2011 WORLD WAR II LIVING HISTORY WEEKEND

This report by our correspondent, Matt Gillespie, is the first in a series of impressions on last week’s Rowlesburg WWII living history weekend.
Not many would know or even believe that tucked away in the mountains of Rowlesburg, WV would be such a high quality museum as well as a high quality living history.  The people of the small community of Rowelsburg do their part to honor our veterans.    Artist Jef Verswyvel, a native of Belgium, has created a Smithsonian quality museum in the Szilagyi Center, formerly Rowlesburg High School.  Just down the road from the Szilagyi Center a sizable World War II living history was in place.  World War I reenactors were also involved to help show the connection between the two wars.

The living history included; reenactors representing WWI and WWII and many countries, a WWII era dance, a 1940s fashion show, a wreath laying ceremony, demonstrations, the Andrews Sisters singing and the opportunity to meet and speak with some of the remaining individuals from the Greatest Generation.

My son and I, who attended the event as WWI reenactors, had the privilege of conversing with a veteran of the 82nd Airborne that landed behind the lines at Normandy.  We also spoke with a member of the 14th Armored Division who fought to the German border via Italy and Southern France.  We met several reenactors and talked history with them and with many members of the general public who attended the event.

One of the things I enjoy about such events is the opportunity to discuss and learn history without the fear of anyone getting bored.  For more information on Rowlesburg’s WWII museum go to: http://www.rowlesburg.info/world_war_2_museum.php