DDAY

I'm writing this on the basis of a couple ideals.

"The eyes of the world are upon you."

Firstly, in sheer remembrance of, in my personal opinion, the most important military campaign of modern warfare. On the days surrounding 6 June 1944, the allied soldiers who were committed to this battle went under impossible odds and more to become the eventual victors of the second world war. It is very important that we take time out of our day, not a minute, not a moment... but give time on the day they gave lives.

It's been said before and it is my hope that through time, it is said again, and again.

Secondly, on the basis of a re-enactor's life, I'd like to explore the mindset of the DDAY soldier.

There are many things that WWII re-enacting has taught me about the period, and many more I'm sure, still to come.

Two things in particular I'd like to go into more detail about, that, especially on the anniversary of this great and noble military quest, give me a fraction of a percent more understanding of the life and times of a DDAY soldier.

First, during an event of the past summer.

It was early afternoon when my patrol had been stopped along the side of a cut path in thick bush. A clearing to one side had been home to an enemy patrol earlier in the day and was going to be searched well before we were to move any further, into open roadway.

Suddenly, and without ANY warning, enemy BB's began ripping through the brush, as though from every direction. As many as 6 grenades (infused with fireworks) landed no further then a few feet away from me, and my patrol-mates.

I was hit by now, and calling for my team's medic. The grenades seemed to go off in one or two second intervals, as though they were built with different sized fuzes.

I very distinctly remember the very MINOR explosion from one grenade sending little tiny bits of dirt and leaves down onto my face. I remember this as being the first time in airsoft that I had actually simulated combat. I was most certainly afraid, and certainly not ashamed to admit it. Funny, I later thought, that in mere hours I'd be sitting at a wendy's, enjoying a burger and reviewing the match with my 'enemies'... a LUXURY that was not even fathomable in war-times.

The second instance was during the night before, on the same event. I had been trudging through feilds where rain had recently fallen and had yet to evaporate. My boots, socks and trousers were soaked through. I had eaten all my food and was tired from running around all day, under SIMULATED combat conditions... where I was under absolutely NO real threat. It had just begun to rain when I tried to get a wink of sleep. Propped up against a mud-wall, I tried desperately to fall asleep, to no avail.

Sometime, I had managed to close my eyes long enough to drift. I was awakened VERY abruptly by the split second interval of a mirade of grenades, thrown into our camp. One landed about 3 feet away from me, JOLTING me awake. Again, I felt as though I had been in a REAL 'SIMULATED' combat situation... Again I was scared, and very awake, cold , wet, hungry and tired.

AGAIN... I'd be leaving in a few hours, for a hot shower and warm food... to return to daily life.

I take great pride in re-enacting, and all of it's benefits. I believe that every experience I get in the field earns me nothing, in comparison to real combat, but much needed understanding. For me, I'm not re-enacting for me, I'm doing it to honour them.