World War II paratrooper veteran does first sky dive aged 92

A 92-year-old World War II paratrooper veteran has finally earned his jump wings. The great-grandfather did his first skydive 69 years after the war finished in 1945 – before he had the chance to jump.

Ralph Mayville had joined and trained with the elite Canadian and American paratrooper unit, The Black Devils, missing out on the chance to do a parachute jump before Germany and Japan surrendered. While the Canadian had been given jump wings by the American and Canadian military, he has never felt able to wear them on his uniform.

After landing, he had the wings pinned to his jump jacket by a fellow Black Devil veteran. Mr Mayville jumped from 4267m with a skydiving instructor saying of the experience: ‘It was so beautiful.’

source: www.metro.co.uk

paratrooper – ejtőernyős

to earn – kiérdemelni

jump wings – kanadai hadsereg ejtőernyős jelvénye

great-grandfather – dédapa

skydive – ejtőernyős ugrás

the chance to do something – lehetőség valamire

elite unit – elit alakulat

to miss out on – kimaradni valamiből, lemaradni valamiről

to surrender – megadja magát

military – katonaság, hadsereg

to feel able to – képesnek érzi magát

to pin – feltűzni

instructor – oktató

Fill in the gaps with the right words. There is one extra.

1. Have you ever tried ……………….. ?

2. Tom decided to join the ……………….. . His father was a soldier, too.

3. I’d like to go back to Rome. I didn’t have ……………….. visit the Vatican.

4. My driving ……………….. is on holiday. I can’t practice now.

5. I’ll take a taxi. I don’t ……………….. walk so far.

answers: 1-skydiving 2-military 3-the chance to 4-instructor 5-feel able to