D-Day 2009 Special Edition Guaranteed Accu-Weather: Hot, Humid and it might rain
June 8 -14, 2009
Volume 1, Issue 1, Page 1
12th Anniversary of D -day Inspir ed by Pla toon Sergeant Enos Ar mstrong, 238th Engineers The origins of the Oklahoma D-day Event, which is celebrating it‟s 12th anniversary this week, can trace its roots back 65 years ago, to when the guns from the world‟s largest invasion fleet blasted the French coastline and Allied aircraft pounded German positions along the Normandy coast of France. It was back then that five hundred men from the United States Army‟s 238th Combat Engineer Battalion prepared themselves for their landing on Utah beach. They were young, well trained, courageous soldiers who would eventually fight their way from Utah Beach all the way to the Elbe River. Along the way they‟d build hundreds of bridges under fire, lay thousands of mines, fight at the Bridge of Remagen and help liberate the Dora-Mittlebau concentration camp. Among these men was a platoon sergeant by the name of Enos Armstrong (see photos). Unlike so many of his fellow comrades, Enos lived to tell stories about his experiences to his grandson, Dewayne Convirs. This young boy loved listening to his grandpa‟s war stories and grew up fascinated with history and
especially with the World War 2 era. When his Grandfather died unexpectedly in 1996, Dewayne was inspired to find something which he could dedicate to Enos, to his service to this country and his memory. Two years later, in 1997, Dewayne found the solution when he hosted the very first Oklahoma D-Day Paintball Event. That first event drew only 135 players. To make it exciting they stormed the beach of a small reservoir using a handmade plywood landing craft. When he decided to hold his second D-Day game in 1998, 335 paintball players turned out. That‟s when he knew he‟d found the per-
fect way to honor the grandfather he‟d grown to love so much.
Prepare for the Heat and Humidity Stay Hydrated!
Growth was inevitable, as friends who‟d played the year before brought more friends and as the word about the event spread those numbers began increasing even faster. A long-time resident of Ottawa County, Dewayne started out by using his family‟s 120 acre farm, but since then he‟s added a number of other nearby properties to bring the site up to the 740 acres you see before you today. From just 135 players back in 1997, Oklahoma D-Day has grown to the point that it attracted over 4000 players from all over the world in 2008. Besides from nearly every state in the United States, players have also come from Canada, England, Germany, Scotland, France, Finland, Sweden, Norway Australia, New Zealand, Greenland and even Russia to play on the D-Day battlefields of Wyandotte.
Use a Camelbak-type system when on the field. Avoid caffeine and alcohol. Both contribute to dehydration. Start drinking water before you’re thirsty. Watch your friends and teammates. Remind them to drink during breaks in the action.
Oppor tunities and Special Activities Abound From the time you arrive, till you leave again, you will have an opportunity to take part in a wide range of „special‟ activities which can‟t be found anywhere else. Some of these opportunities will be quite familiar to anyone who‟s familiar at all with the sport of paintball. Among the many opportunities fully covered by your entry fee are events like the daily mini scenario, the night event and the play that goes on late into the evenings on our two illumi-
nated speedball fields. If that and the game on Saturday was all there was to do at DDay you‟d probably come away saying what was all the fuss was about and you‟d be right. What really sets the D-Day Event apart from all other paintball events are the types of things which don‟t typically get mentioned by the sport writers. These include the free obstacle course challenge on
Wednesday, or the optional sniper and SUTAL course classes which offer players the opportunity to experience and learn the sorts of skills generally reserved for those who serve in the armed forces. If that wasn‟t enough for you, there‟s even the opportunity on Thursday, if you‟re old enough, (continued on page 2)
Sergeant Enos Armstrong Inside this issue: Jake McNeice “not heroes”
2
Field Map
3
Objectives, Times and Points 4 Schedule of Events
9