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Oklahoma D-Day 2007
by Matt Holland
June 2007

4019 players came to Wyandotte, Oklahoma last weekend for the 10th Anniversary Oklahoma D-Day scenario game.  The players were divided between the Allied and German sides at a 5-4 ratio.  Players were joined by 31 tanks, including Heath Riley’s life-size Tiger tank replica.  Over the last 9 years, the Germans have led the Allies 5-4, so this year it was up to the “good guys” to tie up the score.

Friday night the field hosted a massive parade featuring all of the units and vehicles that were to fight it out the next day.  Many players wore period uniforms for the event, and the whole procession was accompanied by authentic 40’s music and the bagpipes of the Commonwealth troops.

Saturday morning troops started grouping at their landing beaches and fortifications as early as 6am.  Shortly after 9am, a hail of gunfire signaled the start of the 2007 D-Day game.  2300 Allied troops stormed Utah, Omaha, and Sword Beaches, and “parachuted” in behind German lines with the 101st and 82nd Airborne.  They faced 1700 Germans who were dug in all over the 710 acre battlefield.  For a while, German defenses held fast, until tank support and overwhelming numbers allowed American troops to seize Utah Beach.  Shortly after that, the U.S. 1st Infantry Division stormed Omaha beach, putting the Germans on the run.  German morale never really recovered, and eventually the Allied troops managed to overrun the German headquarters.

The final tally was 2515-1259 for the Allies, a welcome relief after their defeat last year.  The event ran very smoothly despite severe storms on Thursday night and 90 degree heat.  The event promoter, Dewayne Convirs, had local EMTs on hand all week to handle injuries and the inevitable heat exhaustion or dehydration cases.  Water Buffalo coolers were also stationed around the field to keep players healthy.  The event even featured a robust trade show, with industry heavyweights Draxxus, Kee Action Sports, Smart Parts, Tippmann, BT Paintball, and more joined by a host of smaller vendors.
 

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