Celebrate National Airborne Day on Saturday

The entire community is invited to join paratroopers past and present as they gather at Fayetteville’s to celebrate the first U.S. soldiers to jump out of “perfectly good airplanes”  on National Airborne Day. 

This year’s event, to be held on Saturday, August 24 from 10a.m. to 3p.m., marks the 73rd anniversary of the first sets of parachute jumps at Fort Benning in Columbus, Georgia.

The  celebration will include  free-fall parachute demonstrations by the Golden Knights, the U.S. Army Parachute Team; the Black Daggers of the U.S. Army Special Operations Command; and the 82nd Airborne Division's All American Freefall Team. Visitors can talk with soldiers from Fort Bragg as they display modern weapons, equipment and machinery alongside those used since World War II.  Re-enactors, dressed in WW II uniforms will also walk amongst soldiers of today.

A ceremonial wreath will be laid in front of the iconic “Iron Mike” statue in honor of all Airborne and special operations soldiers who have fallen in defense of the United States.

President George W. Bush, President of the United States of America proclaimed August 16, 2002, as National Airborne Day and on August 3, 2009 the Senate recognized National Airborne Day with Senate Resolution 235.