The event commemorates the historical lineage both units share through the First Special Service Force of World War II, a Joint Canadian-American unit activated in 1942 that trained and fought in intensive airborne, amphibious, winter and mountain warfare.

After taking heavy casualties during WWII, the FSSF was formally disbanded on December 5, 1944 in Menton, France; yet, many of its members were recruited to help form the modern day Special Forces

Sixty+ years have passed since the FSSF was deactivated, but Canadian and American Soldiers continue to pay homage to their unit’s shared history, surviving members who served in the FSSF of WWII and those who serve today.