95-year-old Daniel Biss is a two-time war veteran, having served in the Air Force in World War II and Korea. His wife of 72 years also served as an administrative aid in the U.S. Coast Guard.
On July 4th, their family and another military family gathered to celebrate Independence Day at an Ohio public park.
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Daniel is clearly no stranger to the concept of bravery, so when he overheard a neighborhood child confess that he was too afraid to jump off the diving board into the swimming pool, the vet didn’t hesitate to show the boy how it’s done.
Even at his advanced age, Daniel appears to be in fantastic health as he stands on the diving board, assisted by a relative in a blue dress. Sure, he’s a bit unsteady on his feet, but he’s almost 100 years old! Most people can only dream of being that physically fit at his age.
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As he prepares to take the plunge, you can hear some kids off-camera, cheering him on. As the old man stands unsteadily on the diving board, he even flexes his muscles to show off just how ready he is to put his courage to the test. This is one Air Man who’s still got it!
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Daniel’s daughter Christine Ross was shooting video of this wonderful moment, and she says that her dad has always lead by example. “He is very spry for his age,” Christine said. “He is full of amazing stories and has song for every situation.”
Daniel’s family expected him to jump, feet-first into the water… but he had other ideas. “Little did we know he would actually dive!” said Daniel’s grandson, Kevin Ross.
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But dive he did, plunging head-first into the blue water as if he had done it every day for his entire life! Even though his family members were waiting to assist him in the pool, he even took a few unaided strokes in the water before they stepped in.
It’s safe to say that Daniel served as an inspiration to all who witnessed his dive that day! For his part, Daniel told his grandsona that he hoped the video would “be seen around the world.” We could all take a lesson from this man’s bravery, both in a swimming pool, and out.
Watch grandpa take the plunge and show those whippersnappers how it’s done in the video below, and be sure to share with a military family who can picture their vets doing this, too!
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