U.S. Veteran Celebrates His 100th Birthday by Going Skydiving (Exclusive)

A U.S. veteran made his years-long dream of going skydiving a reality in celebration of his milestone 100th birthday.

Jimmy Hernandez celebrated his centenary birthday on Aug. 29. The WWII U.S. Navy veteran was joined by his son, Andrew, and his grandson, Santiago, to mark the occasion at SkyDance Skydiving in Davis, Calif. (Various other family members also watched on.)

According to Jimmy, he went through many emotions before the big jump, which was something he wanted to do ever since he saw George H. W. Bush do the same. “I thought that this could be my last day, but if so, I have lived a full life,” he tells PEOPLE.

And though Jimmy admits his landing “was not the best,” he was “honored that my cousins, my friends from Oregon, my nieces, my nephews, my children and grandchildren all came out to see me.”

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Getting to take part in the life goal with Jimmy, his family members say, was an experience like no other.

“It felt fulfilling [to honor the] commitment we had made to complete the jump,” grandson Santiago says, as Jimmy’s son Andrew adds, “I was proud to be a part of this jump and happy that I could share it with my father and my son.”

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As for the biggest life lessons they have learned from Jimmy over the years, his grandson says, “To love, and to love often. Love everyone.”

Andrew, for his part, adds, “My pop has instilled in me the importance of family. We have a large family, and we are spread out, but we have many family gatherings, including an annual family reunion and golf tournament.”

Jimmy was born in 1925. He later served in the Pacific during World War II, and after the conflict, he returned to California.

In the years to follow, he became a father to 12 children, and his large family now includes more than 120 descendants.

The advice he has for the younger generations part of his family, Jimmy tells PEOPLE, is, “Work hard, live clean, respect people and help the poor.”

As for his secret to living to be 100? Jimmy says: “Working hard. I was 65 when I retired from the United Brotherhood of Carpenters, and I continued to help my son with side jobs.”