by Jim Barnes
Here are some new events that I have recently been informed about, as well as reminders of others upcoming this fall:
October 3rd and 4th: Portersville Steam Show, Portersville, PA – Sponsored by:Portersville Steam and Old Equipment Association.Co. K U.S. 28th Infantry will set up a living history display at the show.
http://portersvillesteamshow.homestead.com
October 10th and 11th: Civil War – Reenactment of Battle of Bulltown, WV.
http://www.lrh.usace.army.mil/projects/lakes/bus/bulltown
October 17th and 18th: Civil War – Battle of Cedar Creek. Middletown, Va.
http://www.cedarcreekbattlefield.org
2009 joint Open House of the Virgina Museum of Military Vehicles and the National Museum of Americans in Wartime on October 24 and 25 at the “tank farm” located in Nokesville Virginia.
http://nmaw.org/registration/2009openhouse.php
Some years ago, when the “Reality Show” craze was picking up steam, PBS and the BBC fielded a few entries which dealt with historical subjects and required modern families to experience the lifestyle and, often, deprivations which previous generations had experienced. In 2001, the BBC released this entry in the “Reality” gen...
This past weekend, the PA Trolley Museum hosted its annual antique truck show, which included the WWII vehicles of Co. K of the 28th Infantry – Bill Burress’s fine jeep and Dan Evan’s Dodge Weapons Carrier ( and of course, our whole camp set-up to accompany the vehicles). Shawn and Randy had the gas-fired 50 ... ...
The following is a report by our intrepid Teutonic correspondent, Bill Donegan: It was the Summer of 1957. My uncle, Lester Call (Luck), was spending the summer with us in Charleston, West Virginia. He usually lived with us or my Aunt May on Grove Avenue or down on the family farm in Putnam County. So ... ...
The following is an email from the director of Old Bedford Village regarding the recent 1940s living History weekend. This is the last in our month-long series on OBV. Please contact the Village to see how you can help support their efforts to continue their fine work. Tremendous weekend at Old Bedford Village. Sincere thanks ... ...
Submitted by Patricia Patterson, this is the fourth in a series on Old Bedford Village: Friday morning dawned clear and cooler than expected, not that I was up at dawn, but none-the-less, so it was. I drifted into the day slowly having found out that we could not set-up until after 1700. I was having ... ...
From today’s All Things Considered on National Public Radio: Civil War Buffs Clash Over Proposed Wal-Mart by Ailsa Chang The Battle of the Wilderness has given way to a battle over a Wal-Mart. The discount giant wants to build a super store in Orange County, Va., near where a portion of the key 1864 Civil ... ...
This is the 3rd in a series on Old Bedford Village. After Action Report Alt Bedforddorf By Bill Donegan Feldwebel Matt Santos and two jagers of 5/.Hochgebirgsbataillon 4, after marching to the outskirts of Alt Bedforddorf, found an abandoned farm house on the eastern edge of the village, and settled in for a rest. Feldwebel ... ...
This is the second in a series about Old Bedford Village. This one is from our correspondent, Nick Korolev: OLD BEDFORD VILLAGE 1940s WEEKEND This was a unique and wonderful experience for myself and friend Rick “Byrdie” Byrd. We are both Civil War living historians and reenactors who belong to the Federal Generals Corps (first ... ...
(This is the first in a series this week about the WWII event at Old Bedford Village this past Weekend.) Old Bedfore Village had its annual 1940′s weekend over August 8 and 9 and this year was bigger and better than ever. There was a greater diversity of Reenacting units than ever before. In particular, ... ...
Sorry for a lack of posts this week. I just got back from Maine and am getting ready for the Old Bedford Village WWII living history this upcoming weekend. There will be much to write about next week. Speaking of OBV, this is a great event and I can’t recommend it enough. If you are ... ...
This morning I came upon a site that reminded me that this year marks the 20th anniversary of one of the best Civil War movies ever made and one that motivated a lot of baby boomers to go out and buy blue or gray wool uniforms and start reenacting. That movie, of course, is “Glory” ... ...
A number of years ago, I remember telling someone that despite the fact that schools rarely seem to teach much history any more, at least the History Channel was still there and people did watch it. Now it seems to me that that is little comfort. I was perusing the channel guide today and found ... ...
This past weekend, the West Virginia Reenactors Association and Rich Mountain Battlefield Foundation held their reenactment of the 1861 Battle of Rich Mountain. For those who have not been to this battlefield, the area is scenic and rugged. The actual fighting occurred at the top of the mountain where the Hart family had a small ... ...
On Independence Day, July 4, 2009, the 28th Infantry Division, Company K put on a living history encampment at the Forest Hills park in the Pittsburgh area. This was mainly a one day event and was part of Forest Hills Community Day at the park. While our little encampment was tucked away back from the ... ...
The weekend of July 11-12 will once again see the biannual reenactment of the Battle of Rich Mountain near Beverly, WV. In June, 1861, Major General George B. McClellan took command of Union troops in Western Virginia and on the 27th of that month, set out for Randolph County to engage the Confederate forces there. ... ...
Despite the obligatory rain on Friday, the weather was quite nice for the rest of the weekend for this event. There were several more reenactors than last year and for many of those who had been there before, the displays were bigger and better than ever. Especially impressive was the camp of the U.S. Navy ... ...
I had a wonderful time at “The Alpen Hof German Restaurant” on Saturday night June 6, 2009. The Alpen Hof is located on Morgantown Road in Reading, Pa. It is only three miles from the Mid Atlantic Air Museum. The occasion for my being there was that our German reenacting unit “The Kaiserlautern Volks Sturm” ... ...
Just a reminder that the 4th annual Rowlesburg, WV WWII Living History event will take place on this coming weekend, June 26 and 27. This is a fun event and extremely Reenactor-friendly. If you are not signed up as a participant, then make plans to come as a spectator. It’s a small, laid-back, but quality ... ...
Here is a report from our correspondent, Nick Korolev: This past weekend June 5-7 saw the annual Gathering of Civil War Eagles Seminar at the Old Courthouse Civil War Museum in Winchester, VA. This Civil War living history event is unlike any other. The public gets to act as the press and speak with key ... ...
It rained , it got hot, it was big and it was spectacular – it was Reading. The 193rd Rifle Division once again made its annual trip to the Reading Airshow on June 5, 6, 7. This may have been the biggest Reading yet, but it started out rather inauspiciously. Unit members who arrived on ... ...
Here is a nifty little tool for living historians, contributed by Nick Korolev: GUIDED SCHIZOPHRENIA FOR WWII LIVING HISTORIANS This little guide has been adapted from one used at Camp Verde AZ for Indian Wars personas for those who wish to join or already are in the world of WWII living historians. To do things ... ...
Several reenactors from the 28th Infantry Division, Co. K, participated in the Memorial Day parades in Coraopolis and Lawrenceville, PA. We met in Cora0polis and drove to Lawrenceville in Dan Evans’ 1942 Dodge weapons carrier. This was actually a very pleasant ride and we were well recieved by the crowds lining the street. The parade ... ...
On Saturday, May 23, 2009, I and three other Union Reenactors went to the Marion County Historical Society in downtown Fairmont to serve as color guard for a recognition day for Julia Pierpont, wife of Francis H. Pierpont of Fairmont, who was appointed as Governor of the Restored State of Virginia after the secession of ... ...
On Friday, May 22, 2009, I took part in the annual lantern tour organized by Mark Tennant. This tour focuses on the many Union soldiers buried in the Grafton National Cemetary located on the south side of downtown Grafton (not the new cemetary at Pruntytown a few miles away). For this year’s tour, we had ... ...