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Veteran skydivers parachute into Globe Life Field to honor fallen military, first responders

Four skydivers commemorated Memorial Day by parachuting into the stadium with a 1,400-square-foot U.S. flag trailing behind them.

With a 1,400-square-foot U.S. flag in tow Monday, four veterans leaped out of a plane 10,000 feet in the air and landed in Globe Life Field to honor fallen military heroes, as well as health care workers and first responders during the coronavirus pandemic.

Fighting through the wind and rain, Mike Elliott, president of the All Veteran Group and a retired U.S. Army Golden Knight, led the parachute demonstration to commemorate Memorial Day. Colorful smoke trails traced through the sky as they touched down in the new ballpark for the event, which was dubbed Operation Airdrop.

President of the All Veteran Group Mike Elliott parachutes with an American flag as part of...
President of the All Veteran Group Mike Elliott parachutes with an American flag as part of Operation Airdrop on May 25, 2020 in Arlington. The Memorial Day event was held to honor frontline workers and departed military personnel.(Juan Figueroa / Staff Photographer)
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Dozens of onlookers watched the demonstration from below.

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“They seem to sort of calmly flow when you see them so high up, but as they come and approach the ground, it seems like they’re coming in really fast,” Joe Daniels, National Medal of Honor Museum CEO, said in an interview after the event. “It was really special for us all to be there.”

Daniels said it is important to honor military personnel who died in service, and the event demonstrated the patriotism of North Texas. The National Medal of Honor Museum will be located near Globe Life Field and is scheduled to open in 2024.

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The demonstration was organized by the Airpower Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting U.S. military members and their families. Another demonstration was scheduled earlier in the day in Fort Worth, but was canceled due to bad weather.

Medal of Honor Recipient Mike Thornton (left) congratulates president of the All Veteran...
Medal of Honor Recipient Mike Thornton (left) congratulates president of the All Veteran Group Mike Elliott after parachuting with an American flag as part of Operation Airdrop on May 25, 2020 in Arlington. The Memorial Day event was held to honor frontline workers and departed military personnel.(Juan Figueroa / Staff Photographer)

Michael Thornton, Medal of Honor recipient and founding member of SEAL Team Six, was recognized during the event.

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“It’s my honor to honor the ones that have given the utmost,” Thornton said in an interview after the event. “I’ve seen a lot of my fellow friends, brothers, comrades in arms, not been able to come back.”

It’s important to recognize those who have fallen in combat every day, he said. It is also important to recognize those who are responding to the coronavirus outbreak.

“We’re fighting an enemy. It has no face. It has no nationality. It has no race. It has no religion,” he said, referring to COVID-19. “We’re fighting an enemy that wants to take everybody’s lives.”

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