Hey all. This years D-Day re-enactment is coming up this weekend, Aug 21 and 22, 2015. If you are anywhere close to Conneaut this is a must see event. Over 25,000 visitors attended last year. That is more than twice the population the population of this city.
I think over 1,500 re-enactors will be on site this year. A B-25 and 3/4 scale Mustangs will be attacking the beach. Several landing craft will also hit the beaches, a Sherman tank, flame thrower, and an dozens of jeeps and period motorcycles, hundreds of men and women in period clothing will also be there. Nazis everywhere! (but alas, they lose again this year!)
I have secured a spot for a Project Appleseed display tent again this year, as I have for the last 4 or 5 years. We have had many shooters on our lines that heard about Project Appleseed from this event.
My contact at CMP (Director of Operations Steve)has again given me a large box of CMP Sporter booklets and CMP pens to give out as freebies and get folks to the display. I hand out redcoats and other targets
Here is a link for more info and also pictures from lasts years event:
http://www.ddayohio.us/
This event starts TODAY. 30,000 will probably attend this event. 1700 reenactors in period uniforms and clothing will be there.
The "Yankee Warrior" B-25 WWII bomber and probably a second will be flying numerous attacks on the beach Saturday. The only live-firing 88mm cannon will be there. This is the largest D-Day re-enactment in the country.
I am the only Project Appleseed Instructor working the tent on Saturday. If anyone is able to make it, please consider it. The Project Appleseed tent is overlooking the bluff right next to the bandstand.
"Hats off!" for you undertaking to do this solo. I hope someone will show up to help, but if they don't, at least you know that all the fish you catch will be yours... :) O0
Great day! Lots of new contacts. Steady stream of folks stopping by to hear the Appleseed story. Several returning Rifleman visited the tent to say hi and gave high praises to the program. Charles McKinley and his two youngest kids made the trip from PA to drop off handouts to me. Very grateful for that. He manned the tent for a while but had to get home fairly quickly. He is going to post some pictures of what you all are missing. Still going all day tomorrow, with the largest invasion battle at 3pm Saturday.
Flame thrower, tank, 88mm cannon, dozens of WWII jeeps, old VWs, half-tracks, landing craft rides, guns, guns, guns, B-25 bomber, 3/4 scale Mustangs, hundreds of tents in authentic encampment that you can visit, and too many other things to mention.
I will hit it again tomorrow.
Birdman
Second and final day. Absolutely wonderful!. The best weather and many, many contacts. More previous Project Appleseed attendees visited to say hi. Chuck, these were your guys. I told them you were just here yesterday. They were Slippery Rock shooters, Jim Switzer and family. There were sorry they missed you. They had a great time.
For those that missed this event, here is a few pictures to show you just a bit of what it is like:
Yeah, lots of French Resistance stuff...they were very close to me as I did not have time to wander much. Very realistic, don't you think? My wife watched the tent for a few minutes while I wandered to take a few pictures for you all.
More pictures: