FALL IN! “HEROES of 1944" WWII 65th Anniversary Commemoration

November 7, 2009 at the All Star Complex, Eisenhower (IKE) Hotel, Conference Center and Resort in GETTYSBURG, PA. See www.FALL-IN.org

Our HMGS WWII 65th Anniversary Commemoration will salute “The Heroes of 1944” on Saturday Nov. 7, 2009. WWII vets in attendance will be honored in a Ceremony and Historical Reenactors tribute at 2:00 p.m. Saturday in the IKE's All Star Complex.

Special Commemoration activities include a presentation by Pat Scanzillo, a veteran of the USS Murphy DD603, who will speak about the incident which sunk the destroyer in 1943. And 88 year-old Jasha Levi, author of The Last Exile, The Tapestry of a Life, will discuss his World War II confinement in Italy under Mussolini, fighting against German troops in Dalmatia in the 40s, and battling Soviet attempts to dominate Yugoslavia.

At 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, FALL IN! '09 War College keynote speaker Ed Ruggero will give a multimedia presentation: “The 82nd Airborne Division in Operation Overlord, June 6-9, 1944." Ed is co-author of the US Army Field Manual “Army Leadership” and author of several books, including “Duty First: West Point and the Making of American Leaders”, “Combat Jump: The Young Men Who Led the Assault Into Fortress Europe, July 1943”, and “The First Men In: US Paratroopers and the Fight to Save D-Days.” Ed has appeared on The History Channel, the Discovery Channel, CNBC, and Fox and has spoken to audiences around the world on leadership, leader development, and ethics.

A series of HMGS War College seminars will include the major WW II theaters and strategic events of 1944, by Louis Desy and NSDM Team (www.nsdm.com), as well as "The World 50 Years Ago: Diplomatic-Geopolitical events of 1959" by USN CDR Mark McDonagh. The full seminar schedule is at www.FALL-IN.org/warcollege.asp.

Throughout the weekend, wargamer attendees will participate in over 400 exciting events from every historical period, including over 100 WW II wargames, such as: "THE FIRST MEN IN" The 82nd ABN DIV 6 JUNE '44, a sprawling war game of the ENTIRE US 82nd Airborne Division's June 6th, 1944 airborne invasion of Normandy, and “Atlantic Wall, June '44” a huge D-Day Normandy landing scenario by Greg Whitaker, and Woodbridge (VA) Area Gamers/ Acheson Creations & Iron Ivan.

VIP BIOS

ED RUGGERO, HMGS WAR COLLEGE GUEST OF HONOR,

Co-author of the US Army Field Manual “Army Leadership” and author of several books, including “Duty First: West Point and the Making of American Leaders”, “Combat Jump: The Young Men Who Led the Assault Into Fortress Europe, July 1943”, and “The First Men In: US Paratroopers and the Fight to Save D-Days.” Ed has appeared on The History Channel, the Discovery Channel, CNBC, and Fox and has spoken to audiences around the world on leadership, leader development, and ethics. ON Saturday at 11am Ed will give a 1- hour multimedia presentation “THE FIRST MEN IN” The 82nd Airborne Division in Operation Overlord, June 6-9, 1944." Also meet Ed for a book-signing Saturday morning 9-10:30am at the ACADEMY GAMES Booth in the FALL-IN! Exhibit Hall. Sponsored by www.ACADEMY-GAMES.com

PAT SCANZILLO, US NAVY WWII VETERAN.

An HMGS Fall-In! WWII 65th Anniversary Commemoration Guest of Honor, Pat was a US Navy crewman aboard the Destroyer USS Murphy (DD603), which was “partly sunk” in 1943. Pat survived the front end of his ship going down. The Murphy’s crew managed to beat “Murphy‘s Law” and saved rest of the ship, which was towed back to Brooklyn. Also meet Pat at the WWII 65th Anniversary Commemoration, 2pm Saturday at the front of the FALL-IN! Exhibit Hall.

JASHA LEVI, WWII VETERAN

An HMGS Fall-In! WWII 65th Anniversary Commemoration Guest of Honor, Jasha is Author of The Last Exile, The Tapestry of a Life, a newly released book on his World War II Experiences in Italy under Mussolini, an the tank battles for Dalmatia and Trieste" in a Allied-equipped armored unit fighting Germans in Dalmatia, and after WWII battling Soviet attempts to dominate Yugoslavia. Also meet Jasha at the WWII 65th Anniversary Commemoration, 2pm Saturday at the front of the FALL-IN! Exhibit Hall.

WWII 65th Anniversary Commemoration FEATURE EVENTS SATURDAY 7 NOVEMBER

Saturday 10-11am

“Tin Can Sailor” US Navy in WWII

SPEAKER: Pat Scanzillo USN Veteran

Join our WWII Veteran Guest of Honor Pat Scanzillo, USN crewman of the USS Murphy DD603. Pat will share his experiences on the incident which nearly sunk the destroyer in 1943. The front end of the Murphy went down, but the rest of the ship stayed afloat and was towed into Brooklyn Naval Shipyard, where “They slapped on a new front end and sent it back to war!” Also meet Pat at the WWII 65th Anniversary Commemoration, 2pm Saturday at the front of the FALL-IN! Exhibit Hall.

Saturday 11am-12noon “THE FIRST MEN IN” SPEAKER: Ed Ruggero,

Join our HMGS War College Guest of Honor Ed Ruggero for a presentation on the 82nd Airborne Division in Operation Overlord, June 6-9, 1944 from his book “The First Men In: US Paratroopers and the Fight to Save D-Day” drawing from his own Active Duty US Army Airborne experience, as well as a depth of background from his previous work Combat Jump: The Young Men Who Led the Assault Into Fortress Europe, July 1943.” (1 hour) Also meet Ed for a book-signing Saturday morning 9-10:30am at the ACADEMY GAMES Booth in the FALL-IN! Exhibit Hall. Sponsored by www.ACADEMY-GAMES.com

Saturday 3-4PM “WWII Tank Battles for Dalmatia and Trieste" SPEAKER: Jasha Levi,

The Author shares his World War II experiences in Italy under Mussolini, an in an Allied-equipped Armored unit fighting tank battles in Dalmatia and Trieste against the Germans. Then post-WWII combat battling Soviet attempts to dominate Yugoslavia. (All in 1 hour!) Also meet Jasha at the WWII 65th Anniversary Commemoration, 2pm Saturday at the front of the FALL-IN! Exhibit Hall.