95 Years Young: Ashland Special Forces Veteran Takes Birthday Adventure to New Heights
ASHLAND, Ohio — A few clouds may have delayed the flight, but they could not stop Robert “Bob” Schneider from making history on his 95th birthday.
The high-flying birthday adventure took place July 31 at Ashland’s own Aerohio Skydiving, located at 701G Township Road 1102 in Ashland.
Schneider, a longtime Ashland resident, Army Special Forces veteran and lifelong adventurer, climbed aboard an Aerohio airplane and once again did what few people of any age would dare to attempt: He jumped out.
This year’s skydive carried even more meaning because Schneider was joined aboard the plane by two of his grandchildren, making the milestone birthday a breathtaking family celebration thousands of feet above Ashland County.
His granddaughter, 22-year-old Amber Schneider of Columbus, completed her second jump, while his 19-year-old grandson, David Baltaxe of Fairfield, California, made his first.
David flew across the country for the opportunity.
“I’ve been telling people for the last couple of weeks, ‘I’m about to go skydiving with my grandpa,’” David said. “They said, ‘No way.’ I said, ‘He’s going to be 95.’”
For David, the jump was more than an adrenaline-filled birthday adventure. It was a way to honor his grandfather’s remarkable military legacy.
“He’s been jumping for a long time in the Army, so I kind of wanted to pay homage to that,” David said. “It’s going to be something that I will be telling people my entire life.”
Schneider’s connection to parachuting stretches back more than six decades.
He enlisted in the Army shortly after graduating from high school in 1949. Originally signing up for two years, his enlistment was extended after the Korean War began. Schneider served in Okinawa before returning to the United States.
After leaving active duty, he joined the Army Reserve, initially serving with an engineering unit in Plymouth before transferring to Mansfield. Around 1960 or 1961, he learned that a Special Forces unit was being formed in Mansfield and decided to join.
There was only one obstacle: He was not yet qualified to jump from an airplane.
Schneider attended Army jump school in November 1963, during the week President John F. Kennedy was assassinated. After earning his airborne qualification, he returned to Mansfield and helped build the Special Forces team.
“I wanted to jump all my life,” Schneider said.
He remained in the military for a total of 37 years and completed an estimated 200 or more jumps. His final military jump came when he was 59.
Schneider also spent approximately 30 years working for the Ohio Department of Transportation.
Father and Son Follow the Same Path
Schneider’s passion for service and parachuting did not end with him.
His son, Andy Schneider, entered the Army Reserve at age 17 through a split-option training program. Andy completed basic training at Fort Dix, New Jersey, the same installation where his father had trained decades earlier and later attended airborne school.
Bob traveled to jump school and completed the first three jumps alongside his son.
“Because of him, I got to jump first out of my class,” Andy recalled.
The father and son later served together in the same Special Forces unit from approximately 1982 to 1991 and completed numerous jumps together.
“He was known for being a ‘jump hog’ when he was with the Army,” Andy said. “He just absolutely loves it.”
Thirty years after their military jumping days, Andy returned to the sky with his father for Bob’s 90th birthday.
“He was ready to go. I was ready to go,” Andy said. “We both smiled when we got down.”
When asked whether he could see himself jumping at 95, Andy quickly answered, “No. Not going to happen.”
His father, however, has never been one to accept ordinary limits.
Carrying the Tradition Forward
Amber Schneider previously jumped with her grandfather five years ago and returned to Aerohio Skydiving for another flight in honor of his 95th birthday.
“I remember my first jump with him, and it was very special,” Amber said. “I’m very glad that I can do it again.”
That earlier jump also produced a treasured family photograph that included Bob’s wife, who died about a year and a half ago.
“It was really nice to get that last family photo with her,” Amber said. “It’s been a little sad going without her, but I’ll always have a part of her in my heart.”
Bob has endured the loss of his wife and the physical challenges that come with age, but he has refused to stop living.
A resident of Brethren Care Village, Schneider can frequently be seen walking along Center Street. Even at 95, he tries to walk at least one mile each day.
‘This Will Be My Last One’
Schneider said the most enjoyable part of skydiving comes after the parachute opens and the world below becomes quiet.
“The fact that I can steer the parachute pretty much where I want to, I just like it,” he said. “When you’re under canopy, to me, it’s enjoyable.”
Modern tandem parachutes also provide a much softer landing than the military parachutes he used during his Special Forces career.
Military jumps, Schneider explained, always came with concerns about where, and how hard, a soldier might land. He recalled one jump at Fort Bragg when he landed with the wind and bounced what felt like 15 feet back into the air.
The 95-year-old veteran insists this birthday jump at Aerohio Skydiving will be his final one.
“This will be my last one,” Schneider said, before recalling what someone once told him after hearing that same declaration: “Do you want to rephrase that?”
Schneider did.
“I’m going to retire,” he said.
Whether he truly retires from the sky remains to be seen. After all, those who know Bob have heard that promise before.
For one extraordinary afternoon at Aerohio Skydiving, three generations of one adventurous family shared the same airplane, the same open sky and a memory that will live long after their parachutes touched the ground.
At 95 years young, Bob Schneider once again proved that courage does not have an expiration date, and that an adventurous spirit can be one of the greatest family traditions of all.
A family that jumps together makes memories together, and that is Ashland pride at its highest.
