JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A brewery on the First Coast is commemorating a fallen hero with a distinctive brew.

Amelia Island Brewing Company is gathering contributions via a special beer and a limited-edition T-shirt to honor Major Marie Rossi-Cayton. She broke barriers as the first woman in American military history to command an aviation unit in combat and was the first female pilot in the U.S. to undertake combat missions.

“For every crowler or T-shirt purchased, we will donate $5 to the U.S. Army Airborne and Special Operations Museum in Fayetteville, North Carolina,” stated David Williams, brewer at Amelia Island.

The exclusive beer, Dragonlords 6, a Double IPA, takes its name from Major Rossi-Cayton’s call sign. This brew was initially launched in 2019 to mark the anniversary of her tragic loss along with three crew members during a mission in 1991.

“We worked with the Army to try and run down what her call sign was. They were able to tell us that Dragonlords 6 was her call sign on the day that she was killed. Dragonlords being her unit and 6 representing her rank of Major,” Williams added.

Major Rossi-Cayton served as a CH-47 Chinook pilot during the Persian Gulf War, leading a flight of helicopters into Iraq during very first hours of the ground assault by Coalition Forces. 

The donation from Dragonlords 6 proceeds will be made to the Museum on March 1, 2022, exactly 31 years after Major Rossi-Cayton’s death. 

If you have a story of service to share, email us at storiesofservice@firstcoastnews.com