Invasion of Normandy 2007
Skirmish, PA

On July 12th, Thursday, half of the team arrived at a Best Western, only a few miles north of the field. During the next day, they walked the field and set up their campsite.

On Friday, the majority of the team had arrived. Pocket Aces set up camp within GWM ground, neighboring Ragnarok, Delta, and Pendragon. The field was combed throughout most of the day. Paint arrived later in the day.

Saturday morning at around 8am, Pocket Aces got ready for the game. The game plan was simple at first; all of the Germans were to hold the beach for two hours. After the first hour, General Mark and his XO George of the GWM would distribute missions to their very best teams. Pocket Aces was chosen for such a task and would be given a flag. Flags were essential for accumulating points on the field. Hanging a flag in a specific area or a certain amount of time was awarded with points. These points often varied.

Originally, Greg (Shadow) was chosen to be the flag barer, however, due to an injury, Kris (Spudmick) was considered for the task. Reluctantly, he accepted. Team members Kevin (Mortyr) and Greg (Shadow) were assigned flag duty simply meaning the two were responsible for defending Kris (Spudmick) as he carried the flag. Chris (Das Boot) was appointed active field XO due to Kris' (Spudmick) situation. As always, Joe (Tapeworm) assumed active captain and field leader. John (Johnny 5) was assigned armored demolitions, armed with a rocket launcher. Roger (Arkum) and Chris (Das Boot) were also assigned active runners for props found on the field.

By noon on Saturday, July 14th, the game was on. Pocket Aces were assigned leadership over Platoon 6 and defended the Sword beachhead. Greg (Shadow) and Kevin (Mortyr) performed base security back at German HQ due to their ankle injuries. Kris (Spudmick) and Chris (Das Boot) held the eastern portion of the Platoon 6 beachhead along with Chris' (Das Boot) guests, Steve and John Y. Joe (Tapeworm), John (Johnny 5) and his guest, John K., Rich (The Engineer), and Greg (Flamehead) held the western portion of the beach. Rich (The Engineer) and Roger (Arkum) had to stomp out fires on the field that were ignited by smoke bombs and dry brush. They did this while under heavy fire, Rich (The Engineer) receiving bruising welts.

At 1:15 pm, as assigned, Kris (Spudmick) headed for HQ to pick up a flag. When the flag was picked up, the team was assigned to take The Hood, a field which lay NW of their previous location. When the team entered the town, it was empty save for a few random players here and there. Kris (Spudmick) hung the flag as the team blocked every possible entryway to the town. No players were allowed entry even if they were German. All approaching players were told, at gunpoint, to turn around and keep walking. After the flag was hung long enough, Kris (Spudmick) pulled the flag and ran it back to HQ along with Kevin (Mortyr) and Greg (Shadow). Meanwhile, Roger (Arkum), Chris (Das Boot) and Andy (The Legend) ran heavy water back to HQ, a prop worth a significant amount of points. When the flag and the heavy water were both turned in, the team took a break back at their campsite.

Around 2:30 pm, after the team was re-supplied, Pocket Aces head back out onto the field. Again, Kris (Spudmick) and Joe (Tapeworm) picked up their assigned flag and were given the task of hanging it at another location. This time, the location was NE of The Hood. Cautiously, the team made their advance with the flag team hanging behind. The flag was hung and needed to be held for 7 minutes. One minute before the point were awarded, contact was made just north of the flag's position. Gunfire quickly drowned out most noise in the area. After the time was up and the points were awarded, the flag was pulled and run back to HQ. The mission was yet another success along with no casualties. Satisfied enough, the GWM high command had the team take another break.

While the rest of the team was on their break, John (Johnny 5), Greg (Shadow), and Roger (Arkum) along with their guests, Marcus and John K came across a group of Americans. They were quested about which side they were on to which they replied that they were French. More American members continued to join the larger group. Unsure of what to do, Greg (Shadow) considered a suicide run. The group agreed immediately. John (Johnny 5) counted down from three and they snuck over to each exposed flank, opening fire at will. The groups of Americans, tripling their number, surrendered to their assailants and were escorted out of the game.

After getting food in their systems and refilling air, the team was ready to go. Not too many of them needed to reload on paint since there was hardly any contact on the field save for their brief encounter with Americans in the north.

Late afternoon, the Americans had the German HQ surrounded making it impossible to complete missions. All night missions were scrubbed. All Germans were to take back The Hood and clear a pathway for teams to complete missions.

Joe (Tapeworm) went to the command ten to speak with George of the GWM after HQ was freed from American hold. Kris (Spudmick), assuming role of field leader, led a sizable push all the way to the urban barricades of The Hood, accompanied by Chris (Das Boot), his two guests, Steve and John Y. Later, as the Americans were on the run, the Germans were growing thin in numbers. Kevin (Mortyr), John (Johnny 5), Greg (Flamehead), Greg (Shadow), Roger (Arkum), Andy (The Legend), Isaac (Sac Attack), their three guests, Rich (The Engineer), and John K rejoined Kris' (Spudmick) motley crew of players and focused their efforts to inspiring German players to advance. The sun was setting and by 7:30pm, the Americans were pushed far into the hood. Kevin (Mortyr) lost his voice and Chris' (Das Boot) was on the verge of finally falling to pieces.

At The Hood, Kris (Spudmick) ordered Rich (The Engineer) to bring a group of players and attack the town's exposed flank in the west. Kevin (Mortyr) continued to push players into the fray with no voice, ammo, or air. Almost all other members went back for ammo and air. Kris (Spudmick) tried to get a hold of Joe (Tapeworm) in the meantime.

The HQ's security was in shambles by the time Kris (Spudmick) reached the command tent. Joe (Tapeworm) enjoyed a slimjim inside the command tent while speaking to George. Joe (Tapeworm) requested that Kris (Spudmick) run back to camp and retrieve the flag that was entrusted to the team. Exhausted and entirely out of ammunition, the group went back to the camp site.

At around 8:15pm, Kris (Spudmick) received a call from Joe (Tapeworm) telling Kris (Spudmick) to not bring the flag into the game. The HQ tent was demolished by an allied spy who slipped through the lines. Kevin (Mortyr), Greg (Shadow), Kris (Spudmick), Rich (The Engineer), and Joe (Tapeworm) met up at HQ. It was pitch black. The players decided it best to return to camp for the night unless needed for another task by command.

The next morning, the group arose at 7am and was on the field by 9pm, joining George along with a huddled mass of team such as Ragnarok, Myrmidon, Delta, Pendragon, and Elephant Riders. Their goal was simple; make the allies pay for what many considered an unfair game. A Ragnarok player was phycically assaulted the day before, fires were starting due to smoke bombs, an allied player walked into the HQ tent and proceeded to fire on unmasked players, allies were inserting in illegal positions all weekend (the corn field near the German HQ to be more specific), and allies were simply not walking off when not being hit. The Germans assembled to make them pay.

The Germans retook the beach with pathetic ease and pushed the allies to their HQ. The advance was halted there. Pocket Aces dispersed all over the easternmost side of the field where the majority of the players had advanced three years ago under an American flag. There they tried to get a foothold on the beach along with other GWM players. When the team ran out of ammo and air, they returned to camp and reloaded.

An hour before the game's end, Joe (Tapeworm), Kris (Spudmick), Greg (Shadow), Chris (Das Boot), Rich (The Engineer), Andy (The Legend), Isaac (Sac Attack), their three guests, John K and John (Johnny 5), armed with a rocket launcher, inserted onto the field and focused their efforts on repelling yet another allied hold on the German HQ. During the push, John (Johnny 5) took a tank out with his launcher while everyone else continued what they had been doing all weekend; inspiring people to move up. A player received a sever neck injury and the referees called a game over, telling all players to proceed to the beach.

There on the beach, both sides assembled their lines. Not surprisingly, the Americans had three quarters of the field before the whistle was blown. When the game resumed, it was a mess. Americans inserted illegally in the tree line and proceeded to shoot people outside of the game. Finally fed up, whatever Pocket Aces members left on the field walked off to get ready for packing up the camp site.

The game was called and the final score was as follows; Allies 163, French 121, and Germans 22. There was a total of 4320 players, 2026 Allied, 1960 German, 308 French, and 26 Tyrell. Myrmidon took the German MVT.

The GWM will not return to Skirmish due to safety hazards that were left unaddressed. Pocket Aces, although fond of Skirmish over the years, will be seeking a new big time summer event too look forward to.