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN JENKINS, D-DAY VETERAN: It's right that the courage and sacrifice of so many is being honored 75 years on. We must never forget.

QUEEN ELIZABETH II, QUEEN OF THE UNITED KINGDOM: 75 years ago, hundreds of thousands of young soldiers, sailors, and airmen left these shores in the cause of freedom. It is with humility and pleasure on behalf of the entire country. Indeed, the whole free world that I say to you all. Thank you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MACCALLUM: Remarkable flyover, amazing ceremony today in England and Portsmouth. Bill Bennett, historian, Fox News contributor, host of the Bill Bennett podcast, joins me now.

Bill, it's great to have you with us tonight. You're the perfect person to talk about this. You know, it's one o'clock in the morning here and I keep imagining what would have been happening here 75 years ago at this moment.

The ground that we're on was occupied by Germany at the time. And across the channel, the onslaught was getting ready.

BILL BENNETT, CONTRIBUTOR: Absolutely. If I could know first so, just realizing where you're sitting, and I hadn't really fully realized where you'd be. In 2007, there was a conference in England, and you know, you saw the president's great words today but criticism from the American press and from political opponents his words were great.

In 2007, there was a conference, Archbishop of Canterbury was there and Colin Powell was there. Archbishop of Canterbury said, well, this Iraq thing is this just another effort to expand the American Empire. Colin Powell responded best thing I think he ever said. He said, "We have sent many young men and women abroad to fight for the freedom of others. The only land we have ever asked for in return was land to bury those who were not able to return." That's where you're sitting tonight, Martha. An enviable and holy place.

What was happening was -- I've always wondered whether Eisenhower was sleeping or not. There are many different reports, the men were getting ready, some were no doubt waiting, which is what one does in the military this was the greatest assault of a -- naval assault in history.

And interestingly, Martha, there was no back-up plan. There had been a lot of discussion, some criticism of this, others wanted other things to be done. But, this was the plan to side it on and Eisenhower said in his great American phrase, "OK, let's go."

MACCALLUM: Indeed he did. And you know, what's interesting to note is that Eisenhower had his own misgivings, I guess at times or just the thought in his mind that there was the possibility that it might not work. Of course, he didn't share that with those men when he was building them up and sending them off. And they were all -- even on the planes, they were reading his statement to themselves as they were coming across the channel.

BENNETT: Right, right.

MACCALLUM: But this is what he wrote in a -- in a substitute letter that he ended up putting in the drawer, and I want to put it up on the screen, Bill, and get your thoughts on this. This is what they would have heard had the Americans failed.

"Our landings in Cherbourg-Havre have failed to gain a satisfactory foothold and I have withdrawn the troops. My decision to attack at this time and place was based on the best information available. The troops, the air, and the Navy did all that bravery and devotion and duty could do. If any blame or fault attaches to this attempt, it is mine alone." Your thoughts on that, Bill.

BENNETT: Yes, he didn't say errors would have been made. I was misinformed. Mistakes in communication took place. It will be my fault alone, my responsibility alone. He took responsibility, this great general and underrated president. Truly a great president. And he was the responsible man, he's the man who gave the word. He knew the risk for the men who were her going off that night.

By the way, he was a prescient general, and later, as we advanced into Europe at the concentration camps. Eisenhower insisted on whole thousands of pictures of the camps. And when people said why so many? Eisenhower, said to his speech, some people will deny that this ever happened. People thought that was not possible, that people would deny it.

Eisenhower knew it would be an indeed it came to be. It was -- it was an incredible moment. And people had to be holding their breath. And imagine the feelings of those guys in those landing craft as they approached.

MACCALLUM: Bill, I think one of the most powerful ways to think about the meaning of what we are looking at here 75 years later is what the alternative would have been. What would the world be like today if this was not successful? If these people didn't lay down their lives, who are in the rows and rows of crosses behind me.

BENNETT: Yes, what if? A lot of speculation about that. I think the best guess. I said was some historians are not with others on this, is that the war certainly would have been prolonged. It's entirely possible that then maybe impregnable Germany from France, at least, we would have dropped the nuclear bombs there instead of a Japan and the war.

And that a Russia, Soviet Union, would have swept through Europe and made it all Russian property if you will. Communist Europe, European jewelry. The Jews of Europe may have been extinguished by then. Again, not good alternatives here. And thus, the significance of this event can hardly be -- can hardly be exaggerated.

MACCALLUM: Yes, and as you also point out most -- many of this man are making their last trip here.

(CROSSTALK)

BENNETT: Can I say -- can I -- I'm sorry.

MACCALLUM: Yes, go ahead. Sorry we got a little --

BENNETT: Yes, no, I was going to pick up on that. Their last trip, indeed. Just a few of them around, the next time we do this, if it's 10 years, maybe you know, none will be left.

But let me just say, you know, these great men, this greatest generation. Their bravery, their sacrifice is unbelievable, and not to take anything away from them. But when they are gone, there will be other men around and other women around. From Korea, from Vietnam, from Iraq, and Afghanistan.

And they don't get so many thanks and congratulations because those wars were not as much approved.

(CROSSTALK)

MACCALLUM: That's true. You know that's so true.

BENNETT: But their sacrifice, their effort, their courage, every bit is noble, and every bit worth celebrating. There are a lot of great generations and we keep turning them out in this amazing country.

MACCALLUM: Bill Bennett. Yes, point well-taken, sir. Thank you, Bill. Great to see you tonight. Thank you for being here with me.

BENNETT: Thank you, Martha. Thank you, well done.

MACCALLUM: So, one of the veterans that we'll refers to is returning -- thanks to him. Returning to Normandy today. 93-year-old corpsman. Navy corpsman Jack Gutman, who came all the way here from California. He's been documenting his entire trip with a little bit of help from his son, Craig.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JACK GUTMAN, FORMER NAVY CORPSMAN: I got my tag all set.

CRAIG GUTMAN, SON OF VETERAN JACK GUTMAN: Last few things.

J. GUTMAN: I got my passport. By the way, did you see a thing -- I need the passport now to go back to France. But 75 years ago, I didn't need a passport, you know, I just -- they let me right in without it.

We're looking forward to a great trip, and my son, and myself. So I'm excited, apprehensive, and a little mixed emotions. But I'll tell you what, I'm going to have a good time.

C. GUTMAN: Nice.

J. GUTMAN: Nice.

C. GUTMAN: Well, this is it. We're finally on a plane, ready to go. Are you ready?

J. GUTMAN: OK. I don't know how (INAUDIBLE)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MACCALLUM: Listen, Jack's a special man. And we've gotten to know him. He reached the cemetery today. A place he had never been. He hasn't been back since he was here in the war. And I spoke to Jack and his son Craig, with a fellow paratrooper named George Ciampa, who you've also met through our show over the last few weeks.

Those are the very moving moments, you can see Jack there earlier today. Watch.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

J. GUTMAN: Today was mixed emotions. I met some wonderful people here because I did not know what the French people were like here. And I was endowed, did they really appreciate what we did? Then, all of a sudden, I had people coming up and hugging me, and one of them meet me and take pictures with me.

And then, I was just, it was like euphoria. It was so exciting. And then I got to love these people that they really care. Then, I went on to the gravesite, walking through the graves and emotion took over. And I kept thinking to my heart, these -- but there are some men out there that I actually took care of, and I saw die on the beach. And I kept hearing the pleading and everything like that, and it just overtook me, and I just kind of broke down.

But I said once then, when I was -- when I'm going to -- when I was there, when I get there, I'm going to salute them, pray for them, and I cried. I had to cry. But I did do all of those things that I promised I would do. They will never be forgotten as all his Jack Gutman's alive.

MACCALLUM: Craig, what's just been like to go on this journey with your dad?

C. GUTTMAN: Well, it's been a real honor and I just want to say to you that as long as I'm alive, you, and you George and all veterans will never be forgotten.

It's I was just so honored to be here. And then, when we actually got to the cemetery today, and I saw my dad, and the pain he was going through just -- and the remembrance and -- I got almost as emotional as him. You know, I just -- because you can't just go to a person and take that grief away. And I know he's done so much work and he's helped himself so much. But this is -- this is just a great, great thing to be here with him for support. And I think he's going to get some real closure.

GEORGE CIAMPA, DOCUMENTARY FILMMAKER: I'm George Ciampa, and I was a 607th grieves registration company. Our job on D-Day was to pick up the dead that whoever was around us, including some paratroopers that landed in the channel and their parachutes come down over them with all that weight they drowned. And so, there were dead bodies and we got there.

We got into -- everybody asked me what a wave? You know, there's a lot of waves in the ocean. I don't know what wave I was in, nobody tell. I was a private. You do as you're told and that what's my job for 11 months. Every day from D-Day to the Battle of Bautzen, you know, Germany. And working every day with a body, 75,000 in 17 temporary cemeteries.

And until we got into Germany, where we had the last temporary cemetery there. And there was the end of the war.

MACCALLUM: Jack Gutman, tell me your role in -- on D-Day, which battalion -- you know, which division you were with?

J. GUTTMAN: We thought it was going to be a cakewalk because we were coming in later in the day because it's started early. And we came in there say, three, four hours later. And one of the problems is that they did disable the bunkers, and unfortunately, there was just a horrible thing. And we came into Omaha, and we saw the bodies lying around and all of the things.

My job was a medic to patch up the wounded and evacuate them. It becomes very personal. This was the big problem because you got people needing you, and needing -- do the very best you can.

And I think basically one of the things I kept wondering about all the time was did I do enough and that was -- I kind of laid on my heart for many, many years.

MACCALLUM: George, you have made this whole chapter of your life about remembering these stories, making movies about them, bringing veterans like Jack back here so that they can get that closure and that they can revisit those who they lost here. What has it been like for you on this 75th anniversary?

CIAMPA: Well, I've been working on all year on this. I've done five documentaries. I talked to kids in schools about the high price of freedom because I saw the high price of freedom. He saw the high price of freedom. When you see bodies every day for 11 months, guys your own age, and you got to look at them and all the different conditions are in, it's something you never forget.

Did I have nightmares? No. Did I dream about it? No. But I think about it a lot. I think about these guys that were young guys like I was, 18, 19, 20, some guys were 16. They lied about their age. And they didn't get a chance to live their life. Some of them never had a girlfriend or wife, kids like I have and live as long as I've lived. I'm almost 94 years old now.

MACCALLUM: Jack, when you look at that ribbon that says 75 years, can you believe it.

J. GUTMAN It's gone by so fast. Yes, I'll tell you, it's been -- it's been so exciting and I can't thank this man that contacted me and got me to come here because I -- all I know was the beach and that little piece of beach. I've never seen all of this beauty they got here in France, and the people, and how warm they are. And not only that, how appreciative. It just changed my life.

MACCALLUM: Well, we all love all of you guys, and we are so grateful to you for telling your stories to us. And we hope we can continue to share those stories as we move forward so that they never get forgotten. And I love what you're doing with the history teachers to instill in them that passion so that they can teach our children about it. Gentlemen, thank you so much.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MACCALLUM: Great heroes, those men. It's our honor to talk to them. Our live coverage from Normandy tonight continues next with a remarkable scene in the skies above France today as one of the paratroopers who made this jump 75 years ago this week got up there again and did it today at the age of 97. Our exclusive interview with a man who's got a lot of attention here, Tom Rice. Moments after he landed, we were with him. That's coming up.

And big news today out of Washington. As the world goes on back at home, rising tensions in Washington. Members of the Trump administration come face-to-face with leaders of Mexico. Can they come up with a deal to stop the impending tariffs?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MACCALLUM: Fox News Alert here. We are just getting some information on the talks over Mexico tariffs. We've got some brand-new statements coming in from the Mexican Foreign Minister just moments ago. The meetings have ended for tonight. He said they were "cordial." It doesn't look like they got anywhere yet in all of this.

He suggested that the United States is looking for a short-term solution at the border and says that Mexico is more interested in a long-term solution. President Trump also just tweeting moments ago about this saying that the talks have ended for tonight, but he says that progress is being made.

So this comes on the heels of new information today that there is a "full- blown emergency at our Southern Border tonight according to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials. The agency released absolutely stunning numbers. Look at this. 132,000 apprehensions in the month of May alone. That's 30 percent bigger than April. It's double what we had in February.

The agency also produced this chart. Take a look at the yellow line here. Look at what's going on with apprehensions. You don't need to be a scientist to figure out that this is a trend that is moving sharply higher in the fiscal year of 2019 so far, higher -- significantly higher than the past six years.

President Trump in Ireland this afternoon saying this about the tariff threat that he poses against Mexico.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: Mexico, look, the drugs that are coming in, the people that are coming in unchecked, they're slapping up, they're coming up by the millions. Mexico could stop it. They have to stop it, otherwise, we just won't be able to do business. It's a very simple thing. And I think they will suffer. I think they want to do something. I think they want to make a deal.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MACCALLUM: Yes, but the president has got an issue here because not all Republicans are on board here. Watch this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. MITCH MCCONNELL, R-KY: We're not fans of tariffs. We're still hoping that this can be avoided.

SEN. JOHN KENNEDY, R-LA: I'm worried about the tariffs. I worried that the harm to our economy will be greater than the tearing effect on Mexico slapping.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Slapping a tax on every time it comes across in one direction could be -- could be very damaging. So let's hope this doesn't happen.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MACCALLUM: So you get the idea. Joining me now Andy Puzder, author of the Capitalists Comeback and former CKE Restaurants CEO. Austan Goolsbee Economics Professor at University of Chicago's Booth School of Business and former President Obama's chief economist. Gentlemen, this is you know, very interesting. The President says he's sticking to his guns on this but Andy, let me start with you. People in his own party say that they think this is a mistake.

ANDY PUZDER, FORMER CEO, CKE RESTAURANTS: Well, look, you can't really judge this as an economic move. This is a political move. He needs to -- we need to address the emergency at the border. And if these Republicans who aren't siding with the President have a better solution than they should propose it and come up with it because something has got to be done.

As you said, there is a dire emergency at the border now. It's -- we've gone from a crisis to a dire emergency and you know, nobody else is coming up with anything. I think the president feels like he needs to act, he has to act, and if Congress isn't going to support him, there's not a lot of other choices.

MACCALLUM: Yes, so I mean, that raises the question. You know, we had so much back in fourth, Austan, over is it a crisis, isn't it a crisis. I remember a reporter standing up at the White House saying that the president was making the whole thing up, that it was a manufactured crisis. Now you've got 132,000 apprehensions at the border. So the question is what would you do? What would you do, Austan? What would you recommend the president do?

AUSTAN GOOLSBEE, ECONOMICS PROFESSOR, UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO'S BOOTH SCHOOL OF BUSINESS: Well, I would recommend the president pass a law. If you want to address immigration, then go do something that the majority of the American people support. Don't start locking kids in cages, don't separate families from their kids and deport the parents.

You saw when the president took those approaches to immigration. He did so promising that it would deter people from coming to the border. It did nothing of the sort. And what you do not do is then go create an economic problem for U.S. manufacturing which is to put a multi-hundred billion dollar tax on American workers and American consumers to try to punish some other government.

I think it's non-constitutional. It violates article one of the Constitution, and it keeps the belying the basic question, why can't the president just go pass a bill like the Constitution outlined? And the reason is because they don't support his policy.

MACCALLUM: Well, you could have asked the same question of all of the previous presidents, you know, President Bush, President Obama, why doesn't the president just pass a law? Well, we know the reality of why that doesn't happen, because both sides are so dug in on the advantages that this gives to them politically.

But I think the American people are so sick and tired of watching what's going on at the border that that Andy, you know, perhaps this is something that will push the Mexican government to the table and insist that they help block their southern border and their northern border so that we don't have this influx that's just simply unmanageable.

I mean, is there a political solution here and are we getting somewhere in these talks that we just reported on?

PUZDER: Yes, as Austan well know, the President doesn't pass a law, Congress passes law. And Congress won't help him pass, the Democrats will not pass a law. There's not going to be a law. He's President of the United States. He has to act. He is acting.

And if you wonder -- you wonder whether this is going to work or not, well, the Mexicans are at the table. They were in Washington D.C. today. They're talking. They'll talk again tomorrow. Hopefully, this will bring some kind of resolution to the emergency that were -- that we're now being impacted by at the border.

Long-term the solution should be legislation but both parties going to have to work together to accomplish that. And I think as everybody knows, that's not going to happen before the election.

MACCALLUM: Austan?

GOOLSBEE: Well, I would just say, the reason the President can't get legislation passed is because literally three-quarters of the country disagree with the approach that he's taking. They don't favor putting kids in cages. They don't favor separating children from their parents and deporting the parents. They don't favor building the wall.

MACCALLUM: Austan, I mean, I know -- I understand that that's you know, that's a very bad moment in this conversation, but to keep going back to it doesn't really get us anywhere. So you know, you have to -- I asked you the first time like what would you do? And you said, I would -- you know, the president should pass a law, which is you know, as Andy just explained isn't how it works and you know --

GOOLSBEE: Yes, you don't -- I don't see how putting the past --

MACCALLUM: So I was looking for one suggestion from you as to something else that would be concrete that would stop the influx at the border right now, specifically.

GOOLSBEE: OK. I can give you three. But let's start with financial aid to the -- to the enforcement community that they would allow asylum seekers to come in and apply according to U.S. law and that if they were granted asylum, then they would be allowed to come in legally, so it would not be illegal.

MACCALLUM: All right, so change the asylum laws. All right, I'm over time but, change the asylum laws.

PUZDER: Where do you expect to get the money from? But (INAUDIBLE) money for the wall. Where would you get the money from?

MACCALLUM: Well we'll pick it up here next time, gentlemen. Thank you very much. Good to see you tonight. When we come back, Democratic presidential candidate Tulsi Gabbard is joining us, a veteran herself. Here to talk about D-Day and more.

We are live in Normandy, France where the fireworks tonight over the American Cemetery on the 75th anniversary of D-Day were what we walked into this evening when we came here to this amazing special place when we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MACCALLUM: So you've got this battle over Mexico tariffs raging on in Washington tonight, but another immigration controversy is also heating up. A handful of Republican votes, House Democrats -- with a handful of Republican votes I should say -- House Democrats passed the latest version of the Dream Act.

It would place millions of undocumented immigrants on a path to citizenship but does this bill have a future. Joining me now, Tulsi Gabbard, Democratic congresswoman and 2020 presidential candidate. Good to see you this evening Congresswoman.

REP. TULSI GABBARD, D-HI: Aloha Martha.

MACCALLUM: Does this bill have any -- hello there. We have a little bit of a delay just so you know, but does it have any future? I mean, it's unlikely to pass the Senate and probably likely to not get signed by the president.

GABBARD: Well, we certainly hope so. You know, this bill that passed with bipartisan support seeks to address a deeply concerning issue about how people who were brought here into this country as children with no choice of their own, have been living in fear and uncertainty with no path towards a future.

So that's what this bill seek to address, is to say hey, these people who have known no other country but the United States of America as their home should have the opportunity to earn their citizenship and this bill provides the path to do that.

MACCALLUM: Yes, I mean, it seems like there have been moments where both sides felt like something along those lines could pass. It feels like this probably isn't one of them as we head into an election moment here. You are running for president, I mean, does this give you something and other Democrats something that they can run on and sort of offer as, you know, this is what we would try to push through if we could win both houses and the presidency?

GABBARD: Oh look, I think, you know, you mentioned just in the last segment, the hyper-partisanship around this issue has gotten in the way of actually delivering a real solution. You know, this legislation and finding a solution for these dreamers is something that has had bipartisan support, that does have bipartisan support.

But it continues to be blocked because of partisan reasons. The American people are sick and tired of this. It's time to get the job done. Pass legislation and then continue to work towards comprehensive immigration reform that we all agree needs to happen.

MACCALLUM: It would be great if that could happen over the next 18 months and there could be some common ground found. Before I let you go, I just have about 30 seconds left, but I would love to give you a moment to speak about what we're here for, which is the 75th anniversary of D-Day. You have served your country in Iraq honorably. What are your thoughts tonight?

GABBARD: It's so inspiring. It's incredibly inspiring hearing the stories of these heroes who served there, who served during World War II, who dropped into Normandy, who jumped off those boats and literally ran towards the fire. They are the epitome of what it means to put service above self, to put your country first.

This is something that I saw in my fellow soldiers during my deployment to Iraq where, you know, there is no Democrats or Republicans, Hindus, Christian, Muslims, black, brown, or white. No, we were all standing united to serve our country, put service above self. And that's the spirit that I will bring to the White House, to the administration -- to put our country first.

MACCALLUM: Tulsi Gabbard, thank you. Thank you very much for your service and for being here tonight.

GABBARD: Thanks.

MACCALLUM: Our coverage live from Normandy continues.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MACCALLUM: In the rows of white crosses behind me lie 9,388 Americans across 172 acres. Most of them died in the early days of the invasion what the French like to call "The Liberation." Most of then died on the beaches or in the hedgerows. Some were paratroopers who drowned in the fields that have been flooded by Germans.

The first village that they freed was a small town called Sainte-Mere- Eglise. In that town, lived a young French mother name Simone Renaud. She made it her mission to watch over the original cemetery, which was in her town and pay her gratitude to the young men who gave so much for her freedom.

She wanted to send a message to their families back home and she did that by planting flowers at their graves, by watching over them, by sending photos to their parents and letters over the years. Today, I had the privilege to speak with her two sons.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MAURICE RENAUD, FAMILY LIBERATED BY AMERICAN TROOPS: She, I mean, Frank and I was like 4 or 5 years old so, she was taking me to the graves and to lay flowers with her. And so we did that quite often to be remember that in Sainte-Mere-Eglise we had three cemeteries, two in town and one about two miles away from here.

We had total of 13,000 graves of American soldiers. That was huge. So, you know, the sadness of the families coming and it was such a comfort for them to receive news and photograph of the grave and some kind of flower or something, which my mother was sending to these families.

She wrote hundreds of letters to American families to bring them some comfort. It was like a religion for her. Frankly, I mean, she devoted all of her time to doing that.

MACCALLUM: Did any of those families ever come here?

M. RENAUD: Yes, they did. We had one, Mrs. Morrow, was living in Tucson, Arizona. The son was killed by a sniper about five miles west of Sainte- Mere-Eglise, and she came here and spent a year and she was going every day on these graves, reading a book to her son.

MACCALLUM: Henri-Jean, why do you think your mother had such a special relationship with America and with these American soldiers?

HENRI-JEAN RENAUD, FAMILY LIBERATED BY AMERICAN TROOPS: My father was a soldier during World War I. He had been captured by Germany in 1917 and he knew what it was to have war and I think he was a real patriarch and he loved his country and he appreciate all the sacrifice of all of these young guys who came from overseas.

MACCALLUM: What do you think when you see the veterans come back year after year, they want to see where their friends are buried now in the American cemetery? What is your feeling when you see them return?

M. RENAUD: Well, you know, my father, he said my guess is in the years to come the American veterans will come back to Sainte-Mere-Eglise and drop flowers on the cemeteries, over the cemeteries. So, he predicted what was going to happen.

And we have hundreds of veterans, thousands of veterans which we welcome in Saite-Mere-Eglise. We are absolutely great friends of the American military and every year they receive a welcome everywhere. I mean, you see American flags everywhere.

MACCALLUM: Do you worry now that so many of them are in their 90s that over time, your children, your family or grandchildren, our families will forget?

H. RENAUD: It gets me sad because I know that it's the last time the veterans are coming. And I think I did many things during many years to welcome them when they were coming. I have been very open with them in the fields. They try to find the place where they landed and the place where they had a friend who had been killed. This was very moving for me.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MACCALLUM: Special men. Great to meet them today. When we come back, he jumped out of a plane on D-Day. Now, 75 years later, he's back doing it again. Our exclusive interview with World War II paratrooper that everybody is talking about today, Tom Rice.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TOM RICE, WORLD WAR II VETERAN: The best way would to be show the individuals in the 501 Parachute Infantry that they will never be forgotten.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MACCALLUM: Set tomorrow of course is the 6th, the actual anniversary of D- Day, but today was also pretty special here in France. We had military planes flying over the fields this morning as they did 75 years ago. This time, there were paratroopers jumping out as well, but they had a bit of a different mission today, watch this.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MACCALLUM: This enormous crowd and the miles of traffic that go along with it are here to watch the paratroopers as they come out of the sky to mark the 75th anniversary of June 5th, when the paratrooper dropped in the night before D-Day.

But one of the main attractions here today is a man named Tom Rice. Tom is 97-years-old and he has jumped every year for the past six years to remember those who were lost and to make sure that everyone remembers the sacrifice that was made on that day.

Tom is about to jump. We're here ready for him to do that. He's going to have an enormous American flag hanging behind him making as he makes his seventh jump in the last six years. We will be watching.

(CROWD CHEERING)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Are you OK?

(LAUGHING)

RICE: We're OK.

(LAUGHING)

(APPLAUDING)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Great jump.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hey!

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Sorry about the landing.

RICE: Oh, that's OK.

(LAUGHING)

RICE: Nobody got hurt.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There you go, sir.

(APPLAUDING)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You looked good.

MACCALLUM: Tom, congratulations on your jump.

RICE: Well, thank you very kindly. It was a great jump.

MACCALLUM: What was going through your mind as you were riding in the plane over the skies here above Carentan? What were you thinking about?

RICE: Looking at the beautiful landscape. And my body was in one place and my mind was in another place and I didn't get them both together until I left the aircraft. It was a beautiful fall at 128 miles an hour. It was a little cold too.

MACCALLUM: Was it?

RICE: Yes.

MACCALLUM: And talk to me about the first time that you made that jump and did you think about that at all as you were heading up there tonight -- today?

RICE: This is one of the closures for that jump because everything was for the most part repeated except this was a day light jump and the Normandy jump in 1944 was a night time jump and I didn't know where I was.

If I knew where I was here, and then we had the American flag flying below us, I could not see it, but that probably was very beautiful. I think it was the maximum size flight you could possibly carry that would be safe.

MACCALLUM: That's incredible. There are so many people here watching you jump today. What do you think about the deep interest in the 75th anniversary of Normandy? What does it mean to you that so many people are here to honor you and so many people are grateful to you for the sacrifice that you and so many others made?

RICE: Well, I evidently represent the United States coming here and in a way we brought -- this might be the conclusion for me or a closure of all of the fame, shame and blame that we all gathered together, you know? And it's fantastic that so many people -- I can understand why the attitude of Hollywood people surrounded by millions of people like this.

And I really appreciate all their love and their kindness and their heart felt emotions. So, I'm trying to match that and I will have a (inaudible) little bit of time to do it because there've been so much excitement and so many things going on so quickly. I am left in suspended animation. I don't want to have a catatonic seizure.

(LAUGHING)

MACCALLUM: Tom, we are going to let you go. I want to thank you so much and congratulations on your jump. This is the 7th jump that have you done I think in the last seven years, right?

RICE: Yes, yes, that's right, seven.

MACCALLUM: Congratulations to you and thank you so much for all that you have done for our country.

RICE: Well, you're quite welcome. I'm going to keep on going as long as I'm --

MACCALLUM: Keep on going.

RICE: Yes.

MACCALLUM: Thank you Tom.

RICE: I am not a dead man walking yet.

MACCALLUM: Absolutely. Far from it. Far from it. Thank you, Tom. Great to see you again. Many thanks. Take care.

(CHEERING)

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MACCALLUM: Wow, we should all be as with it and athletic as Tom Rice is at age 97. I think he is going to keep going and going as he says. I just want to point to the scene behind me and the flags that were placed by volunteers today.

American and French flag side by side on every one of these white crosses. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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