Iwo Jima 60th Anniversary Reenactment

[Renaud]

This was in Doss Texas Saturday and Sunday Feb 19th and 20th. 300 Reenactors took part including a platoon or so from japan with all the regalia. The battle was staged on a huge hill turned into a miniature Mount Suribachi. During the course of the 90-minute battle the reenactors worked their way up the hill, repelling the occasional counterattack, and then a squad of marines recreated the flagraising atop the mountain. It was kinda like front row seats to a reinforced company-sized CM battle.

Equipment included 2 shermans, M16 halftrack, 2 M5A1 Stuarts, M3 and M3A1 halftracks, huge marine amphibious thingy, a japanese tank (possibly vismod but looked authentic), AT guns, M2A1 105mm howitzer, scads of .50 and .30 cal MG's, ground mount quad .50, bazookas (not fired), BAR's, M1's, Thompsons (even a Reising Model 50), Weasels, jeeps, jeep+50cal, japanese LMG's, SMG's, rifles, etc...and best of all...wait for it...6 fully functional flamethrowers which they used throughout the reenactment. Pretty much everything out there was firing including the Quad 50's and the tanks. The noise was amazing. The blasts and shots echoed off the hills and reverberated through the valleys. I need to post some pics once I figure out where to host them.

Makes me wish BF would put out a version of CM for the WWII Pacific/Asian Theatre. They could hire some of the japanese reenactor voice talent: they had some awesome banzai screams!

[Lucho]

I think you may ask Gyrene if he wants to host them on his site ( http://gyrenes-junk.dyndns.org/ ), where he offers a photo section with also reenactment photographies (war and peace).

[Renaud]

OK, thanks to Gyrene the pics are now available. 19 now, more coming later.

Iwo Jima Reenactment Pics

Thanks Gyrene!

Ren