The D-Day Squadron organized the 2024 Legacy Tour, flying historic Douglas C-47 Skytrains and their variants from the US to France to commemorate the 80th anniversary of D-Day.
The tour provided a deeply emotional and spiritual experience for participants, including descendants of D-Day veterans, as they retraced original invasion routes and flew over Normandy's historic beaches.
A highlight included "That's All, Brother," the actual lead C-47 from 1944, carrying the original pilot's family back over the English Channel to Normandy.
Beyond commemoration, the Legacy Tour emphasized preserving D-Day history and the C-47s' legacy, highlighting efforts by multi-generational enthusiasts to pass this heritage on to future generations.
At 00:52 on June 6, 1944, the first phase of Operation Overlord began.
On the ground, occupied France awaited the Allied airborne pathfinders preparing to jump. The transport aircraft, down low and vulnerable, were tasked with flying in unescorted and returning to England to repeat the mission. This operation was critical, years in the making, and it could not fail.
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Maria Morrison is a writer, pilot, and student at at Harvard Law School. A writer since age 12, she continues to publish as a freelance aviation journalist, and is the editor of the DC-3 Society newsletter.
