THE ROAD TO NORMANDY

TEAM WENDY SPONOSRS D-DAY ANNIVERSARY JUMP

Before the sun rose on the beaches of Normandy, France, on June 6, 1944, more than 13,000 Allied paratroopers had already landed in enemy territory to protect the west end of the invasion zone and secure the right flank of the incoming force.

Some were shot out of the sky. Others were injured by hard landings or stuck in the marshy coastal terrain of Normandy. They combatted the elements, darkness and scattered landing points to complete their mission, a mission where Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower demanded “nothing less than full Victory!” They were the frontline for the thousands of ships and airborne units that joined hours later to storm the beach.
 
By the end of D-Day, over 9,000 Allied soldiers were killed or injured. With their bravery and sacrifice, the D-Day invasion successfully established a beachhead from which the Allies could press the attack against German forces. While it would still be almost a year before Nazi Germany surrendered, D-Day gave the Allies the foothold they needed to be able to advance across Europe.
 
The significance of this day – the loss, sacrifice and unparalleled bravery – can never be understated.
 
Now, 75 years later, an elite team composed of veteran Army Rangers and Green Berets, a Gold Star Mother and two Red Bull athletes is jumping into Normandy to honor the World War II Office of Strategic Services (OSS) and Army Rangers as well as past, present and future members of Allied Special Operations Forces. The commemorative mission began on Saturday, June 1 and will end on Sunday, June 9.
 
Team Wendy is excited and proud to sponsor this incredible journey with a $10,000 donation. We also provided five M1 helmets, the combat helmets used by American soldiers during WWII, retrofitted with our patented CAM FIT™ Retention System and a custom configuration of our Zorbium^® helmet pads for added comfort and security.
 
Gold Star Mothers are moms who have lost a son or daughter in service of the United States military. Scoti Domeij joined the jump team to honor her late son, Army Ranger and Sgt. 1st Class Kristoffer Domeij, who died in Afghanistan on his 14th deployment. He was the most deployed soldier in U.S. history to be killed in action. Scoti is tandem jumping alongside men from the 2nd Ranger Battalion. She hopes to connect with her son and gain a deeper understanding of the experience of a soldier.
 
Other jumpers include:

• Former Army Green Beret and Ranger Mark Nutsch, who led the U.S. Special Forces team sent into Afghanistan soon after 9/11 that was later depicted in the book “Horse Soldiers” by Doug Stanton and the subsequent film adaptation “12 Strong” starring Chris Hemsworth
• Former Army Ranger and member of the U.S. Army Special Operations Command parachute demonstration team “The Black Daggers,” Zach Carbo
• Former Army Ranger and Combat Flip Flops co-founder Matt Griffin

The air operations are overseen by Art Shaffer from the Round Canopy Parachuting Team (RCPT)-USA as the jumpmaster, Army veteran Bill Markham as the static line operations team leader and Red Bull athletes Andy Farrington and Luke Aikens as aerial photographers. The key personnel for operations are veteran Green Berets Scott Neil and Jim Pearson in addition to Hubert Acthen from RCPT-Europe.
 
A documentary of the project captured by American videographer Devin Graham (on YouTube as Devin SuperTramp) will be published on YouTube on Veteran’s Day 2019. We look forward to experiencing this once-in-a-lifetime jump through the film in the coming months.
 
“You are about to embark upon the Great Crusade, toward which we have striven these many months. The eyes of the world are upon you. … I have full confidence in your courage, devotion to duty and skill in battle." – Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower
 
Semper Fidelis,
 
Mike Romanchek
Director of Sales & Business Development