BA-DA BA-DA BING BANG RALLY - Atlantic, IA

[MWMULES]

OK. I am going to do this again this year - 2016.

Best to start another thread - or just continue with this one?

Oh, by the way, the date this year is May 21st.

Yes, I know, but there is only one Armed Forces Day in the year. (Most likely those folks heading to Ohio / Maryland won't be coming here anyway.)

Nope several of us down here in KC were bummed last years on the date as we have been going to Findlay for years, so it looks like we will miss you again this years.
This is the 29th year of the Findlay Armed Forces day show/rally.

 

[GUNNUT in Iowa]

Nope several of us down here in KC were bummed last years on the date as we have been going to Findlay for years, so it looks like we will miss you again this years.

Yes, I know the date will be a problem for some. All I can say is that there is only one Armed Forces Day per year and it seems like a good day (and others must agree) to have a rally. Sorry about that.

I must be very careful on this. I don't know what I am supposed to do, when I want to go to Ohio during their rally and this one has grown into something I can't miss.

Don't get too bummed about it. This one is most definately not the same as (I presume) Findlay is. At least that holds true for last year - and probably this year too. I can't make any promises for future years.

I will let you know, when we grow out of our space, have overnight camp-outs, reenact battles, have swap meets, and get national news coverage, etc.

 

[GUNNUT in Iowa]

man you iowa guys know how to have a good time!

You are most certainly welcome to come on down.
According to Google Maps, it is only 3,597 miles.
It says you can make it in 61 hours.
I don't know, if that includes rest stops.

 

[chestypuller1371]

is that doing45 or 55mph?

 

[GUNNUT in Iowa]

is that doing45 or 55mph?

I believe Google Maps uses the current local speed limit - so that could be up to 80 mph in Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming.

If you are going to bring your truck, you might need to do some mechanical "improvements" to it - before you leave.

Probably better call me before you leave. I can't offer any assistance, but I will loan you my shoulder to cry on if something breaks on the trip.

 

[Another Ahab]

I will let you know, when we grow out of our space, have overnight camp-outs, reenact battles, have swap meets, and get national news coverage, etc.

That doesn't count any more. The question is:

- Is the rally trending on Twitter!?

You all maybe should recruit somebody's fifth grader to manage your tweets.

 

[GUNNUT in Iowa]

That doesn't count any more. The question is:

- Is the rally trending on Twitter!?

You all maybe should recruit somebody's fifth grader to manage your tweets.

An organization I am associated with (the group that owns the Armory) has a Face Book account (https://www.facebook.com/atlanticrockislandsocietyenterprise?fref=ts). I don't even do Face Book.

Back in the day, I used to shoot things that went "tweet" - to feed the cats and hone my marksmanship skills.

I don't want to get into a discussion about anything associated with the word "twitter".

 

[GUNNUT in Iowa]

If you are on my email list for the latest information on the BA-DA BA-DA BING BANG Rally, you need to check your email. I sent out another message this morning.

If you are not on my email list - and you want to be, send me a PM. I will add you to the list.

 

[Bobert]

I will plan on being there. Not sure what vehicle yet. Maybe a humvee if my EUC clears by then.

 

[GUNNUT in Iowa]

I will plan on being there. Not sure what vehicle yet. Maybe a humvee if my EUC clears by then.

Here is hoping your EUC clears. A HUMVEE would be great at the show!

I put you down as "scheduled".

Watch your emails for more information.

 

[GUNNUT in Iowa]

I haven't posted anything on here, so I thought I should do that.

We are five days out from the 2nd annual BA-DA BA-DA BING BANG Rally and things are still coming together.

I received a phone call yesterday while sitting in the barber's chair. We gained another two (possibly three, if he can find a driver) vehicles. That will make a total of 25 vehicles scheduled !

Space is getting tight and the HEMTT will have to park across the street at the Coca-Cola warehouse. That is probably best in case they get an emergency call. It belongs to a neighboring town's fire department. I am not sure there is enough space in our parking lot to even turn the darn thing around.

I did have one gentleman donate a Yeti cooler for a door prize, so perhaps we will need some type of armed security at the Registration Table. I might need to refine the rules just a little bit. As they are now, I don't think I am eligible for any of the door prizes.

I got the meal tickets printed up last night for the Owner / Operators, have conducted an on-site meeting with Wal-Mart on their preferences for the "Ice Cream Social" stop during the Cruise, received the official Oh-Kee-Doh-Kee from the City Council for the Cruise (with appropriate coordination from the Police Chief), and need to pick up my new sign/banner from the print shop. The group that hosts the event was kind enough to allocate funds to purchase the sign/banner.

As I was typing this post, I received an email from one of the Owner / Operators. He was confirming his motel reservations and parking some vehicles overnight in the Armory garage. That place is starting to get full, so I suppose I will have to move my MB and Mule to my garage here at the house to spend the night.

I have a radio interview in a couple of hours and did an interview at the other station yesterday.

After I finish an Armory tour for the "Red Hat Ladies" this morning, I should be able to focus on the Rally. Weather is supposed to be good for the next week and I suppose the yard could stand to be mowed and trimmed just one more time.

Stay tuned for photos and the After Action Report, when we are done.

 

[shakey]

Threw the top and bows on the grand kids jungle gym today. Just need to fuel up in the morning and head East.

 

[GUNNUT in Iowa]

It has been a busy afternoon. There are already four vehicles parked in the Armory garage. I had to bring my Jeep home and park it in my garage here.

Nothing like some big trucks with trailers pulling into the parking lot to get people to stop and see. I asked them to please stand aside so they did not get run over and suggest they come back tomorrow. Some indicated they had plans for tomorrow. I hate putting stress in their life, but I wonder if they would rather be here?

New sign put up on the front lawn - although it will be moved to a different location in the morning.

Food in place in the kitchen.

Working on printing up Cruise route maps and directions right now - more "lists" to print after that.

It is going to be a great day tomorrow.

Have a safe trip and I will see you, when you get here.

 

[Another Ahab]

We're going to get some pics, right!?

 

[GUNNUT in Iowa]

We're going to get some pics, right!?


View attachment 624071

I will see what I can do (since you asked nicely).

 

[GUNNUT in Iowa]

 

[GUNNUT in Iowa]

 

[GUNNUT in Iowa]

 

[Another Ahab]

These are great pics, GUNNUT, thanks a million:

- is the black-powder piece scaled, or is that the actual size of like a small field howitzer or something, do you know?

 

[GUNNUT in Iowa]

BA-DA BA-DA BING BANG RALLY​

​

May 22, 2016​

​

SUBJECT: After Action Report (2016)​

​

This was the second year for this event. For information concerning the origin of the event and other particular items concerning this event, refer to the After Action Report for 2015.

There were 26 pieces of equipment registered for the Rally. Of those, all were present for the event. This is an increase of 4 from last year. Sometimes it was very confusing and difficult to determine which vehicles were supposed to be here, which vehicles were actually here, which vehicles were substituted for vehicles that were supposed to be here, etc. Efforts are constantly evolving to accurately determine the vehicles attending the event. You would think all you would need to do is “walk the parking lot” and count them, but it does not seem to be that easy.

Unique this year were 2 “Static Display” items. I used this term to describe items that added to the event, but were not vehicles. These two items consisted of one vendor and one military tent. My display – (cook and heating stoves) – is not counted among the “Static Displays”. There were no “Static Displays” last year.

There were 21 Owner / Operators registered for the Rally. All were present for the event. Five (5) of them from the previous year contacted me prior to the Rally and indicated they could not attend due to various reasons. Seven (7) did not contact me and I have no idea why they were not present. There were 6 new ones present this year making a total of 33 in my database.

Lessons learned​

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S1 Personnel / administration ​

1. Parking Lot arrangement – There was no attempt to designate parking areas (a lesson learned from last year). There were seven items with a “reserved” status. These included the Registration Tent, my static display, vendor’s static display, military tent, M-3 Half-track with M-1 Antitank gun, and the Fire Department’s HEMTT. The Registration Tent was positioned for maximum exposure. My static display was positioned in an area that did not really allow for a vehicle. The vendor requested a location for maximum exposure. The military tent required placement in the grass to allow for tent stakes. The Half-track with Antitank gun needed an area to allow him to “pull through” so there was no requirement for him to back it up. The Fire Department’s HEMTT was originally parked across the street. This was not desirable due to the requirement to cross the highway/street to see it. This street is a state highway and it is not possible to close it. There are many children that attend the event. I was concerned about the space in the parking lot needed and the potential for the Department to receive an emergency call during the event. We managed to position the vehicle in the center of the parking lot after the other vehicles had arrived. There was one vehicle that arrived later. Although the vehicle was expected, it did not register at the Registration Tent and was not located in the parking lot – most likely a communications issue. It did join the “Cruise” later. Space (or the lack of it) is becoming an issue. There was an increase of 20% in the vehicles from the previous year. This does not include the static displays. Although this is a good problem to have, it is still a problem needing to be solved.

2. Registration Table – A Registration Tent was set up and identified as an area for the Owner / Operators to properly register their vehicles and/or verify the previously provided information concerning themselves and their vehicles. Meal tickets were distributed. All Owner / Operators and their guests eat free. Registration for the door prizes was based on one entry per vehicle or static display. Various “Hand outs” such as flags, “welcome” bags, magnets, and snacks were also available at the Registration Tent. This area was the place to receive the BA-DA BA-DA BING BANG RALLY gifts. This year’s gift was a soft-sided cooler and was presented to all Owner / Operators and their guests.

3. Atlantic Police Department – Coordination with the Department prior to the event ensured that the “Cruise” would be acceptable. One patrol vehicle with officer was utilized by the Department and provided excellent service during the cruise. Close coordination with the officer prior to the cruise resulted in a complete understanding for everyone involved. Traffic was temporarily stopped at three locations to allow the convoy to enter or exit the road intersections. There were many traffic signals along this year’s route and all vehicles in the convoy were instructed to obey the traffic control unless directed otherwise by the police officer. A “Parade Permit” was approved by the City Council prior to the event.

S2 Intelligence / Security / Information ​

1. Publicity – All local news media did an excellent job of publicizing the event. Multiple radio interviews as well as newspaper articles were completed prior to the Rally. News media was present at the Rally and conducted interviews with the Owner / Operators. The Host (ARISE) placed advertisements in news media covering a larger area than last year. It was also on their internet web page (http://www.ariseatlantic.org/news/).

2. Early arrival of vehicles – Three vehicles arrived the day before the event and were stored in the Armory garage. This worked well, but space in the facility was tight. Vehicles stored were – M-20 Light Armored Car, M-3 Half-track, and M-114 Carrier. I normally store my MB “Jeep” and M-274A5 Mule in the garage. I had to move the MB to my garage for the night. There are other items normally stored in the garage and items for the “kitchen” were also already in place.

3. Suggestion Forms – The Suggestion Forms did not work last year and were not used this year. I did receive some ideas and suggestions during this year’s event and will consider them for next year’s event. These included additional display space areas, schedule concerning the “Cruise”, and public attendance hours.

S3 Operations ​

1. Cannon firing – I fired my half-scale Civil War cannon to notify the Owner / Operators and public in the parking area that the “Cruise” would be starting in 30 minutes. There did not appear to be an issue with the muzzle blast or safety concerns. There was one replica 37mm anti-tank cannon at the event. It was also fired. A few of the vehicles had propane machineguns on them. One of these did fire during the event. This had been cleared with the police department. If anything, it may have startled the public. There did not seem to be a problem, but consideration should be given to some type of verbal announcement prior to firing any weapons in the future.

2. “Cruise” preparation – The cannon fire was intended to notify the Owner / Operators they had 30 minutes to prepare for the cruise. The first thing that had to happen was for the HEMTT to move from the center of the parking lot to allow the other vehicles to position themselves. The HEMTT was going to follow since, as a Fire Department vehicle, it was equipped with emergency lights. When the HEMTT engine was started in order to move it from the parking lot and position it across the street, many of the other vehicles started their engines also. It was necessary to walk the parking lot and advise them we would not leave for another 30 minutes. Most shut down their vehicles, but some left them running in order to “build air pressure for their brakes”. I had distributed route maps earlier during the day. More detailed information should have been provided at that time concerning the 30 minute preparation time.

3. Location – The Armory location worked well. Restroom facilities, military museum, and library tours were used by the Owner / Operators and the public during the Rally. The garage was converted into a temporary kitchen for the Noon meal. Space is starting to become an issue and most likely will need to be solved for future events.

4. Public parking – The attendance by the public was excellent – far greater than last year! It appeared Fareway’s parking lot had more vehicles than on a “normal” day and therefore some of the public utilized their parking lot. It is not the intention to use their lot. I noticed much of the public walking down the sidewalks to arrive or depart the event area, so they must have found a parking space elsewhere.

5. Transport vehicle parking – Prior arrangements were coordinated with Atlantic Bottling Company for the use of their property located at the Southwest corner of the Depot. This area is perfect for the Transport Vehicle parking. One Owner / Operator parked his semi-trailer there overnight and then drove the tractor to his motel room. The initial response was to park the transport vehicles along the roadway in this area. After informing them it was acceptable to park the vehicles in the grass, that became the standard practice. Some transport vehicles unloaded in the Fareway parking lot and then moved to the transport vehicle parking lot. This is not acceptable and better information will be necessary next year. Coordination for this lot is necessary before the next Rally. A “Thank You” is definitely owed for the use of this area.

6. “Cruise” route – Coordination with Wal-Mart prior to the event allowed use of their parking lot for the “Ice Cream Social” portion of the cruise. This worked very well with much more of the public at the scheduled stop. I noticed that many of Wal-Mart’s customers would drive by the parked vehicles on their way to or from the store. When they understood that it was acceptable for them to stop and look at the vehicles, they did. Total distance for the route was 5.6 miles with a total travel time of approximately 20 minutes. This time did not include the 30 minute stop for the Ice Cream Social. All vehicles participated in the Cruise.

​

7. Registration – Efforts to capture information about the vehicles and Owner / Operators continues. There is still incomplete information on vehicles and Owner / Operators. The incomplete information makes it difficult to accurately publicize the event in the local media. It also creates accuracy issues with historical records for the event.

8. Weather – The weather was absolutely perfect for the event. Some probably received a minor sun burn during the day. Shade trees were enjoyed by all. The lack of shade could be a problem, if the event is moved to another area.

9. Schedule – The 11:00 AM published start time for the public was not followed, as anticipated. The public started to arrive shortly after the vehicles did. There was no Safety Briefing at the start of the Rally for the Owner / Operators. This allowed them time to visit with the public and prepare their vehicles for display. There are two significant issues with the early arrival of the public. The first – and most important – is safety while the vehicles are being parked in the area. Hitting a member of the public, while moving a vehicle is a huge concern. Overall Owner / Operators do a fine job of ensuring the public’s safety, but it is still a concern. The second concern with early public viewing is the later arrival of some of the vehicles. It is not unusual for some vehicles to arrive a few hours after the first vehicle. If the public comes to observe the event and then leaves, it is possible they will have missed some of the later arriving vehicles. Their loss – I suppose.

​

S4 Logistics​

1. Trophies – All Owner / Operators were presented a trophy – one per individual. These trophies were more of a “gag gift” than anything else. A different trophy was used from the previous year. It is interesting to note that many indicated they still had last year’s trophy. Many trophies were on display during the Rally.

2. “Welcome Bags” from Chamber of Commerce – The Chamber provided “Welcome Bags” for distribution. These bags were filled with various items from local businesses in the community. They were quite nice and all those receiving them appeared to be appreciative. “Welcome Bags” were distributed at the Registration Tent to ensure they were received by the “out of town” individuals as opposed to the local public attending the event.

3. Meal – The Host (ARISE) provided a kitchen for the public as well as the Owner / Operators. The menu consisted of pulled pork sandwiches, beans, chips, a veggie tray, and cookies / bars. Water, lemonade, and iced tea were also provided. There was no charge to the Owner / Operators for the meal. Forty three meal tickets were issued at the Registration Tent. These tickets were issued at the discretion of the personnel working at the Tent. Owner / Operators, their guests, and others were given meal tickets. They surrendered the ticket at the kitchen for their free meal. ARISE will be reimbursed for the cost of those meals.

4. Door prizes – All prizes were purchased or donated by others. Registration for the door prizes occurred during the registration of the vehicle. Door prize registration and eligibility was based on vehicles or static display and not names. This made it possible for the same person to win multiple door prizes, if they brought more than one vehicle. There were four door prizes awarded. The names were “placed in a hat” (actually they were placed in plastic Easter eggs and then placed in a plastic bear shaped animal cracker container). Since there were four door prizes awarded, four children were picked at random from the public and invited to draw one egg. Those individuals were notified and were invited to go to the Registration Tent and draw one plastic Easter egg from another container. That egg identified which door prize they won. Many thanks to Mr. Bruce Watson for the donation of the YETI cooler and Mr. Bob Boots for the hand carved combat boot. Two other prizes – an ammunition can filled with “emergency roadside broke down stuff” and a “Dry Box” filled with “emergency survival stuff” was purchased for the event.

5. Expenses - I purchased all supplies for this event. I enjoyed comments from the new Owner / Operators wanting to know the cost to attend the event. I simply informed them there was no cost and I would even provide them a free meal.



Steve Livengood
BA-DA BA-DA BING BANG “Guy”