Tag: PA
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2022 events
All listed events are tentative pending Covid restrictions, government rulings, etc. Several events have not yet posted their schedules. February 2022 18th Century – February 25-27. Prickett’s Fort, Prickett’s Fort State Park, Fairmont, WV. 18th Century Firearms and Accoutrements Show. http://www.prickettsfortstatepark.com/events.html March 2022 Timeline – March ? No info at this time. Reenactor Appreciation Weekend, …
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Fort Loudon Market Fair
On the weekend of June 25-27, the Fort Loudon Historical Society had their annual 18th Century market fair. I believe that this was the third such event for this group and was, by all accounts, the largest. This was due in no small part to the canceling of the much larger Fort Frederick event earlier…
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Events: January to June 2020
This is what we have so far: January 2020 WWI – January 10-12, 2020: “Fortifying the Line” (Unit Sponsored Event) (Hosted by Fusilier Regiment 90). Time period: Early 1915. Event held at the Caesar Krauss Great War Memorial Site, Newville, PA. http://www.greatwarassociation.com/Schedule.html
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Fort Ligonier Days
On the weekend of October 12-13, Ligonier, PA celebrates Fort Ligonier Days commemorating the 1758 siege of the British fort by French and Indian forces. My wife and I joined up with Les Compagnies Franches de la Marine du Contrecouer, which recreates one of the French Marine regiments garrisoned at Fort Duquesne. I as a…
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A Quick Overview of 2018
Here is a quick overview of events that we didn’t cover in individual articles. April 6-8. School of the Longhunter – Prickett’s Fort, near Fairmont, WV. This is a very informative seminar on life on the frontier in the 18th Century. Subjects can vary from an enlightening discussion on the life of Simon Girty to…
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GAP 2018
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…
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Initial 2018 Calendar of events
Here is what we have so far for the coming year through April. January 2018 WWI – Jan 12-14, 2018: “Bathelémont: Baptism of Fire”(Hosted by FR 90 (German) and the 18th RI (French)). Time period: November 1917. Event held at the Caesar Krauss Great War Memorial Site, Newville, PA. http://www.greatwarassociation.com/Schedule.html WWII – Battle of the…
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Events – January – May 2017
Below are the events on which we currently have information. More to follow. January 2017 WWII – Battle of the Bulge Reenactment, January 25- 29. Ft. Indiantown Gap PA. Contact: http://www.wwiiha.org/new/index.php/fig February 2017 WWII – Elbe River Event, February 18, Old Bedford Village, Bedford, PA. regardless of the weather as usual. They still have…
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Fort Indiantown Gap 2016
This year, The Battle of the Bulge Reenactment was held from January 27-31. On the way up on Friday, we had a harrowing drive through a white-out in western Maryland and, having been in one fender-bender already this winter, the thought of turning around and going home did cross my mind. But we toughed it…
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FIG 2015
Occuring as usual during the last week of January, this year’s FIG event was a particularly cold one. Once again, Linda and I joined the folks at the German hospital to assist with the living history. I am not sure what the standing temperatures were for the weekend, but the wind chill was impressive. To…
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Upcoming 2015 Events – January through April
The following is what I have so far for our general region. Some events have not yet released their 2015 event information. Check back for updates and additions. January 2015 WWII – Battle of the Bulge Reenactment, January 27 – February 1. Ft. Indiantown Gap PA. Contact: http://www.wwiifederation.org February 2015 Civil War – February 20-22,…
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Old Bedford Village 2014
This year the annual battle between Grossdeutschland and their invited units and the 193rd Rifle Division, their comrades the 9th Guards and other gallant Red Army units, took place on the weekend of November 7-9, 2014. This year, the scenario involved the Red Army’s advance into Poland. As has been the case for the last…
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Old West Weekend, Old Bedford Village, 2014
OBV’s Old West Weekend is always a real hoot and this year, Linda and I got to take my granddaughters to share in the fun. We made this a day trip, so I can’t address the whole weekend, but there was a lot going on while we were there. Starting off on Saturday morning, we…
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The GAP 2014
The reenacting/living history season, for many of us, begins at Fort Indiantown Gap during the Battle of the Bulge reenactment week. (Last week of the month). This year was no exception, as Linda and I once again were part of the German hospital display hosted by Pete and Kate Gentry. As usual, I portrayed a…
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After action report: OBV/Elbe Tactical, Bedford, Pa. 2014
The following is a report from our correspondent, Bill Donegan, just back from the front: For those who don’t know or who have never been, you can time travel back to Germany 1945 via Old Bedford Village (OBV). OBV is located 1 minute from the Pa. Turnpike off exit 146 Bedford, 220 Sawblade…
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Ukraine 1944 – Old Bedford Village Fall event 2013
The scene is Ukraine in 1944: The Ukrainian people find themselves in the middle of a three-way struggle during what seems like an endless and brutal war. On the weekend of November 9-10, 2013, this scenario played out at Old Bedford Village in the annual fall battle tactical between Grossdeutschland Division and the 193rd Rifle…
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Great War Association Fall event – 2013
On Friday, November 1, I once again made the trip to Newville, PA for the Great War Association’s Fall WWI event. The parking lot was full, indicating a good turnout and the Flea Market was extensive and busy. This year, the weather was quite favorable during the event and although the sky clouded up Saturday…
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Remagen Bridge Reenactment 2013
Here is a report on the event at Tidioute, PA this past weekend, by our correspondent, Bill Donegan: Do you know what God did this year at the Tideoute event? First I have to set this up for you. Mr. Ken Hechler used to be Secretary of State for West Virginia. He was a member…
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Review – Gettysburg Reenactment – Blue Gray Alliance June 27-29
The Following is a report on the Blue-Gray Alliance version of the 150th Gettysburg reenactment from our correspondent, Chuck Critchfield: Greetings Attached is my report on the recent disagreement at the town of Gettysburg Scenarios We started the weekend with McPherson’s Ridge on Friday morning. We were up early and on the road (more about…
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Reading Airshow – June 7,8,9 2013
As some of you know, I have had a very demanding year and this has resulted in the blog being neglected. Hopefully, my health problems have straightened out and now I am getting happily settled into a new marriage and a new home. Hopefully, I will be able to get things in order on this…
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The Gap 2013
As always, my reenacting year starts off at Fort Indiantown Gap during the Battle of the Bulge week in January. So it was again this year, with the additional attraction of initiating my fiancee into the wonders of reenacting/living history. As I had done before, I offered my services to German hospital as a patient.…
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2012 – A Retrospective
2012 has been an interesting year, with more than its share of ups and downs, to be sure. As some of you know, I have had some personal bumps in the road, including some unpleasant health problems, which have affected my ability to get out to events as well as mind this blog as much…
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Ostfront – Old Bedford Village – Fall 2012
The following is a report on last weekend’s tactical at OBV (sponsored by Grossdeutschland) by our correspondent, Mike Momot. Old Bedford Village – Bedford, PA 9-11 November 2012 “Tactical Soviet-Civilian-German†Romania 1944 Historical Background: The GD Division pulled back to the Dniestr River in the last half of March 1944; by April it was engaged…
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Gates of Moscow – 2012
On the weekend of October 6, 2012, the 193rd Rifle Division sponsored a 1941 Great Patriotic War event, THE GATES OF MOSCOWÂ at Spiro’s Farm near Gettysburg, PA. The Battle of Moscow is the name given by Soviet historians to two periods of strategically significant fighting on the Russian front on a 370Â mile sector west…
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New Oxford 2012
The New Oxford WWII event as reported by our correspondent, Bill Donegan: September 12, 2012, Linda’s birthday. We hop in the car and drive to Gettysburg, PA. We made good time until we reached the MD/ PA border. There I 81 was at a standstill going north. We sat in the same place for…
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A Return to Jollytown
A couple of weeks ago, Mark Tennant and I went out to Jollytown to see how the Jesse Taylor monument was holding up. As some of you may remember, WVRA members and the Sons of Union Veterans teamed up to clean up site and paint the cannon and mortars at the monument. We were quite…
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Gunfight at the OK Corral
OK, (no pun intended), I recently tried something new…Old West reenacting. Old Bedford Village held a reenactment of the events that took place in Tombstone, Arizona between the Earps and the Clanton-McLaury faction in 1881. Although I didn’t take part in the gunfight itself, I had a good time walking around the town, hanging out…
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The Tenderfoot Diary
The following is Bill Donegan’s report on the OK Corral weekend at Old Bedford Village: Old Tenderfoot They call me old tenderfoot now after just one cowboy event at Old Bedford. I forgot to check my riding boots for plantar inserts so I was a walkin’ gently this past week-end. I told one old cowboy…
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Reading Airshow
The following is a report by our correspondent, Eric Rowan: Reading, Pennsylvania Mid Atlantic Air Museum 22nd Annual WWII Weekend June 1st – June 3rd 2012 For twenty two years, the Mid Atlantic Air Museum in Reading, Pennsylvania has hosted a WWII weekend. I was able to attend the 22nd annual reenactment, and…
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Helmut’s Newville
The following is Bill Donegan’s report on the Spring GWA event at Newville: Newville 2012 For several years my friend and neighbor, Katz, has been inviting me to the WW1 event in Newville Pa. Since I collect WW1 German equipment as well as WW2 I decided to accouter up as an Old Prussian Sgt.…
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Great War – Newville, April 20-21 2012
ВанÑ! Рвот и они! Alexei, the number two man on the Maxim gun yells to his gunner, who is reloading belts. The Huns are once again swarming across no-man’s land. Soon Uncle Maxim is belching fire and death towards the dreaded sausage-eaters. Mortar rounds shriek off into the gathering dusk. Somewhere to the right,…
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Newville – March 2012
It’s February, 1943. The invincible German juggernaut isn’t so invincible now, but it is still dangerous. The Red Army is gathering its forces, setting the stage for what will later in the summer result in the great battle of Kursk. But for now, the lines are static, the nights are cold and the bleak silence…
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Torgau – Meeting on the Elbe
Submitted by Bill Donegan: Torgau 1945 It is good that Linda and I have been working out on the treadmill every day for months, and using the weight room. We do it to keep in shape for tactical. We had no trouble at Bedford last week-end. The only physical problem was that Linda wore a…
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Meeting at the Elbe – Old Bedford Village 2012
On the weekend of February 25, 2012, the 2nd Gebirgs once again sponsored their annual ‘Meeting at the Elbe’ event at Old Bedford Village. This is always a good event and everyone seems to have fun. There was a shortage of Allies this year, as the Germans seemed to outnumber the Americans (and one lone…
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Fort Indian Town Gap 2012 – Another Perspective
Bill Donegan sends us the following report on his activities at the Gap: A funny thing happened this year on the way to the GAP. Jim Barnes picked us up at our motel to take us to dinner. It was dark and Jim was not sure of the best way to exit the parking…
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Gap – 2012
Another January, another Gap. It is always one of the few things to look forward to during the deep winter… not that this has been much of a winter. Friday, I ran into a little falling snow on the way, but that quickly dissipated. The skies on Saturday were mostly clear and while walking…
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Events for the New Year
As we enter a new year, let’s take a look at some of the upcoming events for the next couple of months: January 2012 WWII – Battle of the Bulge Reenactment, January 25 – 29. Ft. Indiantown Gap PA. Contact: http://www.wwiifederation.org/index.html February 2012 WWII – Elbe River Event, February 25, 2012, Old Bedford Village, Bedford,…
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Great War Association Event – November 2011
GWA events are always a hoot and this November was definitely worth the price of admission. When I arrived at Newville on Friday afternoon, the parking lot was full of more cars than I could remember seeing there. With a forecast of good weather for the weekend, a good turnout was probably a sure thing.…
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Troops and Trains II
Here is Part two of Bill’s report on Troops and Trains: Following our train ride with the Federal Generals, we returned to the museum to guard tables for the Nowacks (WW2 Army Air Corp, and Homefront), as well as Greg Hall (Vietnam display). On the walk back we spoke German to some tourists who could…
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Troops and Trains 2011 pt. I
Bill and Linda Donegan attended the annual Troops and Trains event in Strassburg, Pa over the weekend of November 5th. Here is their report: Strasburg, Pa November 4, 2011 had dinner with Dave and Lois Nowack. Saturday November 5,2011 we had breakfast with the Nowacks. Linda and I dressed in Civil War attire and…
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Ike Farm 2011
On the weekend of September 17th, I had a lot planned. Some friends had asked me to accompany them to an airshow at Martinsburg in the eastern panhandle of West Virginia. This was an opportunity to visit some good friends and take in an attraction that I had not seen before. As anyone who watches…
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New Oxford 2011
The following is an account of the ‘Liberation of New Oxford’, which occurs concurrently with the Ike Farm living history. Another bravura effort by our tireless Bill Donegan: Linda and I found another great WW2 event just 9 miles east of Gettysburg. It is New Oxford. The scenario is Alsace being first deserted by German…
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Trolly-la-la-la
The Pennsylvania Trolley Museum near Washington, Pa. held it’s annual Antique Trucks and Trolleys event on Sunday, August 28. The 28th Infantry set up a living history display as usual and a fine time was had by all. This is a fun event with a lot happening for everyone involved. Naturally, there are trolley rides…
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Remagen Reenactment – 2011
Bill Donegan (aka. Helmut Heudlass) reports from the front at Tidioute, PA on this past weekend’s reenactment of the capture of the Ludendorff Bridge by American forces. I was wounded on the eastern front and was sent to Remagen to the hospital to recuperate. When released from krankenhause I was permitted to stay…
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GWA Spring Event
It’s spring, 1918 and on the killing fields of France, the armies are stirring in the mud and filth of the trenches. The Kaiser’s forces prepare for an offensive that will strike a decisive blow and divide the allied lines. The western allies including the new American troops and the hardened veterans of the Russian…