Night Patrol and compass course after action report

Okay, I'll make this short. The compass course was a good first start at learning land navigation. We were all able to follow our compass azimuth heading and arrive at the designated way points without any difficulty. Finding the tokens at the way points was another story. With that said I would judge this exercise as a success simply because we were able to move to the designated points. We learned several things during this first exercise and will schedule a second compass training course with modifications that were discussed later in the year, date TBD.

The Night patrol training finished up exposing several areas we need to work on. I gage it a partial success and we must remember that is why it is called training, so we all learn. We will also schedule a training day and second night patrol exercise for later in the year, date TBD. We will incorporate what we learned and expand on it for the next training.

Muddy

Dennison, OH event August 7-9

Come in Kickoff, over,

The Dennison Railroad Depot Museum in Dennison, OH is hosting their annual WWII living history and public display battle August 7-9. They have installed replica WWII trench works for the battle and will have living history areas set up for the public to see. Several of you have expressed interest in going and we have been extended an invitation from one of the hosting units, the 83rd Division. See their email (Warning Orders) below. If you are planning on attending please reply by no later than July 6, so we can get a count and forward the number to the 83rd Division CO Mike Felmlee. Registration is at the gate and according to the schedule, events on Saturday August 8, start at 0900 and run through 2100. There are two skirmishes scheduled for Saturday, one at 1100, the other at 1600. Everyone we have talked to says this is an excellent event and we will hopefully put some of our training to good use.

Uniform of the day for Dennision will be the M43 Market Garden time frame. Some from the 83rd have requested we bring our 1919A6, do we have any volunteers to crew it?

More information will follow as we get closer to the event and as it becomes available.

Muddy out

83rd Division Warning orders below;

Attn. 3rd Platoon,

Alright, let's not forget that we have committed to the Brunswick, OH event July 17-19, 2009. Here is a link: http://www.brunswickhistory.com/events_ww2.html
Let's go light campaign-style to this one. Shelter halves and live out of our pockets. We will be participating in the "ride through history" part of the event where we are the entertainment. We will be the display as the public is brought through. This is the opportunity to just be us and live in the field for a couple of days.

The weekend after (July 25-26) is the final work weekend for the Dennison event. If at all possible, try to come out for one or both days to help put the finishing touches on our foxholes and weapons pits. Bring modern or period sleeping/camping gear wear work clothes, bring food and water.Link to Dennison: http://www.dennisondepot.org/

We are putting in an all out max effort for the Dennison event (Aug 7-9). The people in the town and the museum really want us there, so let's give them a good show. This is shaping up to be the big Ohio event in the future. It has all of the elements it would need to be a great event. It is up to us to make that happen.
I hope to see you all soon.

Thanks,

Mike

Things to remember for this Friday

Please remember for tomorrow's exercise:

1. The weather will be warm. You will only need to wear a white t-shirt or your undershirt beneath the uniform jacket.

2. Bring bug spray.

3. Bring extra water! A couple of bottles to put in your pack or rigger pockets his a must in addition to a full canteen. Hydrate!!

Looking forward to seeing everyone there.

Airborne history website

Fellow trooper John Brueck has been in contact and shares his wonderful web site with lots of photos and video. John gives tours of the drop zones in Normandy and has found some interesting goodies laying about.

Check out his web site at: http://normandy1944.multiply.com/

Shifty Powers passes

Veteran a part of ‘Band of Brothers’
Darrell “Shifty” Powers, who died at age 86, was a hero on the battlefield and to his family.

By Neil Harvey

In a 2001 interview with The Roanoke Times, Darrell “Shifty” Powers talked about some of his experiences during World War II.

Powers, a United States Army paratrooper and sharpshooter, belonged to Easy Company, part of the legendary 101st Airborne Division. He recalled a bitterly cold day in the Ardennes when he was able to draw down on a German sniper, sighting his target by the misty cloud of the man’s breath. He killed him with one shot.

“Right there,” he said, touching his forehead. “Between the eyes.”

But Powers, of Dickenson County, who died Wednesday of natural causes at age 86, was also reflective about such matters.

In the second-to-last episode of “Band of Brothers,” an HBO miniseries that documented Easy Company’s wartime exploits, Powers spoke on camera about the soldiers he fought and also hinted at the intrinsic tragedy of combat.

“We might have had a lot in common. He might’ve liked to fish, you know, he might’ve liked to hunt,” Powers said. “Of course, they were doing what they were supposed to do, and I was doing what I was supposed to do.

“But under different circumstances, we might have been good friends.”

Powers, who got the nickname “Shifty” playing basketball as a youngster, served three years in the Army during World War II and later worked as a machinist for Clinchfield Coal Corp. He found renewed notoriety when his military experiences were depicted on film and in the Stephen Ambrose book of the same name.

“He actually hadn’t talked about it, his war years, until the book came out,” said his daughter-in-law, Sandy Powers. “He gets fan mail from all over the world, and calls.”

“For me and my kids, it’s just amazing that our regular, sweet uncle was such a hero,” said his niece, Cheryl Gilliland of Roanoke. “It sure changed his life in later years. He went places and met people he never would have otherwise.”

Darrell Powers met a German soldier in 2005 who had fought against him at the notoriously brutal siege of Bastogne during the winter of 1944.

According to his son, Wayne, he had in September been scheduled to travel to Iraq to meet with U.S. soldiers, but health problems prevented it.

“He was so disappointed. He wanted to meet with the soldiers so badly,” Sandy Powers said.

One of his closest friends, Earl McClung, of Colorado, in 2001 called Darrell Powers “a heck of a good soldier and a heck of a good shot.”

“And he was there every time I looked up,” he added.

“Our family had four boys and one girl, and I’m the only one left,” said Powers’ sister, Gaynell Sykes of Roanoke, on Wednesday. “He was a great brother. I know he was great at a lot of other things, too — great father, great son, great husband.”

The Roanoke Times

B/502 at the MVPA Convoy

Members of the unit attended the MVPA Transcontinental Convoy as it was layed-over in Wooster, Ohio on its way to California. A great time was had by all and we even met a vet who served with the 17th Airborne during World War II.

Click here to check out some of the photos.

MVPA Convoy Layover UPDATE

Just a reminder that this Tuesday, 16 June, members of the 1st Allied Airborne will be traveling to the Wayne County Fairgrounds to visit with the participants and vehicles of the Military Vehicle Preservation Association's Transcontinental Convoy as they have a lay-over in Wooster, Ohio.

Unit members will meet starting at 1700 hrs at the Fairgrounds parking area. Uniform of the Day can be either M42 (as it is still June) or M43. Weapons are permitted but NO AMMO. Family members are encouraged.

After our stay, we will find a place for chow and more jocularity.

Click here for the location of the Wayne County Fairgrounds.

Night Patrol Exercise

26 JUNE 09: 1800 - 2300 hrs.

Our next training date will be composed of two parts. A compass course (we will split up into small 2-3 man groups using our compasses and maps to locate and move to and from designated points and then meet at a rally point).

The second part of the training will be night patrolling, this is critical for achieving success in the upcoming POW event later this year or spring of next year.

If you plan to attend, please email chris@tinywarriors.com or visit our Facebook events page.

This is open to any and all Allied WWII reenactors.

Repro 502nd T-Shirt

As seen in Mark Bando's book on the 101st Airborne Division, some members of the 502nd Parachute Infantry Regiment wore a white t-shirt with the "Widow Maker" emblem under their M42 or M43 field uniforms.

We have reproduced the shirt just for reenactors portraying members of the Five-O-Duece. Click here to place your order.

Unit photos

Please bookmark this link to get to the unit photo web page as it is updated on a regular basis.

http://photobucket.com/alliedairborne

D-Day training after action report and proposed new training date

B Co, 502 PIR

6 June 2009,

Subject: After action report

To: B Co, 502

We started the day 0800 with breakfast at a small Cafe on the outskirts of Saint Mer-Zoar. At 0930 we formed-up and advanced to our assembly area where we were instructed in basic compass and map reading by Bulldog Smith. This was very informative and critical learning for our upcoming mission.

At 1230 we briefly reviewed hand signals and the basic squad formations and their respective strengths and weakness are. Formations reviewed were squad column closed, column open, column with scouts out and flank guards posted, forming into a skirmish line and skirmish line right and left, squad wedge and the diamond formation for patrolling. A brief demonstration was given on the crawl, low crawl, getting up from a crawl position and observation.

We moved out to take our objective, the Saint Mer-Zoar Bridge of the Tuscany Canal at 1300 in simulated night patrol formation, closed up column. Our former Marine, Robert Eddy played the role of hidden observer/enemy. The critical observations and recommendations given from this observation were extremely helpful and useful. After taking the bridge form the local fishermen we rested and regrouped for our second mission, the log pile. We assembled for our second mission at 1400 and moved out in extended open column formation. We moved our way through narrow paths and dense growth in near perfect formation. Our movement was quite and deliberate so much so that our scout was able to kick out a hiding deer only 20 yards away. The deer didn't run very far acting confused at what it was actually seeing.

We stepped of with our assault on the log pile at 1430 breaking up into three teams, Able (Scouts) Baker (base of fire) and Charlie (assault team). We were a little slow in getting into position for the attack and were spotted by our observer. Our observer's recommendation will require more work on this part.

Next training date;

Our next training date is scheduled for late afternoon and the evening of 26 June, 2009. Start time to be determined, but I would like to propose 1730 - 1800. The training will be composed of two parts, a compass course (we will split up into small 2-3 man groups using our compasses and maps to locate and move to and from designated points and then meet at a rally point). The second part of the training will be night patrolling, this is critical for achieving success in the upcoming POW event later this year or spring of next year.

I would like to thank everyone who attended for their professionalism and dedication to this unit and hobby. We have an excellent group and it is an honor to serve as your commander. From current observations, feedback and past experience we are on our way to becoming one of the better if not the best unit in the WWII reenactment community. With that said I promise you all too work on and improve areas that I am not as proficient in as others. Thank you all for your faith in me; it is a responsibility I do not take lightly.

Muddy
Sgt Co B

D-Day Airborne Facts

The U.S. 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions, numbering 13,000 paratroopers and delivered by 12 troop carrier groups of the IX Troop Carrier Command, were less fortunate in quickly completing their main objectives. To achieve surprise, the drops were routed to approach Normandy from the west. Numerous factors affected their performance, but the primary one was the decision to make a massive parachute drop at night (a tactic not used again for the rest of the war). As a result, 45% of units were widely scattered and unable to rally. Efforts of the early wave of pathfinder teams to mark the landing zones were largely ineffective, and the Rebecca/Eureka transponding radar beacons used to guide in the waves of C-47 Skytrains to the drop zones were a flawed system.

Three regiments of 101st Airborne paratroopers were dropped first, between 00:48 and 01:40, followed by the 82nd Airborne's drops between 01:51 and 02:42. Each operation involved approximately 400 C-47 aircraft. Two pre-dawn glider landings brought in anti-tank guns and support troops for each division. On the evening of D-Day two additional glider landings brought in two battalions of artillery and 24 howitzers to the 82nd Airborne. Additional glider operations on 7 June delivered the 325th Glider Infantry Regiment to the 82nd Airborne, and two large supply parachute drops that date were ineffective.

After 24 hours, only 2,500 troops of the 101st and 2,000 of the 82nd were under the control of their divisions, approximating a third of the force dropped. The dispersal of the American airborne troops, however, had the effect of confusing the Germans and fragmenting their response. In addition, the Germans' defensive flooding, in the early stages, also helped to protect the Americans' southern flank.

Paratroopers continued to roam and fight behind enemy lines for days. Many consolidated into small groups, rallied with NCOs or junior officers, and usually were a hodgepodge of men from different companies, battalions, regiments, or even divisions. The 82nd occupied the town of Sainte-Mère-Église early in the morning of 6 June, giving it the claim of the first town liberated in the invasion.

D-Day

Our brother trooper Dave Strichko said is best...

Tomorrow June 6th is the 65th anniversary of the Normandy invasion. Take time to remember all those who served, fought, bled and died on that day. They embarked on a great quest to remove the stranglehold the Nazi’s had on Europe; many of young men would find their final resting place under a white cross in France never to see home again.

Thank you to all our Veterans and thank you to all those who are fighting today.

D-Day Training details

Just a reminder that this Saturday is our D-Day training exercise. We will be meeting at the Zoar Breakfast Haus and Inn (next to the Zoar Tavern) at 0800 hrs sharp. After breakfast and some remembrance of those who made that jump 65 years ago, we will depart to the training area.

Please review the details of the training requirements below.

We will see you there troopers!

Hand signals

To review prior to our training exercise this weekend, below are the standard hand signals used in squad operations. It is important to learn these in order to use non-verbal communication in the field.