90-Year-Old Veteran Shares the Unexpected Way He Honors His Late Wife by Skydiving
July 18, 2024
90-year-old veteran, Bill Rodgers of New Hampshire, goes skydiving once a year for a very special reason. He goes to honor his late wife, Natalie, who passed away in 2017.
Bill and Natalie were married for 63 years when she passed away in March 2017 after a stroke. The two welcomed two children, four grandchildren, and eight great-grandchildren over the years. They met at a football game when Bill was just 14 years old.
RELATED: Family Took in a Homeless 73-Year-Old Veteran and It Changed His Life
It Was Love At First Sight
"When I first looked at her, I couldn't keep my eyes off her. I asked her to walk her home. She agreed," Bill says in a video from WMUR-TV. "We held hands. I walked her home. We looked at each other. And we both knew then it was going to be forever."
On July 7th, Bill went skydiving in Pepperell, MA. This was his sixth time skydiving. "My wife talked to me all the way down," Bill says. "She said, 'I've got you in my arms.'"
What a heartwarming and adventurous thing to do each year. Going skydiving isn't for everyone, but for Bill, it's a way to feel closer to his beloved wife. For him, it isn't just jumping out of a plane; it's a way to celebrate his marriage and remember all the time the two of them had together.
RELATED: Dying Veteran Is Deeply Moved As the Diploma He’d Never Received Is Delivered to His Bedside
Bill Feels Close to Natalie When He Goes Skydiving
"I love doing it because I know I'm in her arms all the way to the ground," the Korean War veteran says. His interview shows how much he truly loved his wife and their years together.
"She was just an amazing human being. Everybody loved her. I loved her more than life. I still do," Bill tells the reporter. And that much is clear.
When asked what Natalie would think of him going skydiving? Bill replies, "Every time I jump out of a plane, I can hear her say, 'Billy, you're as crazy as ever.' "
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: 100-Year-Old Veteran Began Walking, Rain or Shine, to Raise Money & Look How Far He’s Gone
WATCH: 90-Year-Old Veteran Going Skydiving to Remember His Wife
"Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;" -Ephesians 5:25
LISTEN: Grieving Dad Shares How 6-Year-Old Daughter Found Jesus | Bride Riding in Bed of Truck Flies Off Days Before Wedding
h/t: People
Featured Image Credit: YouTube/WMUR-TV
Most Recent Blog
Today's Devotional
A Prayer for God to Make You into the Person He Wants You to Be - Your Daily Prayer - April 23
Many of us want things to work out in our timelines, a certain amount of compensation for our time, and our way. However, this is the exact opposite of how Jesus lived.
Top Artists
Top Music Videos
Bill and Gloria Gaither Guy Penrod's Stirring Live Performance of 'Then Came The Morning'
Alabama Live Performance of 'Because He Lives' by Alabama
Danny Gokey Official Music Video For Uplifting ‘I Got You’ Danny Gokey
Brooke Ligertwood Brooke Ligertwood Moving 'Calvary's Enough' Live Performance
Jeremy Camp Jeremy Camp Lyric Video for Powerful ‘Again’
Blog
At GodTube, you’ll find daily inspirational videos to lift your spirits and encourage you in your walk with God. Popular videos include worship music from your favorite Christian artists, cute videos with adorable kids and animals, hilarious videos from Christian comedians, user-uploaded videos, and clean viral videos to brighten your day.