It’s been a long time since I posted anything to this blog or to any social media but this is not a catch-up post. This post is about members of the SoCal Airsoft community who have passed away that I’m having a tough time coming to terms with. I’ve always touted that, for me, Airsoft is all about community and having a laugh with like-minded people. When you’ve played for as long as I have, some of these like-minded people end up becoming lifelong friends that you unknowingly care more about that you initially thought. Maybe I’ve crossed that age where you get more death notices than you do birth or wedding notifications? There is no point trying to make sense of this jumbled mess that I am… I just want to honor my friends memories by posting a few of memories I have with them.

Ed “Longshanks” Van Brunt – 10 July 2017

Longshanks was an odd bird by California standards; he was high strung when it came to kit details or game specifications and extremely republican. I first met Ed in 2004 at Milsim Tactical Field in Sylmar, CA when I ran games on the weekends. He always had criticism about the games we ran, most of which was constructive and his thick east coast accent made him always seem annoyed. I immediately liked him and we developed a pretty good friendship. During the OPSEC Airsoft Radio days, he often guest hosted and lent his voice for our ringtone “Eh-O, Pizza”. He listened often and was the loudest opponent to our playing “Waiting” while taking breaks. We had a falling out when I left SoCal and it was completely my stubborn attitude that failed reconnecting with him. Looking back, I deeply regret not swallowing my pride and just picking up the phone, but nothing can change that now. Regrets and drama aside, I miss him. Here’s a few random memories I have of Ed, I tend to only reflect on the ones that make me smile:

• I almost got kicked out of his truck in the middle of I-5 after calling President GWB something awful.
• At one of the LC Appreciation Day games, Ed was seamlessly rapping to Ice Cube’s Check Yo’ Self.. I ruined the audio with my laughter.
• He quit the SoCal Airsoft admin team because I had to reschedule a game because Sendona West’s roads were a muddy mess, but Ed refused to acknowledge that SoCa Airsofters won’t play in the rain.
• He warned me about the harsh winters in New York and I, stupidly, didn’t listen. I can almost hear his laughter at me shoveling feet of snow.

Because Longshanks was a regular on OPSEC Airsoft Radio, I have a few audio clips that are, well, classic Longshanks:

My interview of Longshanks at Op Lion Claws 6:

Longshanks doing a station ID for us:

Longshanks famous “Eh-O Pizza”

Longshanks calling us whores:

Jeff “Shadowsword6” Brooks – 20 May 2018

Jeff was mostly famous for his affiliation with the Op Lion Claws franchise of games, but for us locals, he was the old guy with the best toys. I met Jeff in 2004 at Milsim Tactical Field in Sylmar, CA when I ran games and frequently asked him and his team to be NPCs (Non-Playing Characters) for larger ops. Jeff was open to most roles that I gave him and would always add his own twist of flair to each role. I remember for one of the games (I can’t remember which one) he was playing a businessman or VIP or something and I told him he was limited to a side arm and briefcase only. 10 minutes into the game, I see a herd of players griping about being lit up super close. I make my way down to their previous location only to find Jeff sitting on a large log in a creek bed. We exchange hellos and I ask him if he saw anything. He just smiled and said “Check this out”. He picked up his briefcase and held it without any real distinction. All of the sudden he squeezed the handle a laser-like stream of BBs erupted from one side! I’m talking like a KWA M11A1 rate of fire. He opened up the case to show me the elaborate system he and Kevin (his pal) rigged up.. It was genius. I let him use it during the rest of the Op as he was technically still in the scope of the game and I was just that damn much impressed. That was just Jeff though. His son Josh often accompanied him onto the field and they were just the nicest bunch of guys. Jeff and I were never super tight but I always had his back and always considered him a friend. My exposure to Jeff is somewhat limited but seeing how he cared for his son and teammates still warms my heart and makes me hug my daughter a little tighter every night. Thanks Jeff.

Brian “Oberst” Crabtree – 14 July 2017

Those that were around remember the bitter rivalry between me and Oberst but there is much more to it. Back in the OPSEC Airsoft Radio days, Oberst was one of our first sponsors. He ran a field in Lenix CA and wanted to use our podcast to help him get a little exposure. After a few months things went south (I’ll spare you the details) and all of the sudden we were at war with Oberst/Lenix. We went back and forth like petty children but the respect was always there. We later made amends and I frequented Lenix for a LC5 training event and a few random games. He was well loved in the high desert airsoft community and always greeted you with a smile despite his chronic health issues. His life was tragically cut short by an automobile accident. While I wouldn’t consider Brian a close friend he did play a role in my life that I reflect fondly on and for that, I am grateful for having known him.

Here’s an interview Oberst did for OPSEC Airsoft Radio at Op Lion Claws 6:

Gone but fondly remembered, rest easy my friends.