617Dambusters

I say we learn and use first names when talking on teamspeak!

Charlie3
Charlie Baker
38 years old

living in Winter Haven, FL where I own my own home and I am on the verge of divorce. I have a son named Cory who is now seven.

Born Niagara Falls, NY

graduate, Jesuit High School, Tampa, 1983-87

graduate, Loyola University of New Orleans, 1987-91
communications major

army vetern 1993-97
deployed to Bosnia and stationed in Bamberg, Germany

Educated as a journalist, I started doing social work around 5 years ago and now I work for The Salvation Army. I manage a social service office in Haines City, Florida. Some of my work is described in other posts within the thread

Ok, I'll go.

Quentin (just call me Q) Lake (I'm always stuck with just a letter )
47 years old
Born Lansing, Mi.
Living in Grand Rapids Michigan

Unmarried W/live-in girlfriend (Sue) and two cats Sachi and Mischa

Graduated High School a year early to join the Navy.
Navy veteran 1976-1982 Final rank STG-2 (Petty Officer 2nd class Sonar/Surface, for you landlubbers out there)
Stationed Pearl Harbour, Hi.
West-Pac cruise w/Desron 25 to Australia, New Zealand, Phillipines, Indonesia and Polynesian Island Kingdoms.

G.I. Bill allowed me to take any number of college classes but I never got a degree as I followed my own curricular agenda rather than the schools.
Wound up teaching a history class to help cover some other courses I wanted.

15 years of restoring antique Mercedes taught me tool and die work (We made almost all of the parts from scratch)
Ran my own business for 3 years making stamping tools for making car parts (rust out patches). Chinese tooling was cheaper.

I have been a modeler and history nut since I was 4 years old. Nowadays I run a hobby shop and as a sideline I build models for people.
Legal models, prototype patterns, sales displays, special effects models, special request models, museum displays etc. etc.
In short, if someone will pay me, I will build a miniature of anything.

I may never be rich, but I am quite happy with what I have.

Jason Vanstone
Born Morden, Manitoba, Live Currently Miami, Manitoba 41 yrs old Married Colleen Vanstone One Child Girl Logan

15 Years Paramedic Level III Supervisor Training Officer
20 Year Fire Current Captain/Training Officer.

Degree Agri Econ Uni Of Manitoba 1990

Lived Australia 1985 to 87 Working with Cattle and setting up Feed Lots.

Grew up on mixed Farm, Grain and Cattle.

Shot competatively in Sporting Rifle Canadain Overall 1982 and 83 Selectiive in 1987.

Hobbies: Hunting Deer, Moose Elk and Cariboo Fishing All Species Canada and wwiionline

Second Home 617 Dambusters and AHC atm.

Barely8
Barry Bledsoe
45 yrs young
Living in Franklin, IN (20 min from downtown Indianapolis)
Married (wife Nancy), 1 child (Sean, 4 years-old)
Born: Paoli, IN
Graduated: Springs Valley HS, French Lick, IN (yes I know Larry Bird).
USAFR, Jet Engine Technician and Crew Chief on A-10's - Warthogs!!!
College: Indiana State Univ, BS in Manufacturing Engineering, BS in Packaging Engineering, AS in Mechanical Engineering.
Grad School: MBA, University of California - Riverside

Currently Quality Assurance Director with a Six Sigma Black Belt Certification and a Certified Quality Auditor.

Began playing this game, I think, around 2001. Started off with 3rd Canadian Division (3CD) that was a rather large squad at the time and ran the Meuse River line for a long time. Went up to Corps Cav CO and had enough on the ground and decided to go to the air portion of the game whereas I joined the 617 Dambusters. I got hooked up with the Dambusters via Dog and his dad, Duke2, and been here since. Climbed the ranks in the RAF making it to RAF CO, then on to BEF CO, and eventually Allied Forces CinC where I retired in January 2008.

Hobbies:
Volleyball official - NCAA/PAVO, USAV/FIVB, and NFHSA
Volleyball Coach - USAV
Hunting, Fishing, Snow Skiing, Scuba Diving, Quantum Physics

Fuelpump
Simon Somogyi
37
Single, no kids (that I'm aware of), 1 surprisingly vicious cat.
Born Adelaide S.Australia
Lived all over Australia and parts of the world
Speak 4 languages (including English), getting rustier at them by the minute.

Ex-swimmer, ex-amateur racing car driver (when I was 15, never took it very far, left the country when I was 16)
Live in Perth W. Australia

Studied BA (English) majoring in Film (Like TZ, set my own agenda and never really got around to finishing).
Also Dip. Interactive Multimedia
Currently chipping away at my commercial pilot's license.

Worked as pretty much everything from garbage collector to musician/engineer to management (Always seeking more of a challenge).
Currently in construction research dealing with civil and industrial projects.

Hobbies include scuba diving, music, reading, film (watching &/or making), computer games, aviation, learning useless facts and then finding irrelevant ways to apply that knowledge.

Kizmet
John Crow
50 years old. (Current member of the Wheelchair Brigade)

Currently live in Cordele Georgia which is about 60miles south of Macon Georgia. Married with one 24 year old son who Graduates from Georgia Southwestern College in Americus Georgia on December 8,2007.

My son took the Naval OCS (Officer's Candidate School) test on November 8, 2007. He made an excellent on his score and will enter the US Navy soon as an officer. He still holds two national swimming records he set back when he was 8 years old. He's like a fish in the water so I was not surprised when he joined the navy. I'm very proud of him.

Hold two associate of business degrees. One in Data Processing, the other in Microcomputer Operations.

1975 - 1986 - USAF Air Traffic Controller
1975 - 1980 - Warner Robins AFB Ga
1980 - 1981 - Kunsan AB Korea
1981 - 1981 - Cannon AFB New Mexico
1981 - 1985 - Osan AB Korea
1985 - 1986 - Nellis AFB Nevada

1986 - 1995 - US Postal Service. Telecommunications Specialist.
1995 - 2006 - US District Court. Telecommunications Analyst. At age 49, I retired from Federal Government service after 30 years. I was still 6 years away from being eligible, however, they offered a 30 years and out retirement in September of 2006, with no penalties. I took my ball and ran home.

2007 - Current - Crisp County Board of Commissioners. - IT Director. I am currently the Information Technology Director for Crisp County in Cordele Georgia, a Small County Government in southern Georgia. Both of my parents were born and raised in this area so most of the people I come in contact and work with either know me or my parents. Kind of neat actually. I plan to work at this job until I turn 56, at which time, I will retire for good.

Hobbies include cooking, working and building on computers, laughing at ben when he hits a tree on takeoff, packing my survival gear, and coaching baseball/softball. Coached for 32 years.

I have found a partner and a recipe for bar-b-qued ribs that is outstanding. My neighbor added the secret to smoked ribs that I have been after for about 30 years. It's so simple it's stupid. In any case, we are having a smoker made that will be short of a 40 footer, but not too much shorter. It is pulled behind my truck and is only a single axle. Hell of a damned bar b que grill, let me tell ya. We begin catering after Christmas this year and will be catering and attending quite a few Local Festival's in Georgia.

Main4ce
Scott Forsyth Mcloed Main
38 years young

Born Sept 30th 1966 in a Small town in Scotland called Elgin. (Near RAF Lossiemouth where the Dambusters are stationed today)

At the age of 3 months immigrated to New Zealand
Lived in the south Island in a City called Dunedin (Gaelic for Edinburgh)until the age of 12, then moved back to Scotland.

At the age of 15 and 11 months I joined British Royal Artillery and served in versus Counties until posted to Germany (BAOR) where I still live today.

Now working as a Helpdesk for call center agents in the EMEA Microsoft Partner Program (Hey its a job)

Married with 4 Children, Davy 17, Jamie 15, Joanna 14, and Cheryl 3 year's old

No time for hoppies other than WWII-Online

getme73
Brian Bramhall
Big Lake Mn. (40 mins North/West of St.Paul)
32 years under the belt
Married going on 2 years no children 3 dogs

Lived in numerous states from Texas (where I was born) to iowa-california- Now Minnesota.

High School Drop-out

Have worked in many fields from construction to Webdesign/Computer repair & Service Tech.
Currently make a living by makeing very loud noises with my Guitar on stage. And getting paid for it. Dont quite understand why

Also own and opperate a Music Production Company which is why most times im not on for the weekend ops.

Hobbies include but are not limited to... Begging my wife for sex and not getting it.

Me:)
Del city,Okla.
42 yrs old
div/no kids, thank god!!
Graduated high school 76
USAF 1980-86 Stationed at Omaha,Athen's greeece, ft. worth tx.
I have since done everything from machine shop. to fry cook.

Hobbies include. games ,of course, fishing, reading
And bugging the shit out of you guy's!!
Currewntly awaiting dorcors orders LOL

Codguy aka. Magnus Leslie
Living in Topsham, ME but "home" is/was Minneapolis, MN
34, Married 11 years (Amy), no kids.

High School: Minnehaha Academy (1990), Mpls, MN.

Graduated Macalester College in St Paul, MN, in 1994 with a BA (majors in Geology and Physics).

Commissioned USN that summer and been with the Navy since.

After flight school in Pensacola, Corpus Christi, and Meridian MS, spent 7
years in San Diego flying carrier onboard delivery in the C-2 Greyhound
("the COD"....hence the nick). Three Western Pacific, IO, Persian Gulf
deployments on USS Carl Vinson and USS Constellation.

After 7 years in SoCal, the wife and I were ready for a change of
scenery...a little more like home and a little less haze grey and
underway, so currently flying C-130's out of NAS Brunswick, ME
(when they let me get out from behind my desk).

When not working/flying, I try to fish as much as possible
in the spring/summer and play as much hockey as possible in the winter.
Unfortunately, with a rather unpredictable schedule, I don't get to kill
grey things as regularly as I'd like so bear with me.

Joined the Dambusters last May after leaving my previous ground squad,
1st Jaguar Regiment (a Mac squad). Oh yeah...I'm one of those wierd
Mac guys..."think different" and all that $hit.

Edit: Figured could do with a bit of an update after almost 2 years so here goes... Separated from the Active Duty Navy in back in June 2007 and now flying 737-800s based out of NYC with Delta Air Lines. Still doing the Navy Reserve C-130 thing, the extra $$$ and retirement points are well worth it. Have had the pleasure of meeting a number of Dambusters in my travels, including Fuelpump, Reddog, and Kiz. Hope to meet up with more of you all as well. Thoroughly enjoy my time in-game with you lot (perhaps a bit too much if you ask my wife) and thanks for all the fun these past 2-3 years!

Ithica
Seth Ward
Born Cape Girardeau, MO 1986
19 years old 20 on April 30
Single, but talking to a real looker right now

Education: Graduated from Scott City High in 2004. Currently attending Southeast Missouri State University. Getting my degree in Social Studies Education. Yeah im gonna teach lil bastards history and shit. Plan on graduating Spring 2008. Then going back to recieve my Masters in History.

Played football and baseball all my life. Still coach baseball if I have the time. Since my computer has become outdated I don't play wwiionline anymore but i am still a dambuster at heart and i will be back one day. I love music and am looking for another band to join. Something with a Regge, jazz, rock, feel to it is what i am goin for. I am about to start a job as manager at Pizzo Pro in my hometown. I used to smoke an ungodly amount of weed, I drink heavily, and listen to my music really loud. A mothers nightmare;)

Basically, I am kind of a big deal..........PEACE!

Allibone
Kevin Alexander Allibone
27 years old


Born 19th Sept 1978 in Glasgow, Scotland.

Have been living in Glasgow for 2 years with girlfriend of 8 years, no kids. Brought up in Campbeltown on the Mull of Kintyre.

Spent two years at The University of Stirling studying Biology and Education, but never really got into it. Fell into a job at the local Benefits Agency/Jobcentre in Campbeltown and have since been promoted twice and am currently working as a Floor Manager in Easterhouse Jobcentre Plus in Glasgow.

When not playing WWIIOL I play 5-aside football with friends every week, love Snowboarding, but haven't done it since breaking my back (fractured 3 vertebrae) on holiday in France's Troi Vallees in 2002. Current lack of a Snowboard (its a long story) has hampered me getting back to it.

Had a story about me in the newspaper the other day... thought I'd share



Salvation Army offers food, hope to the homeless

By DANIELLE DE PARI
News Chief staff

HAINES CITY - Charles Baker never knew there are so many homeless people in Haines City, but it has been a fact he has learned throughout the last couple of months.

"I see a lot of people in need," he said. "Street people come in every day, they're living in the woods, they're living in empty lots, they're living behind stores. They get harassed by the police and there's no where for them to go."

Baker is a Salvation Army case manager who runs the new Salvation Army Service Center in Haines City.

"This is a dream job," he said.

From his location Baker distributes things such as food and donated supplies. He also directs those in need to social services.

He uses what supplies he has, such as a microwave, to feed those who are hungry.

"I don't have a kitchen but what we do what we can with what we have," he said.

He said he hopes to help the needy in some way or find someone who can.

"At least they can come here and find some hope. We can't solve their problems. If we can make them a little less hungry then I feel like we have at least done something."

This can simply mean opening up a jar of peanut butter and making a sandwich.

Baker said the center has given away a "ton of food" and has helped between 200 and 300 families so far.

"As word of mouth gets out there, we're getting more and more busy," he said. "It's kinda like a snowball going downhill, it gets bigger as you know."

The facility opened in February and since then has helped to ease the need of food and services in the city.

"That whole area has grown so much, there's a definite need to have a service in the community so they don't have to travel so much," Salvation Army Social Services Director Diana Woodhead said.

The center currently rents a facility at 706 Jones Avenue and seeks to purchase the building and the existing thrift store. It was started with seed money and money from the United Way, but after that they hope to sustain themselves and incorporate a thrift store facility.

"We are trying to have a one stop shop," Salvation Army Captain Pierre Smith said.

The center has received donations from the community, but there are still needs in existence. Baker said the center originally bought about $400 worth of groceries, but supplies are quickly dwindling.

"I really need food," Baker said, "like a little bit more variety."

Supplies such as peanut butter, cereal, bags of rice and beans are dwindling.

The Haines City location is operates weekdays from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

danielle.depari@newschief.com

Cool Charlie well done.

Umm hello my name is Ben:) sheesh ya all should kbnow my stas byy now LOL