LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- A World War II veteran won't celebrate his 98th birthday with just balloons and a birthday cake.
Instead, Lee Smith will celebrate by jumping out of an airplane, for the second time in just two years.
“It’s not a natural thing to do," Smith said. "You have to be a whacko to do it.”
Smith fell in love with airplanes when he was 8 years old when he was taken on his first ride in an open cockpit plane.
His dad's career was around planes and his mom was an avid traveler, so when it came time for him to enlist, he said it just made sense to join the U.S. Army Air Corps.
Smith said the one thing he trained for, but never got to do, was jump out of an airplane.
"I always had this desire, I'd like to know how it is," he said.
It lead to his first skydiving adventure at 96 years old.
If you wonder what took so long, Smith said the other plans just never panned out.
But once just wasn't enough for him.
"I did it and I'm glad I did it, now I'm going to do it one more time just so it wasn't a one-time shot," Smith said.
Smith will travel to Arizona to skydive for a second time on March 4. This time, his 51-year-old grandson, Timothy Smith, will be joining him.
"I wanted to jump in on this one, or jump out," Timothy Smith said. "Who goes skydiving with their grandfather?"
"He decided, if Grandpa can do it, he can do it, so he's going to (go) with me," Lee Smith said.
At 98, the World War II veteran has nerves of steel, but you might be surprised at what still gives him butterflies.
"I don’t have nerves for that anymore, I have nerves about getting out on Shelbyville Road during traffic, but I don’t have nerves jumping out of airplanes," Lee Smith said.
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