OakleySI teams with James Dietz for Special Edition Memorial Day release
“Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.”-John 5:13
The ultimate act of patriotism is to sacrifice your life for your country. Across the country in just about every American city you will find memorials, statues and tributes to those brave men and women who sacrificed everything so that you and I can enjoy the freedom of this great nation.
Few companies iconographically represent the American way than Oakley. Even fewer actively participate in helping our troops protect the freedoms we enjoy to the extent that the OAKLEY’s Standard Issue team does. So it’s no surprise that that they have come out with a new collection of glasses that honor our men and women in uniform, past and present. There’s no better time to release this collection than on the day we stop to remember those who gave it all.
OakleySI has teamed with well known military artist James Dietz to create three glasses that bring awareness to the meaning of Memorial Day. OakleySI, challenged Dietz to not only create a unparalleled graphic collection but one that would have special meaning. Both the artist and the Oakley team immediately recognized the significance that the end product would have to the community at large.
The quality of Oakley’s fit, function and finish is inarguably the standard by which all eyewear is judged. This collection, however, raises the bar with it’s compelling and meaningful graphics. Each style in the collection pays tribute to a different weapon rendered into the frame. Each weapon is featured in one of James Dietz moving paintings, honoring specific warfighters. The only disappointment I had was that there are only 3 styles in the collection
The Oakley Fuel Cell with James’s sketch of the workhorse M4 rifle references his painting “I Shall Defeat them on the Field of Battle” featuring the Rangers of the 2nd Battalion, 75th Regiment. To capture the true spirit of the troops, Mr. Dietz spent many hours at Ft. Lewis with these patriots.
The painting “Task Force Ranger” pays homage to the Black Hawk Down incident during the Battle of Mogadishu. The Black Hawk’s .50 cal. is honored in a simple rendering on frame of the Oakley Crankshaft. The painting and frame are not only top tier pieces of art but a moving tribute to a tragic but significant event in American military history.
Rounding out the trio of patriotic frames is the throwback style of the Frogskin. Memorialized on the inside of the temples is a sketch of the iconic M1 Garand. This weapon is featured in Jim Dietz painting “Silence of the Guns” dedicated to D-Day soldiers featuring Easy Company Commanding Officer Lt. Dick Winters. Lt. Winters, who helped Jim with the painting, is one of the subjects of the series “band of brothers”.
Oakley Standard Issue couldn’t have honored the spirit of Memorial day any better than releasing these Special Edition Glasses dedicated to the American Warfighter. It well worth the investment to get the entire collection and proudly wear them, showing your support for the land of the free because of the brave.