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Worldartwohrs.org Board of Directors 2009-10

President
David Jameson, 2nd Infantry Division 15632 Polk Circle Omaha, NE 68135 402.896.1345 dmjameson@frontiernet.net Vice President Jonathan Stevens, 9th Inf. Division 0N349 Cottonwood Drive Wheaton, IL 60187 630.221.1171 jonathan.e.stevens@wheaton.edu Secretary
Craig Dvorak, 2nd Marine Div. 5734 S. Peck Avenue Countryside, IL 60525

In This Issue:
HRS News A Note From Troy LaFaye After Action Report: Peoria, Sommer Park D-Day+7 HRS Unit Updates WWII Reenacting in 2025 Retrofitting the BC1000 Italian Weapons Reborn Worldwide World War Two Reenacting HRS Scholarship After Action Report: Traxlers Living History Day Organization Recognition Scuttlebut A Reunited Band of Brothers WWII Events HRS Business Board Meeting Minutes Insurance FAQ Illinois Corporate Certificate of Good Standing

Spartacus.3@juno.com Treasurer
Sheri Tabor, Chicago Homefront Helpers 4249 E 2551st Rd Sheridan, Il 60551 815.685.4015 richandsheri@gmail.com

Allied Representative William Sheets, 505th PIR, 82nd Abn 6817 Everglades Court Indianapolis, IN 46217 317.788.1836 jan@netdirect.net Commonwealth Representative Elliott James, No.11 Group RAF 497 Wagner Street Roseville, MN 55113 651.489.1623 elliottwjames@comcast.net Axis Representative Scott Atchison, 6 SS "Nord" P.O. Box 61 Ossian, In 46777 (260)-622-9153 ssnord1943@yahoo.com WWII HRS Staff Webmaster John Olsen, 9th Infantry Division 9N130 Muirhead Rd. Elgin, IL 60124 847.464.4067 john.e.olsen@wheaton.edu Assistant Webmaster Joshua Olsen, 167th Signal Photo Co. P.O. Box 246 Maxwell, NE 69151 wolfiejo@yahoo.com Edge Staff

The Edge is the official publication of the World War Two Historical Reenactment Society, which is a 501 c(4) non-for-profit corporation registered 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, May 2010. Please send your photos and article submissions for consideration to publish in the Edge to jstevensww2@sbcglobal.net. Articles may be edited for content and length.

Hey Buddy, Did Ya Hear This??

Jonathan Stevens, WWII HRS Vice President

The latest bylaw vote was completed after a long process. Four changes were on the ballot. The first change was for Article III, Section 2, paragraph 4, which describes the participation of minors under the age of 16 in Living History and static displays. The proposal was to remove the phrase and non-political in nature. The vote was 35 members in favor and 28 members against. This by-law change passed. The second change reconfigured the charter requirements for units under Article IV, Section 2. The vote was 26 members for the change and 37 members against. This by-law change failed. The third by-law change affected article IV section 3 which stated that individual non-HRS units would need to seek a sponsor who would be held accountable for any actions of the nonHRS units. The vote was 28 members for this change and 35 members against the change. This by-law change failed. The final by-law change stipulated a change in national flag displays and removal of the ban on Hitler Youth uniforms found in Article XIII, Sections 15 to18. The vote was 31 members for this change and 32 members against this change. The bylaw proposal narrowly failed. Late April saw a sudden resignation of the Edge editor, Troy LaFaye. Due to his graduate school commitments and work he felt he needed to step back from the Edge. I do hope this is only a hiatus until his degree is completed since the Edge had seen some significant improvements with Troy and the rest of the 167th Signal Photo Company on the job. So, if you

s ever there has been a lot going on in the WWIIHRS.

have a desire to head the mouthpiece of the WWII HRS please send the board an email. Some experience with layout and design with a knack for writing would be necessary for the editor. This job is significant and would most likely require several people working together to complete a quality publication. We would like a one-year commitment. As a reminder regarding the Regional Events the WWII HRS will grant limited funding to four events each year to help with a certain portion of the event. Some restrictions do apply though. Submit a proposal to the board if your event is interested in hosting a Regional Event that includes detailed event information and exactly how the grant will be used. One unit in Ohio is interested in hosting a Regional Event so stay tuned. If your unit commander is not part of the Unit Commanders Committee please have them send me an email to join. We have 70 unit commanders currently on the committee but we are still missing a few. If your unit commander does not have a computer a designated unit representative can join the committee. The committee is designed to increase communication among the WWII HRS units and also as a way to quickly disseminate information to the member units. At a recent event one unit commander suggested we have a yearly by-law review to look for outdated or incorrect wording, identify areas that need clarification, and propose some remedies for the deficiencies. This is an excellent proposal and follows what many non-for-profit organizations undertake each year. Notification was sent out to the Unit Commanders Committee for volunteers and a number responded. Two or three more

members could be used to round out the review group. Please contact me for more information. The commitment would be several conference calls and an assignment to prepare a report on a particular section of the by-laws. Finally, the current board members are nearing the end of the 2009-10 term. By mid-summer those who are planning to run for the various

offices will need to send a picture with a statement for their intention to run for a board position, a brief biography, along with a campaign platform stating why they should be elected to serve the HRS membership on the board of directors. Check the by-laws for eligibility rules. The ballot will be published in the September/ 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 to focus on the duties of editor any longer. Effective immediately, I regretfully am stepping down as editor. If there are any current HRS members out there that are interested in taking up the cause, please contact HRS Vice President Jonathan Stevens at: jstevensww2@sbcglobal.net I've been very happy with the results the staff has accomplished over the past year. I think their hard work has helped improve the publication and helped it to serve as a valuable and effective voice of the HRS, not only to our members, but also to the rest of the WWII reenactment community. I'd like to thank ALL of the contributors to this past year's worth of issues. I'd especially like to acknowledge the tireless work that Jonathan Stevens, Joshua Olsen and Matt Kelly have put into gathering information, writing articles, creating graphics and doing the layout. These guys are the real workhorses behind the publication and each deserves a round of applause for helping make the Edge what it is today. Troy LaFaye

After Action Report:

World War II Reenactors Help Educate A New Generation

By Tyler Lockman May 22, 2010 Peoria Star Journal

s World War II veterans continue to vanish at alarming rates and young people know the war only through books, movies and TV, a contingent of Illinois history buffs is keeping the war's memory alive. But they aren't just keeping the memory alive; they're bringing it to life. Sommer Park became Normandy, France, on Saturday with central Illinois' first World War II living history event. About 40 World War II enthusiasts organized the event to bring the war to life and educate others about the 20th century's definitive historical event. Mike Lierle of Peoria, with the 101st Airborne "At the rate that veterans are passing Division, shows a group of children the weapons away, eventually there won't be any World War II veterans around," said East Peoria used by American troops during a World War II resident Brendan Schuller, who led the organization efforts. Schuller said there were many reasons for the event beyond participant interest. "The whole idea behind living history is to recreate it, not only for ourselves, but for anyone who's interested in it," Schuller said. "You can read about something all day long, but when you actually put this stuff on - driving around in actual jeeps and firing rifles - you get a lot better understanding of how things 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 primarily local, 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 the movable kitchen, which is run on burning wood or coal, from an import and export company in Holland where a Dutch farmer had rolled it into his barn after a German retreat in 1944. "It went through the entire war," Thompson said as he stirred potato soup. "I try to create authentic meals that the Germans actually served." Schuller said he started as a Civil War re-enactor, but his interest shifted to World War II. The re-enactments differ from Civil War events, Schuller said, because the history of the Civil War is in print while World War II was on film and veterans are still alive. "With World War II, it's your grandpa 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 the war 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 not portraying Nazis, as most German soldiers were not Nazis and only fought because it was their duty. "We have a lot of veterans come in, both German and American," Thompson said. "A lot of them will talk to us and tell us things that they've never told their families or their best friends because ... 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.

Eureka resident Jim Hinirchsen, a Vietnam War veteran, brought his 5-year-old grandson to the 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 his and 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 touch something," 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 2nd Panzer at feldkoch@hughes.net.

Buckley Homestead WWII Days AAR

To: The Lowell Organizing Committee:

On behalf of the park department, I thank you and your crew for making this past weekend a wonderful experience for our park visitors. We heard so many positive comments at the gate from the public that you may not have heard. They were because of YOU. Few people are aware of the amazing amount of work it takes to coordinate an event like Buckley but they certainly appreciate the results. When I look back over the 13 years of Buckley Tributes I remember hosting about 20 WWII veterans on the panel and talking to many more. This year we had three participants. The figures are that we are losing more than 1,000 WWII veterans each day. At the closing we noted that one day, hopefully long into the future, the WWII veteran seating will remain empty. For those vets who were able to attend, this program is very important to them. When Chaplin Wolf spoke he told of one young person who asked him, "Who won WWII? It is because of programs like the Buckley WWII Tribute that we can continue to educate young people and assist older folks to remember and share.

Advance! Lowell, IN WWII Days

Credit: Jeff Skender, 5th kp Grodeutschland

HRS Unit Updates

Welcome to the newest units: 2/25 Australian Infantry Unit 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 Regiment Rudolf Rodriguez signed over command to Jeff Dvorak

Many of you are probably aware that the county park system has been hit very hard with budget cuts and we are eliminating certain programs. However, we are committed to the Buckley Tribute. Again, our sincere thanks to each of you
and your units. You enabled everything to run smoothly even in the 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

101st Airborne Division, 502 PIR, 3rd Battalion, I Company Royston Ellis signed over command to Dennis Sullivan

By LtCol. Tim Scherer, 84th Infantry Division

WWII Reenacting in 2025

posted a question recently on a WWII reenactors forum asking this question. What will WWII reenacting look like in 2025? What trends will likely grow and how will things change? These were some of the collective thoughts of the posters. While predictions of general life in the US had us in flying cars by now, most of these seem more concrete and doable. Some of it just my own take on where the trends are going. In the end, these are just guesses and I hope to pull this back up in fifteen years and see if I got it right. By far, the largest change in WWII reenacting in 2025 will be the absence of WWII veterans. An 18 year old in 1945 will be 98 years old in 2025. Our primary sources for events will either be gone, or in many cases, too senile to remember much in terms of quality to build our impressions. The vast majority of living memories of the war will come from those who were children, and did not see military service. This will leave many of the written accounts of the war open to more interpretation, since there wont be the veteran sounding boards we have tapped in the past. This can lead to misinterpretation and distortion of certain things, by well meaning reenactors whose reading of events might be much different

Smaller events with just a few large events a year are a very possible norm.
than what the veteran intended. One area of growth in the past ten years has been the reproduction of WWII vehicles, softskin and armor. There probably wont be many more finds out there like the Bulgarian panzers that were recently auctioned off, and the rising cost of real vehicles will cause people to build more reproduction vehicles. While this has been seen for German vehicles, reproduction US jeeps can be built today with existing parts. One military vehicle vendor sold two complete repro WWII jeeps several years ago, so it is possible. Reproduction Sherman tanks and other Allied vehicles are

doable in the near future. US Weapons Carriers can be built using later versions of power wagons and reproduction parts. Expansion of this will likely continue, and will enrich the material of the hobby. The sight of original warbirds flying will probably become less and less common. Reproduction warbirds, like the ME-262 might become more common, with Mustangs, Messerschmitts, Focke-Wolfes and Spitfires taking the air. The danger of crashing original and extremely valuable WWII era planes will probably ground more and more large bombers, which will be relegated to museums. The cost of maintaining them, to include fuel and spare parts will also make this costly and in many cases, prohibitive. Any future finds of original planes will probably be obscure events, like the P-38s being pulled from glaciers, etc. The costlier the original planes become, the more likely reproductions will be built, and even produced in a smaller aircraft company production line. I dont see reproduction militaria disappearing anytime soon. The Chinese domination of the reproduction militaria manufacturing may not continue forever, but the marketplace will likely continue. Another country, like Sri-Lanka, or one in Central or Latin America might get into the business. Quality will remain a problem as new vendors get into the business. Shortages of current commonplace items like US Helmets will create new opportunities for impossible things to find like reproduction Hawley helmet liners. These shortages will create new opportunities for things to be made that just arent cost feasible now. The secondary market for used reproduction militaria will remain big, and original items will be very difficult and costly to acquire. I remember seeing a table of WAC khaki daisy mae caps going unsold in 1983, and you are lucky to get one in any size today. Similar things will happen with less desirable militaria today, as people will purchase what they can afford. Another possible area of change might be the introduction of more reproduction WWII firearms. The recent sales of

reproduction MP-44s might open the door to other products. Reproduction M-1 Garands, kar 98ks, G43s, etc might be in the future as live guns. Gun simulators or BFONGs are also a big possible area of growth, although the Schlossers Supply Room closure and subsequent BFONG blank debacle will stay long in the memory of reenactors. Recent rises in the cost of brass may make brass cartridge blanks cost prohibitive, and we might be shooting plastic, resin or another metal alloy blanks in the future. Airsoft is a real area of growth for WWII reenacting. Some love it, some wont touch it now, but the rising cost and collectability of real firearms might help move this along. The firearms are generally less expensive and the ammo is cheap. The current downsides of airsoft are the requirement for goggles, and the relative immaturity of many participants. This may get better down the road; although I am not sure I would want my jeep or kubelwagen being pelted with beads. Airsoft or some follow on technology might come to dominate our events in the future. As for scenarios, I dont see a large change from the Western Front 1944-45 being the dominant one. Perhaps more blitzkrieg era and PTO events will appear, but ETO is unlikely to be replaced as the leading scenario. The connections between distant relatives as well as the media fascination of ETO related films and productions will retain its place as the most important to designers. I think tactical may rise again in importance, although the land to arrange them seems to be a limiting factor. Military bases will continue to decline as venues, and more and more events will be on private land. The expansion of other time periods seems very likely too. Vietnams recent memory is starting to fade and more reenacting is being seen. Desert Storm and Iraqi Freedom events may be held, although the 2007 Walk Back in Time event in Mexico, MO will still hold the first OIF reenactment, using veterans from an Army Reserve Transportation Company. WWI continues to expand, as well as cowboy action shooting and other more obscure historical periods. It is difficult to say which eras the future fascination may capture, but it will probably be something different than what I can foresee.

As for reenacting groups, I believe as the hobby expands there will be more balkanization of units and regional groups. Gas prices will probably increase over time, and this economic crunch will probably keep people closer to home. Smaller events with just a few large events a year are a very possible norm. Automotive technologys ability to create cheap alternate forms of transportation will dramatically impact the hobby. Travel will remain an inherit expense to the hobby, and will impact the growth. The information age will continue to transform the hobby, much as the Internet has done in the past 10 years. The Internet has made many militaria businesses viable and expanded their markets. The impact of social networking and other future information technologies not even imagined today could be great. Future movies and media projects could also create another Band of Brothers effect in the hobby. The early reviews of The Pacific dont seem to be showing for a repeat of the BOB bump, but then again, the ones who will create it arent us, those in the hobby. Future media projects will always be a player in the reenacting scene, and the requirement to be fluent in the latest WWII film wont go away soon. We are poised in the Railsplitters for recruits resulting from the HBO 10 part series on the 84th; although I dont think many beyond me have considered this thought. So what will happen down the road? It is difficult to say but these are some ideas. Things like ultra-restrictive gun laws, or some horrible mega-disaster resulting in multiple deaths at a WWII event could make the hobby uninsurable and extremely risky for participants and landowners. Whereas it is tricky to look into the crystal ball and see these things, I know one thing for sure. In 2025, I will still have a couple vehicles in my garage, and I will be 60. I will be close enough to retirement to truly enjoy them more, and all my original items I bought back in the day will make my relatives plot my demise. Whether or not the HRS will still be there, I dont know, but I suspect it will be. If it can survive all the drama and trauma of the past 34 years, I am sure it can make it to 49 or even 50.

Checkmate King Two, this is White Rook! Retrofitting the BC-1000

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 type radios) in a BC-1000 radio. There will be some things that youll have to experiment with in order to accomplish this task.

For doing ONLY a CB or only an FRS, the wiring will be somewhat straightforward. It is when you try to have both available that it becomes rather involved. One note of caution - do not use Motorola FRS radios as their connections are proprietary. You are just going to chase your tail trying to find the proper connectors for the 3/32nd inch 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 the connections available. Handset TS-9-F (or microphone and 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. 1/8th inch 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 goes where. So, have your test wires handy. Youll need 5 of them for the 5 wires coming from the underside of the connectors. Have your handset plugged in and ready to use.

Handheld CB Radio Setup For a handheld CB, it typically has 2 ports for hands-free operation. A 1/8th inch SPEAKER connection that is mono (Tip and Sleeve only) and a 3/32nd inch 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 wires from the speaker obviously connect to the 1/8th 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 the back of the speaker jack and attach a test wire to each. On the radio, insert the 1/8th jack with the cover off the jack. There should be a long post (Ground) and a shorter one (Positive). Connect them with the test wires. Using the other radio, transmit a test (Test 1-2-3 or something).If you have the handheld that will be in the box at full volume you wont have to try and hold the handset to your ear while you test the wires. If nothing comes out switch the wires on the 1/8th jack. You should hear something. Whichever wire is connected to the long jack mark as the BLACK wire and be sure to mark the wires on the underside 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 and solder the other end to the 1/8th. You can close up the 1/8th and this part is done. Same concept for the MIC jack. Expose wires and clip the test wires and open the 3/32nd jack and connect the test wires. This time you will use the handset and attempt to transmit to the other radio. Most likely you will not get it on the first attempt (unless you are real lucky!) so just keep moving wires around until you find the magic combination. Once you hear something from the other radio, use that one to transmit back. You should hear something on the handset. You might get an open mic so just keep going until things transmit/receive appropriately. Mark your wires and 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 a ceramic 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 the antenna. I secured the antenna wire using plastic wire clips so as not to put too much strain on the frail wire. The tuning of the antenna wont be great but youll still be better off than just using the short handheld antenna inside the box. Im still working on a better solution for tuning the antenna. A two-foot CB antenna seems to work best in my setup and it allows you to tune for best results. FRS Radio Setup The FRS setup is a bit more of a challenge due to the fact that you are going from 5 wires down to 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 the long post on the 3/32nd stereo male jack that you should have opened by now. Its the black ground wire that will be paired up with a wire from the MIC side. Using the second radio, keep trying 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 the connections. Keep going back and forth between transmit and receive on the different radios until you find the magic combination. Unfortunately, at least on the BC-1000 radio top that I have, the wires 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. I suggest that if you can, use the hole in the bottom of the case for exposing the FRS antenna as you will get better usage from a distance point of view. Legally, the antenna on an FRS radio cannot be tampered with for whatever reason. Understand that youre not going to get great distance with the FRS too. The CB seems to work better over longer ranges.

The FINAL Challenge

Are you ready for the big challenge?

The 4PDT switch. Wiring your BC-1000 to be able to use both a CB and FRS - just not simultaneouslysort of.

This is a bit complicated. You must first do the first two setups outlined above. Make note of your wiring configuration. Mine ended up looking something like this: Once you have the schematic it is just a The Antenna Base with coax. matter of connecting the wires to the appropriate terminals. I used a 4-post double throw switch that I mounted to the lid where the dial lamp should be. It was small enough and I thought since it would be under the lid, it wouldnt stand out so much. There is one wire from the MIC jack on the BC1000 that will not connect to the 4pdt switch. That wire can simply be connected straight to the CB 3/32nd male jack. The others, from the mic and speaker jacks, wire them to the center terminal on the switch. Then connect the rest of the CB wiring to the

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right terminals and the rest for the FRS. The switch basically changes the wiring configuration from A to B and allows the operator to choose which radio is being used. I also wired the Ext. Speaker jack to work so that one can monitor the radio with an external speaker as well as the handset. The easy part about this setup is that the wiring is identical to the speaker jack for the handset so you can simply Y the wires together. There is still some work to be done such as finding the right foam to lay inside the box to protect the radios from bouncing around inside. I will write something further as this project nears completion. At least, this is my project so far. Have fun. Im sure there is a more elegant way of doing this but for my first time wiring this and not being very verse in electronics. So, good luck with your project! You can see why foam is needed!

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By Jonathan Stevens, 9th Infantry Division f you have not heard of Mid-West Metal Creations LLC then you probably have not been searching for semi-automatic versions of historic machine guns. What MMC creations have produced in the last few years is nothing short of astounding in my opinion. Their repertoire includes semi-automatic versions of the following weapons: the DP28, Maxim, Dshk, Madsen, MG13, and even a Dror. In the works is also a Swarztlose. Most interesting are MMCs recent productions of semi-auto versions of the Breda Modello 37 and the Fucile Semi Automatic Breda M37 Mitragliatore Breda Modello 30. The Modello 37 was the standard heavy machine gun for the Italian Army 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 a complicated, finicky weapon prone to collecting debris in the action with a slow rate of fire. The M37 had some anomalies too, such as reinserting spent cartridges back into the stripper clips with a similarly slow rate of fire as the M30, but was a fairly successful weapon and soldiered on with other militaries well after WWII. For historical reenactment purposes neither of these weapons are encountered very often 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 the M30 with all the various accessories. Both Sarco and International Military Antiques had demilled parts kits available recently. In any case, MMC now offers the Italians a chance to upgrade their armories. The MMC M37 has been approved by the BATF and should be ready for production by this summer. A significant 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 too difficult. The MMC M37 is built from parts kits and demilled receivers. They will work from a customer-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 is currently waiting for BATF approval on the semi-automatic modifications. These weapons have generally been more mangled in the demill process and will most likely have a longer production time once the weapon is approved. Blank adapting the weapon will be an issue since the barrel of 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 thousand range with a furnished parts kit. If price is still on your mind at this point you are probably not a WWII reenactor. Semi-automatic Madsens are available for $2900 in both 30.06 and 8mm. The semi-automatic MG13 is also available for $3175 plus shipping. To contact MMC email them at: midwestmetal@hotmail.com Several Maxims Ready to Roar!

Italian Weapons Reborn!

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World Wide WWII Reenacting

By Jonathan Stevens, 9th Infantry Div.

he purpose of this column that I irregularly write is to introduce a different aspect of WWII reenacting, one that is generally unknown to most WWII reenactors. Our efforts here in the USA are part of a larger movement mainly in the western world to keep the flame of memory of the tragic 1940s alive. While we here in the USA are unique with the Second Amendment protections, it is interesting to note the types of new reproduction weapons that are actually available in other countries.

Reproduction Sten Mk1 In Canada the firearm laws are greatly restrictive in comparison to the US but one Canadian company is selling a number of interesting Sten variants manufactured by SaskSten. SMG Saskatchewan is International from producing a Sten Mk I, Mk II, Mk III, New Zealand version, MP 3008, and a couple of

Reproduction New Zealand Sten their own Sten creations. These models are semiautomatic copies but according to the company website are incapable of fully automatic fire. With some original parts and some newly manufactured they fire from an open bolt, similar to the originals and are chambered for 9mm luger with the correct length barrel. Strangely enough the Sten models will probably be unobtainable south of the border but these weapons should be a

great addition to any Commonwealth reenacting unit in Canada. See http://smginternational.net/ for more information. A couple different arms manufacturers in Germany have recently produced some fascinating reproduction weapons that many have probably read about. While there are a number of WWII German weapons being reproduced, there is now one reproduction American weapon called the KSL M1918 made by Ralf Keidler. The sales brochure states that original fully automatic parts cannot be interchanged with this weapon and is 99% made in Germany. Also, other calibers and accessories will be made. Whether or not this could be a competitor to the other semiautomatic BARs made in the US remains to be seen. For more information see: http://keidler-waffen.de/ A few years ago Sport Systeme Dittrich burst on the scene with semiautomatic MP40 and MP44 models. Importation of these weapons to the US was plagued with many difficulties but some MP44 models did make it to the USA as mentioned in a previous article. Even though SSD broke into the US market their business did experience some financial difficulty, however they are now back with a number of fantastic new weapons sold under the name HZA Kulmbach GmbH. For the FJs newly made FG42 model I and II have been made. For those Delay of the Inevitable events a VG1-5 has been developed and most interesting is a new K43 rifle. Further research would have to be done on the possibility of importation of any of these German made weapons into the US. The best candidate would seem to be the newly made K43 rifles. Other weapons HZA Kulmbach sells are MP43/44, MkB42, MP38, and the Sten copy MP3008. Of note is that non-gun models of all the weapons are available. Of course none of these weapons are cheap. For more information see their website at: http://www.hzakulmbach.de. In any case, the growing lineup of reproduction WWII weapons for reenactment use beyond the US border is impressive.

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See WWII Impressions at Rockford this September!

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HRS Scholarship
Last year the membership approved the creation of an HRS scholarship. The effort behind the scholarship was two fold. The primary goal is to assist the younger members of our organization in 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 historical reenacting as an educational endeavor that is part of the mission of the WWIIHRS. The scholarship will be awarded to a full time undergraduate or graduate student majoring in areas such 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 the board of directors or staff of the WWII HRS will be ineligible for this award. Please send the applications 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 or associated 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 for receiving the HRS scholarship. It should also include the students future plans in reenacting. A letter of recommendation from their unit commander should also be included. If the student is the unit commander for their unit, then another commander can supply the letter. Unofficial transcripts or a letter from the college or university stating the students current major and GPA needs 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 all candidates and give recommendation to the President who will award the scholarship.

Safety and Authenticity Committee Members

Scott Atchison Scott Bacon Ian Baker Rob Coffman Craig Dvorak Russell Dvorak Elliott James David Jameson Doug Loge Chairman Sean Loughran Gary Jorstad Alan Miltich Rhea Jeske-Murwin John Newton Tim Scherer Dave Serikaku Bryce Seyko Grayden Zuver Jonathan Stevens

Robert Leinweber Richard "Zak" Sobczak

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Re-enactments cannons, planes on target

By Tanner Kent, The Free Press, Mankato MN he earth trembled Saturday in Le Center. On a rolling, upland game reserve just outside of town, 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 barrels of 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 dropped explosive payloads, all simulated through $10,000 in pyrotechnic displays that sent concussion waves 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, you get 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 warbirds made their fourth pass over the battlefield, only one them showing any damage from the German ground fire. You always root for the Americans With 75-mm tank rounds decimating the German position, allied troops managed to flank the Germans and force surrender. And though the outcome was known, the battle was staged and the ammo was blank onlookers still cheered for victory when the 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 in military 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 battle reenactment enthusiast, Traxler hosts a variety of military demonstrations during the annual event that is meant to coincide with the anniversary of D-Day.

German troops take cover during a World War II battle reenactment at Traxlers Hunting Preserve in Le Center.
Photo Credit Joelle Pipal

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Soldiers of all varieties set up camps around the grounds, answering questions about their guns, uniforms and equipment. People came from Illinois, Wisconsin and Kentucky to portray the Ramcke Parachute Brigade, the 7th Grenadier Panzer Division, the 101st Airborne, the Union and Confederacy, the Viet Cong and many others. One of three known, fully restored DKW motorcycles in the United States (used during WWII by German officers) was on display, as were a variety of Axis and Allied armored personnel carriers and artillery. Members of the Civil War-era New Ulm Battery, who compete nationally in cannon-firing demonstrations, shot rounds at 55-gallon water drums and a Huey helicopter was used 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, standing alongside her father, who served in the Korean War. Ive heard stories and seen movies, but its different to see it all up close. The event was coordinated by Larry Fryklund, 2nd SS Division, Aufklarungs Battalion, 3rd Kp.

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Organization Recognition
Jonathan Stevens, WWII HRS Vice President s per the by-laws, we are required to determine from other organizations those that carry insurance and follow similar safety and authenticity rules. I have contacted various groups that have attended WWII HRS events in the past year. These include TSG, CHG, TriState Living History Association, Illiana Historical Society, 5th Ranger Infantry Battalion (RS), Kampfgruppe Hasse, Midwest Living History Association (MLHA), and the LAH. Of these organizations all but the TSG responded. As of this writing, although they responded, no information has been supplied from the Tri-State Living History Association or the Illiana Historical Society. The MLHA apparently is defunct with no working contact address. The 5th Ranger Infantry Battalion (RS), the CHG, Kampfgruppe Hasse and the LAH responded with the requested information namely that they have insurance coverage for their events if they sanction events and exchanged sample membership credentials. If any other organizations that I missed would 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 and publish the information in the next Edge later this summer.

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 at yannbandy@comcast.net. 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 a nationally recognized reenacting organization to possess short-barreled rifles. The bill has passed the state House with no opposition in the Senate but has met some difficulty in removing an 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=96 Thunder over Michigan will be the largest gathering of heavy bombers along with an ME262.

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A reunited band of brothers

By Sherryl Schmeckpeper, December 6, 2009, World-Herald News Service d Mauser stood in the doorway of the C47, turned and smiled at the adoring fans, many of which 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 me around," Mauser said later, still beaming. The Omaha man has plenty of reasons to proud. He is one of the thousands of men who fought in Europe during World War II. But Mauser's story is more familiar than most - he was member of the 101st Airborne Division's 506th Infantry Regiment. In particular, he was a rifleman with the 2nd Platoon of E Company, whose escapades during the war were chronicled in Stephen Ambrose's book and the HBO miniseries "Band of Brothers." On Friday night, Mauser was reunited with five fellow E Company members who he had not seen in almost 65 years. "You got shorter," Mauser told Ed "Babe" Heffron after the two embraced. "It was from carrying that -- machine gun," the South Philadelphia, a laugh.

Ed Mauser of Omaha, left, tells Michael Appleby of Omaha about parachuting from a C-47 during the Allied invasion of Normandy in World-War II. Mauser and Appleby were seated in a restored C-47 at the Strategic Air and Space Museum near Ashland. Appleby, an Army cavalry veteran, was wearing a uniform like those worn by the D-Day jumpers. Pa, resident retorted with

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 Air and Space Museum, where Evonne Williams is the interim director. The couple also organized the 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 an autograph signing and question-and-answer session, Bill Williams said. The idea for the reunion came about after the Williams met Mauser during the last Honor Flight. Until recently, few people knew that the retired watch repairman was part of the famed E Company. At his late wife's request, he didn't talk about his participation in the war and consequently did not attend the company's reunions and was not interviewed by Stephen Ambrose when the author was writing his book. When Mauser's involvement with E Company became public knowledge, a friend contacted Stephen Ambrose's organization, and last fall

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Mauser was a guest on a "Band of Brothers" tour that retraced the company's steps during the War. In France, Mauser once again stood on the spot where he and his fellow paratroopers landed on D-Day. "What the heck am I doing," Mauser recalled thinking as he prepared to jump out of the 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 his comrades who didn't make it home, in particular the 18 men who died when their plane, which was flying just ahead of his, was shot down during the flight to France. "It was the night of nights," he said. Mauser made it through the D-Day invasion, Operation Market Garden and the siege at Bastogne unscathed. He was wounded in the hand shortly after Bastogne and spent three weeks recovering. By the time he returned "We'd do it again, if we to his unit, the war was over. "Bastogne was a bad place," Mauser had to." Don Malarkey recalled. "The first 10 days we were surrounded - we were shelled day 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 the event. "None of us admit to being heroes. We didn't think we were doing anything special." Gene Langenberg disagrees. The former Hoskins man who now lives in Corona, Calif., was a member of B Company of the 101st Airborne's Second 506th from 1966 to 1967. He was in Nebraska to help his sister celebrate her birthday. When he learned about the reunion, he knew he had to attend, 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 it again, if we had to," he said. Note: Mike Appleby is a member of the 2nd Infantry Division

China Marines, WWII Days Lowell, IN. Credit: Bill D.

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WWII Reenacting Events

Send 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

Heritage Farm Living History and Battles Brunswick, OH July 18-19 John Keaton, BTG 9th Settembre and 5th Gebirgsjagers Proud American Days, New Lenox, IL Living History and Battles July 23-25 Bill Larson, larsenhobby@yahoo.com, 353rd and 9th Infantry Division Dixon, IL WWII Remembrance Living History and Battles August 27-29 Jonathan Stevens, jstevensww2@sbcglobal.net 9th Infantry Division Rockford, IL WWII Days, September 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, Robert@stampedout.net, 9th Infantry Division WWII Weekend, July 23, 24, 25 2010 St Clair Shores, Mi, Veterans Memorial Park www.veteransweekend.com 704th TD The Cassino-Anzio Campaign March 1944 Highway 6 to Roma July 30-Aug 1 Stanton, NM http://www.marchonrome.org/ Thunder Over Michigan, August 7-8, http://www.eventbrite.com/event/660403284 Kennekuk WWII Remembrance Days Danville, IL August 7-8 2010 http://kennekuk.eventbrite.com; 33rd Infantry Division, Great Lake Waves LST USMC Living History Event Muskegon, MI August 14-15; China Marines F/2/5 Tom Rock rockcp@sbcglobal.net Iola Vintage Military Show, Iola WI August 14-15 Randy Lamers 920-853-7102, 82nd Recon Bn, 2nd Arm. Div. The Fight for Saipan, August 13-15, 2010; Gettysburg, PA http://midatlanticreenacting.com/ D-Day Conneaut, Ohio Aug 20-21 http://www.ddayohio.us/

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WWII HRS Business

Board Meeting Minutes 17 December 2009
Attending the meeting were: Tim Scherer, Jonathan Stevens, Shari Tabor, Craig Dvorak, David Jameson, 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: 360th Cossack 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 4th SS charter. He thought the unit should not have been chartered due to the history of the unit and had recently talked with the unit commander 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 seed money is available to these events. Edge for Next Year: It was determined just as an economic issue that the Edge should not be mailed 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 that the entire year and 48 states are covered. It was not event insurance as in 1 location and 1 specific day but covered all our displays, parades, and battles. The insurance does not follow to events put on by other groups, meaning non-HRS however all other non-HRS groups are covered at our events. The meeting was adjourned at approximately 8:20 by unanimous vote.

Board Meeting Minutes 21 January 2010

Attending the meeting were: Jonathan Stevens, Shari Tabor, Craig Dvorak, David Jameson, Rich Russo, Gary Adkins, Russell Dvorak, Jeff Leser, Dennis Danich, Bill Sheets, Nick Zubenko, Dan Howell, 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 to approve 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 procedure were outlined. The proposal originated from the S&A Committee and not necessarily the membership. With that said it was determined that the proposals themselves were not in question and neither was it determining the merit of the proposals. Our attorney had recommended 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 ranks would 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 vote may 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 be paid 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 Post Office. Axis Report: Scott reported working on the 4th SS 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 unit commanders 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 to work on this. Regional Event and Support: This will not be first come first served. A proposal will be drawn up 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 the position through her job. She would send in a formal resume. A decision on the Treasurer would be made in February. Insurance Issue: The current insurance premium is $4,200, which is $200 less than 2009. The major change is the per-occurrence deductible that is per claim a $1,000 deductible. An account should 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 allow payment of the 2010 insurance premium. The proposal was seconded. The vote was unanimous to pay the premium. Required Forms: Elliott would be asked to complete our IRS Form 990. The IL state non-forprofit corporation fee of $10 was paid in December. By-Law Vote: Discussion ensued regarding the current by-law vote and the possible violations of procedure. 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 was suggested to discuss the bylaw procedure. Open Comments: Alan Militich commented and agreed with others that the By Law change procedure badly needs updating. The meeting was adjourned at approximately 8:46 p.m. by unanimous vote.

Board Meeting Minutes February 18, 2010

Attending the meeting were Jonathan Stevens Vice President, Shari Tabor Treasurer, Craig Dvorak Secretary, Scott Atchison Axis Rep, Ed Godi, Mike Boden, Don Pitchers, Stephanie Pitchers, 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 Don had 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. Gary Adkins 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 be formed for this purpose. New Business: Unit Charters: The 2/25 Australian Infantry charter had passed the S&A Committee and was proposed for a vote to accept into the HRS and seconded. The vote was unanimous to accept this unit. The 360th Cossack 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. The Hampshire Regiment is a new charter that was recently submitted. The 4th SS 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 possibly a 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 the WWIIHRS. The proposal was seconded. A vote was taken and the result was unanimous for Sheri 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 answer was 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 Board Meeting Minutes March 18, 2010

Attending the meeting were David Jameson President, Jonathan Stevens Vice President, Shari Tabor Treasurer, Craig Dvorak Secretary, Doug Loge, Tim Scherer, Bill Sheets Allied Rep, Scott Atchison Axis Rep, Keith Hiney, Ed Godi, and Gary Adkins. The minutes for February were read but approval was tabled until the following meeting. Old Business Bylaw Vote: The vote would be extended to April 23. The Edge was ready to send out. A question from a non-HRS unit had been submitted to David Jameson regarding one of the by-law votes. 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 main impression would be D-Day. There were 3 primary and 2 secondary members. It was remarked that they would need two more primary members within a year. The conclusion was that the charter was good and met the requirements. Approval from the Commonwealth Rep was needed 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. Expenses were $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 old accounts reported $16,234.42 in Savings and $1960.20 in checking with $1.09 tax withheld by Wells 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 Wells Fargo. Secretary Report: Craig Dvorak reported 587 members. Commonwealth Report: No report Allied Report: All is quiet. Axis Report: No news. Committee Reports: The S&A Comm. had reviewed the Hampshire Charter. The Unit Commanders 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 the information. Most of the policy was the same as the previous year. A new requirement is to notify the agent of events. There was no change for minors and weapons. Nautilus Insurance is the carrier, which is a surplus specialty carrier. A question was asked about Canadians being members. The question will be asked to the agent. Another question was made regarding military 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 some members 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, Tim Scherer, 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 a loan 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 was unable to attend the meeting. Some discussion ensued as to whether or not this type of unit would actually seek to command or be a display/living history unit only. The 250th Inf 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 for Secretary 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 250th Charter was ready for S&A review. Open Comments: Tim Scherer asked about the possibility of insurance for under age 18 to use weapons. 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 900 members, 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 use or carry weapons of any type but they may participate in battles if they are over age 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 President for 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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Dateline: May 1, 2010 Lowell, IN Lads of the Hampshire Regiment lay down withering covering fire.

Photo Credit: Jeff Skender 5th kompanie Grodeutschland Division

The Edge Jonathan Stevens 0N349 Cottonwood Dr. Wheaton, IL 60187

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