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Beltring 2005 |
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Yes, once more the
Rolling Thunder Living History group with
the help of This year display was
on similar lines to 2004,
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The first sight was a ruined Buddhist temple. Opposite that a Ho Chi Minh trail NVA ammo dump, together with a Viet Cong pushing a bicycle full of ammo and supplies. Behind the temple was a Mike Force USSF NCO and its montagnard radio. Opposite was a Navy Seal wading though a recreated waterway. Next you came across a USSF advisor in early Duck Hunter uniform and, by the exit, were two LRRPs displaying their captured trophies. You were glad to exit this noisy and oppressive environment which the jungle display tent recreated. You found yourself in an Australian outpost with two trenches and an Australian Land Rover.
Then, passing a US Marine M60 sandbag position, you entered a Hue city scene of a partially destroyed Marine mechanical mule.
The third display tent was courtesy of the American Infantry Preservation Society (AIPS) from which a few of the key Rolling Thunder members also belong to. This represented life in the rear with a typical base sleeping quarters and an excellently depicted 3rd Surgical Hospital Resuscitation Room.
Once out of the 3rd display tent you found yourself in a Vietnam US army base with EM shower, more troops living quarters and a small Mike Force CP. The final exhibit was two gun trucks and between them was a raised platform for the public to walk on to view the inside of the trucks. Straight ahead was the motor pool, with the opportunity to admire many fully restored Vietnam vehicles. An important part of the display is "Juicy Luicy's" bar. Unfortunately, Luicy was nowhere to be seen(!), but the bar is a typical Vietnamese "hang out" for Rolling Thunder members and guests!
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This years tunnel complex was about one-third bigger than last year with three display rooms. The entrance was the same as last year in the back of a hooch (Vietnamese village hut). To enter, you had to crawl in semi darkness to the first exhibit, a briefing room, full of genuine VC and NVA items. You continued to crawl to an underground first aid room. You then passed an unfortunate US soldier (referred to as a "tunnel rat") lowering himself into a tunnel entrance onto a waiting Viet Cong. You then exited the tunnel (dodging the rubber snake!) and was immersed into the hot and humid Vietnamese jungle of the first display tent.
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Weapons hire from Vickers Sporting Services Pyrotechnics and battlefield special effects from Thunderbolt Fireworks SFX "Tet 1968 offensive" arena battle display photo report thanks to Stuart Gould, you can find plenty more photos of the War and Peace show on Stuart website www.stuartgouldphotography.co.uk
Quick brake down of the Arena scenario. During the Tet 1968
festivities (fire crackers are being set in the village during the
Vietnamese New Year celebrations), a couple of American GI
are attacked in a bar, US MPs are soon on the scene with the help
of some Australian troops to rescue the unfortunate two GI's. This
is only the beginning, as they return to the safety of a
small US compound, the country side around them erupt, VC are
every where attacking every US positions. A small US Marines foot
patrol on its way back to camp is also attacked. They call
an artillery barrage around their positions, the VC slowly
withdraw, but found themselves under fire from a LRRP team which
was "laying dog" not far away from the base. A napalm strike was then called in. This sorted out the VC (for the time
being). Saturday Arena photo report thanks to Start Gould More photos on www.stuartgouldphotography.co.uk The
turning point in the
Vietnam war, Tet
1968 General
Giap launched a
major surprise
offensive against
American and South
Vietnamese forces on
the eve of the lunar
New Year
celebrations,
January the 31st
1968. The cost in North Vietnamese and Viet Cong casualties was tremendous but it produced a media disaster for the US. Part
of the 1968 Tet
offensive was the attack
of the US Marines'
firebase at Khe Sanh
at the same time as
on virtually all Tet was in fact a military defeat for the National Liberation Front reducing severely its fighting capability, but was a political and propaganda victory showing America that the Viet Cong could launch a major offensive and put doubts in many American minds that the war could be won! Photos below are thanks to Philip Royal, for more of his work, visit his website We take our Living History seriously, theatrical make up is applied before the arena event
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The 2005 Motorpool was an integral part of our Tour of Duty static display. This was
virtually a working display as several members took the opportunity This display also featured a small bunker with M60.
Beltring Display Visitor's book we collected over 500 signatures and
comments from our we probably had well in excess of 2000 people
going thought our display tents! Fantastic Very good Museum Quality Excellent Incroyable, Magnifique Bravo! France Really Good Excellent Display Amazing Fabulous Innovative Brilliant Exhibit A1 but no smell Will try to improve next year Magic Very real Deserve an award! we got it! :-) Eye catching, Amazing Lot of work went into the tunnels, well done! So good we keep going. Just great loved it Brilliant best display Great 4th time good fun 5th time good , exciting 6th time They obviously could not get enough! Magnifique (BELGIUM) Fantastic, gob smacking! Brill Very impressed Perfect !!! Great Wow-best experience in the show, thanks really enjoyed it! Perfect display Scary! Was very very good Very hot and good Very realistic T/you Worth coming to Very realistic, best display I have seen at W&P. Brilliant! Super look Far out man! that really put fire in my hole! A great and realistic experience! 1st class Thank you! Totally tropical man! Superb effort, especially the rats runs well done! Fantastic loads of effort! Fantastic! Best reenactors! If you don't win 1st price, it's fixed! No worries we did win!!!! :-) Absolutely No1 Wonderful and original . Too realistic!! Best display on site Very clever display Wicked Excellent 10/10 Exempory! Only word: congratulation! Epoustouflant de realite! France Better than a ghost train Felicitation! C'est exceptionnel! France Very well done I was scared!, Brill!!!! Had a great time Last entry on the 24.07.05 from DIGGER and ACE, who ever they are? Thanks for all!, I can not tell in words how friendly all of you people from Rolling-Thunder are! See you next year. contact@rolling-thunder.org.uk Any information and
photographs on this site |
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Beltring 2005
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