13th Anniversary of The Oklahoma D-Day Event Dedicated to Platoon Sergeant Enos Armstrong, 238th Combat Engineers

Oklahoma D-Day 2010 Regardless if this is just your first visit to D-Day, or you are a twelve tour vet, be prepared for the best paintball ex-perience you‟ve ever had. Since last June some obvious and not so obvious

changes have taken place here in Wy-andotte. In Caen for example you can find some signs of changes.

Among some of the other notable game changes this year, is the shorter stays in the dead zones and a new reinsertion procedure. Both of these changes will be explained to you during your „Orientation Briefing.‟ The field has also been expanded once again, this year by an additional thirty acres, plus they‟ve also moved two key objectives, Sword Beach and Brecourt Manor to new loca-tions and they‟ve also added more trenches and bunkers in a number of other key locations and if all that wasn‟t enough, they‟ve also made some wel-come improvements to the allied stag-ing/dead zone area at Omaha Beach.

D-Day 2010 Special Edition

Guaranteed Accu-Weather Forecast : Hot, Humid and it might rain

Volume 2, Page 1

Oklahoma D-Day Origins The origins of The Annual Oklahoma D-day Event can

traced all the way back to June 6, 1944 when the guns

from the world‟s largest invasion fleet blasted the French

coastline, while overhead Allied aircraft pounded German

positions along the Normandy coast of France. It was dur-

ing this invasion that some five hundred men from the

United States Army‟s 238th Combat Engineer Battalion

prepared for a landing on Utah beach.

They were young, well trained, courageous soldiers who

would eventually fight their way from Utah Beach all the

way to the Elbe River. Along the way they‟d build hun-

dreds of bridges under fire, lay thousands of mines, fight

at the Bridge of Remagen and help liberate the Dora-

Mittlebau concentration camp.

Among those men was a young platoon sergeant by the

name of Enos Armstrong (see photo). Unlike many of his

fellow comrades who never made it home, Enos would

return and live to tell stories about his wartime experi-

ences to his grandson, Dewayne Convirs. This young boy

loved listening to his grandpa tell his war stories and he

grew up fascinated with history, especially with the history

of the World War 2 era. When his Grandfather died unex-

pectedly in 1996, Dewayne searched to find something

which he could dedicate to Enos, to his service to this

country and to his memory. Two years later, in 1997,

Dewayne decided to host the very first Oklahoma D-Day

Paintball Event. That first D-Day event drew a 135 players.

To add to the excitement players experienced, they

stormed the shores of a small pond using a handmade

plywood landing craft. A following year, when he decided

to hold his second D-Day Event in in the summer of 1998,

335 paintball players turned out to take part. That‟s when

he knew he‟d found the perfect way to honor the grandfa-

ther he‟d grown to love so much.

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History and Reality Collide

One of the most asked questions I‟m asked about the Annual Oklahoma D-Day Event is, which unit sees the most action? Next comes the question of what makes D-Day so different from other paintball events, like „Living Legends,‟ „Castle Conquest‟ or „ION?‟

The truth is all of these events are basically paintball games, they all involve large numbers of players and they typically last about the same amount of time and so why is it that I continue 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 orders issued to you 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 be-cause of this that they‟ve been asked to serve as your leaders.

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 eve-ryone‟s concerns for safety. An example of that takes place with the start of the 4th Infantry Divi-sion‟s assault on Utah Beach, as a series of huge explosions ring out a safe distance from players

on both sides. Only once these are completed due the ramps on the troops landing craft drop and the signal is given for them to storm ashore. In that final moment, just before the ramps drop hundreds of players on both sides are trans-ported back in time, to a place thousands of miles away, to the beaches of Normandy and the actual invasion. Could they generate the same adrenaline rush without the blasts, not really, not any more then when another group of players portraying members of the 1st Infantry Division step off the ramps of a landing craft and into the shore of the pond which boarders Omaha Beach. In that final second before the ramp drops, play-ers may begin to understand what their grandfa-thers must have been thinking about as they

prepared to exit their landing craft. Events like these are unfold all across the nearly 700 acres which comprise the field as the clock strikes 9 AM and they won‟t just end in a minute or two, instead they‟ll continue non-stop till the final whistle blows at 5 PM.

Now that you know about some of the things which sets this event apart from all other paint-ball events it‟s time to strap on your gear, pick up your rifle and see for yourself, if even for just a few moments, you don‟t feel yourself trans-ported back in time to June 6, 1944.

1. General John J. Pershing

2. The ships had to be able to pass under the

Brooklyn Bridge and through the panama Canal

3. The U.S.S. Nevada.

4. Utah, Omaha, Gold, Sword and Juno

5. The Afghan war of 1880.

Managing Editor: Andrew Van Der Plaats

Contributors: Steve Risken; Josh Westphal; Andrew Van Der Plaats, Mort Walker, Martha McNiece, Maureen,

„Bond Chick‟ Armstrong, Will Foster, Matt Fittante

Printed by: Nowata Printing, Springfield, MO

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Booth #27

PHIL’S

Grill Events and Catering

P.O. Box 231

Collins, MO

(417)275-4657

PHIL’S GrILL

Booth #36

HOME COOKED FOOD

Steaks; Beer Can Chicken; Beer

Brats; Iced Tea; Ice Cream;

Soda; Smoothies; Hot Wings;

Tequila Lime Chicken Burrito;

Goulash; Yeager Schnitzel;

Sweet Iced Tea; Brownies;

Floats; Sundaes; Sandwiches;

Brat Dinner; Beer Can Chicken;

Rib Eye Steak; Rib Eye Steak

Sandwich; Donuts; Bare Naked

Breakfast,; Orange Juice; Fraps;

German Potato Salad,;

Potato Wedgies; Apple

Crisp; Slushies; Garden

Salad; Garden Salad

with Grilled Chicken;

Nachos; Baked Beans;

Cole Slaw; Lemonade;

Coffee; Apple Juice;

Tea; Loaded Potato;

Slushed ice Drinks with

16 flavors; Specialty

Drinks; Brownie Deluxe

with Ice Cream; Pulled

pork Sandwich; Apple

Crisp; Grilled Pork

Sandwich; Roast beef

Sandwich; Turkey Sand-

wich; Goulash; Brats;

Orange Juice; Rib Eye

Steak; Steak Sandwich.

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Area Objective 10:00 10:30 11:00 11:30 12:00 12:30 13:00 13:30 14:00 14:30 15:00 15:30 16:00 16:30 17:00 Total

North Brecourt Manor 100 100 100 300

Center Colleville Church 50 50 50 25 175

South Sword Beach 100 100 100 50 50 400

Valley Merderet Bridge 50 50 50 150

South Pegasus Bridge 50 100 50 200

North Utah 100 100 100 100 400

South Caen 50 50 50 50 100 100 100 500

Center Omaha Beach WG 1 50 50 50 50 200

Center Omaha Beach WG 2 50 50 50 50 200

North Causeway #2 50 50 50 150

Valley SME 50 50 50 150

Valley La Fiere Bridge 50 50 50 150

Valley Vierville 50 50 50 50 200

North Airfield 50 50 100 200

Center St. Laurent 50 50 50 150

Center Cherbourg Bridge 50 50 50 150

Center Colleville Center 100 100 100 300

Time 10:00 10:30 11:00 11:30 12:00 12:30 13:00 13:30 14:00 14:30 15:00 15:30 16:00 16:30 17:00

Total per time period 250 450 450 300 350 350 250 200 200 150 200 150 300 150 225 3975

Running total 250 700 1150 1450 1800 2150 2400 2600 2800 2950 3150 3300 3600 3750 3975

Number of objectives

with final scoring in time

period 0 0 0 0 2 1 2 2 1 1 0 2 2 0 3

Area 10:00 10:30 11:00 11:30 12:00 12:30 13:00 13:30 14:00 14:30 15:00 15:30 16:00 16:30 17:00 Total

North 100 200 200 150 100 50 0 100 0 50 0 100 0 0 0 1050

South 100 150 150 50 100 100 50 0 50 50 100 0 100 0 100 1100

Center 50 50 100 0 100 100 100 50 50 50 50 50 150 150 150 1200

Valley 50 0 100 50 100 100 50 100 0 50 0 50 0 0 650

Total 250 450 450 300 350 350 250 200 200 150 200 150 300 150 250 4000

2010 Points, Objectives and Times

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Facts about WW II

Most folks know at least a little about the German

code machine called Enigma, but few know anything

about the code machine used by the Americans. The

US machine was called SIGABA. SIGABA isn‟t an ac-

ronym and doesn‟t stand for anything, it‟s simply a

code word.

In 1935 Army cryptologists developed the first version

and they shared that design with the Navy. In 1940

both the Army and navy adopted SIGABA and by Au-

gust 1941 the system became operational and by

1943 there were over 10,000 machines in use.

Enigma vs. SIGABA

The Enigma and SIGABA machines shared some

common elements, as both are “rotor machines,” that

is both machines scrambled messages by sending

electrical current through a series of rotating wheels

or rotors.

Neither machine could send messages, like a radio or

computer. They could only encipher or decipher

typed in text. Only another machine, set up the same

way could decipher a message. This meant having to

reset the machines daily to pass messages.

The most important difference between these two

encryption machines was the fact that the ENIGMA

machine used either three or four rotors while the

SIGABA used 15 rotors. SIGABA was also the easier

of the two machines to operate, because it produced

a strip of paper with the message, while the ENIGMA

machine required one person to type the message

and another to record the sequence of lit bulbs which

spelled out the message.

Both sides had great faith in their machines. With

SIGABA that faith was justified, whereas the Germans

believed, wrongly it turned out, that Enigma was un-

breakable.

BOOK REVIEW ‘Jump Into the Valley of the Shadow’

By: Dewayne and Leland Burns

An intimate look at Airborne combat in WW II,

through the eyes of a teenager thrust into the center

of history‟s greatest war.

An excellent view of life on

the front lines from the per-

spective of a fox hole. Mr.

Burns takes the reader with

him as he fights his way

across Europe, from Nor-

mandy, through Holland and

Bastogne all the way to the

war‟s end.

Reading the book gives you a

true sense of the terror a soldier experiences while

undergoing an artillery barrage, as well as moments

of humor on the front lines. We strongly recommend

this book to anyone who is interested in learning

about the life of a combat soldier.

Dewayne Burn‟s son Leland, the book‟s co-author,

has agreed to attend The D-Day Event this year.

Listen to him recount some of his father‟s personal

stories, as well as hear what it‟s like to being a mem-

ber of the famed ‟Liberty Jump Team,‟ which he

joined to help complete the book. Mr. Burns will be

selling copies of the book, as well as reprints of his

father‟s original drawings, which are featured in the

book. Speaking time: 1300 Wednesday and once

again at 1300 on Thursday.

ATTRACTIONS/EVENTS Each year D-Day attracts dozens of families and as

much as we‟d love to see everyone taking part in the event, we know there‟s always bound to be a few,

especially those with younger children who aren‟t able to do so. Here‟s a brief list of fun things in the

area that might appeal to those looking for some-

thing to do .

American Heritage Music

Festival. June 10th, 11th,

12th in nearby Grove, OK. The event takes place at the

grove Civic Center and Snider‟s Camp. Grove is

bout 20-30 minutes away

Located the southern shores of Grand Lake. For more

info call 800/526-2523.

Jana Jae’s Gallery of Native Art and home

to Jana Jae, “The First Lady of Country Fiddle. Store is located in Grove, OK, at the corner of 10th & Main.

For more details call 918/786-5780.

Spring River Canoe Trails 14801 S. Highway 137 Fairland, OK. For more

details call: 918/540-2545.

Coleman Theater : Historic Theater, shops: Tour

hours, M-F 10 AM-4 PM, 103 Main Street, Miami, OK

918/540-2425

Your source at D-Day for

Is ‘Engler Paintball Guns,’ booth #27

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VENDOR‟ S AREA MAP

ENTRANCE

Campground

1. Conference Tent 6. Tippmann Sports B-2. RAP-4 (B-2) 18. Tachyon Inc. 27. Engler Paintball Guns 32. Dye Precision G.I. MilSim - Obstacle Course

2. China Beach 7. Weekend Warrior Sports B-3. Kingman (B-3) 23. Marcus Enterprises 28. Umarex USA 33. KM Straps Area.

3. China Beach 8. Ultimate Paintball 15. CP Products 24. 29. Hammerhead 34. Milsig Canada

4. China Beach 9. Valken Sports 16. CP Products 25. Ninja Paintball 30. Dye Precision 35. LAPCO

5. Full Clip B-1. Kee Action Sports (B-1) 17. Sandana 26. Virtue Paintball 31. Dye Precision 36. Phil‟s Diner

Booneslick Lodge

1602 Industrial Drive

Neosho, MO

(417) 455-0888 FREE High Speed Access/Complimentary HOT Breakfast/Queen and King Size

beds/Cable/HBO/25” TV/Lodge style Lobby/Close to Restaurants, Walmart and Neo-sho Airport/Smoke FREE Rooms/20 minutes from D-Day Adventure Park

X X X X

STEEL BEACH

RECREATIONAL AREA

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Women, World War II

and D-Day During the WW II home front war effort, more women were

working outside of the home than ever before. Propaganda

posters with images like "Rosie the Riveter" promoted the

idea that it was patriotic -- and not unfeminine -- for

women to work in non-traditional jobs.

The 1940‟s were a time of great change, growth and ad-

justment for women, especially here in the US. While WW

II is two generations removed from today, it‟s still just a

mere blink of the eye in terms of history. Just as their con-

tributions helped bring about the Allied success back in

World War II today's contributions by the women who are

increasingly involved in „The D-Day Event‟ are also helping

to insure this event continues to remain at the very fore-

front of our sport.

The special, family oriented, atmosphere found here at the

D-Day Adventure Park is one of the key reasons why this

event continues to attract thousands of players of all ages,

as well as entire families, from around the globe.

If you‟re a mother, wife or girlfriend and you‟re already to

get involved in D-Day consider joining your partner‟s unit,

or if you prefer to avoid being hit, consider taking one of

the many critically important off field „support roles,‟ which

both sides now offer, or just dress up in 40s vintage cloth-

ing, and have some fun during the USO Show. You just

might be surprised at how much fun you‟ll have.

By: Bond Chick

The USO (United Service Organization) was formed

before the war started in response to a 1941 request

from President Roosevelt. FDR determined that it

would be best if private organizations handled the on-

leave entertainment for the rapidly expanding Armed

Services. The USO is a congressionally chartered, pri-

vate, nonprofit organization, which relies on the gen-

erosity of private individuals and corporations to sup-

port USO activities. Throughout World War II, the USO

was the channel for community participation in the war

effort

By 1944, the USO was running over 3,000 clubs. Hol-

lywood stars took to serving and entertaining service

men at these clubs, an activity which became the fo-

cus of many films (Hollywood Canteen, Stage Door

Canteen, etc). The USO truly made history with its

campaign to entertain the troops on the front, with

their traveling camp shows. Between 1941 and 1947,

the USO put on 428,521 shows for the members of

the armed forces.

Today the USO continues to offer troops around the

globe a place where they can enjoy a taste of home,

even if they‟re deployed in Afghanistan or Iraq.

Our first Oklahoma D-Day Event version of the USO

Show for all the troops on both sides is being held on

Wednesday evening in the Vendor‟s area, while you‟re

there we‟d like to ask everyone to contribute a little

something to the USO. The funds we collect will then

be donated to the USO program at Fort Hood, TX.

D-Day USO Show

Scene from WW II USO Show for the troops

China Beach 2009 marked the first year for a new area which was

dubbed “China Beach.” Modeled along the lines of the

set from a TV show by the same name, China beach

offered players a place where they could challenge

one another or a couple of cute bikini clad gals in a

game of beach volleyball. They also offered horse

shoes and then once it got dark, folks could bring a

blanket and settle down on the sand and watch a

films like „Saving Private Ryan‟ on a large inflated

screen.

This beach R&R area idea went over so well that

they‟ve decided to bring it back again this year. In

addition there‟s a rumor that they‟ll also be adding a

wet slide, to help folks cool off after a hard day of

slinging paint.

In addition to being the place where you can go and

chill out, China Beach is now also going to be home

base for the paintball Press Corps. Got a story or

something special going on in your unit and you‟d like

to try and get the media to cover it, this is where

you‟ll want to go.

_________________________________

WASPs Get Awards Veterans of the US Women Airforce Service Pilots

(WASP) have been honored by being awarded the Congressional Gold Medal, the highest civilian honor.

Some 200 former WASPs received long-overdue recog-nition as ”real” pilots. During the war they were classi-

fied as civilians despite flying military aircraft, along

with all the risks that entailed. If they died on duty, no flags were draped over their coffins, and when their

service ended, they had to find their own way home.

The women pilot‟s mission was to fly non-combat

flights, such as ferrying combat aircraft from the facto-ries to airfields, in order to free up men for combat

overseas.

Thirty-eight of the women were killed during their WW II service. However, as civilians they were not entitled

to pay or veteran‟s benefits, nor to military funerals. After a long struggle, they were granted veteran‟s

status in 1977. Out of some 1,000 WASPs, some 300

are estimated to still be alive today.

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JAKE’S BIRTHDAY PARTY

Mort Walker, the syndicated cartoonist who draws Beetle Bailey for hun-

dreds of newspapers sent along this special Happy Birthday wish for Jake

McNiece‟s 91st Birthday and we‟re inviting everyone to come and join us

on Wednesday evening, June 9th, at 1900 Hrs., as we throw a surprise

Birthday party for Jake. Jakes actual birthday was on May 24th, but we

doubt he‟ll mind very much if we throw him another one.

The Birthday party will start off in front of Eric Engler‟s booth and will

coincide with the USO Show. Afterwards you‟re invited to hang around

in the vendor‟s area as we kick off the first Oklahoma D-Day USO Show.

Listen to great hits from the 40‟s by bands like Glen Miller, as well as to

songs by our own version of the Andrews Sisters as you check out all the

special deals being offered by the vendors. We‟ll also have a karaoke

machine available for those who‟d like to display their own vocal talents.

1; Who was issues serial number #01, when the US Army started

issuing dog tags back in 1918?

2; How was the height and width of US battle ships determined?

3; What was the only battleship to be present at both the Japanese

attack on Pearl Harbor and the D-Day invasion at on June 6, 1944?

4.; What were the names of all five beaches invaded on D-Day,

June 6th, 1944.

5.; In what war was the color Khaki first used for uniforms?

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TANKCO Sdkfz 250 Half-track

Our Story

We are builders; it is our lifelong passion and hobby. As kids we were always building something or

taking something apart. I went to college at Kettering University in Flint, MI, where I met my business part-

ner and close friend Matt Fittante. I started playing

real paintball at Hell Survivors and got shot out by a golf kart tank at the Monster game 2006 and it an-

noyed me. Hell bent on building a tank for paintball destruction, I busted ass through college while build-

ing the mini tiger. During school, I worked at many

engineering corporations, one of which was a defense contractor building MRAP armored trucks; this was

my build fund. Two years, several battles, modifica-tions, and headaches later, it was finished and we

took it to D-Day 2008.

Since we were one of the first tracked and realistic paintball tanks that got national attention, we caught

the attention of a WW2 airsoft reenacter who wanted a realistic Sdkfz 250 half-track to use for their Russian

front events. The requirements were reliability and attention to detail, after seeing what we did with our

Tiger, he entrusted us with this massive task. Just like

that, Matt and I were on another project.

This time we had more money than just our beer

fund, so we went with steel and auto parts instead

of tractor parts, scavenged junk, and plywood. The

half-track began as a 1989 full-size Chevy Blazer we

bought from a junkyard, and some trailer axles. We stripped the truck to the frame and kept only the

front half of the frame for the engine and front axle. The engine is a custom built 350 v8 with an auto-

matic transmission coupled to a 1 ton rear axle. It

drives just like a truck and could potentially go 100mph, an unsafe speed for this machine, but the

power is there.

Early chassis frame and driveline

The drive axle is underneath the driver‟s seat and

drives a custom made plate sprocket. The rear frame is custom built out of box tube and the trailer axles

underneath are fitted with custom steel wheels. The

tracks are from an excavator and are a hybrid design with steel links and rubber track pads.

Tracks and the start of the body

The body is plate steel, it may look thick but it‟s only

1/8”, so paint balls only! A few things ended up not working out and we made some early mistakes but

after a few changes, by the end we are pro welders and mechanics. Things took a little while longer than

planned and unexpected problems arose, but we

adapted. Many things were designed from scratch. There were lots of trips to different parts stores and

junkyards. With a pile of steel, a plasma cutter, and a welder we built the majority of the parts, from small

details like hinges, handles, and windows to major components such as the frame, body and wheels.

We taught ourselves many new things throughout

this build, figuring out things we didn't know, and adding to our ever growing automotive and mechani-

cal knowledge. Now with the proper tools and fabri-

cation skills we plan on building many more things. A Tiger tank to a custom snowmobile powered go-kart,

we'll build it with a grin because we are TANKCO Cus-tom Engineering and this is our passion.

As I am finishing writing this, D-Day 2010 is

just 2 weeks away and the half-track is almost done, just a few details left to finish. If you have any ques-

tions or just want to look at the half-track, stop by

our campsite and we‟ll give you a tour or email Matt @ mattfittante2007@aol.com.

Will Foster Matt Fittante

TANKCO Custom Engineering

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Jake McNiece, American Hero

Jake McNiece was born on May 24, 1919 and

raised in Oklahoma during the depression and

dust bowl era. Upon volunteering for the U.S.

Army paratrooper duty on September 1, 1942,

he was assigned to the 506th Paratroop Infantry

Regiment (PIR) which was the first Paratrooper

Regiment formed whose enlisted men were

trained as paratroopers from their first day of

basic training. He received his basic training at

Camp Toccoa, GA, which became known as Col.

Sink‟s “Muscle College.” By June 5th Jake was

well prepared for D-Day and the three additional

jumps he made behind German lines before

WWII ended in Europe.

This depiction of Jake is of him as he looked just

before boarding a C-47 plane a little before mid-

night on June 5, 1944 at

Exeter Air Base in England.

His team‟s mission was to

jump 12 miles behind Utah

Beach the night before the

actual landings began, blow

up two bridges on the

Douve River and then hold

a third to keep the Ger-

mans from resupplying

their forces.

As a Demolition – Saboteur

(Demo-Sabo), Jake was Sgt. of a stick of para-

troopers known as the „Filthy Thirteen”. Like

their leader, they were a well trained and finely

tuned group of soldiers. Most had volunteered

to be in Jake‟s stick because they trusted his

leadership abilities. Jake‟s ability to diagnose

situations and take the proper action while on

maneuvers during their training usually allowed

them to be on the winning team. Others mem-

bers had also been assigned to the group be-

cause the Sergeants of the other two demo-sabo

sticks had trouble handling them. While the en-

tire 101st Airborne had been told to expect 50%

casualties during the invasion, the demo-sabo

men knew theirs were suicide missions.

In his fatigues he weighed about 165 lbs., but as

he prepared to board the C-47 that night he

weighed almost double that, in uniform and

equipment: jumpsuit with many pockets on both

blouse and pants; jump boots, main parachute

and belly reserve with harness and bags, in

which was packed; two satchels (one on each

hip) of 16 lbs. each of composition C-2; a tin cap

detonator; 100 feet of fuse; a spool of copper

wire (about 200 ft.); a spool of about 200 feet of

primer cord; one pack of blasting caps; a Spring-

field 306 rifle with bayonet attached, and 12

clips of ammunition on a rifle belt, eight hand

grenades, entrenching tool, trench knife, switch

blade knife, first aid kit gas mask, life jacket, and

compass. Some of the smaller items he carried

were stowed in a canvas issue mussette bag.

When loaded down with all this, he still had a

one day‟s K ration (three meals) and 2 cartons of

Copenhagen tobacco left to pack, but he didn‟t

have room in his cargo jump pant pockets for

both, so he threw away his food and kept his

Copenhagen. He figured he could always find

something to eat behind German lines, but he

didn‟t think there would be anywhere he could

get the Copenhagen.

The Filthy 13 accomplished their D-Day mission.

Jake survived D-Day and went to make three

more combat jumps behind German lines, includ-

ing on that helped bring vital supplies to the

troops trapped by the Germans in Bastogne.

As fellow paratrooper and member of Jake‟s

group, Jack Agnew (who made three combat

jumps with Jake) said many times, “The thing

I‟m proudest of was that they never sent us on a

mission that we didn‟t accomplish!”

Here‟s a list of all the awards and medals which

Jake is entitled to wear.

US Awards -

World War II Victory Ribbon, Good Conduct

Medal, American Theater Ribbon, EAME Theater

Ribbon with 4 Bronze Stars and 2 Bronze Arrow-

heads, Presidential Unit Citation for Normandy,

again for Holland and twice more for Bastogne

(1 for being a Pathfinder and one because he

was also part of 101st AB); Bronze Star Medal

with 3 Oak Leaf Clusters; Combat Infantry

Badge; Jump wings with 4 Bronze Stars; Also

entitled to wear Airborne Pathfinder Insignia,;

Army Of Occupation Medal; Cold War Victory

Medal; Overseas Service Medal; 5 hash marks

left sleeve (each hash mark signifies he served

all or part of six months overseas); Army Service

Ribbon; Entitled to Purple Heart with Oak

Leaf Cluster; In July 2000 Jake was commis-

sioned as an honorary Colonel by the 95th Vic-

tory Division (Oklahoma Army Reserve Unit) and

on August 2, 2002 he was inducted into Okla-

homa Military Hall of Fame.

Foreign Awards -

French Croix de Guerre with Palm; Belgian Croix

de Guerre; Belgian Fourragere; Netherlands Or-

ange Lanyard

Edited by: Andrew Van Der Plaats

“Filthy 13” Monument

Brevands, France

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BOOTH #7

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British History Quiz

Remember these

dates?

Looking back on the war down the darker years, how many

dates of events – that are so often talked about – can you

remember? Try out this quiz….

1. On what date was war declared?

2. On what date was the first air raid warning sounded?

3. Which was first invaded by Germany? Poland or

Czechoslovakia? And on what date?

4. What date of Germany‟s invasion of the Netherlands?

5. On what date did France collapse?

6. What was the date of the Japanese assault on Pearl

Harbor?

7. What was the date did German resistance cease in Tu-

nisia?

8. When did the Anglo-American force land in French

North Africa?

9. What was the date of the Salerno landing?

D-Day 2010 Official Events Schedule

Sunday

1100 to 2000 Café D-Day open 1300 to 1800 Registration (Check-in) open – Every player must check in

Monday

0600 to 2230 Café D-Day open 0800 to 1800 Registration: Every player must check in 0800 to 1800 Safety Orientation Video **REQUIREMENT** 1430 to 1530 Chrono & Assemble for Mini-Scenario at Airball Fields 1600 to 1900 Mini-Scenario (Battle of Stalingrad) at Caen 1900 to 1930 Military style Church Services (Orientation tent) back to back if full 1900 to ???? Airball Field Opens today (Open play)

Tuesday

0600 to 2230 Café D-Day open 0800 to 1800 Registration: Every player must check in 0800 to 1800 Safety Orientation Video **REQUIREMENT** 0800 to 1330 5 man tournament 1430 to 1530 Chrono & Assemble for Mini-Scenario at Airball Fields 1600 to 1900 Mini-Scenario (Bridges and Bangalors) in Valley 1900 to 1930 Military style Church Services (Orientation tent) back to back if full 1900 to ???? Airball Field (Open play)

Wednesday

0600 to 2230 Café D-Day open 0700 to 0830 Chrono & Assemble for Mini-Scenario at Airball Fields 0800 to 1800 Registration: Every player must check in 0800 to 1800 Safety Orientation Video **REQUIREMENT** 0900 to 1200 Mini-Scenario (V2 Rocket Mission) on 210 0900 to 1600 Ultimate Woodsball League 5 man tournament 1300 to 1500 Duel on Main Street at Airball Field 1600 to ???? Obstacle Course 1900 to 1930 Military style Church Services (Orientation tent) back to back if full 1900 to ???? USO Show (In front of the D-Day Café)

Thursday

All Day ALL TANKS MUST BE ON SITE BY THURSDAY TO PLAY IN THE GAME!

0600 to 2230 Café D-Day open 0730 to 0845 Chrono & Assemble for Mini-Scenario at Airball Fields 0800 to 1800 Registration: Every player must check in 0800 to 1800 Safety Orientation Video **REQUIREMENT** 0800 to 1800 Ultimate Woodsball League 10 man Tournament 0900 to 1100 Mini-Scenario (Airfield Assault) at Airport 0900 to ???? Paintball Sniper Course (check in at stage by 08:30)

Continued on page 22

22

QUIZ

Answers

1. September 3, 1939.

2. September 3, 1939

3. Czechoslovakia, March 15, 1938

4. May 10, 1940

5. June 25, 1940

6. December 7, 1941

7. May 12, 1943

8. November 8, 1942

9. September 8, 1943

BAN ON CANNED

VEGETABLES ______ __ _________

FRESH IN PLENTY

As there is an ample supply of fresh grown

green vegetables the Ministry of Food has

decided to postpone the release of canned

vegetables.

The quantity of canned vegetables, when

released, will be considerably less than that

available a year ago And the public are

urged to conserve any canned vegetables

they may now have in their larders.

Lord Woolton yesterday appealed to

housewives to use an extra cabbage a

week, while the supplies last. For the next

four weeks fresh cabbages and savoys will

be in ample quantity and at reasonable

prices. Other food news today was;

Potatoes: The increase in consumption

was very considerable.

Victory Dishes: Marked “V” on the

menu, will soon be available in restaurants.

D-Day 2010 Official Events Schedule

Continued from page 21

1400 to 1600 Duel on Main Street at Airball Field

1400 to 1600 A/T Inspection & Orientation at Campground Tower 1900 to 1930 Military style Church Services (Orientation tent) back to back if full

1900 to 2000 Chrono & Assemble for Night Game at Airball Fields (250FPS)

2100 to 2330 NIGHT GAME

Friday YOU MUST BE ON SITE BY TODAY TO PLAY IN THE SATURDAY D-DAY GAME!

0600 to 2230 Café D-Day open

0700 to ???? Registration: Opens Early – Stays Open Late Today 0800 to 1800 Safety Orientation Video **REQUIREMENT**

0800 to 1100 Costume Contest - Presentation for Judges, D-Day CAFE 0800 to 1800 Ultimate Woodsball League 10 man Tournament

0900 to 0945 Chrono & Assemble Special Forces Game at Airball Fields 0900 to ????? Last Paintball Sniper Course (Check in at the stage by 08:30am)

1000 to 1100 Special forces game (need obstacle course or first 500 people)

1000 to 1200 Tank Course (Check in with instructor at stage by 09:30am -Drivers only) ONLY ONE TANK COURSE! 1100 to 1300 Duel on Main Street at Airball Field

1200 to 1230 Chrono & Assemble for Mini-Scenario at Airball Fields 1300 to 1400 Special Mini-Scenario -Civil War Style Battle (No Hoppers Allowed)

1500 to 1600 A/T Inspection & Orientation at Campground Tower – LAST ONE

1700 to 1745 BEGIN ASSEMBLING FOR FLAG CEREMONY AND PARADE 1800 to 1900 Flag Ceremony – Parade – Awards Ceremony; Teams march in, showing off uniforms and equipment,

Awards are presented after Flag Ceremony – 1900 to ??? Begin Chrono for Saturday Game (285FPS)

1900 to ???? Airball Field (Open play)

2000 to 2200 Safety Orientation Video **REQUIREMENT** 2100 to 2200 Allied Officer Meeting (Allied HQ)

2100 to 2200 German Officer Meeting (German HQ)

Saturday 0600 to 2230 Café D-Day open

0600 Registration Building Opens

0700 Troops start moving out 0700 to 0730 Referee Meeting

0700 to 0845 Check Chrono Speed: 285FPS (for last minute players) 0900 to 1700 Oklahoma D-Day 2010 GAME ON!

1730 to 1830 Tank on Tank Battle held at Colleville

1900 to ???? Awards Ceremony & Score announced

Sunday 0600 to 1400 Café D-Day Open

0700 to 0730 Military style Church Services (Orientation tent) back to back if full 0800 to 0900 Organization of who is in the camping area for Final Game

0930 to 1300 Final Game On (not for points)

23

7 Words of Caution from a Combat Medic:

Heat injuries and hydration

Many military campaigns have been lost due to lack of heat acclimatization and subsequent heat illness; take for instance King Edward and his armor clad knights who alleg-

edly lost the final battle for the holy land to the well ventilated and acclimated Arab horsemen. As all of us who have been to D-Day before, we know the Oklahoma weather

is one of the greatest obstacles to overcome while on and off the field. In this short piece I plan to outline the basic predisposing risk factors, heat related injuries, as well as

how to treat these injuries.

Some of the factors which make an individual more prone to a heat related injury are age, general health, predisposing medical conditions, fatigue, and medications. Persons

at the extreme ages are more likely to succumb to heat injuries. Small children have a large body surface area, especially the head, and have a very limited ability to compen-

sate for major changes in temperature. Older people lose the ability to internally regulate their temperature; they get colder or warmer quicker and with less aware-ness than

younger individuals. Anyone who has serious medical conditions (congestive heart failure, diabetes, and thyroid disease) especially if the person is undernourished is more

susceptible to environmental influences. When people exert themselves for long periods of time and become fatigued they are more likely to exercise poor judgment in poten-

tially dangerous environmental situations, it also may impair the individual‟s ability to operate normally increasing their potential for injury. Both prescription and over the

counter medications may predispose persons to heat injury, many common medications such as antihistamines (allergy), cold medications, atropine, and diuretics impair the

body‟s ability to sweat and dissipate heat, heat intolerance is a common side effect of these drugs. Prior heat injuries also make a person more susceptible to heat related ill-

nesses.

Heat cramps and heat exhaustion are among the two more common types of heat related injuries. A heat cramp is a muscle cramp or spasm of the arm, leg, or abdo-men mus-

cles caused by a lack of water and salt in the body. The individual‟s skin may be moist or dry. Treatment for heat cramps includes moving the individual into the shade, loos-

ening their clothing (belts, equipment, and waistline, anything on their head), provide oral hydration with an electrolyte solution. If the person is nauseated you could be deal-

ing with heat exhaustion which can coexist with heat cramps. Heat exhaustion is a systemic reaction to prolonged heat exposure and is due to sodium depletion and dehydra-

tion. Symptoms include profuse sweating with pale, moist, and cool skin, headache often with weakness and fatigue, thirst, dizziness, loss of appetite, nausea (with or without

vomiting), and confusion.

Treatment begins by moving the individual to a cool shady area, loosen or remove the patients clothing and boots. provide oral hydration if tolerated. If the person doesn‟t

tolerate oral hydration get them to the aid station for the medics to take care of, the person will probably need IV hydration which can‟t be performed by anyone who isn‟t

trained and licensed. Heat stroke is most serious heat related injury someone can get while at D-Day. Heat stroke usually involves excessive exposure to strenuous physical

activity under hot conditions. Heat stroke is a medical emergency that will result in death if treatment is delayed; it has an 80% fatality rate if left untreated. Sweat may or

may not be present, red (flushed) hot usually dry skin, headache, dizziness, nausea, altered mental status (confusion, bizarre, or combative behavior), weakness, and rapid

weak respirations and pulse. First thing you need to do is grab a bystander and have him go for a medic immediately. As soon as this is done begin cooling measure while

waiting for and during transportation. Remove the person from the environment, remove their clothing and begin active cooling measure immediately. Mist the person with

water and fan them with whatever is available. Wrap the person in ice sheets (basically just sheets that sit in a cooler of ice water) if available, apply ice packs to the groin

and pits.

There are several things you can do in order to prevent yourself from becoming a heat casualty while at D-Day. First: hydrate hydrate HYRDATE. Drinking an adequate

amount of water is the single most important thing that you can do, if you wait until you‟re thirsty to take a drink you‟ve waited too long. I recommend purchasing a Camel-

bak hydration pack of some sort (the bigger the bet-ter). You end up drinking more and more often when you‟re carrying 3 liters on your back. You can also buy some form

of electrolyte powder and mix it right in your camel back. Getting in shape is also a great way to decrease your risk of heat injury. If you‟re on a beach unit (as I am) you

know how tiring it can be running up and down a hill all morning. If you‟re working out before D-Day your body will be able to stand more abuse and physical exertion than

without, keeping you from becoming fatigued and that much closer to a heat causality. Try and eat a good breakfast and lunch the day of the big game. Your body is going to

need the energy, I tend to carry out a handful of energy bars with me and munch on them while sitting in the DZ. If you‟re starting to feel fatigued don‟t be afraid to take a

break, pop a squat in the shade, hydrate and give your body a chance to catch up with you. You‟ll find that several short breaks will keep you in the game longer than pushing

yourself to the brink then sitting out the afternoon from fatigue.

Try and lay off the alcohol as much as possible (this will probably fall on quite a few deaf ears), alcohol will dehydrate you and greatly increase your chances for heat related

injuries. If you happen to enjoy a few cold ones be sure to drink more water than you normally would, drinking water after copious amounts of alcohol is also a great way to

lessen the effects of a hangover. Tobacco users should also be mindful to drink extra water. In closing, you are in charge of maintaining your own body, don‟t let your com-

rades down by being taking out by the heat, drink water, drink some more water, and lastly, drink more water!

Josh Westphal

68W Combat Medic USARNG

Questions, comments, gripes, and complaints can be addressed to me at joshwest26@hotmail.com

6– Liter Camelbak

24