Ronnie's Rangers- Grenada 1983- Completed Oct 22nd

Hey that's looking good, stik! Are you going to freehand the map or decal it?

   Stikpusher......  Nice work on the figure so far mate. I had the same problem with finding maps for dios. I just went to Google images, typed in say....Vietnam War Maps and hey presto, lots of maps already at the size you want. Just print em out!! Just type in 'MILITARY MAPS' and you will get loads including modern day maps, perfect for modern themes.

    Here are a few that might be of use. They are Vietnam, not Granada, but at this size who is going to know? If they are too big just cut a section of one out and glue it to your figures 'map'............

         Here they are, just click and print....

          Hope they help mate!!!

          Boomer...

Hey Stik .... As far as maps for me ... I've got a couple of "old" Fort Hood maps from when I was stationed there. (I keep one intact just in case ...) But when I need a map, I just clip a couple of grid squares off and paste them on. The heavy paper works great and real map paper just looks like well, ... real map paper!

Just my two cents ....

I've tried to print out little JPEGs like those shown, and they worked fine, I just prefer to use the real map grid squares.

The good thing too about using military maps is that the graphics are so small that you couldn't tell if it was Grenada or TX. I've got a WIP B-17 on the shelf that has a few squares of Fort Hood on the Navigator's desk. I went back with a very sharp pencil and drew in light grid lines to make the map "smaller" and more to scale.

Good luck with this one! Its already on it's way .... and you've got plenty of time to plan!

He is now done- unless I happen to stumble upon some 1/35 uniform markings for jump wings, Ranger Battalion Scrolls and Ranger tabs.

Many thanks to Boomer and Modelchasm for the suggestion of miniaturizing a map from off line. I found a decont one of Grenada and he is actually looking at the souther portion of the island, including the Pt Salinas area where they parachuted in.

This figure is dedicated to an old Army buddy I served with who was there with A Co, 1st Ranger Battalion.

Figures are not my strong area, but the only way to get better is by doing them. Comments and critiques welcome.

Stik .... NICE JOB!!!! Dito to what Tom said too ....

As far as the Jump Wings and the Batt scrolls ... Just do a little playing around w/ your computer. It takes a couple of print outs to get the size right, but I can usually get a pretty good "decals" just from regular paper...

I'm sure that your friend would be VERY please w/ this piece.

Thanks guys, I do appreciate the kind words.

Scott, you may be right about computer onto paper. I am quite pleased the way that worked out for the map. That worked out pretty sweet. I dont hold out much hope for finding the pre Regimental Batt scrolls...

Now to get around to scratch build the standing gunner for my gun jeep one of these days... 

modelchasm wrote:

Stik .... NICE JOB!!!! Dito to what Tom said too .... As far as the Jump Wings and the Batt scrolls ... Just do a little playing around w/ your computer. It takes a couple of print outs to get the size right, but I can usually get a pretty good "decals" just from regular paper... I'm sure that your friend would be VERY please w/ this piece.

Well I did find this decal sheet which covers most of my needs...

http://pachome1.pacific.net.sg/~kriegsketten/P353001.htm

A small historical note. At the time of the invasion U.S. forces had very few detailed maps of Grenada available. Almost all troops on the ground were given very simple road maps and tourist maps to get around with.

The map you ended up using looks like it fits perfectly.

The figure looks great, Stick.
Aint it a teeny tiny world?  In October 1983 I was a lowly knob at the Citadel in Charleston, SC.  My dad was visiting and had me out at Charleston AFB in the VOQ for my first overnight away from campus.  He kept getting calls on the room phone, they all went like this "no, it's an unsecure line.  I can go to the command post for a secure phone."

Then he dropped me back off at the barracks, apologized, and said he couldn't tell me anything, but to read the paper the next day.  He left.

I found out later he caught a hop to Bragg and form there on a 130, he was on the first plane over the island as part of the invasion.  He was air mission commander for the invasion.  That was good for some relaxed discipine at a military college, at least for a week or two.

Anyway, Nice figgie, sorry I coldnt make the meeting tonight.

Bill

This link to another site is to a thread that has a boatload of photos that were taken during the invasion and shorlty therafter. Some great stuff to see.

Reminds me... An 82nd buddy of mine made the cover of Soldier of Fortune magazine during Urgent Fury...  I didn't know him in 83, but we were room-dawgs at Ft. McClellan in '87 during Chemical ANCOC.. He had it framed, lol...