A blog about reenacting and living history.
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HEAVY METAL – The Tank Farm 2009
For a real living history experience, it would be hard to beat the Tank Farm event. RKKA reenactors usually don’t get to play with the big toys, like the Fritzes and the G.I.s. Here we not only got to be tank riders on a real T-34, but we had another one as the backdrop for…
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Hardcore Ostfront event Lugoff SC Dec 4-6th 2009
This just came in this week from the 13th Guards. Sounds like its sizing up to be a great event! *UPDATED!!!* APPROACH TO BUDAPEST! Approach to Budapest, Dec. 1944 ( Dec 4-6th 2009 in Lugoff SC, near Camden ) Hosted by IR 134 ( German ) and the 13th Guard ( Soviet ) Registration 1200 Friday –…
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Cedar Creek 2009
The following is a report on the Cedar Creek reenactment by our correspondent, Nick Korolev: UNION VICTORY AT CEDAR CREEK This report should be titled neither rain or mud will stop us from our appointed mission. Weather wise the weekend for the Battle of Cedar Creek reenactment was a long way from ideal. It was…
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Bulltown Civil War Reenactment 2009
The weekend of October 10-11 saw the bi-annual reenactment of the battle of the 1863 Battle of Bulltown in Braxton County, WV sponsored by the Stonewall Jackson Reenactment Unit. Despite heavy rains on Friday, There was a decent turnout of reenactors and a goodly number of spectators for the weekend. There was also a quality…
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S.S. John W. Brown Nov. 7 cruise will honor women veterans
This just in from Patricia Patterson: Sept. 22, 2009 S.S. John W. Brown Nov. 7 cruise will honor women veterans The active Liberty Ship SS John W. Brown will honor women in the American military past and present on Saturday, November 7, 2009 in its annual Veteran’s Day cruise in Baltimore harbor. The Nov. 7…
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Williamsport, MD WWII Event 2009
Another report from our indefatigable correspondents -Â Bill and Linda Donegan: When Kim Bowers invited us to attend the ww2 living history event at Williamsport Md. We had no idea how much fun we would have. This is the second year for this event. Organizers Kim Bowers (RationingBoard@aol.com), Greg Henesy (G.henesy@airborne506.org), Joan Knode (joaneknode@msn.com), and…
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Need a Job? Interested in New Deal History?
Arthurdale Heritage, Inc. one of West Virginia’s connections to the New Deal, the Great Depression, FDR and Eleanor Roosevelt is looking for a full-time Executive Director. If you aren’t interested, maybe you know someone who is? So please share this information with anyone you know who might be interested. Here is the ad from the…
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Portersville Steam Show – 28th Infantry Living History
The weekend of October 3 and 4 marked the first time that Co. K of the 28th Infantry Division, 110th Regiment, participated in the Portersville Steam Show at Portersville, Pa. This is a very nice event which is put on by the Northwest PA Steam Engine and Old Equipment Association Inc. It offers an opportunity…
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Old Bedford Village – A Call to Action
The following letter forwarded to the 193rd Rifle Division requesting help and support for the Village: Dear Bob, I’ve just received our date to go before the Bedford County PA review board over these property taxes: Oct 29th at 9am. This is a ‘Call to Quills’ as part of a timed and measured response prior…
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Philadelphia Russian Mosaic Festival 2009
Thanks to Correspondent Mike (Misha) Momot for this article on this recent, fascinating event: Russian Mosaic Festival 2009 September 20th was this year’s date for the annual Russian Mosaic Festival. Part of a series of ethnic culture festivals held at Penn’s Landing in Philadelphia. The 193rd Rifle Division was once again in attendance to help…
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Historic Preservation Effort – Mercersburg, PA
This just in today. It sounds like a crisis, so I decided to put it here ahead of some other pieces: Karen Ramsburg October 6th, 2009 at 2:52 pm We are desperately looking for Civil War re-enactors to do a Living History on Oct. 10 @ 10am at the Steiger House, 120N. Main St. Mercersburg…
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Ike Farm 2009
Our intrepid correspondents, Bill and Linda Donegan travelled to the Ike Farm event at Gettysburg last week and reported on the happenings there. (We are having technical difficulties with photos. There will be several more added at a later date.) Here is the report: IKE Farm Report The United States Department of the Interior (National…
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Events Upcoming this fall
Here are some new events that I have recently been informed about, as well as reminders of others upcoming this fall: A WW2 period dress, Hangar Dance will be held at Carroll County Airport October 17, 2009 This is part of an Air Show October 16-19, call 410-591-3315 or e-mail www.collingsfoundation.org for more information. On…
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Review: 1940’s House
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” genre, which featured a…
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Washington Trolley Museum 2009
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…
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D-Day Landing at Conneaut, Ohio.
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…
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Old Bedford Village – Status Report
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…
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Old Bedford Village Guest Review III
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…
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NPR: Civil War Buffs Clash Over Proposed Wal-Mart
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…
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OBV Guest Review II
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…
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OBV Guest Review I
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…
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Old Bedford Village Living History August 2009
(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,…
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Upcoming Event – Old Bedford Village
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…
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20 Years of “Glory”
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”…
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Whatever Happened to the History Channel?
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…
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Battle of Rich Mountain Reenactment 2009
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…
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Forest Hills WWII Encampment
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…
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Upcoming Event – The Battle of Rich Mountain
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. …
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Rowlesburg, WV WWII event 2009
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…
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Restaurant Review By Bill Donegan
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 
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Rowlesburg WWII Living History
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…
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GATHERING OF EAGLES 2009
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…
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Reading Airshow WWII Weekend 2009
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…
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Guided Schizophrenia
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…
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Memorial Day Parades – Coraopolis and Lawrenceville, PA
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…
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Julia Pierpont Day, Fairmont, WV
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…
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Grafton National Cemetary Lantern Tour
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…
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Battle of Lewisburg – Report
The following is a report from our correspondents, Bill and Linda Donegan in Southern West Virginia: Report of the 147th Anniversary Battle of Lewisburg Living History and Reenactment May 14-17, 2009, Lewisburg, West Virginia By Bill Donegan This year’s event celebrated Abraham Lincoln’s 200th Birthday. This was my experience at the 2009 event. Linda and…
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WWII Living History – Brownsville Steam and Gas Assn.
This past weekend was National Road Festival weekend for the communities along Rt. 40 in Pennsylvania. I fell in with the local 28th Infantry Co. K for a living history encampment as part of the festival. We set up at the Brownsville Steam and Gas Association’s fairgrounds located 4 miles west of Brownsville, PA. There…
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Battle of Rowlesburg Reenactment
It was wet. That sums up much of the weekend of May 2nd and 3rd. In fact, the weather put quite a damper on what could be a nice little spring event. Friday night’s torrential downpours left the field wet and any areas not covered with grass were all mud. Fortunately, on Saturday, the rain…
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Battle of Lewisburg
Next weekend, May 15-17, 2009, the Reenactment of the Battle of Lewisburg will be held in that picturesque southern West Virginia town. The reenactment will portray the engagement between Union forces commanded by Colonel George Crook and a larger Confederate force under Brigadier General Henry Heth on May 23, 1862.
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Quest for the Graves of Two Brave Boys in Blue
On Sunday, April 19, 2009 Jim Barnes and I visited the graves of two brave soldiers that fought for the Union during the Civil War, Jesse Taylor and John Shanes. When I took the Civil War bus trip last fall (see related story CW Bus Trip in past posts) I had heard the story of…
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Old Bedford Village Threatened?
Here is a report I just got from Stacy Roth regarding a possible threat to one of our favorite reenacting venues: Old Bedford Village. It sounds like some overzealous local official saw an opportunity to make a quick buck, even if it runs the Village into the ground. Guess the geniuses in the tax office…
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WV Public Broadcasting: WVU students help preserve battlefield
West Virginia Public Broadcasting had a story yesterday about efforts to preserve the battlefield in Shepherdstown, WV. Students from a WVU public history class are actively involved in the effort to make information about the battle available to the public. Listen now:
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Memo From a Timeline Event Coordinator
Our staff received this intercepted memo from a source who shall remain anonymous: Dear Reenactor, Living Historian, Living Historical Reenactor, We have received your registration for our 7th annual “Timelines Through The Ages and Ages” event, and your letter of complaint. We do not refer to our Revolutionary War reenactors as “cross-dressers”. There is a lace issue, but…