Talking Points 21-40
21: Vehicles and speed limits
We are going to have a lot of vehicles at Weldonkrieg…over 50. Here are some issues that we need to address with them.
First: Inspection-your vehicles will undergo a cursory inspection when you arrive. The main things we are looking for are insurance and a fire extinguisher. If the vehicle looks pretty hoopty, then we might make sure it turns and stops, but that’s it. Do not bring an uninsured vehicle to the event, because we won’t let it off the trailer. The fire extinguisher is easily fixed with a trip tonight to the local hardware store or Walmart. There are stores you can get one outside Weldon Spring Training Area, but who wants to make that trip when you get there. Just bring one and we will all be good.
Second: Speed limits-I am excited because my jeep is getting the brakes and steering rebuild now and I will no longer have to drive using Kentucky windage to go straight down the road and stop. I would love to blast around the training areas in my newly fixed steed, but that just won’t happen. We need to talk speed limits, and these apply for WWII and modern vehicles.
Paved Roads: 20 mph when driving on a paved road, and 5 mph when passing troops on the side of the road.
Gravel roads (Most of the training area): 15 mph, and 5 mph when passing troops on the side of the road.
Off-road: If we allow anything off road, based upon the conditions at the time of the event: 10mph and 5 mph when near troops. If the path is not clearly seen then you need a ground guide. Do not assume you can go on the firebreaks etc unless we clear it first. We will put that out through the Chain of Command on Friday.
22: Interaction with the Guard or Reserve troops
Weldon Spring Training Site is owned by the Army Reserve and used by a variety of units, and more facilities are being built there to permanently station units there. It’s their land and we are guests there. The site doesn’t exist to support reenactors, but to train units to go to war. We moved the Allied camp a month ago because of the needs of a unit that is coming in to train.
We will have a transportation company as our neighbors at the event. That will be about 100 or so wearing funny camouflage. We need to be good neighbors to them. We will probably have them walking around to look at all of our hardware and equipment. They may come over and get a Salsiccia Grinder from the food truck or look at the vending area. We don’t have any issues with at all. All four organizers have served in the guard and reserve and have no issues with this. I am sure the vendors will like having greater exposure to sell their wares, and won’t differentiate whether the money comes from the reenactors or guardsmen. It’s all good.
On the other hand, we probably should stay out of their areas. An unknowing reenactor might accidently wander into the wrong (female) tent, triggering a 15-6 sexual harassment investigation. Sound crazy? Ask anyone who has served a long time...weird things can happen. If they invite you in individually then that’s fine but as a general rule, stay out of their area.
There will also be a few site staff roaming around us in the field in civilian clothes or in uniform, probably in civilian vehicles. That’s OK…they are just looking over the event and checking up the new wierdos they have at their site. We want them to have a positive experience. When you see the RC soldiers…talk to them…say hello and be friendly. They aren’t the enemy and as soldiers they will have a natural curiosity about what we are doing. Heck, you might even recruit one into your unit.
Also, remember the discussion about training areas and staying where we are supposed to be? The trans unit is doing rifle qualification and land navigation training. If you go wandering around the training site, running to the sound of the gunfire you may find yourself in the range impact area. That’s bad. I love watching helicopters fly like anyone else, but not with someone from our event.
So…let’s be good neighbors and make this a good experience for everyone. Never forget it is their land and we are guests, so let’s be good guests.
#23: The Spirit of Weldon Spring
One of the great pleasures of planning this event for me has been getting to know Fred Poddig. I knew of Fred in the 80s although I didn’t really know him. We have had a few conversations about different things and I am always an attentive student when talking to him. We share the experience of doing events in the 80s together, but from completely different perspectives.
One thing I picked up from Fred is a certain spirit that the original Weldon events created. When this hobby got going in the mid-70s, the Weldon events were a coming together of kindred spirits interested in the same things. Before the hobby started, there were clusters of people interested in WWII stuff and they had friendships but no organization or thing to rally around.
The reenacting of the 70s came very much out of friendships developed in the military, many of which were Vietnam era veterans who felt like something was missing. Maybe they didn’t serve with the exact people in their towns, but they had a shared experience that they missed. A second part of this was the connections made at gunshows. Gunshows used to have a lot more military items for sale than they do now, and military shows were very rare events. I remember going to gun shows in the 80s and getting things for my impression. Those days are gone. Gunshows is where a lot of reenactors first met, heard about the events, ad formed friendships that became reenacting units later.
The Weldon event were a real coming together of people with the same interests, and there was a certain brotherhood (and sisterhood) of the people getting together to do this new thing called WWII reenacting. It was in many ways convocation of people who had found their niche in something where they didn’t quite fit in other places in the world. The brother/sisterhood of reenactors replaced the missed comradeship after leaving the military. Even if the early reenactors didn’t like someone, they respected that they were there and had the same interests as they did.
The term “National Battle” has fallen out of usage as of late in the hobby. The National Battle was a large event that people from all over the nation tried to attend. The opposite of a National is a regional event, which most events constitute now. Weldonkrieg doesn’t have the official title of a National, but it is really becoming that with people coming from such long distances to attend. Friends can be made from far reaches, which can now be sustained through social media.
As Fred told me on the phone, at the end of the day the Axis and Allied banners come down and we all have more in common than our differences in impression. This came up in a discussion about having separate messing for the Allied and Axis on Saturday night. Fred told me…don’t do that. People need to break bread together and make new friends. This happens best at the end of the day, as people make friends outside their circle.
Reenactors who have issues with other reenactors many times turn into blood feuds. It tends to get nasty very quickly. I am just as guilty as anyone else in this category. Fred reminded me that in the end, we have more in common than our differences.
So...what is the Spirit of Weldon? For me with this event, I see it as a melding together of reenactors from all over the US into a single place, and being with like-minded people who enjoy the same things. When you attend the event, think of the 1975 group. They were meeting people from all over the national who had similar interests.
I know this seems a little let’s hold hands and sing kum-bayaish, but I think the point remains. We have a very cool things going on in our hobby, so take it in. Appreciate the events and the people while we have it. As we know, the people can go away and so can Weldon. It did for 23 years.
24: Weather…
Earl, Dave, Dan and I are planners. Our military backgrounds make us think we have to have a plan for everything, and so far we do. There is one thing we can’t control: weather. We did submit a request for good weather, in triplicate, as soon as we started planning Weldonkrieg, but sometimes the requests get lost. We have two concerns about weather: the week prior weather and weather at the time of the event.
Normal weather for late March: Late March sees lows in the 30s and highs in the 50s. We haven’t hit April showers yet like we see at Jefferson Barracks, but it can rain. The lows can go lower and the highs higher. We can have a cool day with the lows in the upper 20s and highs in the 40s, or lows in the 40s with highs in the lower 80s. We have had snow in March and April too, so that is in the realm of the possible although would be an unusual happening.
Week prior weather: Mostly we are looking at the rainfall and whether or not the ground is still firm/frozen. Rainfall is going to impact our military vehicle trafficability in the field as well as create problems for us in some of the parking areas. If the ground is frozen, then we might be able to open up more areas for driving.
Event weekend weather: Generally speaking, we won’t delay the start of the tactical for rain unless it is really significant and hazardous to those in the field. Lightning strikes are a real show stopper for field training. Also, the field being iced over could impact us too, although it would also limit the ability of people to get to the event. Ice like this is possible but unlikely.
So…plan for cooler temps and rain, and pray for good weather. Any “lack of rain dances” would be appreciated. We want everyone to have a great experience at the event although weather is the wild card. All we can do is plan, hope and watch the forecast.
#25: Bazookas, Schrecks, Fausts and PIATs
Since we will have a number of armored vehicles at the event, we also have to have corresponding rules now on how to take them out.
This is what we are trying to do with these rules: First off, make sure that the armored vehicle owners don’t haul a tank 300 miles to the event to only have it knocked out every 10 seconds. Second, to avoid the never ending AT weapon shots from a ‘Faust made using $3 of PVC pipe recycled from a home remodeling project. Third, we want to make AT weapon shots very calculated events, which are both rare and have a likely chance of success.
Infantry AT weapons are risky affairs for the troops using them, and the tank should retain the advantage in most instances. Steel beats wool 99% of the time. Talk to vets about using these weapons in combat, and you will hear the fear in their stories.
This is what we have decided:
AT Guns: Towed AT guns get as many shots as the ammo they can carry. Since most are being pulled by vehicles, this isn’t an issue. We just ask that you not be silly with the number of shots you make, especially if it is a propane gun.
‘Fausts: Panzerfausts are a one shot weapon, albeit with a devastating impact. Fausts get one shot per scenario. Taking more than one shot per scenario means the Faust is somehow reloadable. I know with many vendors selling the bizarre panzerfaust heads, many people think they are reloadable. They aren’t. One shot, one kill per scenario.
Bazookas, Schrecks and PIATs: You get one shot per scenario unless you carry an ammo bag for them. If you carry a bag, you get the corresponding number of shots for the ammo you carry. For instance if you carry a bazooka bag, they carry 3 rounds. With one bag, you get three shots. If you carry two bazooka bags, you get 6 shots. Isn’t it crazy how that all works out. I got a D in College Algebra, so I hope my math is right. It would be really good if there was a flash, noise or a choir of being yelling “swish” when the rocket is launched too, but I don’t want anyone blowing themselves up making this happen either.
Another clarification, German Tank Destruction Badges was awarded for the destruction of a tank using hand held explosive, and not AT weapons. It’s up to your unit to award or not award the badge, but if you are bragging about your “alte zuverlässige Panzerfaust” taking out 15 tanks, which is why you have the panzer destruction badge in platinum, you might be missing the point.
26. Shotguns Verboten!
It is hard to argue against a US Remington Model 1897 shotgun being an authentic WWII US military weapon. They were issued in both WWI and WWII and used in many theaters of war as well as stateside to the US Army and US Marine Corps. Having said that, the issue of these was not widespread and it was not used as a front line weapon. You cannot find it on an Infantry Regiment TO&E. Then it goes into the “correct but not common” category that causes so many disagreements amongst reenactors.
Shotguns also create a safety issues at reenactments, and that is why we will not have them at Weldonkrieg, with one minor exception. The safety concerns are twofold:
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The blast area of these with blanks is significant. They are just as impressive with blanks as they are with live ammo.
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Blanks and live ammo are very easily interchanged, because they look nearly identical.
These two reasons are why we won’t have them at Weldonkrieg. I just don’t want to take a chance of a mix up of ammo, and the blast distance makes them a safety issue too. Let’s just not go there.
I did promise one exception above, and that is many WWII cannons are adapted to shotgun kits for blanks. Our US M-3 37mm cannon has a 8 gauge training adapter we use to fire it. Adaptations like this are permissible as long as the ammo gets a good inspection by a safety officer.
27. No Spielberg Wannabes please…
We have been working with 88mm Productions regarding the Weldonkrieg event. We were very hesitant regarding Chris and his crew at first, as we are with any film crew. We feel the same regarding a news or feature film crew. While at first it seems like everyone wants to get on camera and become famous. After all, it was 88mm Productions who made Scott Hayes, (the former .38th Jagers commander), a household name after his starting role with a pistol jammed in his face? The problem is you can get tap danced on later and wonder what happened. It all seemed so innocent at first.
We have had a few requests for people to film the event and we have turned them all down except for 88mm’s request. It isn’t like we are getting insider kickbacks from 88mm to give them exclusive rights. They aren’t like the Ford Trucks sponsoring the Olympics. It is simply this: We trust Chris to do a good job with this film. We don’t trust others.
I refer you to the film Darkon about LARPers in Maryland. I keep saying to Chris, “This won’t be Darkon, right?” Here are a few quotes from a review of Darkon by Slant Magazine’s Nick Shager:
“In Darkon, participants enjoy a brief respite from their everyday discontent, whether it be game bigwig Skip, a stay-at-home dad still bitter over his brother's takeover of the family business, Beckie, a former stripper and single mother living in her parents' basement with her son, or Daniel, a lonely, overweight guy desperate to find the courage to speak to a girl. Neel and Myers's subjects recognize that role-playing is a means of temporarily getting to be the heroes (or villains) they secretly wish they were…”
“The portrait painted by Darkon is of low self-esteem and a consequent retreat into immature imagination, and its depiction of grown adults playing pretend is unavoidably funny. Yet to Neel and Myers's credit, it's ultimately—as with a prolonged, YouTube-ready clip of Skip's young son vigorously swinging a sword in the family living room—the type of laughter that feels like it could quite easily turn to tears.”
Do you want your name in this? 88mm is willing to do a lot of things to make this documentary. They are equipping their camera crews with uniforms, which considering many independent films can make a profit or loss based upon their last bake sale. I know much of the uniforms are leftover Rhineland gear, but
28. Changing or Late Registrations
Those not registered: I realize some people are trying to sort out their schedule until the very last minute and don’t want to commit until they know for sure. I totally respect and appreciate that. Please understand at a certain point, on or about the 21st of March, we will close the registration site. After that date, we will only take registrations as walk-ons at the event.
Walk-ons: Walk-ons are those who did not preregister. Walk-ons won’t get a meal because we are past the date for the caterer. We also have to assign them to units, get them S&A’d and all sorts of things. I also expect a few people to show up at 0800 and want to go through the whole process while we are trying to form up units, etc. It’s part of the business of running events, but understand our frustration too.
Cancellations: We have had a few cancellations. If you know for sure you can’t attend, please let us know. You may be holding a barracks and meal space that we can reallocate.
Changes in registration: Some reserved barracks space and are now camping. Some were eating the Saturday night meal and are going out for dinner. Some registered as a German and are now attending as US.
If you are cancelling or changing your registration, please email Earl at dptydover@sbcglobal.net . Be very specific about what you are changing.
If you have a question about whether someone is registered, just send a FB message and we will look it up. It may take us a bit to reply, but we will get back to you.
29. Where is my Panzer Armee? Rank versus position
One of the funnier stories I remember from the early days at Weldon was a guy who showed up in the 70s in a SS Panzer General uniform and then asked people, where is my Panzer Armee? I don’t know if it is true or not, but I can totally see this happening. This does raise an interesting question for Weldonkrieg: Rank versus position.
Let’s define the two: Rank is what people wear on their collar, sleeve or epaulet. Rank has been designated by a particular unit, or perhaps just validated through an order on ebay or ATF. Position is the location someone holds under the organization chart.
During the tactical battle, this event is all about position versus rank. Position is where the real power is, not something you tack on a uniform. We are putting together dozens on smaller units into a larger force and trying to maneuver them tactically. We are appointing unit commanders. On the Allied side we are organized along the lines of a battalion, and have three company commanders and a separate platoon leader. On the Axis side, there are three distinctive kampfgruppes with appointed commanders.
The leaders of these units are the ones who are driving the train during the tactical, and we expect people to cooperate with them. If a group shows up with 8 guys and a captain commanding it, the captain is now a squad leader and should function as such. There should be no one tossing around their rank, or even worse, “reenacting date of rank.” I want to be a fly on the wall for that conversation. On the Allied side, I am not going to make anyone take anything off their uniforms, but I also expect people to cooperate with their appointed leaders.
On the Allied side, our leaders have a wealth of experience. Experience wise, we have three Army LTCs (two still serve and one retired), a retired SGM, a Fire Captain…and well…Dima. The commanders are all Captains and the I&R platoon leader is a First Lieutenant. I trust them to appoint their subordinate commanders. I temporarily “commissioned” two shavetail Second Lieutenants from my unit but one is the S-2/3 on the staff and the other is leading a chunk of my own unit. I think a similar thing is happening on the Axis side.
Talk to your unit commanders and see where they want you on the organization chart. Remember it is all about position.
30. Sunday Church Services
Update: We do not hve any church services scheduled for the 2016 event. Another tradition of the Weldon events was having a church service, usually performed by Del Miller of the Brit paras. When we started talking about doing another event there, that thought immediately came to mind. Chris Smead contacted me and asked the same thing. Chris followed up and contacted Del. Del Miller is planning to do a church service as a chaplain on Sunday morning. We will put out the exact time and location at the event.
31. Stahlhelms please
I had a question if there is a requirement to wear helmets in the field. I know many people are coming from all over the US and may not be familiar with standards we are operating within.
I thought this was a requirement and went back to the safety regulations of the HRS.
17. Helmets:
Helmets must be worn by all participants during public battles. Except for the following:
-Gebirgsjagers
-Army Commandos
-Royal Marines
-Russian troops
-Other individual soldiers whose impression requires a softcap to operate
equipment or vehicles authentically or safely.
-These impressions must wear their impression correct headgear.
This covers the question pretty clearly. If there is a particular unit that wants to operate without helmets, please contact us and we will look at it. Our most likely answer will be a no, but it doesn’t hurt to ask. I would rather work it out now than 0900 on Saturday delaying everyone going to the field.
32. Events from 0800-0900 on Saturday
We recently met at the site and discussed a number of things. One of the key items was the plan to get people into the field. This is the basic scheme of maneuver:
0800: Units form up and move to the safety briefing: Units won’t need their vehicles for this. This is just a briefing about safety and will be conducted off the back steps of the barracks. For the allies, this is a two block walk and the germans one block.
0815-0830: Safety briefing
0830-0845: Units move back to fall in on their gear and vehicles and prepare to move through the safety station. Units will be called up to be inspected as they move to the field.
0845-until complete: Units clear through the safety station on their way into the field. Units will drive and march through the safety station and all pyro and blanks will be checked for both individual and crew served weapons. A mark will be placed on the individual’s card to show they are cleared.
There are several tasks in there that will be completed at the company level. First, is an initial safety inspection to make sure their people are ready to go and fix safety issues.
Also, the company level leadership is going to check authenticity throughout and fix as many issues as possible. More series issues will be elevated to the event staff to deal with. We have put out clear standards on both sides (they are on the website) and 97% of reenactors will probably look great. I am not going to punish the 97% by making them stand around to look for the 3%. We will deal with the 3% individually and not embarrass them in public, creating a spectacle for the other 97%.
Company level leadership will be looking for authenticity issues on Friday night and Saturday morning, so we can fix them. We aren’t afraid to ask people to leave the event if things are horrible, but hope that by publicizing standards early, everything will work out and this won’t be a big issue.
Authenticity issues tends to fall into two categories: 1. People who are well intentioned and just need time and education to meet the standards 2. People who just don’t care about the standard. We want to encourage the first group to get them up to the standard and discourage the “don’t care” group from attending. If they don’t care about authenticity, then they probably don’t care about safety rules too. We don’t need them. At this point, we don’t care if we lose two people and only have 348 versus 350 in the field.
This will be handled on the Allied side by the NCO support chain, so the Sergeant Major is the point man and the 1SG’s being key players. This is being staffed a similar way on the German side although they have to chime in as to how they are doing it.
The safety stations are being handled by each side. The Allied one will be staffed by the I&R platoon located at the intersection just to the west of the road that runs between the US and Commonwealth camps. The first unit stacks up next to the station, with the others on stand-by to be called forward. The inspectors will spread out and as units go through it, elements of the unit will move into the station. The inspectors will check over everything, annotate their cards and move them to the far side while the next group comes through. The Allied side the 3 companies will move through it. The companies are about 35-70, so the smallest companies will have 3 groups go through it, and the largest 5. It should go quickly. Then I&R will be inspected by the HHC staff and the HHC staff will be inspect I&R. A similar arrangement is being handled on the German side.
This is a different way of doing business but we think it will work better. I have found the large S&A formation aren’t that effective and tend to embarrass people. They also don’t go a good job of checking people before they deploy because there is a time lag before people go to the field. We think this will work better. I guess in two weeks we will know if this is true.
35. Everybody wants a map
My experience at a reenactment is everyone at a reenactment wants a map, although very few people truly know how to read one. Maps are expensive to make and are almost always never are returned after the event.In order to work around this, we have posted on the website a downloadable map. The link to it is located here: (__________link forthcoming). It is in powerpoint format so units and individuals can just download it and print as many copies as they like. You can also customize it however you like.
On the Allied side, I will be making a small number of maps for company and platoon level leadership and distributing them at the event. These will be issued through the chain of command. I think something similar is going on with the German side.
I would suggest everyone print a copy of the map and keep it for themselves. That way you aren’t having to depend upon other people for maps. We could probably run this event without a single map, but we are issuing a small number of maps. Most reenactors (and me until I taught map reading in the Army) really just have a superficial skills set of map reading. Map reading is an art and science and especially when you are looking at a topo map of Weldon that was made in the 60s, and a google earth map that is more recent but is missing many things that aren’t there anymore. Don’t blame the map and say it sucks. Things change on the ground and that’s the art of map reading.
36. Flags, restaurants and German uniforms
Unless you were living in a hole during February of 214 in the reenacting community, you have probably heard of the Minneapolis restaurant fiasco. Having a WWII reenactor dinner with swastika flags on the walls, and on Martin Luther King, Jr. weekend….hmm…what could go wrong with this plan?
We have zero tolerance for that stuff at Weldon. No swastika flags will be flown, and no German tunics worn off the installation. We don’t want to be a cover story in the Riverfront Times in conjunction with the Minneapolis paper. Here are some expected responses for those who might be upset: This infringes on our First Ammendment Rights! No…by coming to our event you agree to playing by our rules. If you don’t like it, then you don’t have to attend.
There is a difference between a campsite at an event you are invited to attend and standing on a public street corner. Go talk to the ACLU…our Weldonkrieg legal department will get back to them. They are Dewey, Cheatam and Howe in Cambridge, MA.
This isn’t fair…..the Allies get to do it! That’s right they do, but this is also the country of the veterans who won the war. It’s pretty simple…we won’t put up with it. If someone is going to be that way and push the issue on us, don’t attend. If you do something stupid like happened in Minnesota, we won’t tolerate it, make excuses for it and hope the gate hits you on the butt as you roll out of the site.
37: The most dangerous part of WWII reenacting
I don’t even know how many WWII reenacting events I have been to, but it has to be more than 200 and closer to 300. I have seen people get hurt in many ways. One guy got peppered in the face from a kar98k at the Hooper, NE national, people have been twisted and broken ankles, arms, a side of a Thompson once blew out and drew blood. I have only been to one event where reenactors have gotten killed. It was the last Gruber event, probably in the spring of 2004. One or two reenactors were killed during the event…in a car accident.
Consistently the most serious injuries that happen with people attending WWII reenactments are car accidents. The combination of physical exhaustion, long distance travel, occasional shoddy equipment and weather has led to several serious car accidents and two deaths. The Gruber incident happened on Saturday night at a T intersection and most of us didn’t even know it happened until we got home and saw it on Monday. I have heard of several other accidents where people walked away or had minor injuries.
So…the most dangerous thing you do at a WWII reenactment is drive afterwards. The combination of being tired from physical activity all day, disrupted sleep patterns, distraction due to seeing your close friends and sometimes alcohol can lead to some very bad consequences. I don’t want to hear on Monday morning that a couple people were needlessly hurt in a car accident heading home. The Gruber accident happened as they were returning back to the installation after dinner.I am also a realist.
Those of us in the Army have done a TRIPS report, which is an online form that asks you a bunch of questions and spits out your risks for your trip. My favorite TRIPS report was a 20 mile trip and it suggested I stop at the 15 mile point to stretch my legs and relax before finishing my arduous journey. I have that saved somewhere. TRIPS does have good ideas about safe trips though.
The reports ask about these things: Your rest: this is pretty critical before and after the trip. I have been working until midnight many a night before an event changing a jeep tire, packing or heading to the store to buy things I need. Plan ahead. For the trip home, get a good night’s sleep and respect other people’s opportunity to get a good night’s sleep. Equipment:
As someone who just found his hauling truck drive shaft on the ground a few days ago, I can’t emphasize checking your equipment thoroughly. Especially check the brakes and steering for functionality. The need to bring the new kubelkar to Weldon is not outweighed by safety. We can see it next year versus travel from Sastatoon on 3 bald tires. Also check your trailers this weekend to look for problems. Last minute trailer issues can lead to the midnight Thursday repairs.
Familiarity with route: Sometimes accidents are caused by a lack of familiarity with the route. Sit down and look at it before you leave.Alcohol consumption: We don’t allow it on site, but I am sure a few people will head out to the Hauserhoff in nearby Hammelburg for a few rounds with your close friends. Make sure you are not hung over or just really tired before you go home on Sunday. It’s easy to do…some of my best times are with my reenacting friends.
Please remember that the event isn’t over until you are home.Take rest stops every so often. Get out and walk around. Stop and have a meal versus get the Happy Meal with the Monument’s Men toys inside them for eating while driving. That rest is invaluable. If someone is with you, switch drivers every so often if it is a long trip.
I probably sound like your mother, but the event planners of Weldonkrieg want you to have a great experience, but also to be safe in all aspects of the event, including the travel home. It breaks my heart when I hear of these things, and we don’t want to be doing a memorial service for you next year.
38. The least controversial subject in reenacting: Hit Calling !
Hit calling…take your hits…any questions?Hit calling is just a never ending source of grief in the hobby. Someone is always pissed about the “never die GIs,” or the “SS Ironmen” or “Bulletproof Brits.” I have had one person take two shots and claim three hits. I guess Lee Harvey had traded in his Carcano for a Mauser that day.
Hits don’t get taken for a lot of reasons: The range and distance is just too far away, and the hitee has no idea they were just shot.The hitee had no idea the hiter was shooting at them. Taking a hit is a sort of short term relationship where two people connect through firepower. Sometimes the connection is just never made and it is a one sided affair.The hitee had shot the hiter 3 times already, and due to one of the reasons above, they didn’t take it. So..when the hiter shoots said hitee they ignore the shot because they should already be out of the action.
At Weldonkrieg this is how we are going to handle it. Hit calling is deemphasized and is just part of playing the game. Don’t make it bigger than what it is. It is just a short timeout. Certain phases of certain scenarios you will have either a limited or unlimited number of hits. The side getting the unlimited hits is probably attacking. There is no real way to gain mass of troops to get the 3 to 1 odds doctrinally required for an attack, we compensate for it by giving the attacker unlimited hits.
If you are the defender, just fall back. We are trying to move the groups around the battlefield like they do on a golf course, and that is part of what we are doing here too. We aren’t going to have umpires in striped shirts with whistles, so this is all based upon cooperation. Taking a hit really doesn’t cost you anything in the big scheme of things and if they got you, they got you. Take your hit and fall out for a while and come back into it. It’s not hard and shouldn’t be a big deal. We aren’t giving awards for who got shot the least.
We also want to avoid the “dead cocktail parties” that tend to form in the middle of roads and openings when there are lots of casualties. Please move to the rear, report to your senior NCO and then come back into the fight. The dead cocktail parties of people standing around just slow the action and make it unrealistic. This isn’t WWI and it isn’t the Christmas Truce….the war goes on without you. Fall back, take a drink of water and report back to your leaders.
Also, no necroconaissance. Necroconaissance is the process of dead reenactors walking through enemy lines to prepare for their next action. It's just BS, unfair play and ......cheating.If you find yourself in a situation where your temper is getting the best of you over this, step back and remember the other person is a reenactor just like you. They probably have better intentions than you might think and see things differently. Get over it, move on, and take your friggin’ hits.
39: Last minute reminders and tips
A few things to remember before heading up to the largest tactical reenactment in the US from Pennsylvania to California: (Sorry, I had to throw that in there!)-Remember the gate closes at 2300 on Friday and reopens from 0600-0830. If someone is coming in at a really late time, please talk to us at registration to work something out. We have a plan…and we can talk to you about it.
-Bring water: Remember there are two potable spigots on site although bringing your own water is the preferred method. Remember the barracks will not have water either.
-Dress for the weather: As of today, there is no rain in the forecast for the event.-Remember you will working within an establish chain of command. If you don’t know prior to attending who your company or kampfgruppe is, you can find out at the Allied or Axis CP when you register.
-Go to registration first and avoid the temptation to go see your friends at the camps. We are going to try to make it go as quickly as possible and you will see them soon enough.
-Remember the spirit of Weldon Spring as the place that reenactors first came together and keep that with you. We are doing our best to make this a good experience for everyone. We hope our work pays off.
-Work with us regarding the parking situation. We only have so much space and one person can really mess up open parking.
-If you need to cancel, contact Earl Overschmidt at dptydover@sbcglobal.net.
We think we have everything covered. All that is left to do is the loading and driving. Safe travels.
40: Done with daily talking points
We have endured me writing 39 of these things, and I swore I would stop at 40. All of my good ideas are already in ink. I could write about the viability of the ME-323 Gigant crew impression at Weldonkrieg, correct WWII underwear, those weird SS Fez’s and other obscure topics, but I am reaching.Thanks for tolerating my raves and have a good event!