LOS ANGELES — Jim Rasmussen might have considered it accomplishment enough to reach his 100th birthday. But that was before he was invited to hang with Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg.
“That’s me,” Rasmussen says as he points to a photo with Hanks.
Last month, the WWII veteran walked the red carpet for the Los Angeles premiere of "Masters of the Air," a nine-part series now being released on Apple TV+.
"Masters of the Air," based on the book of the same name, was written by "Band of Brothers" author Donald L. Miller.
The film depicts the tragedies and triumphs of the 100th Bomb Group, which earned the nickname the "Bloody 100th" due to appallingly high casualty rates flying bombing mission over Nazi-controlled Europe.
According to the 100th Bomb Group Foundation, more than three of four original airmen with the group became casualties of war.
The survival rate had improved by the time Rasmussen, who earned the rank of lieutenant, arrived in Europe in 1943. But the navigator of his 10-man B-17 bomber crew was still keenly aware of the risks.
“We always ran into flak,” Rasmussen says. “The one that really scared me (was) a Berlin mission. The plane right adjacent to us just kind of exploded and ended up in like a big ball of fire, and what not, and he just rolled out of the formation.”
Rasmussen, accompanied by his son, was one of four veterans of the 100th Bomb Group flown to Los Angeles for the premiere.
During the event, Rasmussen chatted with Steven Spielberg, who co-produced "Masters of the Air" with Hanks and Gary Goetzman.
Rasmussen also had a sit-down conversation with Austin Butler, who rose to fame when cast in 2022’s "Elvis." Butler has a starring role in "Masters of the Air." He notes that he was surrounded by 20- and 21-year-olds on his B-17 crew and was curious to ask Butler, “’How old are you?" And he said, "’I’m 32.’”
Before the first episode of the series was screened, Hanks introduced Rasmussen and the three other vets by name and invited them to stand and be recognized.
“Give them a few seconds to stand up," he said. "They’re not as young as they used to be.” Rasmussen says with a laugh.
Turns out the honors for Rasmussen were not done.
Two weeks later, he received a standing ovation at a birthday celebration back home, thrown by the 8th Air Force Historical Society.
Rasmussen’s recent brush with stardom was still topic No. 1.
Nicole Newmann, Rasmussen’s granddaughter, was excited to see her grandfather posing in photos with Hollywood royalty.
“I showed a few people at my job, this is my grandpa,” she says. “And it was really fun, because they were like, ‘Is that Tom Hanks?’ And I said, ‘Yeah, it is.’”
Despite the attention, Rasmussen doesn’t consider himself a hero, noting there were thousands of other young men also putting themselves in harm's way.
But he does acknowledge the milestone that is his 100th birthday.
“It’s one of those things I never thought I would do,” he says. “Normally when you celebrate something at 100th year, it’s a memorial.”
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