The Origin of the D-Day Shield

After the historic events surrounding the commemorations of D-Day 75th and the Berlin Airlift 70th anniversaries, the members of the newly formed D-Day Squadron organized a society to achieve the goals distilled from the summer of 2019. Those three aims included perpetuating the future airworthiness, display, and historical education of the DC-3, telling the story of everything the aircraft and its crews had accomplished in both war and peace. A memorable logo design was needed to represent the society and provide a graphical representation of our shared history and future hopes.

 

The shield design was taken from the shape of the silver wings worn during World War 2 to honor the Army Air Force pilots who took the DC-3 from peace into war, and back into peacetime service again. The shape of the shield is also reminiscent of the glider pilots who wore their wings into flight on the night of June 5-6, 1944. The shield of the D-Day Squadron logo represents our commitment to the care and protection of their legacy.

 

The 15 white and red stripes represent each of the “Mighty 15” aircraft that participated in the 2019 transatlantic crossing. The three stars on the top of the shield define our three-fold charter of airworthiness, display, and education. The colors of red, white, and blue suggest the French Tricolour that greeted the arriving Allies in World War 2. The colors also incorporate the national flags of each country the Mighty 15 transited to reach France including the United States, Canada, Greenland, Iceland, and the United Kingdom.

 

The script is reminiscent of the strong military aviation heritage of the DC-3 while also highlighting the strong association with static line parachuting of troops and supplies. While remembering the parachutists who helped liberate a continent, it also celebrates the continued viability of the aircraft as a static line platform enjoyed by many today.

 

- Kevin Riley

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D-Day Squadron
2019 Safety & Technical Advisor, Mission to Normandy and Berlin 70th
2019-2021 Executive Director