A Georgia man said he will attempt 100 skydiving jumps in a single 11-hour period as a tribute to the first U.S. casualty in the war in Afghanistan.
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John Sounders, 40, of Marietta said he is hoping for a clear day during the weekend so he can complete his feat at Skydive Alabama in Cullman, Ala., as a tribute to Mike Spann, who died Nov. 25, 2001, during a prisoner riot at the Mazari Sharif compound in Afghanistan, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported Friday.
Sounders said he will complete his jumps from 2,000 feet, which is considered low for skydiving, but will allow him to spend less time on each jump.
The skydiver said he didn't personally know Spann, but his story stuck with him because the death was announced on Nov. 26, Sounders' birthday.
"The news of his death has remained on my heart each year on that day," Sounders said.
Spann's father, Johnny Spann, 63, said he will be on hand to witness Sounders' tribute to his son.
"I appreciate people like him," he said of Sounders. "I appreciate their loyalty to the country, and their loyalty to the people fighting for their country."