Well it’s almost that time again, time for The Annual Oklahoma D-Day Event to kick off.
This year marks the 13th year the event will have been held just outside of Wyandotte, OK. (http://www.ddayadventurepark.com ). The event, which begins on Monday, June 7th runs this year through June 12th.
The turnout is expected to match last year when there were close to 3,000 participants, along with several thousand more spectators, family members and vendors on the site – 66800 E. 175th Rd Wyandotte, OK 74370 – 918.666.3411.
Highlights of this year’s event will include a special birthday party for 101st Airborne Veteran Jake McNiece. Jake is one of only a small number of WW II veterans who made four combat jumps, including two while serving as a Pathfinder, into Normandy, Holland, Bastogne and Southern Germany and came back home to talk about it. Jake will be speak each day about his experiences during WW II and he’ll also be signing copies of his book, “The Filthy Thirteen,” each of the three days (June 9th-11th) he’ll be there. On Wednesday evening, starting about 7 PM everyone is invited to drop by the D-Day Cafe, to wish Jake a happy 91st birthday as well as to help celebrate the event’s first USO SHOW. Plans call for surprising Jake with a cake as well as a sketch which has been donated by Mr. Mort Walker, the cartoonist who draws the popular Beetle Bailey cartoon.
In addition to Mr. McNeice everyone present will also have an opportunity to meet and listen to Mr. Leland Burns, the co-author with his father Dewayne of a book about his father’s WW II exploits, entitled “Jump Into the Valley Of The Shadow.” Leland assisted his father, who served during WW II as a paratrooper in the 82nd Airborne Division.
Other highlights this year 
include the unveiling of a number of newly constructed buildings, which have been built to look similar to what soldiers encountered as they fought their way across Europe.
For more details about the many daily events which will occur each day, as well as a list of times when the press is invited to observe some of the behind the scenes pre-event planning sessions, please refer to the attached schedule. Anyone wanting to visit one of these is asked to contact me for further details.
Finally, as part of the event again this year, we’re offering everyone who attends a free copy of a newspaper entitled “The 2010 Stars and Stripes Oklahoma D-Day Special Edition.” Here is a link which allows you to preview this year’s edition online -
http://issuu.com/dorsai/docs/starsandstripes2010ddayedition
Photos and writeup courtesy of Andrew Van Der Platts
