My WWII Plane Jump - Remembering tough times
By J. Tyler Thompson, CFP®, CEPA®, AAMS®, WMS®
Last month was a special time for me as I had the opportunity and privilege to jump (my first jump in 6 years!) out of Tico Belle, an old WWII era C-47. A remarkable flying memorial to the men who flew her and flew into combat in her. More than 75 years ago, on the 5th of June 1944 she, along with hundreds like her at other airfields all over southern England, was at Station 469 -Ramsbury in UK as members of the 82nd Airbourne Division boarded C-47's and gliders for the assault on Hitler's "Festung Europa" - Fortress Europe.
At 0407 hours, 6th June 1944, at about 500 feet and in the face of determined flack from the defending German troops, "Tico Belle" lined up on Drop Zone (DZ) "O" near St Mere-Eglise and dropped these brave men into Normandy and into history.[1]
Tico Belle went on to serve, and survive, a distinguished record of combat in the Liberation of Europe.
- Normandy - June 1944 – Operation Neptune (D-Day)
- Southern France – July 1944 - Operation Dragoon
- Holland – September 1944 - Operation Market-Garden
- Belgium - December 1944 - Relief of Bastogne (The Battle of the Bulge)
- Germany – March 1945 - Operation Varsity
It was an honor to fly and jump out of Tico Belle, C-47 42-100591, a living monument to the men and women who served in WW2.
Below is a shot of my Long Range Surveillance (LRS) and other Ranger Airborne unit alumni with Tico Belle before our jump in September.
As I boarded the plane, I couldn’t help but imagine what it must have been like for the paratroopers back in 1944. For this jump, we sat directly on the floor upon take off. The bottom of the airframe didn’t seem like much more than a thin sheet of metal or two. 
Not much protection from air defense fire coming from below. During all of my jumps, I’m always eager to just get out of the door and under my parachute. I can’t imagine the wait to jump as you’re being fired upon!
In 1944, panic gripped the US. There is a World War currently happening, the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7th, 1941 was still heavy on American’s minds, and there are many concerns back on the home front:
[2] “This fear of attack translated into a ready acceptance by a majority of Americans of the need to sacrifice in order to achieve victory. During the spring of 1942, a rationing program was established that set limits on the amount of gas, food and clothing consumers could purchase. Families were issued ration stamps that were used to buy their allotment of everything from meat, sugar, fat, butter, vegetables and fruit to gas, tires, clothing and fuel oil. 
The United States Office of War Information released posters in which Americans were urged to “Do with less–so they’ll have enough” (“they” referred to U.S. troops). Meanwhile, individuals and communities conducted drives for the collection of scrap metal, aluminum cans and rubber, all of which were recycled and used to produce armaments. Individuals purchased U.S. war bonds to help pay for the high cost of armed conflict.”
For me, this helps put what we’re currently going through into perspective. However, I do see some correlation. We are still recovering from the pandemic a couple years ago, there is a foreign war currently taking place, US inflation is at historical highs, etc.
While there are a lot of negatives similar to the early ‘40s, though not nearly as bad in my personal opinion, the stock market and the US as a whole has always continued on and grown to new levels.
Below is a snapshot of the S&P500 since 1940:
Source: Morningstar. This chart is for illustrative purposes only. This analysis does not include transaction costs, which could reduce an investor’s return. Growth of $10,000 in the S&P 500 1/31/40 - 12/31/21.
Remember:
- The stock market is cyclical.
- You will likely encounter numerous pullbacks and/or corrections as a long-term investor.
- A study of the stock market shows its resilience.
- In the long run, the upturns have always been stronger than the downturns.
- Returns over time have been positive in most cases.
Lastly, with Veterans day approaching, I’d like to encourage you to reflect on the brave men and women who have served from the birth of our nation to those currently serving today. We are very blessed to live in the United States and enjoy the freedoms we have been provided by the blood of those who’ve shed theirs defending this country.
Disclosure: Any opinions are those of Tyler Thompson and not necessarily those of Raymond James. Expressions of opinion are as of this date and are subject to change without notice. The information has been obtained from sources considered to be reliable, but we do not guarantee that the foregoing material is accurate or complete. The information contained here does not purport to be a complete description of the securities, markets, or developments referred to in this material. Any information is not a complete summary or statement of all available data necessary for making an investment decision and does not constitute a recommendation. Past performance may not be indicative of future results. Future investment performance cannot be guaranteed, investment yields will fluctuate with market conditions. Investing involves risk and you may incur a profit or loss regardless of strategy selected.
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[1] https://www.airborne-museum.org/en/history-sainte-mere-eglise/operation-neptune-2/
[2] https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/us-home-front-during-world-war-ii
[3] https://www.raymondjames.com/commentary-and-insights/volatility-resources/2022/02/24/over-time-markets-have-proved-positive-and-resilient