Frequently Asked Questions 1.  Why the allowance of Modern Tentage for this event? The Eastern Front event being held this year is a continuation from last year. Since it is a new event, the emphasis is on the battle and how it is received by the participants. Last year had a great turnout. Authenticity is going to be stressed in the field but with a return to the fun and camaraderie of the past in camp. Modern tentage will be removed from those camping in period gear. If the consensus is to continue this event, we will be begin to bring in more units and stronger requirements in regards to camps and such. If the popularity of this event continues we will continue to strive for the best reenacting experience possible. 2.  What is the history of Odessa? Odessa started over14 years ago at the States Farms site it currently is held at. The Commander of the 272 Füsiliers at the time, Eric Tobey, initiated the event and made all the arrangements. It was very small the first few years, with no more than 50-60 participants. There were several battles throughout the day, with the Germans attacking, then reversing the roles and having the Allies attacking.  After a couple more years with the unit, when Eric Tobey stepped down as commander and Scott Thompson became the C.O. of the 272 Füsiliers, a decision was made to grow the event and to make it a re-enactor friendly experience. At that point, everything was then geared toward allowing each re-enactor to have a good time for the weekend. Vendors were approached and secured, armored vehicles and historical airplanes were welcomed, reenactor campsites were encouraged to keep historically accurate bearings, a Saturday evening meal was included, and all the reliable and authentically rigorous Allied and Axis units were invited.  Slowly and over the years the participation has now grown to having over 600 reenactors present for Odessa ’06. Each year the Odessa Event Staff aims to introduce new and challenging scenarios for the reenactors to experience.  Night maneuvers were added several years ago for the Friday evening before the main tactical, and a Friday afternoon tactical was added last year for die-hards wishing to obtain even more trigger time. Odessa has always strived to lead the way for a total reenacting experience.