From: Scherrer, Tim (scherrert@missouri.edu)
Date: Fri May 20 2005 - 07:30:41 PDT
There is a little more to this story...in that how this organizing
committee has also threatened me at my workplace, and they also
threatened my ex wife at her workplace when she took the issue up.
We've also had members of the organizing committee approach us at event
and tell us how great we would be for the event, not knowing their
committee chair excludes all MVs and reenactors.
It's their event and they can do what they want, but I think few on this
list would believe that excluding military vehicles...all military
vehicles...from a veteran's parade and permitting classic cars,
politicians, businesses, and whatnot, is a pretty unique policy,
especially since there is no published criteria as to what is welcome
and what isn't welcome, no application process.
I'm not complaining at all about being excluded. I also am excluded
from the local Willys Jeep reunion because I have a GPW. What I dislike
are the bully tactics they have used on my group, the lack of published
criteria as to what can attend and what can't attend, and their use of
huge numbers of city resources yet claiming the city isn't involved.
As for the criticism of my event having an 18 wheeler and ford excursion
in it...the 18 wheeler was in the 03 event hauling a trailing with a
Half Track and WC-51 on it, for display purposes. The Ford Excursion in
05 was pulling an empty trailer with the intent of picking up any
vehicle casualties that may occur. I guess some of you wanted us to
burn any vehicles that broke down during the event? Seems like some of
you just want to sling mud.
Tim A. Scherrer
MAJ, MI, USAR
Assistant Professor of Military Science
University of Missouri-Columbia
573-882-0640, fax 0461
-----Original Message-----
From: Military Vehicles Mailing List [mailto:mil-veh@mil-veh.org] On
Behalf Of multifuelreo@aol.com
Sent: Thursday, May 19, 2005 10:34 PM
To: Military Vehicles Mailing List
Subject: Re: [MV] MV's not allowed to participate in the Veteran's Day
I have watched this thread with considerable interest.
It seems from the remark to the effect, "my WWII-era Jeep is welcome to
the parade, and I am welcome in my current issue military uniform - but
I am not welcome in my reenactor garb" that the parade officials want
to have a VETERAN'S day parade - not a "living history event" nor a
"costume ball."
I have the greatest respect for reenactors and those doing living
history.....but as you walk down main street in Columbia Mo. on a
parade route, you are not stopping to educate the public - there is not
an announcer going to be walking two feet away explaining the detail of
your web gear.
Tim organized a tour of Missouri - it is not a REENACTMENT - but a
group of folks supposedly riding around in their WWII-era vehicles - or
vehicles made to look like WWII-era vehicles - or folks in 18-wheelers
and Excursions he has invited and changed his policy for. He is the
organizer, and it is his prerogative to do so - just like the folks
running the Veterans Day Parade can set their own policy. Tim has
stuck to his guns about excluding non-WWII MVs (with the exceptions
listed above) - and it is his right to do so. Likewise, if the parade
organizers say "No reenactors" - that is there right, and he shouldn't
complain.
In my mind, aside from the apparent hypocrisy of "I can exclude who I
want, but no one can exclude me" where this crosses the line is when
the line is when the MVPA actively endorses exclusionary events under
the auspices of the National organization. By exclusionary I do not
mean segregated (vehicles that is) - if the WWII vehicles are parked
here, and Vietnam there, and German over there - that is fine BUT if
the handbill says "East Tunica Chapter of the MVPA presents....," then
all eras and nationlalities should be welcome. If the hand bill says
"Bill, Pete and Ted presents....." then they can say only GPW's built
in Louisville's on odd-numbered Fridays are welcome" and be in their
rights. Until the name and bylaws are changed to USWWIIMVPA, any event
under the MVPA banner should be open to any preserved Military Vehicle
- from a FT-17 to a Unimog. Want to have a WWI, WWII, Korea or
Vietnam-only event - that is fine.....but don't put the MVPA seal on
it, officially or unofficially.
My .02,
David Doyle
===Mil-Veh is a member-supported mailing list===
To unsubscribe, send e-mail to: <mil-veh-off@mil-veh.org>
To switch to the DIGEST mode, send e-mail to
<mil-veh-digest@mil-veh.org>
To reach a human, contact <ack@mil-veh.org>
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.1.4 : Fri Oct 28 2005 - 22:42:53 PDT