Vets in Neverworld

 Tig Eberdene: If you wish, you can click the box by the sign here and receive a poppy to wear. Remembrance Day is one holiday that everyone should celebrate. I am a Canadian veteran so I very much agree

Beth Ghostraven: Remembrance Day is one holiday that everyone should celebrate ...maybe "celebrate" isn't the right word - I think I mean "honor)

For our first destination of the day, the HG Safari crew landed in neverworld to explore ways to remember those who have served in the Military, with two veterans, Tig and Troy. Though each served ina different country, and have independent regions on Neverworld, they have found unity of purpose in the way they'll celebrate on Monday the many lives dedicated to the various branches of the armed forces. The event will be posts on Opensimworld and Facebook, and the HG Address to get to Georgetown (and to Troy's aviation collection, on Painted Sky) you'll find at the end of the post, as always.

The commemoration area is right next to the forced landing spot on sim Georgetown

Tig Eberdene: As you arrive in Georgetown you can see we are set in autumn right now. The setting is to be as how it is in Real life Northern Ontario.  Georgetown is a special place, named for my father George Thomas Wilson. He was a WW2 veteran and my personal hero.  My aim in Georgetown is to make it feel like a real place. There are 3 2x2 sims here, which are all based off a combination of places I have been or lived in RL. This sim is the downtown area. The sim directly to the North is homes for anyone who wishes to live in Georgetown, as well as a small lake and Provincial Park.

Tig Eberdene: The last 2x2 is a full army base replica. Memorials, airport, "out in the field" training areas and everything a base needs. It is the home to the fictional unit 222 Service Battalion. (My RL unit was 2 Service Battalion). Georgetown has many things to explore. The Dancing Grizzly club. Tig's Treasures is my own creations store. Beautiful Disaster, Oh Cannibas (weed store). Selea Core store.  The hospital, skating arena, skateboarding and more.

Tig Eberdene: Opensim fishing is at the docks toward the south end of town, along with a skate park and ice arena. To the East side, there is a horse track and casino. You can ride the horses or race. Try the obstacle course. Actually gamble and play the games in the casino. legal here sooo

Thirza Ember: wow you guys know how to party in Canada

Youca Godel: Kewl

Tig Eberdene: As you can see, we are set up for Remembrance Day services that will be held here on Nov. 11th at 12 p.m. grid time. It would be at 11 exactly, but I am a RL veteran myself and will be marching in the parade in my city. I have held the service on each grid I have been on since coming to Opensim first to the original GCG. (Great Canadian Grid). This year, I decided to do something different however. Troy Seaknight is a United States Marine Corps veteran. Through my friendship with Troy I came up with the idea to combine Canadian Remembrance Day services with United States Veteran's Day. Neighbours and friends coming together to honour those who fought so bravely to keep our countries free.

Star Ravenhurst: That's a great idea.

Thirza Ember: Can anyone come along and celebrate with you Tig?

Tig Eberdene: All are welcome, I encourage everyone to come

We continued walking in the general direction of the military base, along classic Canadian style streets.

Thirza Ember: so this isn't so much a 'real place' as a mix of real places?

Tig Eberdene: yes, my aim is to make it feel like home, like you live here work here. It was originally a 3x3 but had issues so it was split into the 2x2's and it took me about a month to completely rebuild

Star Ravenhurst: WOW that is fast!

Thirza Ember: does it help with homesickness, and memories of place you haven't seen in a while?

Tig Eberdene: Actually Thirza it does. The Tim Horton's actually looks just like the one up the road from me. I have a No Frills up the road. The gas station we are beside, was like one from my childhood. It actually is no longer a name, I combined a bit of the old and new.

Tig Eberdene: The parade square is the heart of any military base. To get caught just walking across one could land you in a lot of hot water. lol.

Youca Godel: For just walking on it?

Tig Eberdene: The school contains classrooms and also the supply area. There is a lot inside the building, even grenades that I made to make things realistic.

Tig Eberdene: Last on the tour is the memorials. I am very proud of these. Some were made by my daughter, and myself. Funfun61 Gloom is my 2nd RL daughter, and she made the UN memorial here, as well as our cenotaph.  The memorials are here for all. You can light a candle for intentions at some and If you are a veteran, or soldier, or have direct family who is, they can be recognized on the "soldiers among us memorial". 

Tig Eberdene: If you noticed near the cenotaph, there were banners with pictures of soldiers, those are real people, my late husband, father in law, colonel, a young man who passed in Afghanistan. I will be honoured if anyone wishes to have one made for a passed soldier to put along the street

Govega Sachertorte: I love  that its changed to fall

Tig Eberdene: I play seasons here as they happen in RL. My base also has other areas, even hidden ones and some still under construction

 Francisco Koolhoven: thank you Tig, great sim

Star Ravenhurst: I want to come back and explore more.

From Georgetown, we jumped over to another big region on Neverworld, this one owned by Troy Seaknight, who couldn't be with us due to an unavoidable real life commitment at the last minute so Tig very kindly took over as guide here also. We landed in front of a gallery style building dedicated to women in Aviation, and as the sim gently rezzed, we quickly became aware of how very VERY much else there was on the sim.

Troy Seaknight inside the 'Women in Aviation' build

Tig Eberdene: Welcome to the Sky Harbor Museum of Aviation. We are currently at the Arts Center. Inside we will see the newly installed, and still a work in progress, Veterans Hall This will be the home of the World Military Veterans Group. That group is open to military veterans from all countries and grids. On the top floor is Valkyrie Hall. An exhibit highlighting the vibrant role of women in aviation. Outside you can see next to the WWII aircraft is the USS Hornet. On its flight deck in an exhibit describing the daring Doolittle Raid against Tokyo.On the far side of Sky Harbor are numerous walk through dioramas showcasing different aspects of aviation in history and the present. We welcome you to return often and explore all the aircraft and informational exhibit the Sky Harbor and Painted Sky have to offer.

Thirza Ember: Are there a lot of women pilots in the armed forces?

Tig Eberdene: In Canada we have a few. I have read about the US getting more also, but Troy will know more on that... I do know Canada has had women in many roles in our Air force. When I go to veterans buddy check coffee at my local legion I sit with a lovely lady who was in the air force way back in the 50's she is in her late 70's now and has a lot of cool stories. Troy and I have spent a lot of time trading quips too. One thing about the military is that allies make it transcend borders - we have each others backs. Mind you a lot of teasing of different branches goes on as well

Ships of every kind are on Painted Sky region!

Star Ravenhurst: I have never seen so many planes!!  Do they work?  I have a friend who is into planes so I will have to bring him here.

Alan.Scot: it has to be the biggest collection of model aircraft in the universe ... and I clicked on ALL of them :)

Thirza Ember: I was just camming across to the helicopter part... I didn't even know there WERE that many different types wow this is really well done with the signs and all

Tig Eberdene: Are any of you veterans?

Thirza Ember: no, but there are quite a few people on OSGrid that I have met who are, i think some find building therapeutic

Tig Eberdene: Oh for sure I do,  I had to re learn everything in March 2023 after a brain injury, I lost 24 years of memory, so started from scratch again, and I found I loved it. My daughter showed me how to google and watch youtube videos and I was told my builds are better than before the accident.  Perhaps because I may have picked up tips from other builders I hadn't known before

Thirza Ember: it's great that you also found troy with similar interests on the same grid

Tig Eberdene: yes I really am happy with that. We have like minds in terms of our pride in our countries respective military history and all

Beth, Tina Bey, and Tig admiring an airship

Thirza Ember: Opensim is such an important way to express ourselves, our memories, and  it's a good place to work out our thoughts, in a creative way, if you get friendship too then wow, that's the best!

Tina Bey: yes!!!

Thirza Ember: there is a big Museum of FlIght over on Littlefield grid, and also another one on Kitely ...have you guys visited those? You could find some likeminded folks across the hypergrid, and team up with them!

Tig Eberdene: oh I didn't know that

Tig Eberdene: Jimmy Olsen brought in and created my Snowbirds for me. He was on GCG with me when I got them. They are called a Tudor jet... still in use by the Snowbirds, although they are getting quite old and there have been some tragic accidents over time.  I met a few of the Snowbird pilots during the Royal Canadian Regiment reunion in London Ontario

Tina.Bey [es→en]: marvelous

HG Addresses

Nov 11 Commemorative area and Georgetown

hop://hg.neverworldgrid.com:8002/Georgetown/245/377/22

Aviation region by Troy Seaknight

 hop://hg.neverworldgrid.com:8002/Painted%20Sky/393/84/22