This year the Battle of the Bulge Reenactment at Fort Indiantown Gap was held a week later than usual – from January 31 to February 4th. The weather for the event was predictably cold, but there was no snow to speak of. We spent most of our time portraying German volunteers and Volkssturm in charge of the X-Ray department of the Axis hospital. As usual, we had quite a few visitors who took a great interest in the workings of the hospital. The young Civil Air Patrol members were particularly impressive in the degree of their interest and the excellent questions they posed.
The vendors were scattered around in an odd way this year and I know we didn’t visit all of them. There was one poor guy near German headquarters whom I didn’t notice until we were getting ready to leave. Apparently a lot of people didn’t know he was there, judging from the extra signage he put out on Saturday. If at all possible, it would be a lot more convenient if the vendors were all in one central area. But, maybe there are reasons that it won’t work. At any rate, I managed to get through the event this year without spending a lot of money, so there was that small victory!
I would like to commend the proprietors of the French Cafe (Cafe Trois) for providing an authentic atmosphere for the relaxation of the occupying forces. The food and wine were, as usual, superb!
The event ended on an unfortunate note, as Saturday’s battles were canceled due to an injury in the field on Friday. I have not heard anymore about this incident and don’t wish to spread rumors, but it sounded like a fairly serious injury and I understand that it was under investigation. If the results of this investigation are made public, I will try to pass them on.
We always enjoy this event and look forward to seeing old friends there. We are already looking forward to next year.
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