WWII Historical Reenactment Society ~ Jun 2010

7/31/2019 WWII Historical Reenactment Society ~ Jun 2010

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In This Issue:HRS News

A Note From Troy LaFayeAfter Action Report: Peoria, Sommer Park D-Day+7HRS Unit UpdatesWWII Reenacting in 2025Retrofitting the BC1000Italian Weapons RebornWorldwide World War Two ReenactingHRS ScholarshipAfter Action Report: Traxlers Living History Day

Organization RecognitionScuttlebutA Reunited Band of BrothersWWII EventsHRS Business Board Meeting MinutesInsurance FAQIllinois Corporate Certificate of Good Standing

The Edge is the official publication of the World War Two Historical

Reenactment Society, which is a 501 c(4) non-for-profit corporationregistered in the state of Illinois formed for the purpose of preserving

and remembering the sacrifice of the men and women in WWII.

Our website is http://worldwartwohrs.org.

Cover Photo Credit: Steve Alexander 353rd Infantrie. German troops

head for battle at Buckley Homestead, Lowell, IN WWII Days, May2010. Please send your photos and article submissions forconsideration to publish in the Edge [email protected].

Articles may be edited for content and length.

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Worldartwohrs.orgBoard of Directors

2009-10

PresidentDavid Jameson, 2nd Infantry Division

15632 Polk CircleOmaha, NE 68135

[email protected]

Vice PresidentJonathan Stevens, 9th Inf. Division

0N349 Cottonwood Drive

Wheaton, IL [email protected]

SecretaryCraig Dvorak, 2nd Marine Div.

5734 S. Peck Avenue

Countryside, IL 60525

[email protected]

TreasurerSheri Tabor, Chicago Homefront Helpers4249 E 2551st Rd

Sheridan, Il 60551

815.685.4015

[email protected]

Allied RepresentativeWilliam Sheets, 505

thPIR, 82

ndAbn

6817 Everglades CourtIndianapolis, IN 46217

[email protected]

Commonwealth RepresentativeElliott James, No.11 Group RAF497 Wagner Street

Roseville, MN 55113

[email protected]

Axis RepresentativeScott Atchison, 6 SS "Nord"P.O. Box 61

Ossian, In 46777

(260)[email protected]

WWII HRS Staff

WebmasterJohn Olsen, 9

thInfantry Division

9N130 Muirhead Rd.Elgin, IL 60124

847.464.4067

[email protected]

AssistantWebmasterJoshua Olsen, 167th Signal Photo Co.

P.O. Box 246

Maxwell, NE [email protected]

Edge Staff
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]


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Hey Buddy, Did Ya Hear This??Jonathan Stevens, WWII HRS Vice President

s ever there has been a lot goingon in the WWIIHRS.

The latest bylaw vote wascompleted after a long process. Fourchanges were on the ballot. The firstchange was for Article III, Section 2,paragraph 4, which describes theparticipation of minors under the age of16 in Living History and static displays.The proposal was to remove the phraseand non-political in nature. The votewas 35 members in favor and 28members against. This by-law change

passed.The second change reconfigured

the charter requirements for units underArticle IV, Section 2. The vote was 26members for the change and 37members against. This by-law changefailed.

The third by-law change affectedarticle IV section 3 which stated thatindividual non-HRS units would need toseek a sponsor who would be heldaccountable for any actions of the non-

HRS units. The vote was 28 membersfor this change and 35 members againstthe change. This by-law change failed.

The final by-law changestipulated a change in national flagdisplays and removal of the ban onHitler Youth uniforms found in ArticleXIII, Sections 15 to18. The vote was 31members for this change and 32members against this change. The by-law proposal narrowly failed.

Late April saw a sudden

resignation of the Edge editor, TroyLaFaye. Due to his graduate schoolcommitments and work he felt heneeded to step back from the Edge. Ido hope this is only a hiatus until hisdegree is completed since the Edge hadseen some significant improvementswith Troy and the rest of the 167th SignalPhoto Company on the job. So, if you

have a desire to head the mouthpiece ofthe WWII HRS please send the board

an email. Some experience with layoutand design with a knack for writingwould be necessary for the editor. This

job is significant and would most likelyrequire several people working togetherto complete a quality publication. Wewould like a one-year commitment.

As a reminder regarding theRegional Events the WWII HRS willgrant limited funding to four events eachyear to help with a certain portion of theevent. Some restrictions do apply

though. Submit a proposal to the boardif your event is interested in hosting aRegional Event that includes detailedevent information and exactly how thegrant will be used. One unit in Ohio isinterested in hosting a Regional Eventso stay tuned.

If your unit commander is notpart of the Unit CommandersCommittee please have them send mean email to join. We have 70 unitcommanders currently on the committee

but we are still missing a few. If yourunit commander does not have acomputer a designated unitrepresentative can join the committee.The committee is designed to increasecommunication among the WWII HRSunits and also as a way to quicklydisseminate information to the memberunits.

At a recent event one unitcommander suggested we have a yearlyby-law review to look for outdated or

incorrect wording, identify areas thatneed clarification, and propose someremedies for the deficiencies. This is anexcellent proposal and follows whatmany non-for-profit organizationsundertake each year. Notification wassent out to the Unit CommandersCommittee for volunteers and a numberresponded. Two or three more

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members could be used to round out thereview group. Please contact me formore information. The commitmentwould be several conference calls andan assignment to prepare a report on aparticular section of the by-laws.

Finally, the current boardmembers are nearing the end of the2009-10 term. By mid-summer thosewho are planning to run for the various

offices will need to send a picture with astatement for their intention to run for aboard position, a brief biography, alongwith a campaign platform stating whythey should be elected to serve the HRSmembership on the board of directors.

Check the by-laws for eligibility rules.The ballot will be published in theSeptember/ October issues of the Edge.

A Note From Troy Lafaye

s most of you know I've been serving as the editor for the Edge for about a year or so now.I've recently gone back to Grad School and the demands on my time just do not allow me tofocus on the duties of editor any longer. Effective immediately, I regretfully am stepping

down as editor.

AIf there are any current HRS members out there that are interested in taking up the cause, pleasecontact HRS Vice President Jonathan Stevens at:[email protected]

I've been very happy with the results the staff has accomplished over the past year. I think theirhard work has helped improve the publication and helped it to serve as a valuable and effectivevoice of the HRS, not only to our members, but also to the rest of the WWII reenactmentcommunity.

I'd like to thank ALL of the contributors to this past year's worth of issues. I'd especially like toacknowledge the tireless work that Jonathan Stevens, Joshua Olsen and Matt Kelly have put intogathering information, writing articles, creating graphics and doing the layout. These guys are thereal workhorses behind the publication and each deserves a round of applause for helping makethe Edge what it is today. Troy LaFaye

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mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]


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After Action Report:

World War II Reenactors

Help Educate A New GenerationBy Tyler Lockman May 22, 2010 Peoria Star Journal

s World War II veterans continue tovanish at alarming rates and youngpeople know the war only through

books, movies and TV, a contingent ofIllinois history buffs is keeping the war'smemory alive. But they aren't just keepingthe memory alive; they're bringing it to life.

A

Sommer Park became Normandy,France, on Saturday with central Illinois' firstWorld War II living history event. About 40World War II enthusiasts organized theevent to bring the war to life and educateothers about the 20th century's definitive

historical event."At the rate that veterans are passing

away, eventually there won't be any WorldWar II veterans around," said East Peoriaresident Brendan Schuller, who led theorganization efforts.

Schuller said there were many reasons for the event beyond participant interest. "The wholeidea behind living history is to recreate it, not only for ourselves, but for anyone who's interestedin it," Schuller said. "You can read about something all day long, but when you actually put thisstuff on - driving around in actual jeeps and firing rifles - you get a lot better understanding of howthings were."

The event recreated 1944 Normandy after the D-Day invasion and featured both German and

American re-enactors, with opposing camps set up minutes apart. Participants were primarilylocal, but some had traveled from Indiana and the Chicago area.Tremont resident Scott Thompson brought his authentic 1939 German field kitchen to the

event to prepare lunch for both sides in the same way German troops did. Thompson bought themovable kitchen, which is run on burning wood or coal, from an import and export company inHolland where a Dutch farmer had rolled it into his barn after a German retreat in 1944. "It wentthrough the entire war," Thompson said as he stirred potato soup. "I try to create authentic mealsthat the Germans actually served."

Schuller said he started as a Civil War re-enactor, but his interest shifted to World War II. There-enactments differ from Civil War events, Schuller said, because the history of the Civil War isin print while World War II was on film and veterans are still alive. "With World War II, it's yourgrandpa or someone's dad, and they're still around," Schuller said.

Schuller said the dwindling group of veterans is further motivation to keep the history of thewar alive for future generations. Another goal of the event was to honor veterans, of both sides,and veterans often attend similar re-enactments. Thompson said German re-enactors were notportraying Nazis, as most German soldiers were not Nazis and only fought because it was theirduty. "We have a lot of veterans come in, both German and American," Thompson said. "A lot ofthem will talk to us and tell us things that they've never told their families or their best friendsbecause ... we're them 60 years ago."

Most of the materials in both camps were authentic, including rifles, gear and uniform patches.Between interacting with spectators and answering questions, the two sides staged a small battle,which Thompson said is a big draw for the events. Continued on page 6.

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Mike Lierle of Peo ria, with the 101st Airborne

Division, shows a g roup of c hildren the weapons

used by America n troop s during a World War II


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Eureka resident Jim Hinirchsen, a Vietnam War veteran, brought his 5-year-old grandson tothe event so he could begin to learn about World War II. "It's critically important for him (to learn)"Hinrichsen said. "He's not going to get it all today, but he can get a little piece of the time."

As two German re-enactors fired blank rounds from a machine gun, Thompson discussed hisand Schuller's vision of expanding the event in Peoria to two days and drawing more spectators.Schuller said he only expects interest to grow with time. "People want to see something or touchsomething," Schuller said. "They want to see history come alive and experience and live it."

Note: For more information on next years event contact Email Scott Thompson of 2Panzer

nd

at [email protected].

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HRS Unit UpdatesWelcome to the newest units:

2/25 Australian InfantryUnit Commander Ed Godi

360th

Cossack Rgt.Unit Commander Nick Zubenko

Hampshire Regt.Unit Commander Keith Hiney

6th U.S. Naval Beach Battalion, Co. B

Unit Commander George Harbinson

Change of Command

9th

Infantry Division, 60th

RegimentRudolf Rodriguez signed over command to Jeff Dvorak

101st

Airborne Division, 502 PIR, 3rd

Battalion, I CompanyRoyston Ellis signed over command to Dennis Sullivan

Buckley Homestead WWII Days AARTo: The Lowell Organizing Committee:

On behalf of the park department, I thank you and your crew formaking this past weekend a wonderful experience for our parkvisitors. We heard so many positive comments at the gate fromthe public that you may not have heard. They were because ofYOU. Few people are aware of the amazing amount of work ittakes to coordinate an event like Buckley but they certainlyappreciate the results.

When I look back over the 13 years of Buckley Tributes Iremember hosting about 20 WWII veterans on the panel andtalking to many more. This year we had three participants. Thefigures are that we are losing more than 1,000 WWII veteranseach day. At the closing we noted that one day, hopefully longinto the future, the WWII veteran seating will remain empty. Forthose vets who were able to attend, this program is very importantto them.

When Chaplin Wolf spoke he told of one young person who askedhim, "Who won WWII? It is because of programs like the BuckleyWWII Tribute that we can continue to educate young people andassist older folks to remember and share.

Many of you are probably aware that the county parksystem has been hit very hard with budget cuts and we areeliminating certain programs. However, we are committedto the Buckley Tribute. Again, our sincere thanks to each of youand your units. You enabled everything to run smoothly even inthe mist of change because of Mother Nature.

Sandy and Becky and our staff Buckley Homestead,Lake County Parks

Lowell had 412 registered reenactors and 4,500 people attending

Advanc e! Low ell, IN WWII DaysCredit: Jeff Skender, 5 t h kp Grodeutsch land


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WWII Reenacting in By LtCol. Tim Scherer, 84th Infantry Division

posted a question recently on a WWIIreenactors forum asking thisquestion. What will WWII reenacting

look like in 2025? What trends will likelygrow and how will things change? Thesewere some of the collective thoughts of theposters. While predictions of general life inthe US had us in flying cars by now, most ofthese seem more concrete and doable.Some of it just my own take on where thetrends are going. In the end, these are justguesses and I hope to pull this back up infifteen years and see if I got it right.

By far, the largest change in WWIIreenacting in 2025 will be the absence ofWWII veterans. An 18 year old in 1945 will

be 98 years old in 2025. Our primarysources for events will either be gone, or inmany cases, too senile to remember muchin terms of quality to build our impressions.The vast majority of living memories of thewar will come from those who were children,and did not see military service. This willleave many of the written accounts of thewar open to more interpretation, since therewont be the veteran sounding boards wehave tapped in the past. This can lead tomisinterpretation and distortion of certainthings, by well meaning reenactors whose

reading of events might be much different

than what the veteran intended.One area of growth in the past ten

years has been the reproduction of WWIIvehicles, softskin and armor. Thereprobably wont be many more finds out therelike the Bulgarian panzers that were recently

auctioned off, and the rising cost of realvehicles will cause people to build morereproduction vehicles. While this has beenseen for German vehicles, reproduction US

jeeps can be built today with existing parts.One military vehicle vendor sold twocomplete repro WWII jeeps several yearsago, so it is possible. ReproductionSherman tanks and other Allied vehicles are

doable in the near future. US WeaponsCarriers can be built using later versions ofpower wagons and reproduction parts.Expansion of this will likely continue, and willenrich the material of the hobby.

The sight of original warbirds flying willprobably become less and less common.Reproduction warbirds, like the ME-262might become more common, withMustangs, Messerschmitts, Focke-Wolfesand Spitfires taking the air. The danger ofcrashing original and extremely valuableWWII era planes will probably ground moreand more large bombers, which will berelegated to museums. The cost ofmaintaining them, to include fuel and spare

parts will also make this costly and in manycases, prohibitive. Any future finds oforiginal planes will probably be obscureevents, like the P-38s being pulled fromglaciers, etc. The costlier the originalplanes become, the more likelyreproductions will be built, and evenproduced in a smaller aircraft companyproduction line.

I dont see reproduction militariadisappearing anytime soon. The Chinesedomination of the reproduction militariamanufacturing may not continue forever, but

the marketplace will likely continue. Anothercountry, like Sri-Lanka, or one in Central orLatin America might get into the business.Quality will remain a problem as newvendors get into the business. Shortages ofcurrent commonplace items like US Helmetswill create new opportunities for impossiblethings to find like reproduction Hawleyhelmet liners. These shortages will createnew opportunities for things to be made that

just arent cost feasible now. The secondarymarket for used reproduction militaria willremain big, and original items will be verydifficult and costly to acquire. I rememberseeing a table of WAC khaki daisy mae capsgoing unsold in 1983, and you are lucky toget one in any size today. Similar things willhappen with less desirable militaria today,as people will purchase what they canafford.

Another possible area of change mightbe the introduction of more reproductionWWII firearms. The recent sales of

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Smaller events with just a

few large events a yea r

are a very possible norm.


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reproduction MP-44s might open the door toother products. Reproduction M-1 Garands,kar 98ks, G43s, etc might be in the future aslive guns. Gun simulators or BFONGs arealso a big possible area of growth, althoughthe Schlossers Supply Room closure andsubsequent BFONG blank debacle will staylong in the memory of reenactors. Recentrises in the cost of brass may make brasscartridge blanks cost prohibitive, and wemight be shooting plastic, resin or anothermetal alloy blanks in the future.

Airsoft is a real area of growth for WWIIreenacting. Some love it, some wont touchit now, but the rising cost and collectability ofreal firearms might help move this along.The firearms are generally less expensiveand the ammo is cheap. The currentdownsides of airsoft are the requirement forgoggles, and the relative immaturity of many

participants. This may get better down theroad; although I am not sure I would wantmy jeep or kubelwagen being pelted withbeads. Airsoft or some follow on technologymight come to dominate our events in thefuture.

As for scenarios, I dont see a largechange from the Western Front 1944-45being the dominant one. Perhaps moreblitzkrieg era and PTO events will appear,but ETO is unlikely to be replaced as theleading scenario. The connections betweendistant relatives as well as the media

fascination of ETO related films andproductions will retain its place as the mostimportant to designers. I think tactical mayrise again in importance, although the landto arrange them seems to be a limitingfactor. Military bases will continue to declineas venues, and more and more events willbe on private land.

The expansion of other time periodsseems very likely too. Vietnams recentmemory is starting to fade and morereenacting is being seen. Desert Storm andIraqi Freedom events may be held, although

the 2007 Walk Back in Time event inMexico, MO will still hold the first OIFreenactment, using veterans from an ArmyReserve Transportation Company. WWIcontinues to expand, as well as cowboyaction shooting and other more obscurehistorical periods. It is difficult to say whicheras the future fascination may capture, butit will probably be something different thanwhat I can foresee.

As for reenacting groups, I believe asthe hobby expands there will be morebalkanization of units and regional groups.Gas prices will probably increase over time,and this economic crunch will probably keeppeople closer to home. Smaller events with

just a few large events a year are a verypossible norm. Automotive technologysability to create cheap alternate forms oftransportation will dramatically impact thehobby. Travel will remain an inheritexpense to the hobby, and will impact thegrowth.

The information age will continue totransform the hobby, much as the Internethas done in the past 10 years. The Internethas made many militaria businesses viableand expanded their markets. The impact ofsocial networking and other futureinformation technologies not even imagined

today could be great. Future movies andmedia projects could also create anotherBand of Brothers effect in the hobby. Theearly reviews of The Pacific dont seem tobe showing for a repeat of the BOB bump,but then again, the ones who will create itarent us, those in the hobby. Future mediaprojects will always be a player in thereenacting scene, and the requirement to befluent in the latest WWII film wont go awaysoon. We are poised in the Railsplitters forrecruits resulting from the HBO 10 partseries on the 84

th; although I dont think

many beyond me have considered thisthought.

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So what will happen down the road? Itis difficult to say but these are some ideas.Things like ultra-restrictive gun laws, orsome horrible mega-disaster resulting inmultiple deaths at a WWII event could makethe hobby uninsurable and extremely riskyfor participants and landowners. Whereas itis tricky to look into the crystal ball and seethese things, I know one thing for sure. In2025, I will still have a couple vehicles in mygarage, and I will be 60. I will be close

enough to retirement to truly enjoy themmore, and all my original items I boughtback in the day will make my relatives plotmy demise. Whether or not the HRS will stillbe there, I dont know, but I suspect it willbe. If it can survive all the drama andtrauma of the past 34 years, I am sure it canmake it to 49 or even 50.


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By Dave Doc Swede Jeglum, 9th Infantry Division

ell, Ive been asked to do a write-up on how to wire a CB radio or FRS (e.g. talk-about typeradios) in a BC-1000 radio. There will be some things that youll have to experiment with inorder to accomplish this task.

For doing ONLY a CB or only an FRS, thewiring will be somewhat straightforward. Itis when you try to have both available thatit becomes rather involved.

One note of caution - do not use MotorolaFRS radios as their connections areproprietary. You are just going to chaseyour tail trying to find the properconnectors for the 3/32

ndinch jack only to

find there arent any. Trust me.

Things you will need include:

BC-1000 empty case with lid.Hopefully your lid will still have theconnections available.

Handset TS-9-F (or microphoneand external speaker)

Spool of 24g wire. I got a spool of intercom wire from Radio Shack that has four wires.You can add one more spool of wire or just trim what you need off the other spool.

Wire connectors - assorted. Soldering iron & solder. Wire cutter/crimping tool. 1/8

thinch male mono jack.(This is if you are making a CB connection.)

3/32nd

inch male stereo jack.(Used in both circumstances CB/FRS) Test wires with alligator clips 2 radios (be it CB or FRS type radios) If CB setup, you will need a length of COAX with the appropriate connector for your radio

(BNC or RF) Wire ties or electrical tape.

Additional items if you are making a CB and/or FRS setup.

4PDT Switch (4 post, double-throw. On On is fine. You dont need an OFF position. 2 of each type of radio. This is so that you can test the transmit and receive functions of

both types.

Ready? Lets get started!

The hardest part of this project, other than just getting started, is figuring out which wire goeswhere. So, have your test wires handy. Youll need 5 of them for the 5 wires coming from theunderside of the connectors. Have your handset plugged in and ready to use.

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Handheld CB Radio Setup

For a handheld CB, it typically has 2 ports for hands-free operation. A 1/8th

inch SPEAKERconnection that is mono (Tip and Sleeve only) and a 3/32

ndinch MIC input which is stereo (TRS -

tip, ring and sleeve).

This actually makes things simple as 4 of the 5 wires attach rather straightforward. The two wiresfrom the speaker obviously connect to the 1/8 th inch mono male jack and so forth.

Making sure you have two radios on and on the same channel, strip the end of the wires from theback of the speaker jack and attach a test wire to each. On the radio, insert the 1/8

thjack with the

cover off the jack. There should be a long post (Ground) and a shorter one (Positive). Connectthem with the test wires. Using the other radio, transmit a test (Test 1-2-3 or something).If youhave the handheld that will be in the box at full volume you wont have to try and hold the handsetto your ear while you test the wires.

If nothing comes out switch the wires on the 1/8th

jack. You should hear something. Whicheverwire is connected to the long jack mark as the BLACK wire and be sure to mark the wires on theunderside of the jack to match. The other will be white of course.

Go ahead and connect your wires using the black/white scheme to the underside of the jack andsolder the other end to the 1/8

th. You can close up the 1/8

thand this part is done.

Same concept for the MIC jack. Expose wires and clip the test wires and open the 3/32nd

jack andconnect the test wires. This time you will use the handset and attempt to transmit to the otherradio. Most likely you will not get it on the first attempt (unless you are real lucky!) so just keepmoving wires around until you find the magic combination. Once you hear something from theother radio, use that one to transmit back. You should hear something on the handset. You mightget an open mic so just keep going until things transmit/receive appropriately. Mark your wiresand solder/connect and you are done with the CB. There will be one wire that is not used.

If you want to use the external antenna connection, underneath the antenna base there is aceramic disk with a screw at the apex. With your coax cable, expose the center wire and attach

to this mounting post. The remaining wire needs to be attached to the box for grounding theantenna. I secured the antenna wire using plastic wire clips so as not to put too much strain onthe frail wire. The tuning of the antenna wont be great but youll still be better off than just usingthe short handheld antenna inside the box. Im still working on a better solution for tuning theantenna. A two-foot CB antenna seems to work best in my setup and it allows you to tune for bestresults.

FRS Radio Setup

The FRS setup is a bit more of a challenge due to the fact that you are going from 5 wires downto three. Not to fret, however, as only four wires get used.

I found it easiest to start from receiving. You will definitely use the two wires from the SPEAKER

jack (narrowing it down) and only two from the MIC jack. The black ground wire will go to thelong post on the 3/32nd

stereo male jack that you should have opened by now. Its the blackground wire that will be paired up with a wire from the MIC side. Using the second radio, keeptrying to transmit and see if you hear anything from the handset.

Theres not much more I can tell you other than you will have to keep experimenting with theconnections. Keep going back and forth between transmit and receive on the different radios untilyou find the magic combination. Unfortunately, at least on the BC-1000 radio top that I have, thewires all looked the same so I dont have the magic decoder ring to tell you which goes where.

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Once the puzzle is solved, solder and connect the wires accordingly and VOILA, you are done. Isuggest that if you can, use the hole in the bottom of the case for exposing the FRS antenna asyou will get better usage from a distance point of view. Legally, the antenna on an FRS radiocannot be tampered with for whatever reason. Understand that youre not going to get greatdistance with the FRS too. The CB seems to work better over longer ranges.

The FINAL ChallengeAre you ready for the big challenge?

Wiring your BC-1000 to be ableto use both a CB and FRS - just nsimultaneouslysort of.

ot

This is a bit complicated. You must first do thefirst two setups outlined above. Make note ofyour wiring configuration. Mine ended up

looking something like this:

Once you have the schematic it is just amatter of connecting the wires to theappropriate terminals. I used a 4-post doublethrow switch that I mounted to the lid where the dial lamp should be. It was small enough and Ithought since it would be under the lid, it wouldnt stand out so much.

There is one wire fromthe MIC jack on theBC1000 that will notconnect to the 4pdtswitch. That wire can

simply be connectedstraight to the CB 3/32nd

male jack. The others,from the mic andspeaker jacks, wirethem to the centerterminal on the switch.Then connect the restof the CB wiring to the

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The Antenna Base with coax.

The 4PDT switch.


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right terminals and the rest for the FRS.

The switch basically changes the wiring configurationfrom A to B and allows the operator to choose whichradio is being used.

I also wired the Ext. Speaker jack to work so that onecan monitor the radio with an external speaker as wellas the handset. The easy part about this setup is thatthe wiring is identical to the speaker jack for the handsetso you can simply Y the wires together.

There is still some work to be done such as finding theright foam to lay inside the box to protect the radios frombouncing around inside. I will write something further asthis project nears completion.

At least, this is my project so far. Have fun. Im surethere is a more elegant way of doing this but for my firsttime wiring this and not being very verse in electronics.

So, good luck with your project!

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You c an see why foam is needed !


13/28

Italian Weapons Reborn!By Jonathan Stevens, 9th Infantry Division

f you have not heard of Mid-West Metal Creations LLC then you probably have not beensearching for semi-automatic versions of historic machine guns. What MMC creationshave produced in the last few years is nothing short of astounding in my opinion. Their

repertoire includes semi-automaticversions of the following weapons:the DP28, Maxim, Dshk, Madsen,MG13, and even a Dror. In theworks is also a Swarztlose.

Most inte

Iresting are

MMCs recent productions ofsemi-auto versions of the BredaModello 37 and the FucileMitragliatore Breda Modello 30.The Modello 37 was the standardheavy machine gun for the ItalianArmy during World War II. The M37 was a replacement for the M30, which was the standard light

machine gun of the Italian army during World War II. In general the M30 was seen as acomplicated, finicky weapon prone to collecting debris in the action with a slow rate of fire. TheM37 had some anomalies too, such as reinserting spent cartridges back into the stripper clipswith a similarly slow rate of fire as the M30, but was a fairly successful weapon and soldiered onwith other militaries well after WWII.

For historical reenactment purposes neither of these weapons are encountered veryoften since there are few Italian units in existence and few of these weapons available in the US.One HRS unit, Battaglione Alpini Sciatori Monte Cervino, has an excellent dummy version of theM30 with all the various accessories. Both Sarco and International Military Antiques had demilledparts kits available recently.

In any case, MMC now offers the Italians a chance to upgrade their armories. The MMCM37 has been approved by the BATF and should be ready for production by this summer. Asignificant amount of development time went into this weapon to perfect the new semi-automatic

design. The most difficult portion according to MMC was the modifications to the bolt carrier.That Italian steel is hard! I did ask about blank adapting which in theory should not be toodifficult. The MMC M37 is built from parts kits and demilled receivers. They will work from acustomer-supplied receiver, however the cost will depend on the degree of demilling destruction.

The MMC M30 in the original 6.5 Carcano has finished the development stage and iscurrently waiting for BATF approval on the semi-automatic modifications. These weapons havegenerally been more mangled in the demill process and will most likely have a longer productiontime once the weapon is approved. Blank adapting the weapon will be an issue since the barrelof the M30 actually recoils with live ammunition. I would suspect that MMC would find a way.

Costs for both of these weapons will be determined but will be in the mid two thousandrange with a furnished parts kit. If price is still on your mind at this point you are probably not aWWII reenactor. Semi-automatic Madsens are available for $2900 in both 30.06 and 8mm. The

semi-automatic MG13 is also availablefor $3175 plus shipping.

To contact MMC email them at:[email protected]

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Sem i Automa tic Bred a M 37

Seve ral Ma xims Ready to Roar!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italian_Armyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italian_Armyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_IIhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Breda_30http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Light_machine_gunhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Light_machine_gunhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_IImailto:[email protected]:[email protected]://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_IIhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Light_machine_gunhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Light_machine_gunhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Breda_30http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_IIhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italian_Armyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italian_Army


14/28

World Wide WWII ReenactingBy Jonathan Stevens, 9th Infantry Div.

he purpose of this column that Iirregularly write is to introduce adifferent aspect of WWII reenacting,one that is generally unknown to

most WWII reenactors. Our efforts here inthe USA are part of a larger movementmainly in the western world to keep theflame of memory of the tragic 1940s alive.While we here in the USA are unique withthe Second Amendment protections, it isinteresting to note the types of newreproduction weapons that are actuallyavailable in other countries.

In Canada the firearm laws aregreatly restrictive in comparison to the USbut one Canadian company is selling anumber of interesting Sten variantsmanufactured by SaskSten. SMGInternational from Saskatchewan isproducing a Sten Mk I, Mk II, Mk III, NewZealand version, MP 3008, and a couple of

their own

Sten creations. These models are semi-automatic copies but according to thecompany website are incapable of fullyautomatic fire. With some original parts andsome newly manufactured they fire from anopen bolt, similar to the originals and arechambered for 9mm luger with the correctlength barrel. Strangely enough the Stenmodels will probably be unobtainable southof the border but these weapons should be a

great addition to any Commonwealthreenacting unit in Canada. Seehttp://smginternational.net/ for moreinformation.

A couple different armsmanufacturers in Germany have recentlyproduced some fascinating reproductionweapons that many have probably readabout. While there are a number of WWIIGerman weapons being reproduced, there isnow one reproduction American weaponcalled the KSL M1918 made by RalfKeidler. The sales brochure states thatoriginal fully automatic parts cannot beinterchanged with this weapon and is 99%made in Germany. Also, other calibers andaccessories will be made. Whether or not

this could be a competitor to the other semi-automatic BARs made in the US remains tobe seen. For more information see:http://keidler-waffen.de/

A few years ago Sport SystemeDittrich burst on the scene with semi-automatic MP40 and MP44 models.Importation of these weapons to the US wasplagued with many difficulties but someMP44 models did make it to the USA asmentioned in a previous article. Eventhough SSD broke into the US market theirbusiness did experience some financialdifficulty, however they are now back with a

number of fantastic new weapons soldunder the name HZA Kulmbach GmbH. Forthe FJs newly made FG42 model I and IIhave been made. For those Delay of theInevitable events a VG1-5 has beendeveloped and most interesting is a newK43 rifle. Further research would have to bedone on the possibility of importation of anyof these German made weapons into theUS. The best candidate would seem to bethe newly made K43 rifles. Other weaponsHZA Kulmbach sells are MP43/44, MkB42,MP38, and the Sten copy MP3008. Of note

is that non-gun models of all the weaponsare available. Of course none of theseweapons are cheap. For more informationsee their website at: http://www.hza-kulmbach.de.

In any case, the growing lineup ofreproduction WWII weapons forreenactment use beyond the US border is

impressive.

T

Reproduction Sten Mk1

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Re roduction New Zealand Sten


15/28

See WWII Impressions at Rockford this September!

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16/28

HRS ScholarshipLast year the membership approved the creation of an HRS scholarship. The effort behind thescholarship was two fold. The primary goal is to assist the younger members of our organizationin their pursuit of higher education. Obviously historical reenacting is an expensive pursuit that

can be a near impossibility for some students. Secondly we will help grow interest in historicalreenacting as an educational endeavor that is part of the mission of the WWIIHRS. Thescholarship will be awarded to a full time undergraduate or graduate student majoring in areassuch as history, museum studies, or archeology however all students are encouraged to apply.The award can be used towards tuition or books. Note that any family or relations to any of theboard of directors or staff of the WWII HRS will be ineligible for this award. Please send theapplications to the WWIIHRS Vice President. The amount of the award is $500.

Eligibility:1. Must be a current member of HRS in good standing in at least their second year of

membership.2. Must be registered as a full-time student, undergraduate or graduate, at an accredited

college or university.3. Must demonstrate a minimum GPA of 2.75.

4. Must currently be a history or associated major, however if there is not any history orassociated major that apply then all majors are eligible.

5. Must not have received a previous HRS scholarship.

Requirements:The student should write a 500-word essay describing their qualifications and justification forreceiving the HRS scholarship. It should also include the students future plans in reenacting. Aletter of recommendation from their unit commander should also be included. If the student is theunit commander for their unit, then another commander can supply the letter. Unofficialtranscripts or a letter from the college or university stating the students current major and GPAneeds to be included.

Deadline: July 16

Notification: August 1 each year. An article highlighting the student will be in the Edge.

Review: A committee consisting of Allied, Axis, and Commonwealth representative will review allcandidates and give recommendation to the President who will award the scholarship.

Safety and Authenticity Committee Members

Scott Atchison Sean Loughran

Scott Bacon Gary Jorstad

Ian Baker Alan Miltich

Rob Coffman Rhea Jeske-MurwinCraig Dvorak John Newton

Russell Dvorak Tim Scherer

Elliott James Dave Serikaku

David Jameson Bryce Seyko

Robert Leinweber Richard "Zak" Sobczak

Doug Loge Grayden Zuver

Chairman Jonathan Stevens

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17/28

Re-enactments cannons, planes on targetBy Tanner Kent,The Free Press, Mankato MN

T

he earth trembled Saturday in Le Center. On a rolling, upland game reserve just outside oftown, armored war machines and fully dressed World War II-era soldiers dotted a dreary,drizzly Le Sueur County countryside. Taking position on a hill at Traxlers Hunting

Preserve were a couple dozen allied troops and a fully functional, 60,000-pound Sherman Tank.On a nearer hill, the one closest to the bleachers lined with scores of spectators, a thin line of

SS, Wehrmacht and German soldiers hid behind armored half-tracks, cutting fire from the barrelsof their mounted MG34 machine guns while their comrades cracked the air with rifle fire.

An air strike consisting of three T6 aircraft strafed the battlefield with gunfire and droppedexplosive payloads, all simulated through $10,000 in pyrotechnic displays that sent concussionwaves through the native grasses and a perceptible tremble underfoot.

Its not like the movies, said Mike Sorliss, who brought his two young boys, Collin and Travis,from Albert Lea to see the show. Here, you can actually feel the explosions and the guns, youget a sense of what those soldiers went through.

The air raid gave the allied forces enough cover to move down the hill as the T6 warbirdsmade their fourth pass over the battlefield, only one them showing any damage from the German

ground fire.

With 75-mm tank roundsdecimating the German position,

allied troops managed to flank the Germans and force surrender. And though the outcome wasknown, the battle was staged and the ammo was blank onlookers still cheered for victory whenthe fight was won. You always root for the Americans, said 8-year-old Collin Sorliss.

Saturdays spectacle, said event host Jeff Traxler, was part satisfaction of his own interest inmilitary history, and part tribute to the men and women who have served in armed forces.

A 12-year veteran himself, Traxler started Living Military History Day three years ago.Enlisting the help of fellow soldiers and the expertise of Larry Fryklund, a Twin Cities-area battlereenactment enthusiast, Traxler hosts a variety of military demonstrations during the annual eventthat is meant to coincide with the anniversary of D-Day.

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You a lways root for the Americans

Germa n troo ps take cove r during a World War II ba ttle

ree na c tment a t Traxler s Hunting Preserve in Le C enter.Photo Credit Joelle Pi al


18/28

Soldiers of all varieties set up camps around the grounds, answering questions about theirguns, uniforms and equipment. People came from Illinois, Wisconsin and Kentucky to portray theRamcke Parachute Brigade, the 7th Grenadier Panzer Division, the 101st Airborne, the Unionand Confederacy, the Viet Cong and many others.

One of three known, fully restored DKW motorcycles in the United States (used during WWIIby German officers) was on display, as were a variety of Axis and Allied armored personnelcarriers and artillery. Members of the Civil War-era New Ulm Battery, who compete nationally incannon-firing demonstrations, shot rounds at 55-gallon water drums and a Huey helicopter wasused as the centerpiece for a staged Vietnam battle involving the rescue of a downed pilot.

Its fascinating to see all this in one place, said Amy Donaldson, of St. James, standingalongside her father, who served in the Korean War. Ive heard stories and seen movies, but itsdifferent to see it all up close.

_______________________The event was coordinated by Larry Fryklund,2 SS Division, Aufklarungs Battalion, 3 Kp.nd rd

Organization RecognitionJonathan Stevens, WWII HRS Vice President

s per the by-laws, we are required to determine from other organizations those that carryinsurance and follow similar safety and authenticity rules. I have contacted various groupsthat have attended WWII HRS events in the past year. These include TSG, CHG, Tri-State Living History Association, Illiana Historical Society, 5th Ranger Infantry Battalion

(RS), Kampfgruppe Hasse, Midwest Living History Association (MLHA), and the LAH. Of theseorganizations all but the TSG responded. As of this writing, although they responded, noinformation has been supplied from the Tri-State Living History Association or the Illiana HistoricalSociety. The MLHA apparently is defunct with no working contact address. The 5

thRanger

Infantry Battalion (RS), the CHG, Kampfgruppe Hasse and the LAH responded with therequested information namely that they have insurance coverage for their events if they sanctionevents and exchanged sample membership credentials. If any other organizations that I missedwould like to be recognized by the WWII HRS please contact the board. If any of the

organizations that have not responded would like to do so, I will gladly add them to the list andpublish the information in the next Edge later this summer.

A

Scuttlebutt

A new Japanese unit is forming in the Midwest. See http://24thshidan.weebly.com.

Yann Bandy is interested in forming a French unit. Contact him for more details [email protected].

The Stonehouse Park Pacific War event scheduled for mid July has been canceled for a lack of

Japanese troops. Contact your local USMC unit for a possible summer training event.SB2578 in Illinois is working its way through the legislative process to allow reenactors of anationally recognized reenacting organization to possess short-barreled rifles. The bill haspassed the state House with no opposition in the Senate but has met some difficulty in removingan amendment adding the requirement of having a federal Curio and Relic License. See:http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/BillStatus.asp?DocNum=2578&GAID=10&DocTypeID=SB&LegId=49420&SessionID=76&GA=96Thunder over Michigan will be the largest gathering of heavy bombers along with an ME262.

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http://24thshidan.weebly.com/http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/BillStatus.asp?DocNum=2578&GAID=10&DocTypeID=SB&LegId=49420&SessionID=76&GA=96http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/BillStatus.asp?DocNum=2578&GAID=10&DocTypeID=SB&LegId=49420&SessionID=76&GA=96http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/BillStatus.asp?DocNum=2578&GAID=10&DocTypeID=SB&LegId=49420&SessionID=76&GA=96http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/BillStatus.asp?DocNum=2578&GAID=10&DocTypeID=SB&LegId=49420&SessionID=76&GA=96http://24thshidan.weebly.com/


19/28

A reunited band of brothersBy Sherryl Schmeckpeper, December 6, 2009, World-Herald News Service

E

d Mauser stood in the doorway of the C47, turned and smiled at the adoring fans, many ofwhich elbowed their way through the crowd and stood on their tiptoes to take his photo.The 93-year-old beamed with the delight of a starlet at movie premier or a high school

football player who had made the winning touchdown. "This is why the Good Lord kept mearound," Mauser said later, still beaming.

The Omaha man has plenty of reasons to proud. He is one of the thousands of men whofought in Europe during World War II. But Mauser's story is more familiar than most - he was

member of the 101stAirborne Division's506th InfantryRegiment. In particular,he was a rifleman withthe 2nd Platoon of ECompany, whoseescapades during the

war were chronicled inStephen Ambrose'sbook and the HBOminiseries "Band ofBrothers."

On Friday night,Mauser was reunitedwith five fellow ECompany memberswho he had not seen inalmost 65 years. "Yougot shorter," Mausertold Ed "Babe" Heffronafter the two embraced."It was from carryingthat -- machine gun,"the South Philadelphia,

Pa, resident retorted with a laugh.

Don Malarkey of Salem, Ore., soon joined them, as did Ed Tipper of Lakewood, Colo., Earl"One Lung" McClung of Pueblo, Colo., and Buck Compton of Mount Vernon, Wash.

The reunion, organized by Bill and Evonne Williams of Omaha, took place at the Strategic Airand Space Museum, where Evonne Williams is the interim director. The couple also organizedthe Heartland Honor Flights, which took hundreds of World War II veterans to Washington, D.C.to view the memorials. Around 125 people attended the $100 a plate event Friday night, which

took place in the museum's atrium. More than 800 were expected on Saturday morning for anautograph signing and question-and-answer session, Bill Williams said.

The idea for the reunion came about after the Williams met Mauser during the last HonorFlight. Until recently, few people knew that the retired watch repairman was part of the famed ECompany. At his late wife's request, he didn't talk about his participation in the war andconsequently did not attend the company's reunions and was not interviewed by StephenAmbrose when the author was writing his book. When Mauser's involvement with E Companybecame public knowledge, a friend contacted Stephen Ambrose's organization, and last fall

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Ed Ma user of Omaha , left, tells Michael Ap pleb y of Oma ha about

parachuting from a C-47 during the Allied invasion of Normandy in

World-War II. Mauser and Appleb y were seated in a restored C-47 at the

Strateg ic A ir and Spa c e Museum near Ashland. Appleb y, an Armycavalry veteran, was wearing a uniform like those worn by the D-Day

jum pers.


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Mauser was a guest on a "Band of Brothers" tour that retraced the company's steps during theWar.

In France, Mauser once again stood on the spot where he and his fellow paratroopers landedon D-Day. "What the heck am I doing," Mauser recalled thinking as he prepared to jump out ofthe plane that morning. He said he can still "see" his fellow paratroopers as they prepared to

jump. "Some stared at the ceiling, some smoked, some prayed. I can still see their expressions."

He recalls the tracer fire and flack that surrounded his plane. He especially remembers hiscomrades who didn't make it home, in particular the 18 men who died when their plane, whichwas flying just ahead of his, was shot down during the flight to France. "It was the night ofnights," he said.

"We'd do it aga in, if we

had to." Don Malarkey

Mauser made it through the D-Day invasion, Operation Market Garden and the siege atBastogne unscathed. He was wounded in the hand shortly afterBastogne and spent three weeks recovering. By the time he returnedto his unit, the war was over. "Bastogne was a bad place," Mauserrecalled. "The first 10 days we were surrounded - we were shelledday and night. It was miserable."

On Friday night, six old men gathered to reminisce about a time when they and thousands like

them saved the world from Hitler's domination. "It's overwhelming," said Earl McClung of theevent. "None of us admit to being heroes. We didn't think we were doing anything special." GeneLangenberg disagrees. The former Hoskins man who now lives in Corona, Calif., was a memberof B Company of the 101st Airborne's Second 506th from 1966 to 1967. He was in Nebraska tohelp his sister celebrate her birthday. When he learned about the reunion, he knew he had toattend, he said. "These are the men we had to measure up to. They led the way," he added.

Still, despite the accolades, Don Malarkey downplays their role in the war effort. "We'd do itagain, if we had to," he said.

Note:Mike Appleby is a member of the 2nd

Infantry Division

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China Ma rines, WWII Days Lowell, IN.

Cred it: Bill D.


21/28

WWII Reenacting EventsSend in your paperwork to have your event listed in the Edge and the HRS website.For the benefit of the membership a limited number of non-HRS events are listed.These events are not sponsored by the WWIIHRS and we take no responsibility for

these events for safety, authenticity, or insurance coverage.HRS Sponsored Events

Herita ge Farm Living Histo ry and Batt les Brunswick, OH July 18-19

John Kea ton, BTG 9th Settem bre and 5th Gebirgsjagers

Proud American Da ys, New Lenox, IL Living Histo ry and Batt les July 23-25

Bill La rson, la rsenhobb y@yaho o.com , 353rd and 9th Infant ry Division

Dixon, IL WWII Rem em branc e Living Histo ry and Batt les Aug ust 27-29

Jona tha n Stevens,jste ve nsww2@sbcglob al.net 9th Infantry Division

Rockford, IL WWII Days, Sep tember 23-26, 2nd Panzer

http://www.ww2rockfordevent.com/

Non-HRS events

National Railroad Museum WWII Weekend, July 10-11, 2010 Green Bay, WI.Robert Buettner, [email protected], 9

thInfantry Division

WWII Weekend, July 23, 24, 25 2010 St Cla ir Shores, Mi, Ve te rans Me morial Park

www.veteransweekend.com 704th TD

The Ca ssino-Anzio Ca mp a ign March 1944 Highway 6 to Rom a July 30-Aug 1

Sta nton, NM http://www.marchonrome.org/

Thunder Over Michigan, August 7-8, http://www.eventbrite.com/event/660403284Kennekuk WWII Remembrance Days Danville, IL August 7-8 2010http://kennekuk.eventbrite.com; 33rd Infant ry Division, Grea t Lake Waves

LST USMC Living Histo ry Event Muskeg on , MI Aug ust 14-15; China Ma rines F/ 2/5

Tom Roc k roc kcp @sbc glob a l.net

Iola Vinta ge Milita ry Show , Iola WI Aug ust 14-15

Rand y Lamers 920-853-7102, 82nd Rec on Bn, 2nd Arm. Div.

The Fight for Sa ipa n, August 13-15, 2010; Gettysburg, PA

http://midatlanticreenacting.com/

D-Day Conne aut , Ohio Aug 20-21 http://www.ddayohio.us/

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mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]://www.ww2rockfordevent.com/mailto:[email protected]://www.veteransweekend.com/http://www.marchonrome.org/http://www.eventbrite.com/event/660403284http://kennekuk.eventbrite.com/mailto:[email protected]://www.ddayohio.us/http://www.ddayohio.us/mailto:[email protected]://kennekuk.eventbrite.com/http://www.eventbrite.com/event/660403284http://www.marchonrome.org/http://www.veteransweekend.com/mailto:[email protected]://www.ww2rockfordevent.com/mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]


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Board Meeting Minutes 17 Dec em ber 2009

Attending the meeting were: Tim Scherer, Jonathan Stevens, Shari Tabor, Craig Dvorak, DavidJameson, Gary Adkins, Elliott James, Alan Miltich, Scott Atchison, and Rey Ramirez.

The meeting was called to order at 7:05 and a roll call was taken.

The minutes were read and approved.

Old Business:Payment of Bills: 2 Edge bills were paid and the next issue was paid in advance via Paypal.PAHA: David had spoken with the attorney however there was no new information.ByLaws: There currently was a bylaw proposal in the Edge.Edge: WWII Impressions had agreed to advertise in the Edge.

New Business:Unit Charters: 360

thCossack Rgt. is a new charter. Since Elliott had approved the 2/25

Australian the S&A Committee would now consider the unit.Treasurer Report: $6,146.73 checking; $16,229.50 Savings; $1.07 interest with $24.74 total

interest for the year. This did include the Edge bills.Secretary Report: Applications are coming in and will begin sending out cards in January.Commonwealth Report: No news. All is quiet.Allied Report: No news.Axis Report: Scott had some questions about the 4

thSS charter. He thought the unit should not

have been chartered due to the history of the unit and had recently talked with the unitcommander about changing the unit designation.S&A Committee Report: Information on the two new units was in the committee.2010 Application: The new application is available.Regional Event: We need to promote this among the membership and in the Edge that seedmoney is available to these events.Edge for Next Year: It was determined just as an economic issue that the Edge should not bemailed as it was about $5 an issue even with the reduced number sent out. There would be one

more issue mailed out as 5 issues were sent as of December.Insurance Issue: The renewal process is proceeding. Feb is the renewal month.Open Comments: Alan M. asked what directly is covered by the insurance. David replied thatthe entire year and 48 states are covered. It was not event insurance as in 1 location and 1specific day but covered all our displays, parades, and battles. The insurance does not follow toevents put on by other groups, meaning non-HRS however all other non-HRS groups are coveredat our events.

The meeting was adjourned at approximately 8:20 by unanimous vote.

Boa rd Meeting Minutes 21 January 2010

Attending the meeting were: Jonathan Stevens, Shari Tabor, Craig Dvorak, David Jameson, RichRusso, Gary Adkins, Russell Dvorak, Jeff Leser, Dennis Danich, Bill Sheets, Nick Zubenko, DanHowell, Doug Loge, Tim Scherer, Alan Miltich, Scott Atchison, and John Newton.

The meeting was called to order at 7:06 and a roll call was taken.

The December minutes were read. A motion was made to accept them and a vote was taken toapprove them.

Old Business:PAHA: No news. This subject would be dropped from the agenda.

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Bylaw Vote: A discussion ensued of the latest by-law proposal in which violations of procedurewere outlined. The proposal originated from the S&A Committee and not necessarily themembership. With that said it was determined that the proposals themselves were not inquestion and neither was it determining the merit of the proposals. Our attorney hadrecommended that the vote for the proposal be withdrawn.

New Business:

Unit Charters: 360th Cossack Rgt. Unit Commander Nick Zubenko explained his proposed unit.German personnel would be attached. Most of the unit was composed of Cossacks. High rankswould be avoided in the unit. The Feldgendarme aspect would mainly be used at public events.2/25 Australian needed clarification on two minor issues that could be settled via email. A votemay be taken via email when the issues were settled.Treasurer Report: $6,148.73 checking; $16,231.57 Savings; $1.31 interest. $387.50 was to bepaid for Secretary supplies.Secretary Report: 98 Members with 16 more sent in today.Commonwealth Report: No Report.Allied Report: One member had a problem with his application, which was returned by the PostOffice.Axis Report: Scott reported working on the 4

thSS charter. Also Scot had been sent some

information on an individual that might be a problem.

Unit Commanders Committee: This committee was formed as a Yahoo group. Any unitcommanders not involved could contact the Vice President to join.S&A Committee Report: No report.Video and File Policy: A film and video policy needs to be formulated. A group will be formed towork on this.Regional Event and Support: This will not be first come first served. A proposal will be drawnup to track the money and details. This needs to be done quickly for the next meeting.Treasurer Position: Shari Tabor is the candidate. She explained her qualifications for theposition through her job. She would send in a formal resume. A decision on the Treasurer wouldbe made in February.Insurance Issue: The current insurance premium is $4,200, which is $200 less than 2009. Themajor change is the per-occurrence deductible that is per claim a $1,000 deductible. An accountshould be created to set aside $5,000 for deductible money. Also, the alcohol ban at events is

the responsibility of the host unit/event coordinator to enforce. A vote was proposed to allowpayment of the 2010 insurance premium. The proposal was seconded. The vote was unanimousto pay the premium.Required Forms: Elliott would be asked tocomplete our IRS Form 990. The IL state non-for-profit corporation fee of $10 was paid in December.By-Law Vote: Discussion ensued regarding the current by-law vote and the possible violations ofprocedure. A vote was called to let the vote stand or rescind the vote. No second was made.For a compromise the vote was to be extended. A possible conference call with the attorney wassuggested to discuss the bylaw procedure.Open Comments: Alan Militich commented and agreed with others that the By Law changeprocedure badly needs updating.

The meeting was adjourned at approximately 8:46 p.m. by unanimous vote.

Boa rd Mee ting M inutes Feb ruary 18, 2010

Attending the meeting were Jonathan Stevens Vice President, Shari Tabor Treasurer, CraigDvorak Secretary, Scott Atchison Axis Rep, Ed Godi, Mike Boden, Don Pitchers, StephaniePitchers, John Newton, Gary Adkins, and Nick Zumbenko.

The minutes for January were read and but approved.

Old Business

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Treasurer Position: Sheri Tabor who applied to for the position explained her qualifications.Don Pitchers asked why he had not been considered for the position. The answer was that Donhad not been a member long enough.By-Law Vote: The vote would be extended to April 23.Regional Events and Support: Scott A. discussed the need for drawing up boundaries. GaryAdkins mentioned he would be interested in applying for one of the events.Video Filming Policy: A policy on filming would need to be defined. A small committee would beformed for this purpose.

New Business:Unit Charters: The 2/25 Australian Infantry charter had passed the S&A Committee and wasproposed for a vote to accept into the HRS and seconded. The vote was unanimous to acceptthis unit. The 360

thCossack Rgt. had passed the S&A Committee. A vote was proposed to

accept this unit in the HRS and seconded. The vote was unanimous to accept this unit. TheHampshire Regiment is a new charter that was recently submitted. The 4

thSS FG charter

change was tabled after a brief discussion.Treasurer Report: No report.Secretary Report: Craig Dvorak reported 400 members.Commonwealth Report: No report

Allied Report: All is quiet.Axis Report: No news.Committee Reports: No outstanding business.Website Upgrade: An upgrade to the website is needed along with more webspace and possiblya new provider.Canadian Members: The insurance does not allow for Canadian members.Treasurer Vote: A proposal was made for Sheri Tabor to become the interim Treasurer for theWWIIHRS. The proposal was seconded. A vote was taken and the result was unanimous forSheri Tabor to take this position for the remainder of the 2009-2010 term.Open Comments: A question was asked about a Canadian member, Brian Benoit. The answerwas that he could not be an HRS member since his citizenship was Canadian.

The meeting was adjourned at 8:20 by unanimous vote.

WWII HRS Boa rd Mee ting Minutes March 18, 2010

Attending the meeting were David Jameson President, Jonathan Stevens Vice President, ShariTabor Treasurer, Craig Dvorak Secretary, Doug Loge, Tim Scherer, Bill Sheets Allied Rep, ScottAtchison Axis Rep, Keith Hiney, Ed Godi, and Gary Adkins.

The minutes for February were read but approval was tabled until the following meeting.

Old BusinessBylaw Vote: The vote would be extended to April 23. The Edge was ready to send out. Aquestion from a non-HRS unit had been submitted to David Jameson regarding one of the by-lawvotes.Regional Events: A form for applying for a Regional Event was being drawn up. 4 events would

be spaced over the year. Gary Adkins sent in a budget for a proposed regional event.

New Business:Charters: Hampshire Regiment was discussed by the unit CO, Keith Hiney. Their mainimpression would be D-Day. There were 3 primary and 2 secondary members. It wasremarked that they would need two more primary members within a year. The conclusion wasthat the charter was good and met the requirements. Approval from the Commonwealth Rep wasneeded after which an email vote would be taken.A new German medical unit has expressed interest in chartering.

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Treasurer Report: Sheri Tabor reported $5,805 in Savings with $3,866 in Checking. Expenseswere $426.43 for Secretary expenses; $16 to the State of IL for a certificate of good standing; and$100 refund for a unit that did not complete their charter and withdrew from the process. The oldaccounts reported $16,234.42 in Savings and $1960.20 in checking with $1.09 tax withheld byWells Fargo. David would check on why this was done.Note the new account is at Chase and the old, which will be transferred to Chase, are at WellsFargo.Secretary Report: Craig Dvorak reported 587 members.Commonwealth Report: No reportAllied Report: All is quiet.Axis Report: No news.Committee Reports: The S&A Comm. had reviewed the Hampshire Charter. The UnitCommanders Comm. was quiet.Website Upgrade: Help would be needed to determine a good plan and costs for a host.Insurance Report: The 2010 policy was sent to David in PDF format. David would send out theinformation. Most of the policy was the same as the previous year. A new requirement is tonotify the agent of events. There was no change for minors and weapons. Nautilus Insurance isthe carrier, which is a surplus specialty carrier. A question was asked about Canadians beingmembers. The question will be asked to the agent. Another question was made regardingmilitary vehicle insurance. One suggestion made was to go to check with the MVPA and to check

with your standard car insurance carrier.Open Comments: Doug Loge asked why the election was extended. The reply was that somemembers receiving the paper Edge had not received a ballot until close to or after the deadline.At the January meeting it was determined to extend the deadline to 6 weeks after the next Edge.

The meeting was adjourned at 7:56 by unanimous vote.

WWII HRS Board Meeting Minutes April 15, 2010

Attending the meeting were: Jonathan Stevens, Craig Dvorak, Sheri Tabor, Gary Adkins, TimScherer, Dustin Strong, and Bill Sheets.

The meeting was opened at 7:10 pm.

The March meeting minutes were read and approved.

Old Business:By Law Vote: The vote will be closed on April 23.Regional Event and Support: Gary Adkins asked about the nature of the support, if it was aloan or a grant. The answer was the support was to be considered a grant.Website Updates: Quotes would be gathered for a new website host with more webspace.

New Business:Unit Charters: Hampshire Regt needed the approval of Elliott James. The Third Army HQ wasunable to attend the meeting. Some discussion ensued as to whether or not this type of unitwould actually seek to command or be a display/living history unit only. The 250

thInf Div, Ski

Company (Blue Division) had sent in their completed charter application. Dustin Strong

discussed the unit. The information would be sent to the S&A Committee for review.Treasurer Report: $7,100.23 in the Savings with $3205.87 in checking. $117 was paid forSecretary expenses and $30 for a NSF from a membership application checks.Secretary Report: 691 members.Commonwealth Report: No Report.Allied Report: No new information.Axis Report: Scott reported he thought the 250

thCharter was ready for S&A review.

Open Comments: Tim Scherer asked about the possibility of insurance for under age 18 to useweapons. Could a unit purchase this? The question was deferred to the next meeting.At 8:16pm the meeting was adjourned by unanimous vote.

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Insurance Frequently Asked Questions

What kind of insurance does the WWIIHRS carry?The HRS carries Liability Insurance. It is good in the lower 48 states, covers 900members, and 100 possible events.

Who is the insurance carrier?Nautilus Insurance.

Is the HRS insurance personal accident insurance?No.

Are those under age 18 covered under our policy?Yes, those under age 18 are covered however those under age 18 may not useor carry weapons of any type but they may participate in battles if they are overage 16 per the authenticity rules.

What are the limits?1 million, $5000 deductible per claim.

Are vehicles, landing craft, and aircraft covered by the HRS insurance?No they are not.

Are Canadians covered under the HRS insurance?No. Non US citizens are not covered.

What if my equipment is lost, stolen, or damaged?

No. There is no coverage for personal property loss of any kind.

Can my event get insurance coverage?Yes, if an HRS unit sponsors the event however some restrictions apply.Contact HRS President David Jameson for more information.

The site owner says I need a certificate of insurance for my event.A certificate of insurance is available for $25. Please contact the HRS Presidentfor more details.

Can I see the declaration page or the entire policy?

Yes, please contact a board member for more information.

Are non-HRS members covered at HRS events?Yes.

Are HRS members covered at non-HRS events?No.

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Jonathan Stevens

0N349 Cottonwood Dr.Wheaton, IL 60187

Datel ine:

May 1, 2010

Lowel l , IN

Lads o f the

Hampsh i reRegiment lay

dow n w i the r ing

cover ing f i re .

Photo Cred i t :

Je f f Skender

5 t h kompan ie

Grodeutschland

Div is ion

WWII Historical Reenactment Society ~ Jun 2010

Documents

Transcript of WWII Historical Reenactment Society ~ Jun 2010