FLORIDA: Serbian bishop introduces Americans to the secrets of Serbian parachuting!

First-class parachuting instructor Nenad Kuzmanović and Bishop Jovan (Ćulibrk), an experienced parachutist, are in Florida as guests of the X-35 Airborne School International Parachuting Center. They will have the opportunity to jump from the famous Dakota aircraft, which took part in the Allied landings in Normandy in 1944.

The fact that there are no boundaries for parachutists, not even those in the sky, has been confirmed in recent days at Marion County Airport in Dunnellon, in the U.S. state of Florida, where a large number of parachutists and veterans from different parts of the world have gathered. Among them are Serbian representatives: His Grace Bishop Jovan (Ćulibrk) and retired Colonel Nenad Kuzmanović, a first-class parachuting instructor and former member of the 63rd Parachute Brigade.

They will take part in parachuting training and ceremonially present Serbian parachutist wings to the event participants, a symbol of Serbia’s long parachuting tradition. They will also participate in the “Operation Wolves” parachuting program, whose special historical significance lies in the C-47 Dakota aircraft, which took part in the Allied invasion of Normandy on June 6, 1944.

“This visit represents a significant step in developing international cooperation between Serbian parachutists and American and other foreign parachuting organizations. It is also an opportunity to present the rich tradition of Serbian military parachuting in an environment that holds the history of airborne units in particularly high regard,” said Kuzmanović, who is also a recipient of the Gold Parachutist Badge.

The Normandy landings of June 6, 1944, remain recorded in history as one of the most significant Allied operations of the Second World War. The C-47 was one of the most important transport aircraft of the war, playing an exceptional role in major Allied operations. During the night of June 5–6, 1944, aircraft of this type transported American paratroopers from the 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions deep into German defensive lines in Normandy, ahead of the Allied landings on the French coast.

The paratroopers’ mission was to secure key routes, communications and positions to facilitate the advance of Allied forces landing from the sea. The paratroopers who left C-47 aircraft that night took part in an operation that paved the way for the liberation of Western Europe.

Today, more than eight decades later, the memory of those people and events lives on through the work of organizations such as X-35, the preservation of historic aircraft and gatherings of members of the modern parachuting community. The presence of Bishop Jovan and retired Colonel Nenad Kuzmanović in Florida also represents a Serbian contribution to this legacy.

“In an environment where the memory of Allied paratroopers from the Second World War is preserved with particular respect, we have an opportunity to present our own tradition, strengthen friendships and participate in events that connect the past and the present.

“This visit is also significant because Serbian parachutist wings and the experience of Serbian instructors are becoming part of an international gathering that brings together parachutists of different nationalities and generations.

“It is also confirmation that the reputation of a parachuting tradition is built not only through achievements and awards, but also through a willingness to share knowledge, preserve friendships and pass historical heritage on to future generations,” Kuzmanović emphasized.

Our team in faraway America appropriately marked October 14 — the Feast of the Protection of the Most Holy Mother of God, the patron-saint day of the 63rd Parachute Brigade and the Day of Military Parachutists. The international parachutists’ gathering in Dunnellon began on October 13 and runs through October 18.

A jump to honor, an honor to jump

X-35 Airborne School is a gathering place for military veterans, parachutists, instructors and admirers of airborne history. The center is dedicated to preserving and improving parachuting skills and fostering friendship among people of different nations and generations. Veterans and the preservation of the memory of parachutists who took part in Allied operations during the Second World War hold a special place in the center’s work. Among them, participants in the Normandy operation stand out, their exploits having become a lasting part of the history of Allied airborne forces.

The center’s motto is “A Jump to Honor, an Honor to Jump.”

A team representing Serbian experience

Retired Colonel Nenad Kuzmanović plays a special role in representing Serbian experience. He is a first-class parachuting instructor, founder and first president of the “Archistrategos” parachuting club for veterans of the 63rd Parachute Brigade. He currently heads the Parachutist Training Center and, alongside retired General Jelesije Radivojević and war veteran Momčilo Božović, is also a founder and president of the Association of Veterans of the 63rd Parachute Brigade in Belgrade. He is a member of the Management Board of the Aeronautical Union of Serbia and Serbia’s delegate to the International Parachuting Commission (IPC), part of the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI).

Bishop Jovan is an experienced parachutist whose life journey brings together spiritual service, historical research and a longstanding dedication to parachuting. He is known for his work preserving the memory of victims of the Second World War, particularly those killed at Jasenovac and other sites of mass atrocities. At the same time, his extensive experience as a parachutist makes him a unique figure in the international parachuting community. His presence among American veterans and parachutists from different countries carries a special message about the connection between spiritual values, personal responsibility and respect for historical heritage.