A McDonalds Restaurant over I-44.
Travis, Shannon and Patrick, on our way to chrono for the night game.
Players queued up for chrono.
Announcements about the night game.
Me, gun set to 250fps before heading off to the field.
Dead zone (both Allies & Germans used Coleville's DZ for the night game). Players come here when shot, and re-insert at 15 minute intervals.
Lightning shot on time-exposure on the approach of the first storm.
First night sleeping in the back of the Jeep, safe from storms.
Aftermath the next morning, Travis & Patrick empty the soaked contents of their tent.
Travis & Patrick's tent.
This shows the change in air pressure, I last drank from that bottle just before the first storm hit.
Brekky!
One of our neighbours came back from their motel to find their tent full of water.
It was ankle deep (Travis in the shot).
Several sponsors support the D-Day event.
Everyone in the park had noticed these girls.
People turn out in all sorts of modified vehicles to register in the game (they have their own set of rules).
Some crazy markers (paintball guns) for sale.
Markers ranged from $25 (this one) to $1300+, including Assault Rifles, Sniper Rifles, Bazookas and 3-in-1 guns (a single gun that has pistol, rifle and mounted sniper configurations).
A friendly German player who helped me chrono my marker back to 285fps. He was fairly hardcore, with double hoppers and double barrels, firing 2 paintballs with each pull of the trigger. He was also one of 'those kilt guys'.
Chrono.
What do you do when there's nobody to shoot? Hold a dance-off.
Four pairs of two, girls and guys, competing for some prize (can't remember what and who cares).
The victorious.
The winning contestants being 'hydrated'.
Camping All-American style.
Mad off-roading.
Oklahoma D-Day is a family event.
We had boats...
The beer flag crew.
Me at our parade march staging area with the rest of Charlie Company, 1st Infantry Division (aka Big Red One).
The rest of Big Red One.
Hundreds of spectators lined the march to watch. (Capt. Sulley bottom right).
No, it's not Chewbacca, some guy is decked out in a Gillie suit.
Proud owners stood atop their battle vehicles, while some crews had flags. Master Sergeant Spike and General Sulley bottom right.
Did my best to show the scale of the parade, but needed to get higher than sticking my arm in the air.
German commanders of a fair dinkum tank, in full uniform.
A tank.
Planes.
D-Day Commanders on stage.
Helicopter rides around the D-Day grounds were on offer for $45 apparently.
Patrick & Travis waited until I could go with them to my first 'Outback Steakhouse' dinner. They were quite excited to be going there with a 'real Aussie'.
I ate an appetizer named after my hometown (and it was good).
We also featured on the drinks as a Margarita!
Half of the patrons don't even know what Good Tucker means! The flag is all wonky, but my T-bone steak was awesome, so they're forgiven.
Night Speed Ball.
D-Day early morning, strapping my feet with gaffer tape for a day of running in boots (thanks for the idea Kevin, it saved my feet, I still got cut through the tape on the left ankle).
Fellow allies gearing up (check out the pods on this guy).
Travis gearing up.
Key members of the 238th Mechanical, Charlie Company, 1st I.D. Ha, my mates and I assembling early in the AM on June 9 for the 10th Anniversary D-Day event.
Allied soldiers load into troop carriers and buses.
These guys were all bound for Utah beach.
Capt. Sulley rallies Charlie Company. He graduated high school a few weeks beforehand apparently.
Looking downhill to Omaha beach where Allies line the staging area.
A kid, armed to the teeth, carries a beach ball down to Omaha beach (sorry about the blur I was walking).
Allied troops load into the 'dry boats' just before game-on. Hundreds of entrenched German forces occupy the hill behind.
Patrick calls our unit onto the boat for the cruise across to Omaha beach (game has started).
Allied troops battle in the trenches & bunkers against the Germans for control of the hill behind Omaha beach.
"Who are you going to shoot? Ze Germans?" - Turkish, Snatch
The primary bunker on the hill behind Omaha beach.
An Allied soldier on the way to the dead zone after a headshot.
A paint splattered winch ferries the boat.
Omaha's beach landing.
Omaha beach under Allied control.
A special weapons anti-tank crew moves through my trench.
General Sulley stops for a brief chat past the dead zone giving us news, on his way to see some action.
A haze of orange smoke fills the gulley as Allied forces fought a tough standoff as we pressed toward the airfield.
Got someone to photograph me at the Airfield.
We had vehicle support.
More vehicle support.
The blue flag of the Allies flies at the Airfield.
A vehicle gunner shows off his trophies. Infantry fire can not take a tank out of play, only special anti-tank paint can, but shooting a gunner blind with paint is a (preferable) option.
Looking down from the Airfield towards Utah beach.
An allied soldier pauses for rest.
Travis' Tippmann .68 Carbine, my gun for the day, which in the final minutes of the day I shot until it ran out of gas.
The last battle won.
Me after the game, half dead from heat stress in the dead zone, catching some air and cooling off. I've never been so hot, I could barely walk straight.
