x
  1. Home
  2.  Entertainment

Big vehicles, veterans and vendors at the Sussex County Fairgrounds

| 01 May 2013 | 03:17
    Photos by John Church Military vehicles on display Saturday morning.
    Photos by John Church Military vehicles on display Saturday morning.
    David Johnson of Andover as a Marine BAR gunner.
    David Johnson of Andover as a Marine BAR gunner.
    Owner of Portrayal Press, Patrick Tipton of Frankford explaining the level of detail in the maintenance manuals he sells.
    Owner of Portrayal Press, Patrick Tipton of Frankford explaining the level of detail in the maintenance manuals he sells.
    T.J., 8, (left) and Maya, 6, McQueen of Ogdensburg try a jeep mounted machine gun.
    T.J., 8, (left) and Maya, 6, McQueen of Ogdensburg try a jeep mounted machine gun.
    Dave Golinger (left) of Baldwin, Long Island, as a Russian soldier and John Smith of Ogdensburg as a Master Sgt. of the 2nd SS Das Reich Division.
    Dave Golinger (left) of Baldwin, Long Island, as a Russian soldier and John Smith of Ogdensburg as a Master Sgt. of the 2nd SS Das Reich Division.
    Salvatore Sammarco of Stillwater with his 915 tractor.
    Salvatore Sammarco of Stillwater with his 915 tractor.
    Re-enactor's laundry.
    Re-enactor's laundry.
    T19 105mm Howitzer on a Motor Carriage Half-Track
    T19 105mm Howitzer on a Motor Carriage Half-Track

AUGUSTA — Military vehicle and memorabilia enthusiasts took advantage of blue skies to be surrounded by olive drab green. The 12th Military Transport Association show was held over the weekend at the Sussex County Fairgrounds and organizers expected a record number of vehicles to be exhibited.

“Last year we had 150 vehicles,” said association president Randy Emr. Early Saturday morning already 90 vehicles were on display. “We expect 150.”

Veteran’s groups and vendors filled the buildings and sheds. Vehicle restorers could find parts such as nuts and bolts all the way up to complete transmissions for sale. Several of the complete vehicles were also for sale.

Keeping the historic machinery running takes specific knowledge and owner of Portrayal Press, Patrick Tipton of Frankford was there with the information.

“We sell historical military vehicle manual reprints,” said Tipton. “These guys try to fix things first and then they realize they can’t without the manuals. The Army did spend a lot of money writing great manuals.”

He explained that more and more information is available on the Internet but paper manuals remain popular.

“People still want good, high quality reproductions, so that is what we do,” said Tipton.

His most popular manuals cover jeeps, big trucks, motorcycles and tanks.

“The tank stuff is popular although it is big dollars.” He also sells manuals on recipes, survival and rigging.

Enemy combatants
Camped to one side were re-enactors portraying troops of World War II and Vietnam. Unlike Civil War era displays there were not any staged skirmishes. Enemy troops were also not hard to find on the fairgrounds.

“We do it for the spectators,” explained John Smith of Ogdensburg. He was dressed as a Master Sgt. of the 2nd SS Das Reich Division. “To show the war you have to show both sides. The spectators want to see both sides fighting. We don’t have enough Germans to skirmish, so I started a unit.”

Enlistment is bad and Smith is currently an army of one. Realizing skirmishing was a losing proposition he started to negotiate with a Russian soldier. “I’m trying to get him surrender but it is not working very well.”

Cold in Korea
A veteran at the Korean War table recalled the brutal cold in Korea. A crew member in an M46 tank, George Bruzgis quickly learned not to touch metal parts of the tank with his bare hands.

“If you touched the inside of the turret your hand would freeze and the skin would come off," said Bruzgis. "That was how cold it was.”

The style of fighting in 1953 negated the maneuverability advantages of tanks.

“It was WWII style," said Bruzgis. "You dig a big hole in a top of a mountain, you put the tank in it, and now you are an artillery piece.”

The tank may have been cold but it was safe place to be.

“I had four inches of steel in front of me, said Bruzgis. "That was the best thing.”