Today's topic is ALCOHOL: HRS rules and the Weldon Spring site do not allow alcohol on the installation. We know many events say "no alcohol" and then someone makes a pretty penny on the recycled beer cans after the event. The policy at many events is "No Alcohol...*wink wink*"
At Weldonkrieg, when we say no alcohol, we do mean --->no alcohol<---. If we find it, we will ask you to put it away. If we see it a second time, we will ask you the leave the event/site. We don't want to have to do this, but we also have to enforce the rules. Please don't put us in this position to ask you to leave.
We understand you may want to have a beer with your friends you see a few times a year. I get that, but it isn't worth risking the loss of the site for future events. Take it off the installation and please don't get stinkin' drunk and create a problem for a local business or more importantly...*us*. Also please don't wear your German tunics into local restaurants. We want to maintain good relations with the locals too.
As I said, I understand why you may want to drink and have one with your friends, but we just can't risk losing the site again. We have worked hard to get it back, so please work with us.n we say no alcohol, we do mean --->no alcohol<---. If we find it, we will ask you to put it away. If we see it a second time, we will ask you the leave the event/site. We don't want to have to do this, but we also have to enforce the rules. Please don't put us in this position to ask you to leave.
We understand you may want to have a beer with your friends you see a few times a year. I get that, but it isn't worth risking the loss of the site for future events. Take it off the installation and please don't get stinkin' drunk and create a problem for a local business or more importantly...*us*. Also please don't wear your German tunics into local restaurants. We want to maintain good relations with the locals too.
As I said, I understand why you may want to drink and have one with your friends, but we just can't risk losing the site again. We have worked hard to get it back, so please work with us.
#2. Weldonkrieg Daily Talking Point #2 : Fires
Fires will be permitted at Weldonkrieg but they must be in an above ground fire pit of some sorts...like a commercially bought above ground fire pit, a 55 gallon drum on bricks (either cut down or as is). The key here is when the event is over, there is no evidence there was a fire at the site. As long as that is the end state, then we are going to fine with it.
We have no issues with tent stoves/heaters as long as they are watched and you have a fire extinguisher nearby.
There will be no in the ground firepits dug at Weldonkrieg.
There is a wood pile located not far from the bivouac sites that can supply you firewood, but it is a "do it yourself" wood pile. The wood will need to be cut from the trunks and branches at the pile, so you will need a hand or chain saw to do this. Heck, we could even get one of those big two man saws and have a SS versus Heer "saw off." Think of the possibilities...Ok...I digress...
So..as long as there is no evidence of the firepit when you leave, and we don't burn any tents down, fires are permitted at Weldonkrieg.
3. Weldonkriieg Daily Talking Point #3: Non-participants
Weldonkrieg is not the place for your family vacation. The only people staying on site should be the registered participants. There should not be any non-participants or "camp followers" on the site during the event, minus someone getting picked up or dropped off. The only non-reenactors on the site should be the vendors (although many are reenactors), and the various military units training on the site.
We know that as small children, the idea to go walk the "Nuclear waste adventure trail" sounds like an ideal family get away while you are out defending the fatherland. We don't have an issue with your family spending the weekend in St Louis...we just don't want them at Weldonkrieg. Besides, we don't have an extra US halftrack to corral all of those toddlers in a period correct ad hoc daycare.
Seriously...don't bring your family to Weldonkrieg....it just isn't the right place for them.
4. Weldonkrieg Daily Talking Point #4: Pets and animals
Please do not bring your pets to this event. Also this event will not have any horses. The Army rules prohibit us having any animals on site and we don't know what you would do with them there anyway.
As much as we love our pets they must stay home. The event is just not equipped to deal with animals. So..... Please leave Fluffy, Fido, Mittens, Trigger, Duchess and my friend Flicka at home. They just have no place at Weldonkrieg....
5. Weldonkrieg Talking Point #5: Parking
Parking is going to be an issue at Weldonkrieg. We expect to have over 300 reenactors attending and throw in the 50+ expected military vehicles and that leaves a large parking footprint.
We are working with the site we have, not the site we wish that we had. We have to fit parking into the spaces that exist, try to preserve relative authenticity, not damage the site any more than we need to and be safe all at the time. This means we will not make people happy with the parking situation, but it is what it is.
We have three designated parking areas, and we are going to assign people to these sites based upon where they are staying: The ones in the barracks using the parking nearest the barracks. The Germans are using the parking lot nearest the German camp, and the allies are using the parking lot closest to their camp (which is 2-3 blocks away). There is also trailer parking which is 1/4 mile to the west and some near the gate too. We just ask that you work with us.
This is our intent: You arrive and go straight to registration. You will check in at the event registration and then the allied and axis CPs (in the same area). From there you can go occupy your area in the barracks or campsite. Our intent is for you to unload and then move your vehicle to the parking lot. If you have a trailer, you may want to wait to unload off the trailer until your gear is dropped off first. Then you can go offload it near the trailer area, park your truck and trailer there, and drive your WWII MV back to the camp.
Our intent is to park the WWII MVs near the campsites or in designated lots near the campsites, but not modern vehicles.
We are trying to keep the camp areas as modern vehicle-free as possible, so this may mean a little walking back and forth to the lots if you need to go to town etc. We hope that most everyone comes for the weekend and stays put. Also, we need cooperation with using your assigned lots and not parking around the campsites.
The lots are not going to give you rockstar parking by any means (especially for the allied camps) but it is what we have to offer you based upon the site. As I said, we have the one we have, not the one we wish we had. Cooperation, prior planning and good packing lists of all the things you need will make this go better. If you plan to run into town 5 times during the event, our system will frustrate you.
6. Weldonkrieg talking point #6: Captured weapons and equipment
Our intent is to create a west front tactical for the fall to winter of 1944 time era in Western Europe. This means the weapons, equipment and vehicles should be standard to the German, US and Commonwealth armies of that period.
We can always find an exception or a picture that shows X used Y during this period, but these are nearly always exceptions. To preserve authenticity and avoid crazy exceptions, we are keeping the weapons to standardly issued weapons made by the same country as the reenactor's impression.
We could debate this ad naseum and show Russians with Bren Guns, Germans with M-1 Carbines, Charlemagne with a Piper Cub...but that isn't what this thread is about; It is to set standards for a event. If you want to debate correctness of a captured weapon, go to the Axis History forum or some gun board and talk it up, but not here.
This also means no jeeps with nat-zee flags on them, kubels with stars on them (But..but...but..it was in The Monuments Men!), PPSH's, Slovakian potato guns or those little Mattel M-16s that went vroom vroom when you pulled the trigger. Weren't those some sort of a blue color? Ahh the memories...
We are trying to keep it simple. I am aware that most of the German tanks taken out on D-Day were French captured tanks. If you want to bring your Char-B with a Balkan cross on it, we can talk about it more. We just don't want the easy substitutes for US or German weapons that are cooler, fire faster, or are cheaper. The US side should be pretty easy to police as long as we have no M1As, AKs or AR clones show up (But...but..but.. it looks just like a MP-44!).
We are putting this out there because we have reenactors coming from as far away as San Diego for this, so we have to standardize our standards. Isn't that Standard SOP to standardize standards? That's what we are trying to do with this post.
Keep it simple, correct to your country of impression and correct to the time period and we will all be one big happy group of Weldonkriegers.
7. Weldonkrieg Daily Talking Point: Don’t drink (most) of the Water
As my title of today’s talking point demonstrates, there are some water issues at Weldon Spring Training Site. The site was one of the most toxic waste sites in the US for many years and the government spent 4/10ths of a BILLION dollars cleaning it up. You will see the big containment cell as you drive in. It is 7 stories tall and 20+ acres wide. Those are your tax dollars at work. When you come into the site, the big white behemoth is best landmark to the event site in case you get lost too. In fact, if anyone can’t find the site, I just gave you something to
There are two potable water points on the site. One is near the gate and the other is near the serving building in the allied camp. This water comes from the local community water system and not wells at the site. They are safe. There are faucets in the barracks, in the shower building etc but they are all clearly marked…do not drink. You can wash yourself with them, brush your teeth (spitting it out afterwards), clean gear and items with it, etc but do no drink it. I don’t know what might happen if you do drink it, but I suspect one of two things: 1. You will eventually get sick 2. The Zombie apocalypse that my students obsess about will start during Weldonkrieg. I would go with the first one.
This is my suggestion: Bring your own water: If you have any plastic water jugs, fill them up and bring them to the event. You could also buy a case of water and keep it in your tent or near your bunk. We have water at the site but it is not convenient, especially for the Axis troops and barracks dwellers. The Allied troops have a water spigot in their bivouac site, which is the trade off for the parking being further away. The Germans have to deal with water issues for their rockstar parking. We are even Steven with that one. If you bring your own water, this won’t be an issue all weekend.
We are trying to get a water buffalo to come out to the site and keep it in the cantonment area to help those in the barracks. The buffalo is coming via a friend’s friend whose cousin knows the guy who has access to the water buffalo every third leap year. Get the picture? We aren’t sure we will get it.
If you plan accordingly and remember the water issues when making your Weldonkrieg packing list, this won’t be an issue.
8. Weldonkrieg Talking Point #8: Hauling trailers:
We are expecting 50+ WWII military vehicles, and that means 50+ towing vehicles and 50+ trailers. That’s a big footprint, especially when you add in the 50 military vehicles to go with it. As we stated earlier, parking is going to be an issue and helping us by parking your trailers in the designated areas will make life easier for everyone.
We have two areas set aside for trailer/towing vehicle parking: The warehouse area and the gate area. The warehouse area is about ¼ down the road past the tent pads and has enough space to accommodate all of our needs. There is a grass area to the south of the warhouse, and a concrete pad to the north of it. The north side as a number of TEU (twenty foot equivalent unit) containers arranged in a manner that must make sense to the warehouse staff, although it might appear more random to us. We want to fill the south area first, and leave the concrete area for the larger vehicles that may sink and get stuck in the grass area.
The second area is the parking lot near the gate. We are going to try to have the Jagers and Railsplitters park their tow vehicles and trailers up there to keep the other lots open for participants.
What we are trying to do is keep the parking lots near the camps open for single vehicles. By the time we get all of our barracks dwellers and campers in those lots they may be near full. When our Ramada Rangers and Day Trippers then come in, we want to have spaces left for them. We are hoping that when you come to the event, you come to stay for the weekend. That will help with parking because the lots will get all messed up with people parking in odd directions after a few at the Hauserhoff.
Also, please remember we aren’t trying to make your lives difficult, but are trying to herd 3-400+ cats, their associated military vehicles and gear into safe, authentic and fun tactical. If you work with us we will work with you.
9. Weldonkrieg Talking Point #9: Access to the training areas
We don’t own the site. It is owned by the US Army Reserve and we are guests at the site. If you have worked at all with the Army regarding training sites, you know there is an elaborate process for reserving space, controlling space etc. The Army does dangerous training all the time, so controlling who goes where is a big deal.
We only have access to SOME of the training areas lined up for the day Saturday and the morning on Sunday. We can’t just got tooling around the training areas whenever we want. This isn’t Weldon Springs State Park. There is a very active rifle and pistol range near the back of the training site and it gets used quite often by different governmental agencies. The Army unit we are sharing the site with will also be using the rifle range and conducting land navigation on Saturday. We don’t want to get a report of a Second Lieutenant trying to read a map in an intersection and getting ran over by a halftrack.
Also, some sites, like the Power Plants 1 and 2 (aka “The Factories” in reenacting speak) are fenced off due to contamination issues, asbestos, etc. If you have any thoughts about climbing a fence, stop them right there. Sure, the inside of the buildings look like the zombie apocalypse has come, but admire them from afar…on the outside of the fence.
If we catch people “checking out” the training sites on Friday without permissions from the four key event staff, we will show you the gate. If you climb a fence and are inside any off limits areas, we will show you the gate. There will be no first time offense. Someone could get hurt out there and we won’t even know where they are. That’s not good. On Friday, everyone needs to stay in the cantonment area. If you are more than 50 steps beyond the cantonment area, then you are out of bounds on Friday.
We are planning a leader’s recon for Friday and we will coordinate with the training site staff to do this. If you are a designated commander or senior leader of the Allied or Axis chain of command, then you will be invited to this. We haven’t set a specific time for this, but will put it out to the people who need to be involved.
So…stay in the cantonment area on Friday and Saturday after the battle. Don’t go wandering around. I know there are lots of cool ruins and buildings on the site. Many you won’t sleep well on Friday night with excitement thinking about seeing the legendary SS redoubt and Tractor Factory but we will do our best to get you there on Saturday.
PS: I was just kidding about the second lieutenant trying to read a map and getting ran over by a half track. We all know 2LTs can’t read maps!
10. Weldonkrieg Daily Talking Point #10: The Gate
Weldon Spring Training Site is normally a closed installation, in that access is controlled at all times. Right now there is some construction going on, which makes it a little more open than normal, but for our event the construction people will be gone and the site closed off again. We have to control access to the installation and can’t just leave the gate open. There are four big reasons why:
1. Physical Security: There is a lot of US Army property on the site and it needs to be protected.
2. Poachers are known to hunt illegally at the site. The last thing we want during our event is a poacher seeing movement in the bushes and taking a shot at us. If we hear poachers are anywhere near reenactors, we will stand down the reenactment until we clear the area. It’s not worth someone getting shot. It just isn’t worth the possible harm that could be done.
3. Cheapstakes: There are known to be a few cheapstakes in the hobby who will try to slip into the event, skip registration and sneak into the field. I bet they would even try to get a free chicken dinner off us too. Running this event is a massive undertaking for us planners, and there is also a lot of money involved. It is $25 with a dinner included. Come on people…
4. Getting sued: Someone who sneaks into the event and skips registration is also the first person standing in line to sue us when they get hurt. This is the type of person who is just used to taking advantage of others in small and big ways. Everyone needs to have a registration card, which means they signed their waivers.
So, what does this mean in practical terms: Leaving the installation is not a problem…the gate opens automatically when your car approaches it. Getting in is the issue: It requires someone opening it for you or the access code entered in a keypad on the far side of the gate. We will man the gate on Friday from 1500-2300, and 0600 to 0800 on Saturday. This should be enough time for everyone to get into the event.
On Saturday at some point, we will distribute the gate code to unit commanders for those who need to head into town and return. The code is only good for the weekend and will be changed after the event, so no coming back on Tuesday to pick up the lost Hitler Youth swizzle stick you left in the barracks.
Our biggest concern is for those who drive all day and half the night to get there, arriving at 3am. If wasn’t uncommon back in the 80s for there to be a line of cars sitting outside the gate when it opened on Saturday morning. We don’t have a good solution to that other than manning the gate through the night, and no one is stepping up to do that. It’s our event too and we need sleep.
So…as long as everyone understands where we are coming from and that the gate will be closed on Friday night from 2300-0600, and that everyone needs to register and pay….life is grand.
11. Weldonkrieg Daily Talking Point #11: Hair
Hair: I am still not sure after 31 years of WWII reenacting why hair is still an issue amongst participants. It never ceases to amaze me how someone will spent $3,000 on an spot on uniform and weapon, and then have the personal grooming look of the guitarist of the Doobie Brothers, circa 1978. Hair is one of the most easily fixed authenticity issues yet it is one of the most neglected amongst some. I know most people know this, but some don’t: Hair grows back!
This is how we are going to handle standards hair at Weldonkrieg: It starts at the gate with the gate people checking your hair. If it is too long, we will provide directions to the nearest Sport Clips, Fantastic Sams or other barber shops.
If it doesn’t get taken care of quickly, it will start a painful series of ever escalating discussions about your seriousness about the hobby and participation in the event.
Worst case, I might even bring a pair of scissors and cut your hair myself for $1, although if you can’t stop the bleeding I will refund your money. I only give one style of haircut…it’s called the “give it a month.” You might need to stay away from anyone you know for a few weeks after one unless you are into being laughed at and your picture posted on facebook under the “People of Weldonkrieg.”
In all seriousness, take care of this before you get there. Don’t show up looking like Justin Bieber’s styling consultant or with a beard (or even near beard) and act shocked when we call you out on it. We have put out in our stream of messages that we are taking authenticity seriously, and testing us will just be frustrating for everyone. We will be checking at the gate and if it doesn’t get fixed, you will be asked to leave. If you end up in that conversation, don’t call us jerks. A person who shows up unsheared for our event is in for a rude awakening. Usually people with bad hair have otherwise bad impressions too, so if we set the tone with this, other things will be taken seriously too.
These are the WWIIHRS Hair regulations that we are working under. If you have a question, please ask in advance. I have made a few annotations, like we aren’t going to have partisans, etc. We will have some Volksturm, but they will be squared away.
“Hair must be cut to a common WWII style, regardless if it can be openly seen or not. For male impressions, hair must be tapered and trimmed to the nape of the neck and around the ears, so as not to touch the ears or collar. Hair cannot be "glued", tucked in, or tucked under any headgear or article of clothing etc. in an attempt to hide an incorrect haircut. Blocked haircuts are not permitted. Sideburns can be no longer than mid-ear.
Mustaches must be trimmed to a common WWII style. All mustaches must be trimmed above the upper lip line, not extend past the edge of the mouth more than 1/4 inches, and not drop down around the corners of the mouth. Exceptions are permitted under the circumstances listed below:
a. British or Commonwealth impressions. b. Partisan impressions. (Not allowed at Weldonkrieg) c. Civilian impressions
Beards shall be defined as any facial hair, other than sideburns or mustaches, which are longer than a two (2) day growth (about 1/8 inches). Beards must be trimmed to a common WWII style and may not be longer than 1 inch. All members of military unit must have beards, in order for one person to wear a beard. Beards are not permitted, except in circumstances listed below:
a. Partisan impressions. (not allowed at Wleonkrieg) b. German Gebirgsjäger unit impressions. (please talk to us in advance) c. Australian unit impressions in the PTO. (not allowed at Weldonkrieg) d. Civilian impressions.
SS troops may not have any facial hair whatsoever, which include mustaches and beards.
Females portraying male impressions must conform to male hair standards.
Participants found in violation of these hair, mustache, and beard regulations cannot wear any uniform/costume or participate in the event as a reenactor whatsoever, to include, display interpreters or battlefield reenactment participants.”
12. Weldonkrieg talking point #12: Pyro
Pyro is a part of WWII reenacting, but we also have to balance that with safety. I have seen many things happen with well done pyro, and poorly done pyro. As the video illustrates, there are many levels of competency amongst homemade pyro makers. Does anyone remember the bazooka or PIAT demo at Camp Clark a few years ago? So, this is our policy:
1. Commercially made smokes: no issues whatsoever. Just pick them up when done.
2. Military made smokes: no issues whatsoever. Just pick them up when done.
3. Hruska grenades: No problems whatsoever. Pick them up when done. If you don’t pick them up, tell me where they are and I will go pick them up and keep them myself.
4. Fireworks: No black cats, bottle rockets, snakes, M-10s, cherry bombs, sparklers etc used as a pyro device at Weldonkrieg. Who doesn’t love a good sparkler at night, but this isn’t the 4th of july.
5. Homemade pyro: This will be reviewed on a case by case basis. If you are willing to set on off standing above it with the device between your legs, we are probably going to be fine with it.
6. Homemade mortar round: Generally speaking these have never been an issue, although having one for demonstration is probably a good idea.
7. Horizontally fired projectiles: Disallowed by the HRS. I too think it would be cool to have a nerf bazooka round with a blue chalk tip actually strike a vehicle, but unfortunately someone might step in front of it and get an Estes model rocket motor up their nose. That isn’t fun.
I know a lot of people are coming from different reenacting groups and regions, so we wanted to get these standards out there. I know someone of the more vivid reenacting stories of people blowing themselves up have happened at Weldon back in the 70s, but we just can’t go there now. So…read what we put down here and if you have any questions, contact us.
13. Weldonkrieg Daily Talking Point #13: The most controversial subject of them all….Cell Phone Reception
I know we are all supposed to be immersed in 1944 but life’s requirements to support WWII reenacting, like jobs, families and BFFs requires us to stay connected during the event. Because of the encroachment of the community on the site, cell phone reception isn’t too bad, certainly much better than it was in 1975.
Those of us used to being on military bases, know the challenges of cell phone reception. This past summer at Ft McCoy, my cell phone was virtually useless unless I was at the PX or McCoys Community Club. This is why I am dedicating this post to cell phone reception. If you are used to being connected 24 x 7, going on to a military installation can be a throwback to the pre-cellphone techniques of staying in touch. We can only draw upon our experiences out there and the carriers we have.
This is what we can tell you from our experiences at Weldon:
AT&T:
Tim: I use ATT&T for both my iPhone and my internet hot spot. Both worked flawlessly in the cantonment area and in the vending building when we had a meeting there. I had my iPad connected to the hot spot and it had zero issues.
Earl: Earl uses AT&T on a Samsung and reports hit and miss service.
Dave: Dave uses and iPhone with Sprint as his service. He has hit and miss service.
As for charging, there are outlets in the buildings. There are power outlets in the serving building in the pavilion in the Allied camp, although we aren’t sure they are on. The large number of chemlights hanging from the ceiling suggest there may be an issue with the power.
So…there you go…that’s what we know. Please warn your family and friends that you may go “off the grid” while at the event. Be pleasantly surprised if you get good service and don’t be surprised if it doesn’t work.
14. Weldonkrieg Daily Talking Point: This is a bunch of garbage
Garbage is a planning factor for any large events. We have a simple rule for garbage: Those who create it are responsible for disposing of it. There are two dumpsters near building S40 (the shower building) near the front gate that are available for our use to get rid of your trash. I suggest units bring their own cans or have their own system for trash. We will have a few cans at key points that we will manage, but remember this is our event too. Who wants to spend the whole weekend hauling other people’s garbage? Not us…
Also, if we have a policy of no alcohol at the event, we don’t want the dumpster full of beer cans. Please review the alcohol policy and let’s make sure we don’t have any issues with bottles, cans and etc for alcohol. This could get us banned from the site.
So deal with your ~trash~, don’t get ~trash~ed and don’t ~refuse~ to deal with your ~garbage~. Plan for it, take care of it, and everything will be great.
Weldonkrieg Talking Point #15: Getting settled into billeting and bivouac sites:
Everything at Weldonkrieg should start with checking into registration. It should not take too long to get through registration, and then you check in with your Axis or Allied CP, and then you can occupy your billeting space or bivouac ite. This is how each of them will work:
Billeting: Once you are cleared through your CP, then head over to the barracks, which is about 100 feet from registration. One side will be marked allied and one axis. We will try to mark beds with unit names on them so you bunk near your friends. Please do not occupy the private rooms without permission. We have been saving them as a female option. If they aren’t needed then we can open them up, but we don’t want to have to kick someone out after them moving in.
Allied: CSM Bowman will be on site and will be placing units as they arrive. We are going to need an approximate footprint of what you are bringing (e.g. 2 GP mediums, 45 shelter half tents and a fly). As for the commonwealth section, that will be more up to your chain of command. We will just make sure you get in the designated area.
Axis: The unit sites are going to be plotted and marked with signs in advance. Members of the Jagers will escort to place units as they arrive.
Tomorrow we will talk about clearing the site…
Weldonkrieg Talking Point #16: Clearing the site
Clearing is a huge deal with any military post, and Weldon is no exception. I can’t enumerate the hours I spent conting and recounting piles of sheets trying to clear an Army post. If we do this well, all of us organizers will be heading down the road by 1300 for a night of well-deserved R&R. If this is done poorly, we may have to go back another day to straighten it up. I suspect the last place we will want to be after that Sunday is Weldon.
Billets: Please pick up your personal belonging and try and leave your areas as neat and orderly as possible. Sweep around the beds and it would be great if someone could help with the latrines too, and getting the trash down to the dumpster. A good mopping will help too after everyone is gone. We will go through it after everyone leaves. If someone trashes their corner and leaves it a mess, we may have to consider your unit as “not housebroken” and required to bivouac next year. I don’t want to have that conversation with anyone. Big boy rules apply here and clean as you go. Take care of your stuff and be courteous to others, and it will all be good.
Bivouac site clearing: Please leave your site as you found it. All trash should be gone, no evidence of your fire pits, any excess wood restacked on the wood pile, and no ruts. We will clear your site and you are on your merry way.
We want to make this go quickly because we know people are traveling extremely long distances. If there are any issues you might know about in advance, ask us on Saturday so we can get them resolved before the morning. We can do a lot more with a lot more warning.
Weldonkrieg Daily Talking Point #17: Barracks Impressions
I know when people attend events with barracks, there is usually a desire to have a "barracks impression." The is where someone uses some interesting items them have picked up to create a reenacting feng shui karmic bliss of a sterile barracks space. While I totally appreciate the original Totenkopf matching Jaegermeister shot glass set, there just isn't a place for them in the Weldon barracks.
The Weldon barracks have two big rooms, two small rooms and two restrooms. The bed space is just a bed with two drawers under them. There is no wall locker or desk... Just the bed and mattress. There is no lock on the drawers, and all units are in the same space together.
If you have a valuable belonging, leave not secured in your car or don't bring it. You might bring a folding chair but once you get beyond that, there isn't space for it. You are living out of your luggage.
So...keep your valuables and firearms in a secure location....it will have everyone griefhave two big rooms, two small rooms and two restrooms. The bed space is just a bed with two drawers under them. There is no wall locker or desk... Just the bed. There is no lock on the drawers, and all units are in the same space together.
If you have a valuable belonging, leave not secured in your car or don't bring it. You might bring a folding chair but once you get beyond that, there isn't space for it. You are living out of your luggage.
So...keep your valuables and firearms in a secure location....it will have everyone grief.
Weldonkrieg Daily Talking Point #18: Minors at the event
I firmly believe good people, regardless of age make for good reenactors. I have seen 45 year olds do just as stupid stuff as 15 year olds. The only difference I see for those under 18 are caused by the different legal status of minors. Anyone under the age of 18 is considered a minor under the law.
Anyone under the age of 16 should not be at Weldonkrieg, unless they just happen to be in the car when you are getting dropped off or picked up at the event.
For those that are 16-17, they can participate as long as a parent or guardian is on the site, and the registration papers are endorsed by the parent/guardian. The minor should be under the control of the parent or guardian at the event.
Does that mean they are watching the minor every second at the event? Of course not…but they should have an idea what they are up to. In the field, it means that the parent or guardian should be part of the same unit or company. They don’t have to be with them every second, but they shouldn’t be too far away either. Also, the parent or guardian should be ready to deal with any negative consequences caused by the minor, just as an adult should be prepared to deal with any misconduct they do themselves.
Also, just be aware those under 18 cannot legally have tobacco products in the State of Missouri, so please do not offer it to them.
Weldonkrieg Daily Talking Point #19: No chicken formations or tank rides…
We will have enough military vehicles at Weldonkrieg to equip a WWII battalion, and we have at least 6 armored vehicles. Armored vehicle tracks don’t have a nerf setting for WWII reenacting and they will smush you just as flat as they did WWII.
As a general rule, do not stand anywhere near an armored vehicle unless you are talking to the crew or have eye contact with them. They may be sitting in gear, so all it would take for them to move is releasing the clutch pedal, which takes less than a second to do. The driver, who has the field of perspective of a couple of inches through their portal, has virtually no way of knowing who is near the vehicle. The tank or track commander should be assisting the driver by providing an extra set of eyes, but they might not see you either. You could be within a second of getting crushed if you stay close to a tracked vehicle.
One this that I see over and over again at reenactments is “The Chicken Formation.” The Chicken Formation is when a gaggle of reenactors stand behind a running vehicle to use it as armored cover. If you read period training manuals, they discourage this because armored vehicles will draw fire, most of which will bounce off and hit something nearby, like *you.*
In reenacting it is totally unsafe because of the conditions I described above. I know at the Ottawa, KS I had a couple of my guys do this, and I had to jump on them. It seems like a natural thing to do…big metal steel bulletproof thing…cover. The real situation is counterintuitive because of safety issues and them drawing fire. I have added a few pictures of reenactors doing this. I am not trying to pick on anyone, by doing it, but just to illustrate the action I am talking about.
Another issue we don’t want to see is tank rides at Weldonkrieg. We have no issues with people inside the armored vehicle, but putting people on the outside can be very dangerous if they fall off. Best case, they just hit the ground, which is no small fall of a few feet. The worst case is they fall off and get reduced to the thickness of cardboard.
I know some will say, but they did this in WWII, so why can’t we do it. The US Army doctrine has the tank crew adding ropes for the riders to hold on to during their ride. I have never seen a reenacting tank crew add any ropes, either.
So…no chicken formations and no tank rides and all should go well. Having armor is awesome at events but also it creates a certain amount of risk that we all have to deal with. Education and good supervision should make this not an issue later this month.
Weldonkrieg Daily Talking Point #20: 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.
#21: Weldonkrieg Daily Talking Point #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: Weldonkrieg Daily Talking Point #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: Weldonkrieg Daily Talking Point #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: Weldonkrieg Daily Talking Point #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: Daily Talking Point #25: Radios
One of my takeaways from my Allied XO experience at Ft Indiantown Gap experience was the need for a solid and robust radio network. At FIG, we were commanding and controlling a 600 man Allied force and 350 man Axis group in the field. FIG they really only do one scenario a day, going to the mid-morning and coming in mid afternoon. It is January in Pennsylvania so the weather can be pretty bitter, plus getting all of those school busses in and out of the field for the reenactors takes some effort too. They go out, do one scenario and come home. One thing we did have as a really good radio network that was business band and housed in bags. Maybe that is just the Army officer in me, but I have put a lot of energy and effort into getting the radio networks right.
We are doing something similar for Weldonkrieg. We are running Allied and Axis command networks and another Event coordination network during the tactical. This network will be CB radio. On the Allied side we have had key people in leadership building bag radios, or adding CB radios to their vehicle mounts.
Why CB? These are more expensive than the FRS (Family Radio Service) talkabout radios you get to take your kids skiing, biking, etc, but they are also are more powerful, with CB pushing 10 times more wattage than the FRS radios. We used to use CBs out there in the 80s and they worked great. This still should be true.
Two guys in my unit recently did some experimenting with their radios near their house, which is about 20 miles Northeast of Weldon. They were able to get a solid 3 miles out of them and that is the max distance of the training areas at Weldon. When I did the WWII convoys, we couldn’t talk more than ¼ to ½ mile back in the convoy. That’s not good enough, and we need something better.
As for the subordinate units to the Allied and Axis commands, they will be using a variety of networks, like FRS, GMRS, etc. The important thing is there needs to be coordination for frequencies. We have done some preliminary work on this, but it will still need to be checked at the event.
A few things to remember about radios:
1. Don’t just bring a radio and assume it will work without doing coordination for the channel. Talk to your company commander and see what they are using, and get synched up with them.
2. Don’t use a channel that isn’t assigned to your unit. You might be on someone else’s frequency.
3. Don’t monitor or mess with other people’s networks. I view this as a pretty serious offense and it could lead to event expulsion. If we are going to have a good and effective tactical, we have to talk to our units.
4. Also, in the event of an emergency, we have to have our networks function. Get off your radios and let us manage the crisis.
Someone thinking they are Bletchely Park or the Abwehr gathering information to use against the enemy, or messing with their radio networks is not cool at Weldonkrieg. We just won’t tolerate it. Some people have invested a lot of money in gear so they should be able to use it. The BC-611 replicas (FRS units inside) are around $140. How angry is someone going to be to have some kid thinking it is cool and funny to walk on their coms? I think the answer is very angry.
Usually this kind of behavior leads to retaliation and then all of our networks are trashed. This isn’t about winning or losing but having a great experience. If this were real, I would have my TRQ-32 radio jamming trucks all over the German networks shutting them down, but it isn’t. So…coordinate and cooperate regarding radio networks.
26. Weldonkrieg Daily Talking 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:
1. The blast area of these with blanks is significant. They are just as impressive with blanks as they are with live ammo.
2. 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. Daily Weldonkrieg Talking Point #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 .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 still. Their gear may not end up being fully to reenacting standards, but it is better than a beret and an attitude that most directors have. On a certain level, 88mm gets it and if Chris wasn’t making films he might be a reenactor or running a gaming company somewhere.
This is what scares me about film crews and why we have said no. Remember the whole Rich Iot congressional campaign? Anderson Cooper tore Iot a new one on CNN not only denigrating his unit’s choice of a SS Volunteer unit (as collaborators) but also the hobby in general. It made us all look bad.
I don’t want some film student coming in and doing something similar to us for the sake of Art. Then the director will want you to retake a scene so they can get it on film…etc and then it becomes about their film, not Weldonkrieg. Then it gets cut into something unflattering and then we are all holding the bag.
In short, we have said yes to 88mm and no to two other crews. If the other crews show up undercover and start filming, we will escort them off the property. If they film you and make it into a film without a release, you could take them to court anyway and get a judgment against them. You would probably get awarded a couple cameras, a slate clapper board and a few tripods. We are not going there.