Former President Bush skydives to celebrate museum reopening

Former President George H.W. Bush celebrated the grand reopening of his presidential museum on Saturday with a surprise skydive.

It was the former president’s sixth skydive and his first since 2004, when he jumped to celebrate his 80th birthday. On Saturday, Bush was strapped to an expert from the U.S. Army Golden Knights parachute team, as he was three years ago.

Bush, now 83, had hip replacement surgery in January. He said at the time he planned to skydive in 2009 for his 85th birthday.

The museum, described by the former president as the “centerpiece of my library,” has been mostly closed since April for the $8.3 million (euro5.6 million) facelift.

Bush’s first parachute jump came in 1944 when he was shot down over the Pacific island of Chi Chi Jima.

College Station, Sunday, AP