| Tyler, Texas-based Five Oaks Creative announces partnership with D-Day Squadron: Kickstarter campaign launches for 2024 Legacy Tour
On June 6, 1944, more than 11,000 aircraft were mobilized as Allied forces began a massive land, sea, and air invasion now known as D-Day. In 2019, 15 legendary DC-3 type aircraft made a historic North Atlantic crossing to celebrate both the 75th anniversary of D-Day and the 70th Anniversary of the Berlin Airlift. Featured on the international stage and in media across the world, the men and women of the D-Day Squadron touched tens of thousands of lives as they flew to honor the world’s Greatest Generation.
Now, we’re doing it all over again. The 80th anniversary of D-Day is rapidly approaching and once again, we are planning to take to the skies across the Atlantic to honor the legacy of the many who have ‘flown west’ since that infamous day.
This is no easy task, and while nothing can compare to the amount of organization the Allied forces faced in planning for the D-Day invasion, there is still a tremendous amount of preparation, time, and cost involved in recreating this historic anniversary tour. In mid-May 2024, DC-3 variants representing World War II and Cold War vintage aircraft will ‘cross the pond’ from the United States to the United Kingdom, cross the English Channel to Normandy, France, then fly on to Berlin, Germany, and beyond.
It will take the squadron 15 days, close to 3,000 nautical miles, approximately 15 hours of flight time, 120 gallons of oil, more than 1,400 gallons of fuel, and 150 crew to make this historic transatlantic crossing!
“Our Kickstarter project launched last month, allowing backers access to an array of perks tailored to D-Day and the Berlin Airlift, many of which will feature a new 2024 Legacy Tour logo, as well as an inside look into the planning of this epic operation,” said David O’Connor, Five Oaks Creative Owner. “Our initial goal is $7,500 and we are already halfway funded. The Kickstarter campaign is based on supporting the D-Day Squadron as they make plans to return to Europe to honor the many veterans who are no longer with us, to commemorate the 80th anniversary of D-Day and the 75th anniversary of the Berlin Airlift. We are so pleased with the first two weeks of the 30-day campaign, we will shortly be announcing a $10,000 stretch goal.”
Backers will be able to:
- Order various perks with a nod to WWII vets including playing cards, caps, T-shirts, and challenge coins.
- Obtain membership into the newly formed DC-3 Society.
- Support and honor the Greatest Generation.
The scale of the 2024 event will be one of the largest airborne operations over Normandy since WWII, involving dozens of aircraft from around the world and hundreds of paratroopers in Great Britain and France. The logistics to coordinate and fund this are on an unprecedented scale and our mission is to honor one of the most important days in modern history, June 6, 1944 and the legacy of those who served during that time.
“Our veterans are our window to the past, and this is a chance for us to continue honoring those who made sacrifices for the freedoms we have today,” shared D-Day Squadron’s mission chief pilot, Eric Zipkin. Eric will fly the lead C-47, WWII combat veteran, “Placid Lassie” throughout the entire journey.
Five Oaks Creative is a results-driven firm with a focus on communications, fundraising, and marketing in the non-profit sector. With 40 years of experience, the team is skilled at developing and executing successful programs that drive growth initiatives, achieve measurable objectives and produce high-quality results. David O’Connor, owner of Five Oaks, contributed to five successful Kickstarter campaigns benefiting historical preservation of WWII aircraft and STEM education, totaling more than $500,000.
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