Press Release
72,104 WWII Cases. One Great Partnership.
Tours of Duty and the Tunison Foundation Join Forces to Support POW/MIAs Recovery Efforts, to Empower Veterans, and to Uplift Heroes
April 4, 2023 (Tampa, FL.) – Tours of Duty, a nonprofit organization dedicated to harnessing the skills and expertise of veterans to search for and recover Prisoners of War (POWs) and Missing in Action (MIAs), is proud to announce a historic collaboration with the Tunison Foundation, and their warbird, Placid Lassie, for the 80th D-Day Commemoration.
This 1943 Douglas C-47 Skytrain serves as a flying museum and as a testament to the sacrifices made during World War II while she served in the original D-Day Fleet, Operation Neptune, Operation Market Garden, Operation Repulse, and Operation Varsity. That’s right, the same rivets that supported the delivery of the U.S. Army’s 101st Airborne Division in assault gliders also provided vital contributions to the liberation of Holland. In December 1944, Placid Lassie launched a resupply for the 101st Airborne as they were surrounded at Bastogne during the Battle of the Bulge. Finally, in Operation Varsity, Placid Lassie and the 74th TCS dropped paratroopers in the largest airborne operation to ever take place in a single day over a single location!
The upcoming 2024 Legacy Tour is particularly significant as it commemorates the 80th Anniversary of the D-Day Invasion, and Placid Lassie will once again fly over the same terrain 80 years later. This tour and partnership, along with other events, play a crucial role in the combined mission to keep history alive and to support the recovery of our POW/MIA service members, underscoring the commitment that no fallen American is ever forgotten.
Through the very successful efforts of the Tunison Foundation in preserving the memory of the Greatest Generation and Tours of Duty’s demonstrated success to return our POWs and MIAs, we view this partnership to be as American as the bullet holes in General Washington’s jacket.
“We are thrilled about this partnership with the Tunison Foundation!” said Amanda Rutledge, Founder and CEO of Tours of Duty. “It is an absolute honor to work with a National Treasure like Placid Lassie, and the partnership with the Tunison Foundation in commemorating the 80th Anniversary of D-Day is an absolute dream.”.
Applications for partnerships, sponsorships, and volunteer opportunities are currently available with Tours of Duty. Interested parties should visit www.toursofduty.org or contact Paul Slough, Director of Outreach, at (940)-600-2275 or email p.slough@toursofduty.org for more information.
About the Tunison Foundation:
The Tunison Foundation, also a 501(c)3, was formed in 2017 by James Lyle and Eric Zipkin to preserve aircraft in tribute to the history of World War II. When it came time to name the Foundation, the team thought of Ed Tunison, the wartime radio operator aboard our flagship aircraft, the C-47 Placid Lassie, who was the last remaining member of Lassie‘s wartime crew.
About Tours of Duty:
Tours of Duty is a dedicated 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization committed to the mission of searching for and recovering Prisoners of War (POWs) and Missing in Action (MIA) personnel from past conflicts. Our organization’s primary purpose is to honor the sacrifice and service of our Nation’s brave men and women who have been left behind on foreign soil. We are determined to bring closure to families, provide solace to veterans, and ensure that no one is left behind.
For more information, please visit: www.toursofduty.org & https://www.tunisonfoundation.org/
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