REGISTRATION DEADLINE IS SEPTEMBER 20 FOR HELICOPTER INSERTION AND GAME UNIFORMS
The Operation Liberty Canyon registration deadline for insertion by helicopter, game uniforms, and any other pre game logistical coordination is SEPTEMBER 20TH.
We will accept walk on players up to 10AM on September 27th but you will not have access to the helicopter, or the game uniforms, and you will have to pay a $10 late registration fee. Players playing late cannot be squad leaders as we need to coordinate with them before the event.
Reminder: The event is not at the Wolcott Hobby Shop – it is at an offsite location. You will need to have all the equipment you need for 24 hours of operation with you and in you backpack. If you do not have a pack one will be issued to you but you must register before September 20th. There is a packing list available for registered combatants.
1000 – US Forces registration open at Wolcott Hobby
1030 – Helicopter safety briefing
1100 – Helicopter insertions begin
1300 – Helicopter insertions end – all players will be in the Area of Operation
September 28
1200 – Tactical operations end
1230 – After Action Review for all participants
1330 – Transportation back to Wolcott Hobby
Registration is your key to being prepared for this operation.
Once you register you will be contacted by the Battlesim staff so that you may gain access to the private forums on VIETNAM AIRSOFT http://www.vietnamairsoft.com where both sides have pre mission planning materials. You can ask you commanders questions and we will be organizing the squad leaders, RTOs, and individual combatants.
Helicopter secured for OP: Liberty Canyon Sept 27th Wolcott CT
MACV has secured a Bell Jet Ranger 206B helicopter for the OP: Liberty Canyon Sept 27th Wolcott CT. United States Army transport was not available so we have secured a civilian helo for MACV use. Pending town approval (we anticipate getting it next week) United States forces will use the chopper for transport of troops, prisoner transport, and LRRP over flights on September 27th from 0800 to 1200 hours. All United States forces registered and paid for the game will have flight time in the bird for $25 to cover the fuel costs. VC / NVA troops should contact me if you want to be involved in the air operations as prisoners or other character actors. We will have a full camera crew that will take your pictures and you will be able to take your digital cameras on board to record your flight. The following YouTube video shows the flight that my team took last weekend at RECONDO school. We anticipate you will have a similar experience.
UPDATE:A number of MACV staff are going to the Battlesim RECONDO school in OR this week. Many of the RECONDO school instructors will flying into for Liberty Canyon including Ranger Warren and Ranger Robsin form this video. For those of you getting ready for the battles at Dog’s Throat this check out this video.
UPDATE: Click on FREE UNIFORMS to see the great costumes available to all players registered and paid before the simulation.
November 1968
Q: What is Operation Liberty Canyon?
The Dogs Throat was a spur in the Cambodian Frontier that Material Assistance Command Vietnam (MACV) determined was a natural infiltration route from the North Vietnamese Army’s (NVA) staging areas inside Cambodia. With indications of strong buildup further West toward the Capital of Siagon in the huge Michelin Plantation area, MACV decided to try a risky maneuver and positioned small enticing units right on the border in hopes they could impede the resupply of any planned NVA offensive.
Operation Liberty Canyon established American positions were hasty and not very large. If the intent was to provoke aggressive action by the NVA and local Viet Cong guerrillas (VC) it appeared to be working. The NVA pushed hard and aggressively on the assorted firebases and it resulted in one of the hairiest and most dramatic series of encounters of the Vietnam War.
Fresh meat was laid on the doorstep of the enemy’s dog house. Gonna be quite a fight! Are you up for it?
Q: What will the simulation be like?
The simulation is designed to be a military immersion experience. The simulation designers (Battlesim) plan out a movie like experience for the participants that include realistic sights, sounds, and combat of the Vietnam War. The goal is for you to experience a compressed version of what it would have been like to be a combatant in Vietnam.
Q: How to they create a movie like environment?
Free uniform rentals for any participant.
This makes sure that the NVA troops have Pith helmets and the local US forces all have steep pot helmets. By providing gear and equipment to the participants you really get the look and feel of enemy forces when you encounter the on the battle field. We have over 15 vintage military backpack radios that the players will be trained on and use during the operation. Check out the Free Uniform link for pictures and more information.
Vietnam veterans and experienced military personnel running the headquarters.
Real Vietnam Veterans are developing and running this event. A dedicated command structure and simulation controllers can make all the difference in the world on the enjoyment players have in military simulations. At Liberty Canyon troops will be given basic training on the historical tactics used by each side. Squad leaders will work inside their platoon with imbedded simulation organizers to help organize and oversee the major combat operations. Immediate after action feedback from HQ will help the entire troops figure out what went well and what can be improved upon for the next battle. The information you will learn from our Vietnam veterans will help you appreciate the conditions both sides fought under.
Realistic battle conditions.
Ready to try something different and more realistic? During Vietnam a US soldier would typically be limited to 400 rounds and VC would often be lucky if they had 60 rounds of ammo on them. The NVA issued four, 30 round magazines for a typical AK equipped riflemen. Stalemate firefights lasting longer than 15 to 20 minutes were very rare during the war. If the VC or NVA couldn't dominate their opposition in that time frame they typically withdrew. At Operation Liberty Junction you can use your high capacity magazines but we will ask that you load them with a realistic amount of ammunition. It brings a whole new dimension to the simulation when you and the enemy have to reload a lot. Running out of ammo? Grab some from a teammate or start planning to withdraw – just like US and VC / NVA forces would have had to during the war. We think you will gain a whole new appreciation for the M60 gunners.
Historical immersion scenes.
Ever wonder what it was like to get a Dear John letter in Vietnam? (Dear John letters came from girlfriends or wives breaking up with their boyfriend or husband who was stuck fighting in Vietnam). Ever wonder what an interrogation of a captured enemy solder was like? What did the VC troops do when they took breaks from fighting? Battlesim are experts at creating movie like historical immersions in-between the combat you are in. Mail call could see you getting that Dear John letter. A captured soldier could be a Battlesim character actor that will fight like hell during the interrogation and try and kill your Lieutenant and his translator. The VC often had Communist ideological training during their downtime or lessons on how to smell the American. Are you ready to learn from a Battlesim NVA character actor during your lunch of noodle soup?
Replica historical meals provided.
We provide historically simulated meals. The US troops will be getting C Rations (C RATS) and the VC / NVA noodles and other oriental foods.
Sustained operations over 24 hours.
Operation Liberty Canyon participants will have at least three major combat experiences over the 24 hour simulation with historical immersion events in between. The war zone is located 5 min drive from the parking area. Once you grab a chopper into the landing zone or infiltrate down the Ho Chi Minh trail you are in the war untill noon the next day. Check out the packing list under event detail for more information on sleeping in the bush and other 24 simulation informaiton.
