Tom Rice was just a small town boy with no idea that he was destined to become an international hero. Then came the threat of fascism swallowing up all of Europe.
Heroes. They are often the most ordinary of people doing extraordinary things in times of crisis. They step into harm’s way, sometimes putting their own lives at risk, for the greater good of others. They act without thought of recognition or reward, simply because it’s the right thing to do.
As Joseph Campbell, author of A Hero’s Journey, puts it, “A hero is someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself.”
This was Tom Rice… and then some.
Born in Coronado on August 15, 1921, Tom’s life was fairly typical for a boy growing up in a small, sunny, quaint community. He attended our public schools, and in summertime he served as one of the first lifeguards at our local beach.
But before he could go to college, historic events were calling young Tom’s generation into action. After graduating from Coronado High School in 1940, with WWII underway and America on the brink of joining the conflict, Tom answered that call by joining the Army.
Following rigorous training, Tom became a member of the 101st Airborne Division and would command a small paratrooper combat group.
His unit deployed in 1944, and on June 6, shortly after midnight in terrible weather, they were dropped into Normandy on D-Day.
Just before he jumped, Tom’s plane came under heavy German anti-aircraft fire. As the pilot took evasive action, Tom prepared to jump but was slammed into the fuselage and got caught on the open door of the plane. Somehow, he managed to free himself, open his parachute and land safely. He eventually reunited with his unit and fought for weeks as the Allied Forces sought to liberate France.
During skirmishes with the Nazis, Tom was wounded by shrapnel and a sniper bullet that struck his left knee.
In the fall of 1944, Tom took part in Operation Market Garden, a military campaign in the Netherlands designed to establish an invasion route into northern Germany.
That winter he was wounded again, this time in the Battle of the Bulge in Bastogne, when enemy bullets tore a four-inch piece off the radial bone just below his right elbow.
In 1945, Tom was in Germany when the 101st Paratroopers unit captured Hitler’s “Eagle’s Nest” on Kehlstein Mountain in the Bavarian Alps.
Tom kept a souvenir from that raid: A copy of Adolf Hitler’s Mein Kampf.
On May 7, 1945, the Germans surrendered.
Tom was honorably discharged in 1946, and subsequently awarded numerous military honors including:
A Purple Heart with two Oak Leaf Clusters
Two Invasion Arrows
A Combat Infantry Badge
A Bronze Star with Cluster
A Good Conduct Medal
A French Fourregue (created by Napoleon for units that distinguished themselves in battle)
A Belgium Lanyard (awarded to American units who fought with distinguished service in the liberation of Belgium in WWII)
A Parachutist Badge (a military badge of the US Armed Forces also commonly referred to as “Jump Wings”)
In April 2015, the French government honored Tom and thirteen other veterans by appointing them Knights of the Legion of Honor for their heroic service in the liberation of France during WWII. This is the highest honor that France grants citizens and foreigners.
After being honorably discharged, Tom returned to live in his family home in Coronado, went on to graduate from San Diego State University, fathered five children, and taught social studies and history in San Diego for 44 years.
Tom was out of the military, but he wasn’t about to stop jumping out of planes. At age 97 he parachuted, in tandem, near his original landing spot in France during celebrations on the 75th anniversary of D-Day.
I met Tom Rice in 2019 while doing a story on a documentary on Tom’s Normandy Jump that was premiering at our local Village Theatre.
Like everyone else, I was immediately taken with Tom. I had never met such a humble, resilient and inspirational warrior. Here was a hometown hero, a national hero, an international hero, and a man still going strong as he approached a full century of life.
On June 6, 2021, Liberty Bells were rung throughout the world to mark the 77th anniversary of D-Day.
I was with Tom onboard the USS Midway in San Diego as he rang the ship’s bell while repeating “never forget, never forget.”
I would soon become an informal member of “Team Tom” and help plan a special event for his 100th birthday on August 15, 2021. Tom’s intention had been to jump into Normandy again, but the pandemic prevented international travel.
So we arranged for Tom to celebrate his centennial birthday by boarding the Air Force’s commemorative “D-Day Doll” to parachute onto the beach at the Hotel del Coronado as thousands cheered him on.
Tom’s 100th birthday jump was a spectacular and unforgettable event. It brought our community together during the pandemic just as many were feeling isolated, alienated and divided.
I’ll never forget how awestruck we all were as he floated down through the sky towards the soft sand of the beach, his landing area secured by retired Navy SEALs, the crowd cheering and singing happy birthday as he touched down.
Children’s eyes were open wide with awe, knowing in their own way that here was someone special, some surely dreaming that one day they might do great things themselves.
In our current times, with authoritarian regimes on the rise, a resurgence of fascism, and threats to our own democracy, it’s essential to remember those who courageously step up when stepping up is needed.
Tom reminds us that if we dig down deeply enough we might just find something within ourselves that we didn’t know was there. One day, in the near or distant future, one of us might step far beyond our perceived boundaries and perform a heroic act of our own, little realizing that our actions were prompted, in part, by a flame ignited in our hearts as WWII Paratrooper Tom Rice parachuted onto Coronado Beach for his 100th birthday.
This is what heroes do. They inspire us. Bring us together. Show us what’s possible. This was Tom Rice. Patriot. Hometown Hero. Humble. Resilient. Inspirational. A man whose remarkable life is remembered and honored by millions of people around the world.
I Miss You Tom Rice!
NOTE: Tom’s 100th birthday jump would not have happened without the sustained efforts of so many, most notably CJ Machado of Operation Call to Service, Christophe Dugas of Team Tom, parachutist Art Shaffer of Skydive Palatka, Honor Flight San Diego, WWII Living History Paratroopers, “Beyond The Teams” prior Navy SEALs, the Hotel del Coronado, Discover Coronado, City of Coronado and Tom Jones – CEO of Seaborne Cocktails.
Aerial Cinematography by Juan Arango of the Round Canopy Parachuting Team
Ground footage: Brad Willis, Morgan Willis, Laura Plumb
A few more of my videos on Tom: