The spectators you like to meet at events

[hbtcoveralls]

Just thought since we identified so many universal types who show up at living history displays that make us cringe (see Lee Bishop's completely on point and hilarious topic) maybe we could share the spectators we love!

 

1. I'll start, My absloute favorite is "the Vet who gets it". Maybe its just me but when you can have a good Q and A with a vet of the time period you represent it is just priceless.

2. My next favorite is the good kid, you know the kind, not grabby kind of shy smart and interseted, fascinated by what you are teaching. These are rare, but one at an event makes up for a boatload of others.

3.Then there are the folks who see your display, go home and bring over some militaria they've had around the house and didn't know what to do with. Most of the time, if you offer to pay them they'll decline and just thank you for being there. Had this happen several times and it really feels great.

4. The military vehicle guy. I've been one of these myself and I always appreciated when somebody showed up at an event with an incredibly well restored appropriate vehicle and asked "can I park it here in your display" and then just heads out to enjoy the event. Instant photo op. Also great is the MV guy who insists on giving the reenactors rides. Big fun.

5. Active duty guys/ National guard and Reserves. They always have my respect and they really seem to apprectiate the small things in the display, like the K-Rats or the E-tool. I think they enjoy the contrast with their current gear and the antiques.

Please feel free to contribute any other examples. These are the people we really do living histories for.

Tom Bowers

[Corpl. Cleaver]

These are all examples that i met last week at the WWII Weekend in Reading, PA

 

1. The vet who gets it. Yup, love them, they love to see the items they haven't seen for 60 some years. Stories and tips about stuff you have (fyi a canteen cup or a spoon makes a great bottle opener) At the last event I talked to a 774th Tank batt vet, sharp memory and a real nice guy. Had a good talk with him.

 

2. The good kid. Love them, they show real interest in your display (and not "I'm gunna steal that" interest) always have good questions.

 

3. Vets from other wars. Always talk about their father being in WW2. Always interested, like the compair the gear to what they used while they were in. Stories of fireing .50 BMGs in the armory basement.... yeah..

 

4. The family. Family looking for info on granddad or uncle____who was in WWII. Some have photos and need help IDing patches and such. Always interested in any help you can provide.

 

5. The greatful new citizen. I have only met one of these. He was a middle aged guy from India. Realy interested in learning his new countrys history. Lots of good questions, I realy enjoyed the conversation with the guy.

 

 

6. The quiet vet. He just stands and stares at the display, gives you a nod and quietly walks away.

 

7. Vet from the unit that you reenact. Normaly can't get over the fact that someone would care to portray and remember their unit. Always lots of stories and memorys.

 

These are just afew of them that I have met.

 

Tyler

 

PS: Tom did you get out to Reading this year? You were one of the first reenactors that my brother met. We met you at a WWII weekend open house years ago. I think you were doing AAF MP or something like it, and another guy was with you doing a D-day impression.

I heard people talking about you at the weekend. About years ago when you did the mounted Cav (ust have been about 2002 or 03)

good to hear you are still around

[hbtcoveralls]

PS: Tom did you get out to Reading this year? You were one of the first reenactors that my brother met. We met you at a WWII weekend open house years ago. I think you were doing AAF MP or something like it, and another guy was with you doing a D-day impression.

I heard people talking about you at the weekend. About years ago when you did the mounted Cav (ust have been about 2002 or 03)

good to hear you are still around

 

Thanks Tyler,

I moved to South Carolina a few years ago and was planning on coming to Reading, but instead got the chance to do the 65th VE day in the Czech Republic (see the topic started by Audaxia cum Prudentia for photos) and couldn't do both. You guys are great and I'm so pleased to see you're still active and re-enacting. Those are great examples of the people you meet at events. I really like the new citizen, reminds me of another I met years ago.

Tom Bowers

[hbtcoveralls]

7. Vet from the unit that you reenact. Normaly can't get over the fact that someone would care to portray and remember their unit. Always lots of stories and memorys.

 

That is one of the best. I met many vets from the units I've done and it is an experience.

Tom Bowers

[kjones5452]

The wives,sons,daughters,of veterans who make it a point to come back after they have walked off and shake

your hand and the whole time telling you that you have no idea what that meant to him and how you have

made his day and that he can't stop talking about it because he thought that nobody would care. I can tell you

THAT will put a lump in your throat.

[Corpl. Cleaver]

The wives,sons,daughters,of veterans who make it a point to come back after they have walked off and shake

your hand and the whole time telling you that you have no idea what that meant to him and how you have

made his day and that he can't stop talking about it because he thought that nobody would care. I can tell you

THAT will put a lump in your throat.

 

Yes it will, that has happened to me too. It is a great feeling that you have made their day.

[J_Andrews]

Ref post #2 para 7 and post #4:

 

Years ago at an 82nd Abn Div reunion, an acquaintance of mine was there with about six of his fellow reenactors. He was in Class A's with the others in M1942 ensembles. He was a 1LT. Their unit of choice was the 504th PIR, and more specifically Company A thereof. Among the many WWII 504 vets who stopped to chat, there were a few from Company A. They got a kick out of their Company being depicted, and the LT had done a whole lot of specific research on that particular Company and could dialogue on people, places and things.

 

After a while, another vet turned up -- peeled out of the hospitality suite by his mates -- and he asked if the reeanctors emulated any particular PLATOON.

 

LT replied: Well, yes sir, we consider ourselves the 1st Platoon, as led by Silver Star winner John Doe....

 

"Hold on, young man! You are ME!"

 

THAT was a zinger!

 

The vet could not have been more pleased and they had a long chat and the vet shared some photos (for copying).

[Corpl. Cleaver]

Ref post #2 para 7 and post #4:

 

Years ago at an 82nd Abn Div reunion, an acquaintance of mine was there with about six of his fellow reenactors. He was in Class A's with the others in M1942 ensembles. He was a 1LT. Their unit of choice was the 504th PIR, and more specifically Company A thereof. Among the many WWII 504 vets who stopped to chat, there were a few from Company A. They got a kick out of their Company being depicted, and the LT had done a whole lot of specific research on that particular Company and could dialogue on people, places and things.

 

After a while, another vet turned up -- peeled out of the hospitality suite by his mates -- and he asked if the reeanctors emulated any particular PLATOON.

 

LT replied: Well, yes sir, we consider ourselves the 1st Platoon, as led by Silver Star winner John Doe....

 

"Hold on, young man! You are ME!"

 

THAT was a zinger!

 

The vet could not have been more pleased and they had a long chat and the vet shared some photos (for copying).

 

WOW!! talk about making his day.....

 

keep the stories coming....

 

Tyler

[hbtcoveralls]

Had some veterans of the Battle of the Buldge stop me at the Indiantown Gap re-enactment. They were all from the same outfit and told me that I strongly resembled their late Sargeant from the war. In fact they said it was uncanny. It really moved me.

Tom Bowers

[cco23i]

At our last display, a lady came up with her daughter and explained how her husband worked on B-17's and then worked after the war for an airlines. It was great hearing how he would have loved to see the ground crews finally getting recognition for all their long hours of hard work. Yup, kinda gave you a big lump in your throat.

 

Scott

[Captainofthe7th]

Good list!

 

These people, especially the vets, make it worth it. I did have one guy at a recent display who had his Uncle's Purple Heart - he served in our sister unit.

 

A number of vets will say things like "you look just like I did back in..." or the real kicker "You look JUST like a buddy of mine..."

 

Most of the old vets will just stand and look unless I strike up conversation. After that, I am wrapped up with them for a long time! They just love talking about their own history with someone who cares. More often than not, we shake hands and they beat me to saying thank you. I always tell them that I do it to thank them and I enjoy it. I think it makes their day as much as mine.

 

Rob

[willysmb44]

Good topic! :thumbsup:

7. Vet from the unit that you reenact. Normaly can't get over the fact that someone would care to portray and remember their unit. Always lots of stories and memorys.

Years ago, I was in a re-enacting unit that changed Divisional designations to match the event. One year at Indiantown Gap was showed up as 87th Division. A group of vets came up and I swear they were almost in tears that a large group of us chose to show up with their patch. At Armed Forces Day at Ft Lewis last month, I showed up as a “2nd ID Ordnance Section” display and a vet of that very thing came by and did a double take. He couldn’t get over someone wanting to show something like that was rear echelon like that. He really was excited when he found out I had his exact job on active duty from until 2001 with the same shoulder patch. He got his wife to take photos standing next to me, and lamented the fact he didn’t have anything to give me from those days anymore. Totally made it worth showing up for me.

• The person who has that item you’ve always wanted that they have no use for and just to give it a good home. “Hey, I have a [insert rare widget you always wanted here], would you be interested?” Then they either give it to you or (more likely) offer to sell at a great price. Got an excellent condition 1942 dated tripod for my 1919 that way! I’ve had plenty of people give me rare items over the years at displays. One neat example was I was working on my 1944 Willys Jeep in my driveway once, and a post-WW2 USMC vet neighbor saw my pack board in the back seat as he was walking his dog. He said, “Hey, I think I have some straps for one of those, wait a minute” and he came back with two new condition straps I needed!
  
• The vet who's doing a talk and you make his descriptions oh so much easier. A few years ago, I was set up at a day’s event where vets came in and did talks. Among them was John Hawk, MoH awardee. Turns out, I had one of everything he used in the action he described. He kept saying, “If you look to your right, that table has the machine gun like I used,” and it kept going like that as he used several weapons in that action. Quickly, I’d silently hold up what he was talking about. Afterward, he thanked me for having the stuff because it made it easier to talk about what he did without having to explain what the stuff was. How can you go wrong when a MoH winner tells you he likes your stuff? After he’d gone, I walked up to my table and found he'd signed a 5X7 photo of himself in WW2 and one of his MoH cards and had placed them next to my M1919 as thanks for bringing it to the event! A real class act, that man.
  
  
• Th future member. We all had to start somewhere. About two years ago, a nive lady in her early 50s came up to a public display we were doing and was thinking this was the best thing since sliced bread, took down the group info, all that. Never thought we'd see her again. Before 6 months had passed, she went from having interest only to one of the finest collections of women's WW2 uniforms and stuff in the US and is one of our most active members now, she has complete women's uniforms of things I'd never heard of before, dozens of them!
  

[mpguy80/08]

Ref post #2 para 7 and post #4:

 

Years ago at an 82nd Abn Div reunion, an acquaintance of mine was there with about six of his fellow reenactors. He was in Class A's with the others in M1942 ensembles. He was a 1LT. Their unit of choice was the 504th PIR, and more specifically Company A thereof. Among the many WWII 504 vets who stopped to chat, there were a few from Company A. They got a kick out of their Company being depicted, and the LT had done a whole lot of specific research on that particular Company and could dialogue on people, places and things.

 

After a while, another vet turned up -- peeled out of the hospitality suite by his mates -- and he asked if the reeanctors emulated any particular PLATOON.

 

LT replied: Well, yes sir, we consider ourselves the 1st Platoon, as led by Silver Star winner John Doe....

 

"Hold on, young man! You are ME!"

 

THAT was a zinger!

 

The vet could not have been more pleased and they had a long chat and the vet shared some photos (for copying).

 

My group reenacts/living history G Co. 505th PIR. Last year at the Indianapolis 82nd Abn Assn Reunion I was able to make it out on Saturday... I too was in Class A's (Ike Jacket and Wools), while my compadres were in 42 jumps... The old Vets would come up and ask where we got original 42s in such mint condition... that they were identical to the ones they wore "back then"... and stated the Ike was the best uniform they ever wore. I had one gentleman who had a memory like an elephant... he kept asking me if I remembered this person or that... or if I remembered this place or that... I had to say no to most of it all... but I began to realize... while he had a sharp memory of the places he'd been... and the people he'd been there with... I believe he thought I was someone he'd served with back then as he kept saying I still looked pretty young. THAT will put a lump in your throat...

 

Also, let it never be said that older Veterans don't have a sense of humor... At the same reunion, a gentleman and his way too inquisitive wife came up to the display. The Vet kind of stood back as his wife stepped up and began to ask about everything! What's this... What's that... Then she got around to the M1905E1 Bayonet I had on the table. When I'd told her it had been cut down from a longer bayonet, she asked how I could tell. Being a reenactor, living history buff, and collector of sorts, I got kind of clinical and began to explain you could tell it was a cut down by the way the fuller extended all the way to the tip. She asked what the fuller was for... and I realized I was trapped... the husband/vet was behind her laughing because he knew I was going to have a heck of a time making this explanation palatable to a wife. After a few false starts, where my rather restrained flow of speech just wasnt getting the point across well enough, the Vet just stands there and says, "Go ahead and tell her what a bayonet is used for and why it has the "fuller"... he says. I took a deep breath and told her that bayonets weren't working knives... they were used on the end of a rifle as a stabbing weapon, and that the Fuller's function was to break the suction of the body on the blade as you tried to pull it back out. He looks at her and tells her, "They call it the blood groove." She swallows and turned pale... and kind of stumbles off. He looks at me and says, "That'll get her for asking too many questions!"

 

I love talking to these old veterans... they are a piece of history incarnate... Relish them now... for all too soon they'll be gone.

 

Wayne

[hbtcoveralls]

Good topic! :thumbsup:

• 
  
• Th future member. We all had to start somewhere.

 
That is one I forgot about. It is rewarding seeing somebody go from being just an interested spectator to being a dedicated re-enactor. Met two brothers at an event we did inside a militaria show. One had long hair and they asked a million questions about uniforms, equipment and the like. A few months later they came to a training event with alll the correct gear, and then some, and no long hair. Became 2 of the most dedicated members ever, and great guys as well.
Tom Bowers

[Corpl. Cleaver]

 

a 90th ID vet!!! :w00t:

Do you know what regiment he was from??

 

Tyler

[316th FS 324th FG]

a 90th ID vet!!! :w00t:

Do you know what regiment he was from??

 

Tyler

 

Tyler, that is Sgt John Hawk, E Company, 359th Regiment

[Corpl. Cleaver]

I used to reenact the 359th but have now switched over to the 358th.

 

Thanks for the info Doug.

 

Tyler

[sgtbrown]

We were putting on an AAF display at some un-named, un-remembered airshow. One of the great things about displays is they often act as memory joggers to wonderful old Vets. This day a Vet and his wife, daughter and little grand daughter came up to one of our displays and the items there set him off. The memories just began to flow. Story after story. Memory after memory. It got to the point some of our gang abandoned their own displays to listen to him. This guy had done some stuff! As he spoke, his grand daughter's eyes got bigger and bigger. Finally she asked, "Grandpa, are you a hero?" With that, he went into classic true hero mode, "No dear. I didn't do anything special. I was just doing my job." When he and the little one walked away, his wife came up to us and said, "I have been married to that man for fifty years and today you got him to talk about things I have never heard or known. Thank you!"

 

It is incidents like that that make what we do worth every cent and minute spent! :thumbsup:

 

Tom

[hbtcoveralls]

Tom

 

The one with the long hair would that be Bob Travis?

 

 

Cody

How did you guess? The first time I met him he had a pony tail down to his waist! LOL

The next time I met him, He had it GI short.

Tom Bowers

[Jason G]

Out of a group of 10-15 spectators, the one who 'gets it'. Who really is interested.

 

The kid who actually WANTS to learn and is fascinated. These are one out of maybe 50, but they are a rare gem when they arrive!!!

[PFCMcP]

My pards and I portray I Comp'y of the 3/504th PIR. About 6-7 years ago, we had the privilege of attending an "Airborne Symposium" held in Longview, WA at a local community college. The reenactors that attended represented a healthy mix of 82nd & 101st impressions, but we attended will the sole purpose of meeting one particular speaker: Capt. T. Moffatt Burriss, company CO of Item Co. during the Waal Crossing and later firefight in the Den Heuvel Woods (as well as the end of the war). I had brought and had signed several books by the veterans who were there, including 101st vet & author, Donald Burgett, 82nd Vets John McKenzie & Capt. Burriss. Don Malarkey & Buck Compton were there as well, and I enjoyed hearing them speak. I particularly enjoyed a long sit-down conversation with Mr. McKenzie who offered some of the most poignant observations of the war and its effect on his generation.

 

But, the best interaction of all was that which we had with Capt. Burriss. He held the door open for us and told the door security, "These are MY boys; let 'em through!" Captain Burriss was clearly touched that we had decided to portray his unit; we were beyond thrilled to spend some time talking with one of America's most courageous combat commanders.