D-Day June 7-13, 2010 - March Edition
Volume 4
Om a ha Be a ch F acel i ft: New B o ats, Pyr o, S oun d Wo rk W eek end sche du led Ma rch 2 7 and 2 8 Wo rk s ta r t s o n ne w b uil din gs in Caen
Burning: Plenty of work is taking place at the Oklahoma D-day field. Winter has broken and the projects are happening. Vast areas of the field were burnt recently to remove underbrush and insects (ticks). Major areas have been burnt in the Caen and Sword area, as well as most of the western woods. More burning is planned as weather permits. Burning is done at night as the wind typically drops to lower levels. Omaha: Lots of changes in store for Omaha Beach. The first step was the removal of the old boats. With the stationary boats removed, the plan is to put concrete tiles (culverts) in the ravine and cover them with dirt. This will eliminate the wet, slippery conditions in the bottom of the ravine. Once this is completed, new stationary boats will be put in place. The new boats may be built from concrete blocks, concrete covered Styrofoam, dump tuck beds or something else. What ever the final product, they will be permanent and virtually indestructible. Big improvement from the old boats. Battleship gun emplacements will also be built. Omaha beach will also have a pyrotechnics display at game on and some amazing sound effect as the game plays on. Omaha Beach remain one of the most unique aspects of OK D-day. If you haven’t landed on the beach from the pontoon boat, you have missed one of the best aspects of D-day and paintball in general. The 1st Infantry Division, the 238th Engineers and the 5th Ranger Battalion are the 3 historically correct units who storm the beach at Omaha. (The 238th Engineers is the unit Dewayne’s Grandfather was in when he landed at Omaha Beach, June 6, 1944) Caen: With the burning completed in the Caen area, the next step was to clear areas using the bulldozer. Once that was completed, work started on the first of at least two, new, huge building. The building are being built out of giant Styrofoam blocks and will be covered in concrete. The first building has been erected and is awaiting concrete. The walls are 16 feet high! It’s located on the edge of Caen just as you enter the field from the camp ground. The next one will be built in the south west area of Caen. They should give Caen a new look and fight.
Work in progress on new building at Caen. More photos on pages 10 and 11
Work Weekend: The Bunker has invited everyone who can make it to come out to the field over the weekend of March 27 & 28 for the Annual Spring Work weekend. Bring your tools and help them bring the field up to top notch playing condition. Camping on site is available and don't forget, bring your camera. Work is scheduled to take place on Sword Beach, Omaha Beach and other areas. Breacourt Manor (BCM): Breacourt Manor has been moved to the far north end of the field. It’s northwest of the German part of Utah. New trenches have been dug and new roads have been put in place. BCM will be an intense morning battle in June. These are just some of projects happening at the field. More updates next month.
Most burning takes place at night as the winds typically die down after sunset
Contact Steve Risken for placement of articles, information or ads: srisken623@aol.com
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505th PARACHUTE INFANTRY REGIMENT (PIR) 82ND AIRBORNE DIVISION ment was assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division and relocated to Fort Bragg, North Carolina.
The actual 82nd Airborne has an amazing history, gaining much of it’s honored reputation in World War Two. The 82nd Airborne was the first airborne division in the United States Army. During WWII it conducted parachute jumps into Sicily, Salerno, Normandy and Holland. At the battle of Anzio in Italy, a German officer gave the paratroopers one of their many nicknames when he referred to them as “those devils in the baggy pants”. The elite, 82nd Airborne Division at Oklahoma D-day is comprised of 4 regiments for 2010. The regiments and commanding officers are the; 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment (PIR) CO Bob “Predator” Robinson XO William “Ghost61” Robinson
In April 1943, the 505th left New York for Casablanca, North Africa where the Regiment underwent six weeks of grueling training. The Regiment then flew to, Tunisia where final preparations were conducted for the 505th’s entry into battle. On 9 July 1943, just over a year after its activation, the 505th made the first regimental size combat parachute attack as it landed behind enemy lines at Gela, Sicily. The wind velocity in the landing zone was 35 miles per hour but “Operation Husky” was underway so there was no turning back. It was under these harrowing conditions that the 505th made its maiden voyage into battle. In its first trial-by-fire, the 505th, though outnumbered and outgunned, used raw courage and fighting spirit to block the German Herman Goering Panzer Division and to save the beachhead and the Allied landings. With Sicily secure, the Allies continued the attack on the Axis powers with landings on the Italian mainland. The 505th conducted its second combat parachute attack on 14 September 1943, into Salerno, Italy becoming the first unit to enter Naples.
the early months of 1944, the 507th Parachute Infantry Regiment (PIR) During nd 82 Airborne Division was moved to CO Robert “Bulldog” Henderson England as the allies were preparing for XO James “Jenkins” Jenkins the assault on Western Europe. The 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment (PIR) largest combined military operation in CO Jake “Hoot” Hansen history, “D Day”, was to be spearXO Taylor “Alpha” Clinch headed by the 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions. Visibility was hampered by 325th Glider Infantry Regiment (GIR) CO John “Scarecrow” Rigby poor weather conditions as the C47’s XO Doug “Wrongway” Cloud crossed the English Channel during the first hours of 6 June 1944. When the This is the story of the real 505th, and the contact information for the 505th PIR troop carriers finally made landfall on the Cherbourg Peninsula they came at Oklahoma D-day 2010 under attack from heavy German flak The 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment scattering many of the troop carrier (PIR) was born of fire, steel, mud and flights. It was 0300 hours, 6 June 1944, guts on 6 July 1942, at Fort Benning, when the 505th were given the green Georgia. On 4 February 1943 the Regi-
light to jump, landing somewhere on the Normandy Peninsula. Many of the troop carriers missed their drop zones and the All Americans of the 505th began landing across a large swath of the countryside around Normandy. It was one of the first airborne units to hit the ground and liberated the first town in France, St. Mere-Eglise. The paratroopers jumped prior to the actual start of the invasion “H-Hour”. Because of that tradition, of being the first into the fight, the 505th Regimental motto is “H-Minus”. For their performance in the invasion the 505th was awarded the Presidential unit citation, the unit equivalent of the Medal of Honor. The paratroopers emerged from Normandy with the reputation of being a pack of jackals; the toughest, most resourceful and bloodthirsty troops in all of Europe. On 17 September 1944, as part of “Operation Market Garden”, the 505th made its fourth jump at Groesbeck, Holland. Operation Market Garden was the
largest airborne assault in history. During the fierce combat, two lightly armed platoons of the 505th were surrounded by an entire German Infantry Battalion supported by tanks. The paratroopers fought back three savage German assaults and held their ground until relieved. The 505th received a second (continued on page 3)
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(continued from page 2) Presidential unit citation for their unwavering performance in this operation. Their success however was short-lived because of the defeat of other Allied units at Arnheim. The gateway to Germany would not be open in September 1944 and the 82nd Airborne Division was ordered back to France. On December 16, 1944, the Germans launched a surprise offensive through the Ardennes Forest and caught the Allies completely by surprise. Two days later the 82nd Airborne Division joined the fighting and quickly blunted General Runstedt’s northern penetration of the American lines above Bastogne. Despite a lack of cold weather equipment once again airborne spirit, courage and hard-nosed determination won the day as the 505th withstood the bleak winter and stopped the fanatic German attacks at Ste Vith and the Salm River. For its valor in the seven major campaigns of the European Theater of Operations, the 505th PIR was awarded two Distinguished Unit Citations and three foreign decorations: the French Forragere, Netherlands Military Order of William and Belgium Forragere.
ACTUAL INSCRIPTION ON BACK OF PHOTO: “This German tank was knocked out by our company at Ste Mere Eglise. All during D-Day I carried a machine gun eight miles along this road. I had to stay a hundred yards off it because a Jerry outfit was manning parts of it”. Photos of Company H, 505th PIR June 1944 from the personal collection of S/Sgt Alex Burns Jr.
with the utmost honor and respect that we fall in under the colors of the 82nd Airborne Division every summer and replay some of the battles of Normandy, th paintball style. The 82nd Airborne DiviAfter World War II the 505 PIR resion is one of the hardest hitting and turned to Fort Bragg, North Carolina, most feared Allied Divisions in the battle where it continues to serve the Nation and we in the 505th PIR are proud to be to this day. Since the end of hostilities after World War II the regiment has car- a part of this great unit. In many ways nd ried on the traditions of exemplary per- the 82 Airborne is considered to be the spearhead of the Allied Forces, We formance it established during that th great battle to restore peace around the in the 505 consider ourselves the tip of that spearhead. world. It has been called on to defend the Nation from enemies, both foreign For more information on the 505th Paraand domestic with deployments to hot- chute Infantry Regiment or the 82nd Airspots such as the Dominican Republic borne Division feel free to contact Bob in 1965, Republic of Vietnam in 1968 “Predator” Robinson, Regimental Com(the only unit of the 82nd Airborne Divimander at bobamsoil@aol.com or Wilsion to participate in the Vietnam conliam “Ghost” Robinson, Regimental XO flict), the Middle East as the first US at ghost@rrt-paintball.com member of the multi-National Forces There is a direct link to register and Observers (MFO) rotation in the for the 82nd Airborne on page 5 Sinai in 1982 and then again in 1994, of this newsletter Grenada in 1983, Panama in 1989, Saudi Arabia/Iraq in 1990, Haiti and You can also find information on the Panama in 1994. actual 82nd Airborne Division and the Regiments that make up the Division on It is to these gallant warriors that the nd Oklahoma D Day 505th PIR pays tribute the 82 ABN home page to come June each and every year. It is http://www.us82ndairbornedivision.com/
Photo of Company D, 505th PIR in Quorn, England circa Spring 1944. Top row: [left to right] John Whitee, John Daly, Ed Olszewski, Next 3 men unknown (All 6 KIA Normandy, Holland & Belgium). Bottom row: [left to right] Shelby Irwin ,Julius Eisner ,George Morris , McKouch and MacGroth (in the background near the tent) Photo courtesy of Julius Eisner
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History and Reality Collide
dropped and the signal is given for them to storm ashore. In that final moment, before the ramps drop hundreds of players on both sides are transported back in time, to a place thouOne of the most asked questions when I’m sands of miles away, to the beaches of Norasked about the Annual Oklahoma D-Day Event mandy and the actual invasion. Could they genis, which unit sees the most action? Next comes erate the same adrenaline rush without the the question of what makes D-Day so different blasts, not really, not any more then when anfrom other large events, like ‘Living Legends,’ other group of players who are portraying mem‘Castle Conquest’ or ‘ION?’ bers of the 1st Infantry Division step off the ramps of their landing craft and into the water of The truth is all of these events are basically the pond which boarders Omaha Beach. In that paintball games, they all involve large numbers final second before the ramp drops, players beof players and they typically last about the same gin to understand what their grandfathers must amount of time and so why is it that I continue have been thinking as they prepared to exit their to refer to D-Day as an event and not a game? Simply put because when you play in a game you’ve got to follow the orders issued by the promoter. They tell you when and where to go, in order to get the points you’ll need to win, unlike at D-Day where they leave the when and where you go totally in the player’s hands. In a typical game the promoter has selected someone to serve as your commanding general, whereas at D-Day that person has been selected by his fellow officers. With D-day, officers have worked their way up through the ranks much the way they do in the military. They know the field like the back of their hand and they’ve fought for every inch of it more than once and it’s only because of this that they’ve been asked to serve as your leaders.
landing craft. Stories like this are unfolding all across the nearly 700 acres which comprise the field as the clock strikes 9 AM and they don’t just end in a minute or two, instead they continue non-stop till the final whistle blows at 5 PM. Now that you know what sets this event apart from all others come out and join up with one of the units on either side and see for yourself if even for just a few moments you to don’t feel yourself living a part in the largest air and seaborne invasion ever undertaken, back on June 6, 1944. Andy Van Der Plaats
Another thing which sets D-Day apart form other events is the degree to which everyone both promoter and players alike, have gone to insure you as realistic an event as is possible given everyone’s concerns for safety. An example of that would include the start of the 4th Infantry Division’s assault on Utah Beach, where a series of huge explosions ring out a safe distance from players on both sides. Only once these are completed are the ramps on the troops landing craft
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899th Blackcats
might be as small as 2 inches by 2 inches which is affixed to each side of the vehicle bearing down on you. Immune to small arms fire from the hundreds of players around it the armored vehicle seeks out and dispatches enemy players with almost total immunity that is, till they encounter one of the 899th’s teams. Suddenly the rolls reverse and hunters become the hunted and in a split second the round that’s fired impacts the target and kills the tank, which then has to raise their ‘killed’ flag and head to the dead zone. Is this task as easy as I’ve described it? Hardly and that’s why German tankers and members of the 899th share an admiration for each other, as well as a lot of fun off the field, because in their own way they’re both groups of skilled professionals, professionals who at first glance might seem mismatched, that is till the horn sounds, the battle is joined and the hunting begins.
If you’re wondering who the 899th Blackcats are you merely have to look back to the period of time best known of as World War II, more specifically to the period starting with the Normandy Invasion, or D-Day. The 899th back in 1944 and 45 was a unit which consisting of troops who rode around for the most part in what at first glance looked a lot like tanks. They had large cannon barrels which faced forward and tracks like a tank, but unlike tanks they were really more like tracked artillery pieces. Their task was pretty simple, hunt down and destroy enemy tanks. During the D-Day Event players who are assigned to the 899th take their mission just as seriously as the soldiers did during the war, but unlike their grandfathers they don’t get to ride into battle, instead they walk. Imagine you and a couple buddies, a hunter killer team, laying in wait beside a road waiting for a German tank to
come close enough so that the team member who is carrying what amounts to the longest barreled single shot rifle you ever saw can attempt to put a round onto a small target which
Use these links below to take you right to the registration page for the unit of your choice. If you’ve already registered, send this newsletter to friends, family or teammates who might not have registered yet. 1st Battalion Rangers
Free French
2nd Battalion Rangers
13th/18th Royal Hussars
5th Battalion Rangers
2nd Armor Division
41st British Commandos
899th Black Cats
101st Airborne Division
1st ID
101st Pathfinders
238th ECB
6th British/Canadian Airborne
4th ID
82nd Airborne Division
3rd British-Canadian Infantry
82nd Pathfinders
OSS
Looking for a chance to play a part in the ultimate adventure, consider joining the 899th Blackcats this year. It just may prove to be a unit you’ll want to return to again and again.
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2010 TCAS 2010 D-day Specials And Features NEW
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Pryme SPM-2100 Trooper Speaker Microphone
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Kills ticks, mosquitoes, chiggers, mites, and 55 other insects. Perfect for Oklahoma D-day’s woods and grasslands Effective minimum 6 washings or 6 weeks Treats clothing. Do not apply to skin $9.99 Use ad directed. Soak clothes for 2 hours
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USO NIGHT at OK D-day Come swing back to the 40s on Wednesday evening starting at 7PM, June 9th. Gather round the vendor's area during this year's Oklahoma DDay Event. Listen to the lovely vocals by the likes of the Andrews Sisters and Marlene Dietrich and jitterbug to the sounds of the big bands from the 40s. Got a skit, comic routine or other talent, take to the stage and show us what you can do. Special appearances by several of our own talented performers will highlight an evening that's sure to have you jumping and jiving the night away WW II military uniforms or period civilian dress encouraged but not required. Lets all pitch in and make this a night to remember!
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2010 D-Day/You Tube Video Contest The D-Day Adventure Park invites you to show your enthusiasm for the upcoming 2010 D-Day Paintball Event. It’s easy to get started. Simply visit YouTube.com and locate the ddayopps channel. You will see your entry posted and enjoy other great D-DAY video’s. Email your video submission to ddayadventurepark@yahoo.com. Your video will then be put on DDAYOPPS youtube channel for viewing. People from around the globe will view your video and have a chance to vote on all of the submissions and yours could be selected as, The Best of the Rest. The video submissions begin on March 1, 2010 and ends on May 15, 2010. Videos will be voted on by the general public on the Official D-Day Adventure Park FORUM(d-day adventure park announcements/d-day video contest) and the videos with the most votes will be featured on the D-Day Adventure Park website for millions of people to see. We will announce the videos selected on June 1, 2010.Before you get geared up to show us what you've got here are a few rules that you need to know: Your video should meet the following requirements: Your video must be submitted as a QuickTime/MOV, WMV, MPEG, AVI, and must be Submitted to ddayadventurepark@yahoo.com with NAME, Email Address, and Phone number. Your video will be viewed for submission and posted to: http://www.youtube.com/user/ddayopps The video file should not exceed 50 MB. Your video must be between 1 and 3 minutes in length. Include an Intro and Outro that provides information for the upcoming D-Daypaintball event. For more information go to www.ddayadventurepark.com You can praise paintball products and manufacturers. However, no negative comments about paintball products or their manufacturers will be allowed. No foul language, nudity, or inappropriate behavior. Videos can be funny or serious. By submitting a video to this contest, you grant to D-Day Adventure Park a royalty-free license to copy, distribute, modify, display and perform publicly and otherwise use, and authorize others to use your video for any educational purpose and in any media. Prizes First Place Winner will get a choice of $500 worth of BT Player Gear and/or Equipment (winner must be present at D-Day to receive prize). Featured in the USO Parade. Second Place Winner will get to drive an authentic British APC 432, Half Track, Deuce and a Half Truck with Dewayne Convirs (must be over 18 years of age with valid driver’s license) 2 cases of BT Battalion Paint. Third Place Winner will receive an authentic 2010 Oklahoma D-Day Hat and T-Shirt and a Case of BT-Battalion Paint. NOTE: A POLL WILL APPEAR ON THIS THREAD WHEN IT IS TIME TO START THE VOTING
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News from the front By: Colin Towson Colin.Townson@international.gc.ca
Congratulations to Able Co, 1 CAN PARA and other members of the CEF, on their performance last weekend at Wasaga Beaches' annual "Frostys' Revenge" game on March 13th, in Wasaga Beach, Ontario, Canada. 1 CAN PARA and their affiliate Gray Rangers scenario team, backed by other CEF members proved a decisive force on the field - so decisive that event organizers asked our boys flip sides half-way through to prevent a total route of the other side! AAR and pics to follow. For those who have yet to decide on a D-Day unit, we encourage you to take another look at the CEF. We are not just another random amalgamation of players who get together for a single event. The CEF is one of the largest and most active scenario teams in the world, playing at major events together year round, in North America, in Europe, and beyond. There are few out there who can claim the organization, the commitment, or the experience that you will find in the CEF. We offer a year round experience unlike any other, that will challenge you as a player, and give you the opportunity to test your skills at some of the best games the world has to offer. Available billets are going fast.
Enlist with the CEF today!
559-372-4616
http://www.pbwaterpod.com
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1st Building at Caen as it awaits concrete. It’s 16 feet tall and sits at the entry way to the city!
559-372-4616
http://www.pbwaterpod.com
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Hoot, CO 508th PIR 82nd Airborne, checks out 2nd floor inside of the church
Chris Wacaster, CO 101st Pathfinders, and his troops practice for D-day
Join the 82nd today!
New Helicopter at D-day field?
Inside view of the 1st new building at Cean before concrete treatment
Dewayne prepares to work on water lines for RV’s