Paper Modelers at Army Heritage Days 2016

[Don Boose]

The annual Paper Modelers at Army Heritage Days will take place at the U.S. Army Heritage and Education Center (USAHEC) in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, USA, this weekend- Saturday and Sunday, 21 and 22 May 2012. Army Heritage Days

The theme this year is “Vietnam 50.” There will an exhibit of the portable Vietnam memorial wall, demonstrations, lectures, and many reenactors and living historians portraying Soldiers and equipment of the Vietnam War. As always, there will also be many demonstrations and reenactors portraying the entire history of the U.S. Army

Members of the Paper Modelers’ Forum will display models and demonstrate paper model techniques from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM on those days. Rick Steffers (Rickstef), Anne McCombs, Kevin Stephens, rockpaperscissors (Don Weeks), Miles Linnaberry, John Dell, DrLaser (John Gessner) and I plan to be there, weather and circumstances permitting. As always, Karl K. Warner will be the official USAHEC Paper Modelers Wrangler.

We will showcase models relating to the Vietnam War and the history of the U.S. Army, but will also display other models to demonstrate the range and scope of paper models.

AirDave (Dave Winfield) has designed a very simple M113 Vietnam-era armored personnel carrier (APC) that was widely used as an armored cavalry assault vehicle (ACAV). Dave has generously given us permission to reproduce and distribute the model as a free handout.

Thanks to Scott Fyn and Fiddlers Green, John Bowman and Design Group Alpha, Ryan Short and Lbirds.com, Cliff Button and Paper Tiger Armaments, Camille Morin (Cami), and Chris Gutzmer and the ECardmodels team for their support of the event, including permissions to reproduce models.

Here are the threads about the previous Paper Modelers’ Displays at USAHEC:
2015: Paper Modelers at Army Heritage Days 2015
2014: Paper Modelers at Army Heritage Days 2014
2013 March Special Event: Paper Modelers at USAHEC 2013
2012:Paper Modelers at Army Heritage Days 2012
2011: Paper Modelers at Army Heritage Days 2011
2010: Paper Modelers at Army Heritage Days 2010
2009: Paper Modelers at Army Heritage Days 2009

If you live anywhere near Carlisle, Pennsylvania, USA, or if you happen to be traveling through during that time, we hope you will stop by to say hello, to enjoy the Army Heritage Days activities, and to get acquainted with the USAHEC and the U.S. Military History Institute -- a great place to do research for future models, to learn about your own Army ancestors and relatives, or to make use of the vast collection of documents. There will also be a sale of used military history books by the USAHEC Foundation.

Don
Vietnam 1966-67

[airdave]

I would...if I could...but I don't...so I won't...but you guys have a great time!

[Don Boose]

Thanks for your support and for the excellent M113, Dave. Sorry you can't be with us, but I hope to see you in Dayton next year.

We will also be distributing the Humvee you provided last year, as well as DGA jeeps, PTA M3 light tanks and ACAVs, FG GeeBees and Lighthouses, and LBirds Stinsons.

Below is an image of the handout poster. The photo may not be as striking as some I could have used, but this image has meaning for me. I took the photograph on 20 February 1967 during an operation in which our battalion was supported by the 3rd Troop, 2nd Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) Armored Cavalry Squadron.

This happens to be my personal "Vietnam 50" year (the second image is of the 26-year-old me in 1967, on the right of SFC Rodney Baker, my deputy in our three-man advisor team with the 1st Battalion, 14th Infantry Regiment, 9th ARVN Division in the Mekong Delta). The soldier standing behind us with sunglasses hanging from his ear is Pvt. Kye, our driver, with our M151.

I have been trying to build models of aircraft that supported us. This weekend, I will have an Aaron Murphy VNAF (South Vietnamese Air Force) 23rd Tactical Wing A-1H (our constant and loyal overhead companions), a DGA 54th Utility Aviation Company, an FG 221st Recon Airplane Company (RFAC) O-1D repainted and heavily modified by John Bowden), an FG 19th TASS (Tactical Air Support Squadron) forward air controller (FAC) O-1E , a DGA DHC Beaver, and maybe an Aaron Murphy Caribou of the 143rd Aviation Company.

The third image shows my workbench this morning. Not looking too good for completing the Caribou, but I plan to continue this project and rebuild all these airplanes in a constant 1/48 scale. John Bowden has recolored the MAEDA L-19 as 1/LT Ned Moore's SHOTGUN 15 of the 221st ARC, which provided us scouting and aerial forward observer support, and MacSongLi is working on a recolor of Nobi's UH-1D to emulate OUTLAW 6, lead ship of the 175th Assault Helicopter Company slicks (transport helicopters), which frequently lifted us in and out of operations. Other aircraft in the project will be a Navy SEAWOLF gunship, a DUSTOFF medical evacuation helicopter, a C-123, and an F-100.

Sorry for the diversion from the main topic, but this project is rather meaningful to me.

Incidentally, 50 years on, we now regularly have Vietnamese officers attending the U.S. Army War College.

Don

[John Bowden]

Nice display Don!

I hope y'all have a great time............

Send me the info you want on the 123 and 100 and I'll see what I can come up with........ the Caribou looks like it'll be ready next year when it get out of the refit shop.......

[joshuajaeseo]

Too bad I can't be there... Did you say next year it'll be in Dayton?

[Don Boose]

Army Heritage Days will always be at the U.S. Army Heritage and Education Center in Carlisle, Pennsylvania (USAHEC Home), but an additional International Paper Modelers Convention (held in Sterling, Virginia, in October) next Spring and I believe Dayton is the location that is being discussed. The thread is here: Paper Model Convention in the Spring? Northern?

Don

[airdave]

Originally Posted by joshuajaeseo

Too bad I can't be there... Did you say next year it'll be in Dayton?

No...Don is referring to the possible Dayton Paper-Con I am attempting to organize.
Unfortunately I have nothing to report at this time.

[murphyaa]

Hopefully the Dayton-con takes off. I tried to get vacation time in October, but by the time it was my turn, October was all gone.

[mbauer]

Hope you all have a great time!

Tried to head down this year, but, my work is being bought out by a competitor, not sure if I'll have a job after Monday the 23rd....

If all goes well maybe next year!

Mike

[modelperry]

Sorry that the stars, moons and planets did not all align for my participation this year. Class reunions in Late July are forcing my annual pilgrimage to PA to happen then. Had hoped to make the Sterling Convention, but that is highly unlikely as well. Of course I have some other personal things in the works that may throw a monkey wrench into all of this . Life is such an adventure...

I will be thinking of you all that are participating in this event and sending my "happy vibes" your way. Oh and if they have that gourmet grilled cheese vendor again this year, somebody needs to have one for me.

greg