102-year-old World War II veteran checks skydiving off her bucket list
A World War II veteran was honored in her hometown on Thursday. For more than a century, she has never stopped reaching new heights.
Millie Bailey said she always wanted to go skydiving, and she recently checked that off her bucket list – at the age of 102.
When asked what it was like to jump out of an airplane, Bailey responded, "It was great. At one point, the wind had gotten pretty strong, and I was tumbling, and I felt like I was by myself. I wondered where the paratrooper had gone."
She called it the thrill of a lifetime – a lifetime that's been full of thrills. One of the biggest she said was meeting former President Barack Obama, who honored her military service.
In World War II, she joined the Women's Army Corps, rising to Unit Commander, and was one of only two African American women in her class at Adjutant General School. She retired from government service 45 years ago.
"Did you slow down when you retired?" CBS News asked Bailey.
"Not really," she replied.
Bailey enjoyed one more thrill. A park in Columbia, Maryland, was named for her in honor of her devotion to serving others
Having conquered skydiving, she now has her sights set on the next big thrill.
"I still would like to meet Michelle Obama," said Bailey. "That would take the last thing off my bucket list."