YORKVILLE, Wis. — Sgt. William White had not gone skydiving in more than 10 years, since before the military accident that took his arm and leg.
White missed the adrenaline rush and the sudden calm when the parachute opens.
But he doesn't miss those things anymore.
White, 47, went skydiving again recently as part of the fourth annual Tandems for Troops event at Skydive Midwest, 13851 56th Road. The event included free skydives for disabled veterans.
"It's a great program," White said, explaining it gives veterans needed opportunities. "The guys that are injured, their life goes on ... stuff like this gets them out of the house, gives them something to do."
It also raises money for them through donations and food and merchandise sales. The money will go to the BlueSkies Foundation, a nonprofit started by Skydive Midwest owner Keith George to help disabled veterans with medical payments. George, a skydiver and a Marine who served in Iraq, came up with the idea for the nonprofit after he came back from the Middle East and was talking with friends about wanting to help disabled veterans, Rose said.
Now the nonprofit is 4 years old and through the annual Tandems for Troops event it helps individual veterans in Northern Illinois and Southeastern Wisconsin by giving them money for medical expenses, usually around $1,000, said Teddy Montoya, president of the BlueSkies Foundation and a skydiver himself.
"The government unfortunately doesn't take care of these guys the way they should," Montoya said. "They give them the minimum. Some guys want a better wheelchair or may want specialized medical care that's not covered...We can't solve the problem but we're trying to make things a little easier for them."
The BlueSkies Foundation also tries to make things a little more exciting for veterans through the free skydiving. About 20 disabled veterans did the recent free skydiving including White, Montoya said.
White served overseas in combat as a Marine but was injured working at Southern California's Camp Pendleton in 2000.
"We were erecting a new antenna. We hit an unmarked underground (electricity) distribution line," White said, explaining that the line sent 100,000 volts of electricity through his body. He ended up losing his right arm above the elbow and his right leg just below the knee. He now has metal prosthetics.
He kept his prosthetic leg on for the skydive jump but removed his arm to be sure it wouldn't get caught in the parachute.
His jump went off without a hitch and White and the professional who jumped with him came gracefully to the ground, their blue and white parachute swinging through the sky.
"When you're free-falling you've got the wind rushing by and then when you pop the 'chute you're just hanging out checking out the scenery," White said. "You can't pass up the view. I enjoyed it a lot."
Information from: The Journal Times, http://www.journaltimes.com