BA-DA BA-DA BING BANG Rally - Iowa

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GUNNUT in Iowa
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BA-DA BA-DA BING BANG Rally - Iowa

Post by GUNNUT in Iowa » Thu Feb 08, 2018 6:35 am

Don't know why I haven't posted about this here before.

Sorry about that.

This https://www.steelsoldiers.com/showthrea ... tlantic-IA is a rather long thread (and I hope a link is allowed here), but it is all you need to know in one place.

Let me know, if you have any questions or comments.

Thanks.
1968 M274 A5 Mule
1945 Willys MB


GUNNUT in Iowa
Sergeant Major of the Gee
Sergeant Major of the Gee
Posts: 451
Joined: Mon Jul 19, 2010 7:32 pm
Location: Southwest Iowa

Re: BA-DA BA-DA BING BANG Rally - Iowa

Post by GUNNUT in Iowa » Sun Mar 04, 2018 5:31 pm

Time for an update on the BA-DA BA-DA BING BANG Rally. As of now, I have eleven vehicles scheduled to attend and a whole bunch of folks not saying anything – yet. I probably would worry about that, but I don’t have time. I am pretty busy getting all of the “extra” things ready.

The participation trophies are in. I actually ordered two different styles – one for this year and one for next year. Of course, they are keeping with the usual high class level of trophies awarded in previous years.

The door prizes are boxed and ready for distribution. When I say “boxed”, I mean I actually made some very unique boxes for some of them. I will have to remember to post some photos.

The “gifts” for the owner/operators have been selected, but I am looking for another additional “something”. I need to get that selected and get that order sent.

I have already done one radio interview and distributed I don’t know how many posters. If you need a copy of the poster, let me know and I can email you one.

A big thing this year is the display of my military weapons collection. It doesn’t get out very often and when it does it is a sight to see. There will be 44 US weapons dating from 1816 and up – snipers, shotguns, handguns, .22 trainers, a little bit of everything.

I will also be displaying over 200 “high explosive” items from my military collection – 250 pound bomb to Lazy Dogs, howitzers and hand grenades, mortars and mines, fuzes, tools, and rockets. I am building the world’s first nuclear hand grenade. It is BIG! I don’t think it will fit inside a 55 gallon drum. (Dear Homeland Security, I am not building a real nuclear hand grenade. You can even come and see it, if you want; and thanks for listening in.)

Yes, it looks like I will be living at the Armory the week before the Rally. Call me on my cell, if you need to talk to me.

Milk crates, yellow plastic chain, 105 mm howitzer projectiles, burlap, parachutes, and nuclear hand grenades – you don’t want to miss the Rally this year.

I don’t want to forget the 150 tires (or wheels) we need to help Atlantic celebrate its sesquicentennial this year. I will let you know as the pre-registrations come in, if you need to throw some extra tires in the back of your vehicle.
1968 M274 A5 Mule
1945 Willys MB

GUNNUT in Iowa
Sergeant Major of the Gee
Sergeant Major of the Gee
Posts: 451
Joined: Mon Jul 19, 2010 7:32 pm
Location: Southwest Iowa

Re: BA-DA BA-DA BING BANG Rally - Iowa

Post by GUNNUT in Iowa » Sun May 19, 2019 5:00 pm

After Action Report from this year's rally.

BA-DA BA-DA BING BANG RALLY

May 19, 2019

SUBJECT: After Action Report (2019)

This was the fifth 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 24 pieces of equipment present for the Rally. This is a decrease of 8 from last year. Identifying vehicles that are actually present for the event was easier this year than in previous years (most likely due to the smaller quantity). There were 6 new Owner/Operators registered this year. The same increase as last year. There are now 51 Owner/Operators listed in my database. Most of the increase is credited to contacts made at a meeting I attended trying to establish a “local” affiliate with the Motor Vehicle Preservation Association (MVPA). At least one new Owner/Operator told me he had heard about the Rally from his MVPA Association (the RED BULL Historic Military Vehicle Association). One of their members had attended last year. Contact information for new Owner/Operators is an ongoing task. At a minimum, I try to get their email address, as that is the primary method I use to contact them. The email distribution list I use contains 81 entries and three of those entries are other distribution lists. Total distribution by email communication is well over 180 entries, but I am not sure all of those receive the messages.

I set up my military “Communications” collection inside the building this year. That included 54 items including radios and various other visual and audio communication devices. Probably the most often heard comment concerning the display this year was “Where is the gun collection?”

There were 20 Owner/Operators registered for the Rally. This is down from 22 last year – although two others did tell me they would not be able to attend for various reasons. Obviously some brought more than one vehicle. I believe it is possible that some of the original participants in the Rally have lost interest and no longer have a desire to attend. Although I have no problem keeping them informed of the Rally, it causes unreasonable expectations for me concerning anticipated attendance. There were 4 that indicated they would attend, but did not. I know of at least one medical issue, but have no communication from the others.




Lessons learned

Personnel / administration
1. Parking Lot arrangement – Placement of the vehicles in the parking lot is not a problem at the event. Some of the early arrivals and the new Owner/Operators did pull into the lot in order to unload their vehicles. I try and discourage this due the size of the available space. Larger transportation vehicles unloading in the parking lot has the potential to be a huge problem as the lot starts to fill with vehicles on display. I do not attempt to tell Owner/Operators where to park. Some will ask for authorization to park in a specific location. Some will park beside similar vehicles (this is really apparent with the five ton cargo trucks). Evidently those folks just like to be beside each other. I will admit it does make for a pretty impressive section of the parking lot. I used a significant part of the grassy area available to set up my “Bing Bang Games” – a new event this year, but that area is normally used for “static displays” and smaller vehicles so it did not appear to be a problem this year.

2. Registration Table – A Registration Table 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 informational brochures, and snacks were also available at the Registration Table. This area was the place to receive the BA-DA BA-DA BING BANG RALLY gifts. This year’s gift was a small LED flashlight. The Registration Table was located inside the building in order to assist with security for the displays located there. Sometimes it was difficult to get the Owner/Operators to go inside the building to the Registration Table – most likely the new participants. Once the word got out about the reasoning behind the Registration Table (gifts, door prizes, information, participant verification), folks did go inside. Of course, the inside displays, restrooms, and other informational table eventually drew the people inside anyway.

3. Additional informational tables located inside the building – The Atlantic Rock Island Society Enterprise (ARISE), our hosts were celebrating the 90th year “birthday party” for the Armory. They provided birthday cake for all those interested. The CAP set up a table showing their efforts and operations. They also had a table outside selling surplus uniforms and MREs. The Coca-Cola Center and Museum had a table showing their operation and gave away various items. The museum is located very close to the Armory and was also open during a portion of the Rally for those participants interested. Members of the MVPA had a table informing participants of the establishment of their affiliate. One of the Owner/Operators brought part of her collection and had it on display inside the building.

4. Atlantic Police Department – Coordination with the Department prior to the event ensured that the “Cruise” would be acceptable. The route was the same one used last year and there are many traffic signals along it. All vehicles in the convoy were instructed to obey the traffic controls. A “Parade Permit” was approved by the City Council prior to the event. I did coordinate with the Department officers attending the Rally earlier in the morning. We had a plan – and then I change the plan later. I decided to start the “Cruise” one-half hour earlier to avoid incoming rain. At the last minute – well the last 8 minutes, I realized I should call the 911 Communications Center and ask them to send some officers due to the early start. They arrived on time before the start and escorted us through the entire route until the “Ice Cream Social” stop. We returned to the Armory on our own.


Intelligence / Security / Information
1. Publicity – All local news media did an excellent job of publicizing the event. Multiple radio and cable TV interviews were conducted at the Rally. The local newspaper was present gathering information. The Host (ARISE) placed advertisements in the media announcing the event.

2. Early arrival of vehicles – Two vehicles and equipment arrived on Friday prior to the event. These items were stored in the Armory garage overnight.

Operations
1. Cannon firing – I fired my half-scale Civil War cannon multiple times during the event. A home-built 37mm anti-tank gun was also present at the event. We often fired them together.

2. “Cruise” preparation – We did fire the both cannons 30 minutes prior to the start of the “Cruise” to give the Owner/Operators time to prepare their vehicles and disassemble their displays. The public understood the Rally would soon be moving to another phase and they needed to either “get to looking” or “start moving out of the way”. Naturally, the public and media wanted to see the vehicles move out and various cameras and observation locations were selected. Owner/Operators were observed removing flags, storing equipment, and generally preparing to move their vehicles, but none thought the signal indicated an immediate departure. There did not appear to be any problems with congestion in the parking lot, some vehicles not planning on participating actually pulled out of the lot before the “Cruise” started. This allowed additional space to maneuver. I believe the weather did affect the “Cruise”. We had only five vehicles participate. The rain started about one quarter of the way into the route. All had enclosed cabs and everybody stayed dry – except my wife and I leading the “Cruise” in our MB without a top and two Cadets from the Civil Air Patrol (CAP) that caught a ride in the back of one of the five ton trucks. They did get inside for the trip back after the stop. My wife and I just got “more wet”.

3. Location – The Armory location worked well. Restroom facilities, military museum, Atlantic History Center, and library tours were used by the Owner/Operators and the public during the Rally. The close proximity to the Coca-Cola Center and Museum allowed some to visit their operation. A tour of the Rock Island Depot (also owned by ARISE) did not work out as planned, but at least some “got a closer look of the outside of the building”. The garage was converted into a temporary kitchen for the meal. The preferred location for this event is the Armory for the previously stated reasons. It appears I will have to give some serious thought on my options for vehicle parking as the Rally continues to grow.

4. Public parking – The attendance by the public was excellent. It is almost impossible to get an accurate count of those attending. There was a guest book at the front door, records at the Registration Table, and headcount during the meal. Still, counting attendance is like counting chickens in a barn lot. I just take a good guess – and then double it. My estimation for this year is well over 250. The same as last year. I do believe there are more families and youth attending as the event grows and becomes better known.

5. Transport vehicle parking – I do not know how many transport vehicles there were this year. Most of the participants knew of the available parking and just proceeded to that location. I did not observe any vehicles unloading in the Fareway parking lot. I had made that request in earlier messages to the participants. There was only one piece of “armor” present at this year’s event (an M-3 Half-track), so all of the transport vehicles / trailers were of the smaller version. There were no large semi-tractors and trailers as in previous years. Thanks to Atlantic Bottling Company for the use of the transport vehicle parking 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. Total distance for the route was 5.6 miles with a total travel time of approximately 20 minutes. This time did not include the time for the Ice Cream Social. Due to the low number of vehicles participating in the “Cruise”, a count of the ice cream needed was very simple. One item of note: As I went down the line – in the rain – asking the driver’s about the ice cream, I did receive one comment. The ice cream was “traditional” and it would be fine to go get it. We did – and ate them in the rain.

7. Registration – Efforts to capture information about the vehicles and Owner/Operators continues. There is still incomplete information on some 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. Moving the location of the Registration Table to the inside of the building did not seem to be an issue. The Owner/Operators seek out the Table when they arrive. The inside location also provided a more comfortable setting for those working at the table.

8. Weather – Rain was forecasted prior to and after the event. There is a tremendous amount of planning prior to this Rally. There is not a “Rain Date”. If it does rain, attendance may be reduced and we may get wet, but we will have a Rally. It did rain for about one hour prior to the start. This did not seem to affect the attendance of the public since they would not be arriving that early. It might have affected the attendance of the Owner/Operators, but that has not been confirmed. It mostly affected those involved in setting up the area. It turned out to be a beautiful afternoon. Temperatures in the morning were cooler and then warmed up to be very nice in the afternoon. The seats on my Jeep were dry before we left on the “Cruise”, but not when we returned.

9. Schedule – The 9:00 AM published start time for the public worked better than previous years. The public did not arrive excessively early and those that did were able to see the various displays located within the Armory. Some of the newer Owner/Operators were unsure of the scheduled start time. As in previous years, those members of the public that arrived early – and then left early – did not see those vehicles that arrived at a later time. The start time of the “Cruise” was moved up one-half hour due to the incoming rain.

10. “Bing Bang Games” – A new event in this year’s Rally was the games. I designed this with a military theme and participation by younger attendees. There were five stages to the games; Decode a radio message, Bomb the bunker, Sandbag relay, Duffel Bag stuff, and Lift/lower the bomb. I did observe the station manager at the “Decode a radio message” explaining how to use the “code sheet” to decoded the message to a very young child (maybe five years old). I am not sure he completely understood, but I do know he did get the message solved. The “bunker” (a cardboard box with a black plastic trash bag inside surrounded by peanut filled sandbags) had to be rebuilt numerous times. The “bombs” (foam miniature footballs) seemed to be doing a very good job of destroying it. I did not notice a great interest in the sandbag relay. Standard sandbags were filled with garden mulch with the intent of picking them up and carrying them to the next position, where you would then set it down, pick up that sandbag and repeat – seven sandbags. The duffel bag stuff was eight “bouncy balls” in a hammock sewn into a tube. The object was to remove the balls and stuff them into the duffel bag. It was interesting watching the participants figure out the best way to do this. Lifting and lowering the bomb was fairly simple. I made a “bomb” from a small propane tank and various other parts. It weighed an estimated 50 pounds. It was suspended from a four legged frame with a block and tackle. Use the rope and lift the bomb to the top of the frame and then allow it to lower back to just above the ground. I had tied the rope short to prevent the “bomb” from being dropped on the ground and damaging it, as you never know when you might need a bomb in good condition. It was a pretty even draw between the attraction of actually lifting and lowering the bomb – or just sitting on it and using it as a very low to the ground swing.

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. Many trophies were on display during the Rally (usually sitting on the dash boards of the vehicles). I had the Owner/Operators complete a survey during this Rally to get their opinions on ways to improve it. The questions were multiple choice. One of the questions: “The “Participation Trophies” are – “. The choices were: “We get trophies?”, “Sitting on my shelf”, “Stupid”, and “Great – I have never won a trophy before (but always thought I should have)” The most popular answer was “Sitting on my shelf”. I liked to hear that. These trophies cost me almost 80 cents each (not including the paper sticker I use to label them). I don’t want to be wasting money.

2. Meal – The Host (ARISE) provided a kitchen for the public as well as the Owner/Operators. The menu consisted of hamburgers and hot dogs prepared by the Cass County Beef Producers, beans, chips, and cookies / bars. Water, tea, and lemonade were also provided. The meal was a free will donation. Thirty meal tickets were issued at the Registration Table. These tickets were issued at the discretion of the personnel working at the Table. Owner/Operators, their guests, and others were given meal tickets. They surrendered the ticket at the kitchen for their free meal.

3. 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. This made it possible for the same Owner/Operator to be eligible to win multiple times, if they brought more than one vehicle. This year some names were drawn multiple times, but another name was drawn. This allowed only one prize per Owner/Operator. I try and have door prizes for approximately ten percent of the participants. There were eight door prizes awarded. The names were “placed in a hat” (actually they were placed in plastic Easter eggs and then placed in a large plastic teddy bear jar). A volunteer was picked at random and invited to draw eight eggs. Eight gold colored plastic Easter eggs were then placed in a bowl. Those eggs identified which door prize they won. Many thanks to Mr. Bob Boots for the hand carved combat boot. Seven other prizes – two miniature wooden ammunition boxes, three plastic ammunition boxes, and two “Dry boxes”. All containers were filled with various tools, gifts, and snacks (including two plastic apples and a plastic banana because you never know when you will need plastic fruit).

4. Expenses - I purchased all supplies for this event. I used to keep track of the amount, but I just don’t care (about the cost) anymore. There is no cost to attend the event by the general public or the Owner/Operators. I always enjoy comments from the new Owner/Operators wanting to know the cost to attend the event. I simply informed them there is no cost and I would even provide them a free meal.

Steve Livengood
BA-DA BA-DA BING BANG “Guy”
1968 M274 A5 Mule
1945 Willys MB

GUNNUT in Iowa
Sergeant Major of the Gee
Sergeant Major of the Gee
Posts: 451
Joined: Mon Jul 19, 2010 7:32 pm
Location: Southwest Iowa

Re: BA-DA BA-DA BING BANG Rally - Iowa

Post by GUNNUT in Iowa » Mon Apr 20, 2020 8:01 pm

It appears I am a little late on announcing my decision.

ARISE has NOT been able to have any meetings to discuss the Rally.

There has been no request to the City Council for a parade permit.

The Owner / Operator participation gifts have NOT been ordered.

All work on the construction of the special display has halted.

The medical items from my Military Collection have been returned to their proper storage locations (now, that is some irony, huh?).

The “extra super secret” door prize will not be awarded. In fact, I am not real sure what I will do with it – except I will strip some parts off of it.

The “FREE STUFF” table will not happen and I expect most all of it will end up in the dumpster.

The trophies that were ordered last year are still sitting in the boxes and the labels have been printed. I am not sure what to do with them.

Posters have already been printed and some have already been distributed. I hope anyone planning on coming will call first. If you know someone that is planning, please tell them about this message.

The sixth annual BA-DA BA-DA BING BANG Rally scheduled for May 16, 2020 is canceled. This cancellation is effective immediately – and possibly permanently.

Thanks to all of you that contributed to the success of The BA-DA BA-DA BING BANG Rally.

Steve L.
1968 M274 A5 Mule
1945 Willys MB


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