For some reason, gamers have it in their head that the M1 Garand is somehow "impossible to reload mid-clip". The fact that we know differently and allow the player to reload the weapon in Brothers in Arms has become quite the point of controversy. We get swamped with emails and feedback about how we're doing it wrong, so our military and historical director, Col. John Antal (ret.) has taken it upon himself to create this video of himself loading and reloading his M1 Garand. Actual visual proof that we know our weaponry.

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Now, I know that Medal of Honor and Call of Duty do not allow the player to reload the M1 mid-clip. I've played them both, and enjoyed them for what they were. I won't presume to know why exactly they both chose to make an "un-reload-able" M1, but just because they did it doesn't make it fact. However, they did come out first, and it's hard to go up against that kind of precedent.

We've always been vehement about making Brothers in Arms authentic and accurate, and have gone to painstaking lengths to do so. The same goes for every weapon in our BiA arsenal. We go out and find the real weapons, get real life experience with them, and do our best to relay that experience back to the player in a truly authentic fashion. The Colonel actually owns many of the weapons used in our games, and has trained all of us on their use. We go out to the local firing range, learn the ins and outs of each weapon, and then get to blast away to our hearts content – following all of the proper firearm safety measures, of course. Even in secure settings, with trained hands under trained supervision, firearms are still extremely dangerous. Don't try this at home, kids.

To give you a glimpse into our experience with our weapons, here's a second bonus video of our Brothers in Arms story writer, Mikey Neumann, getting a lesson on how to properly fire the M1 Garand. Firing from a standing position is really tough; Mikey does a pretty good job. I'll tell you, the kick from that thing is pretty tremendous.

So there you have it. The M1 Garand can be unloaded and reloaded just like any and every other firearm. We're not crazy or just making this stuff up. We've seen it, we've done it, and now you've seen us do it. As Mikey would say, we have "shared this experience, and that’s what makes it true."

Gearbox Software, the creators of Brothers in Arms games, salutes the veterans who participated in the invasion of Normandy, June 6, 1944, to free the people of Europe from totalitarian dictatorship. This blog entry is dedicated to their memory.

Click here to view our D-Day photo album, collected by the Colonel

Here are some sounds of World War II:

The voice of Winston Chuchill, Prime Minister of Great Britain

The voice of General Dwight D. Eisenhower, Supreme Allied Commander of Allied forces on D-Day

A recording of US Paratroopers parachuting from an aircraft.

Experience history with Brothers in Arms!

Never forget that our today was created by brave men and women who came before us. If you wish to learn more about D-Day, you can experience the true battles of a squad of paratroopers in Gearbox Software?s video game, Brothers in Arms, Road to Hill 30.

PLAY YOUR PART IN HISTORY

The WWII Victory Museum is located in Auburn, Indiana, USA

When you want to make the most authentic games about WWII ever, you have to do your homework. This takes Gearbox Software game designers all over the world. Sometimes, some of the best places to go are right here in the USA. In preparation for Gearbox?s next Brothers in Arms Game and to interview World War II veterans for the Brothers in Arms History Channel Special we went to Indiana.

Why Indiana? Well, it just happens to be the home to the world's largest collections of soft-skinned and lightly-armored vehicles of the Second World War. The museum's collection includes an extensive number of vehicles, weapons, uniforms and small artifacts relating to World War II.

In preparation for the Brothers in Arms History Channel Special, World War II veterans from the 101st Airborne Division assembled at the museum to be interviewed by Gearbox?s film production company, Foglight Entertainment. With the help of Gearbox's Historical Director, Colonel John Antal, US Army (Ret.), these interviews became the main thrust of the highly-rated Brothers in Arms History Channel special. This two-hour documentary depicted the true story of the 101st Airborne, 502nd Parachute Infantry during the D-Day operation and employed Gearbox Brothers in Arms game footage to depict the actual battles that occurred during the invasion of Normandy.

Back Row: From left to right are Fred Bahlau (H/506th PIR), Leonard Schmidt (H/506th PIR), Don Burgett (506th PIR), Don Brinninstool (A/506th PIR), Bob Likam (326th Airborne Engineers), and Samuel Jordan (377th Glider Artillery Regiment).
Front Row: Colonel John Antal, US Army (Ret.) of Gearbox Software and WWII Victory Museum Director Bob Kraft.

It was a great honor to learn about the Normandy operation from these proud veterans who 61 years ago fought in Europe to help defeat Nazism. There stories are the stuff of legends - extraordinary men who experienced extraordinary events -- yet each of these men reminded us over and again that the real heroes are those who fought and died "over there." Their humility was very real and touching and we were awed to be in the presence of these patriotic Americans.

In addition to the men who made history, the museum has a tremendous array of vehicles, weapons and equipment that was used during World War II. The Gearbox Team used this opportunity to learn about this equipment and take hundreds of photos.

This PaK 38 (Panzerabwehrkanone 38), on display at the Auburn, Indiana WWII Victory Museum, was a German anti-tank gun that fired a 50 mm caliber shell.

The Victory Museum has tanks, halftracks, trucks, jeeps, cannons, rifles and much more from all the major combatants of the war. A 1945 Willys MB Jeep and a Harley-Davidson motorcycle are on display as well as more than 150 WWII-era vehicles from a dozen countries, including more than 25 motorcycles. Some of the equipment is "one of a kind" and cannot be found anywhere else in the world.

So, if you are anywhere near Indiana, get to the Victory Museum as fast as you can. A tour of the entire facility will take you about an hour and a half, but you could easily spend all day there. WE did!

You will not only have a very educational trip, but you will more than likely meet a veteran as well. When you do, be sure to shake his or hand and tell him thank you for his or her service.

Here are some more photos and descriptions of things you can see at the Victory museum.

This Willys MB Jeep was field modified in 1944 with additional armor and is fitted with a Browning M1919A4 .30 cal. machine gun. The jeep is marked for the 82nd Airborne Division and is on display in the World War II Victory Museum's Years of Victory: Europe gallery.

This display from the World War II Victory Museum's Years of Victory: Europe gallery depicts the meeting of Soviet and American forces along the Elbe River on April 25, 1945. In the background of the scene are an M18 Buick "Hellcat" tank destroyer and a White M3A1 scout car.

The Gathering Storm Gallery of the World War II Victory Museum tells of the events leading up to the Second World War including the coming to power of the major tyrants. One of the major artifacts in this exhibit is a 1938 portrait of Adolf Hitler by Heinrich Knirr. This artifact is presented as the personification of evil so we may well remember and stand vigil against man's capacity of exploitation, cruelty, and inhumanity toward fellow man.

Pictured in front of the World War II Victory Museum is a 1945 Willys MB Jeep and a Harley-Davidson motorcycle. The museum's collection is comprised of more than 150 WWII-era vehicles from a dozen countries, including more than 25 motorcycles.

This Czechoslovakian-built 1944 Panzerjager 38t or Marder III is on display in the World War II Victory Museum's Years of Victory: Europe gallery. The vehicle is marked for the German 10th SS Panzer Division.

This German Sd Kfz 251 Ausf. A is one of the earliest examples of a half-tracked armored personnel carrier. This A model is believed to be the only one of its kind left in existence. A Sd Kfz 251 Ausf. C and a Sd Kfz 251 Ausf. D are also on display at the World War II Victory Museum.

Gearbox Software inspires the History Channel World War II Program "Brothers in Arms"

One of the world's most authentic World War II video games provides backdrop for special airing December 18, 2005 at 8pm ET/PT.

Colonel John Antal, US Army (Ret.) of Gearbox Software helped co-direct the filming of "Brothers in Arms" in Normandy, France to ensure authenticity. The two-hour History Channel Special, "Brothers in Arms," will tell the true story of the June 1944 D-Day operation.

In 1944, Lieutenant Colonel S.L.A. Marshall, the official US Army Historian of the invasion of Normandy, claimed that the 502d Parachute Infantry Regiment (PIR), 101st Airborne Division, was the outstanding American unit of D-Day. Up until now, the story of the 502d PIR has largely gone untold. That is about to change as a new two-hour special, "Brothers in Arms," will air on the History Channel on December 18, 2005.

Gearbox Software is passionate about making good video games. Known for its unprecedented combination of authenticity, compelling story and squad-based action, the Brothers in Arms franchise established itself as a benchmark for military action games quickly after its initial release in March 2005. Thousands of hours of research, interviews and battlefield visits were required to make Gearbox's "Brothers in Arms" games the most authentic and exciting WWII video game experience available. Now, the "Brothers in Arms" games are being used to make a film for the History Channel.

The two-hour special, "BROTHERS IN ARMS," is produced by Foglight Entertainment and Gearbox Software for The History Channel. This film will include battles depicted by the computer generated graphics from the best selling Brothers in Arms video game.

Gearbox Software and Foglight Entertainment joined forces in Normandy, France to film on the actual D-Day battlefields. This two-hour special will portray true events that occurred during the battle for Normandy that conventional cameras failed to reach. In this photo, reenactors representing the paratroopers of the 2d Battalion, 502d Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division, get ready for a scene in the film.

"It is a tribute to the authenticity of our Brothers in Arms games, and the realism of our graphics, that the History Channel selected us to create this two-hour D-Day special." Colonel John Antal, US Army (Ret.), Gearbox Software.

Gearbox Software and Foglight Entertainment interviewed dozens of WWII veterans, employed thirty WWII reenactors and a WWII M5 Stuart Tank, and used hundreds of scenes from Gearbox's mega-selling video game "Brothers in Arms" to create the film. In this photo, Colonel Antal directs an M5 Stuart Tank crew.

The Brothers in Arms video game series depicts the experiences of a squad in the 101st Airborne, 502nd Parachute Infantry during the first days of the Normandy invasion. The 502nd's contributions in June, 1944 featured some of the most significant and harrowing engagements of the European campaign.

"As one of the most authentic World War II video games ever made, Brothers in Arms creates the ideal setting on which to base a program for The History Channel," said Margaret Kim, director of Historical Programming at The History Channel. "The heroic exploits of the 101st and 502nd will receive the attention they deserve in our two-hour special."

"We are very proud of our Brothers in Arms games and how they tell the true story of WWII. I was particularly excited when Randy Pitchford, the President of Gearbox Software, asked me to co-direct this two-hour special for the History Channel. The usual documentary involves talking heads, old film footage and possibly reenacted scenes. We wanted to go a step further and show the action in a new and dramatic way. We traveled to Normandy in October 2005 to film reenactors on the sites of the actual battlefields. We interviewed veterans. We blended game footage into the show to depict the small unit actions that were impossible to film in the chaos of combat. You will see an amazing combination of interviews from WWII Veterans, WWII film footage, reenacted combat scenes and exciting in-game footage from our Brothers in Arms games that will help you visualize the battles that actually occurred in Normandy in June 1944." COL John Antal, US Army (Ret.), Gearbox Software

Colonel Antal places WWII reenactors in position for a new scene for the exciting conclusion of the "Brothers in Arms: The Untold Stories of the 502nd." This two-hour History Channel special will recreate events from the paratrooper drop over Normandy using the in-game engine of Gearbox Software's Brothers in Arms, Road to Hill 30.

The History Channel special "Brothers in Arms" tells the story of the 101st Airborne Division, 502nd Parachute Infantry, from June 6 through June 13, 1944, as it has never been told before. Coupled with the accuracy of the game's environments, the cuttingedge graphics in Brothers in Arms allow for vivid and dynamic battlefield walkthroughs and flythroughs that uniquely convey the conditions and situations of June 1944 Normandy. Through interviews with veterans of the 502nd, firsthand accounts by French citizens and historians; and with reenactments, rare photos, never-before-seen archival footage and cutting-edge CGI* technology, "Brothers in Arms" finally tells the story of this unheralded group of solders: the 5-0-Deuce. Veterans interviews were conducted around the country and at the Auburn, Indiana WWII Victory Museum. The television special, hosted by actor Ron Livingston (Band of Brothers) will premiere on The History Channel on Sunday, December 18th at 8 pm ET/PT.

The full crew that worked on the Brothers in Arms film for the History Channel, minus the M5 Stuart Tank, is shown here. It was quite a team effort! The show will air on the History Channel on Sunday, December 18th at 8pm ET/PT.

The FG-42 Mark II (Fallschirmj?gergewehr-42) assault rifle was developed on the insistence of Field Marshal Herman G?ring who commanded the German Luftwaffe. The German paratroop corps, called Fallschirmj?gers in German, were part of the German Luftwaffe. G?ring wanted an advanced assault rifle that would give his paratroopers an advantage in close combat.

Strict guidelines were issued for the development of this new assault rifle. The weapon had to be light enough to carry when parachuting and had to incorporate both semi automatic fire for sniping and automatic fire for close in combat. In addition, it had to use the standard rifle ammunition that was used in the German K-98 Rifle, the 7.92 X 57 mm Mauser round (otherwise known as 8mm Mauser).

The result of was an extraordinary weapon that became the FG-42. The FG-42 was an air-cooled, gas operated, shoulder fired assault rifle. This new assault rifle had a 20 round side-loaded box magazine and a fixed three-power sniper scope. It fired from the closed bolt position in sniper mode, and open bolt position in full auto mode.

One of the drawbacks of the weapon was that the 20 round magazine made it difficult to balance the weapon. Other drawbacks were the hefty recoil and large ball of flame that erupted from the muzzle every time the weapon fire fired, making its sniper role less than easy or stealthy. As with most German assault rifles of WWII [MP43/44/STG44], the weapon took great care to produce and was very expensive to manufacture. Only 7,000 Fg-42s were manufactured and only a fraction of these made it into the hands of Fallschirmj?gers before the end of the war. That said, American soldiers captured several FG-42s in Normandy after D-Day and in subsequent operations on the Western Front.