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Annoying re-enactors interacting with the public...


willysmb44
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I like the Trailer Queen one. I’ve been accused of this as I trailer my 1944 MB (hence, my login name) to shows. This is mostly because of the lack of back roads, distances to events I go to, and I don’t want to commit suicide my driving a vehicle that will go 45 at the most on a highway. But my Jeep is hardly a “show quality” vehicle, it looks field-used and I have no problems driving it at events. But my group mostly does display events so often it doesn’t get driven at all (except onto and off of the trailer), the same as all the other vehicles at the same events. Thankfully I have only ever encountered one of these in recent years. I have an original M-41 jacket worn by a war correspondent, with original patches still in place. You all can imagine how rare that is. It’s also extremely small, probably as small as a 34. So at a show last year, a woman DEMANDED to try it on, although I had it on a torso mannequin with detachable arms. It’s a royal pain to get shirts/jackets onto and off of this thing. I explained that as well as how rare and fragile it is, but she simply wouldn’t accept ‘no’ as a viable answer. That was, of course, until I came around the table, got really close and said very firmly, “YOU WILL NOT BE TRYING THIS ON. I’m sorry, but you cannot try it on, wear it or even touch it.” Naturally, in her mind I was the jerk. I felt a little better when other spectators who’d seen her tantrum came up and said she was a nut.I can always tell when someone builds a model (or paints a picture) and has actually used the thing being represented. With model building, people model vehicles and aircraft the way they're used if they have used them in real life. Many model builders will argue paint schemes with one another yet have no idea they put the flaps on upside down on an airplane or have lose items sitting on a tank in action.

This reminds me of a model contest I saw a few years ago. One of the models being judged was a by an active duty Stryker TC, had modeled his old M-1A1 complete with lawn chairs and igloo coolers in 1/35 scale (hand-made but they looked great). You could tell all the people who'd served with mech units (myself included), they were the ones pointing at it, saying, "Now there's one built by someone who has been around them!" I had made the comment and turns out the builder was standing right behind me, clearly happy someone had noticed his hard work. I never found out how he placed, and I hope he did very well as his work was very good.

 

Killeen Texas IPMS contest... oh... 1993 time frame... I entered a Tamiya M2A2 Bradley with the interior from the earlier M2 converted to an A2 interior and a scratchbuilt turret interior to include the M242 Bushmaster cannon from the Bushmaster armed Hummer also by Tamiya. Along with this I had date stamped photos from my 1992/93 deployments to Kuwait with the 1st Cav Div (Operation Intrinsic Action 93-1 Oct-dec 92 and Operation Iris Gold Jan-Mar 93). The Brad was of my vehicle and included all the intracacies of the markings to include painted over markings, smeared paint and different shaded replacement parts. These photos included the interior shots to show just how I'd converted the interior to look like an A2. Well, when the judges came through, my work was judged not worthy of placement in the contest because it wasn't "dirty" enough in the interior. Several active duty people there observing this actually gave it the old, "KFC?" Even though the photos I had showing the vehicle in the middle of the Kuwaiti desert showed very clearly how relatively free of "dirt" and "mud" the vehicle actually was, the three vehicles that placed were all Israeli vehicles caked with mud inside and out. Needless to say, I very publically asked what the judges qualifications were to judge Armored vehicles. I asked had they ever crewed one? No. Had they ever been near one? No. Had they ever seen one up close??? Only in model magazines. I told him it was obvious he'd never even seen a real combat vehicle as gee... Israel is pretty much a desert too. In the middle of the desert you might get a lot of dust settling (which a crew would immediately sweep out during stops of any length and which my vehicle showed to a modest degree shown in ACTUAL PHOTOS), but in the desert, there just isnt that much mud around and all three that placed were caked with mud but displayed on a bone dry landscape.... My vehicle was clearly painted and assembled to resemble the photos of the actual vehicle and was also displayed on a desert landscape. I picked up my model from the table and I've never entered or even gone to an IPMS contest since. I guess the moral of my story is that you get wannabe know it alls who have exactly zero experience in just about everything.

Wayne

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I feel the same way about Call Of Duty and paintball.

If you really wanna "recreate it" and Re-enacting is just

a bunch of "wanna-bes", try simunitions!

Those hurt like !$%$

 

Simmunitions.... *shudders* I remember many a exercise wearing a poor man's crotch protector (a folded up towel in the crotch of your BDUs) while praying I didn't catch a round in the wrong place. I have a video here somewhere of a guy getting shot in the hoo hoo by simunitions... lets just say that you get hit THERE and you are definitely taking your hit. Period. End of Story. It was inevitable in hindsight... he was taking ill use of available cover, standing and popping out to shoot from a doorway. The first thing that ran through my mind before I saw him get hit was, "This isn't going to be good..." The sound track is pretty funny though... "Thanks for the nutshot sweetheartholez!!!" among a few other choice statements.

 

Wayne

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Ye might not get it over in North America, but ye certainly get here in the UK, the "Bitch about the Americans" guy, ye know, them who say things like:

"the Americans came in the war late"... "They arrived at the eleventh hour"... "They eventually showed up"...

 

This kind of person will also say things like: "welllll, ye know, they had all the equipment".... And their pet one is the "freindly fire" issue, despite the fact I was told by a British veteran of Sicily his unit fired on the some US planes flying overhead.... :blink:

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The "know-it-all", thinks he knows everything! Despite his poor "impression" he takes no advice given by people who do know what they are talking about, his knowledge comes from movies, tv and magazines. He has done no research (primary or secondary).

 

He really likes to show off too, often "impressing" those who know more than him with his "knowlege". His display is usually cluttered and while his clutter attracts attention most people move on to another area fast!

 

He sits in a chair most of the time behind his table giving the impression that he is a militaria dealer. But he loves to argue since he is "right" all the time.

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Willy, and my other continental cousin's...

 

Swansea is in Wales, not England... And England is part of the United Kingdom, or Britain, as well as Scotland, Northern Ireland, and Wales.... It's like saying "I flew to Texas" when ye flew to Washington, but ye think all Americans are from Texas and wear Stetsons, and of course, the US is called Texas*... Ye see, English people** have this annoying habit of calling our queen, the "queen of England" which she is not, and our passports, driving licenses and Army as "English", which they are not, their all "British"... There is no English prime minister, there is no US ambassador to England, there is no English Queen etc ad nausem...

 

 

*I remember walking up the gangway in Glasgow airport, heading to Canada and behind me was two Canadians, one saying to the other, "English airports are so much different from ours"... Glasgow airport is in Scotland, not England (for those who still don't know)...

 

**North American's also have that particular bad habit aswell... :crying:

 

 

Why just today I received a package sent to Scotland which was marked as "England" from the USA.... Imagine the furor if I said you Americans where Canadian... :lol:

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Sgt_Rock_EasyCo
Why just today I received a package sent to Scotland which was marked as "England" from the USA.... Imagine the furor if I said you Americans where Canadian... :lol:

 

We love our Canadian Cousins- We're all fellow North Americans! :thumbsup:

 

Just don't call us late for dinner.

 

Rock

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We love our Canadian Cousins- We're all fellow North Americans! :thumbsup:

 

Just don't call us late for dinner.

 

Rock

 

 

Aye, and that's right, but yer not Canadian.... And I'm British, but I'm not English.... :thumbdown:

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Did we hit the "John Wayne" reenactor yet? He is very similar to the "My unit won WWII" dude. I have been to several events where, during the public battle, these guys (always from the same unit) push far ahead of main body of troops so they can be the first to "storm the works" usually while shouting some high pitched yell. Somehow they manage to evade all enemy fire...are impervious to the machine gun nests...are able to dodge the mine fields, artillery and tanks...in fact they fail to seek any cover at all (so as not to dirty their impeccably clean uniforms and plethora of equipment) eventually bringing the 30 minute battle scenario to a screeching halt after about ten minutes. They then like to play up the crowd by giving orders to everyone else as they arrive (apparently corporals in certain units out rank captains in other units) and, the coup de grace, they often like to drag out the surrendering Germans and execute them for the audience.

 

I actually witnessed one of these blowhards stomp up to a German wearing a medics uniform who was performing triage in front of the crowd and shoot him. His "safety range" was fine but it was the point! The blowhard then announced to the crowd and to the incensed German "well he was holding a knife...?!?" Fortunately he was taken aside by an event organizer and was then forced to apologize to the German and to the crowd.

 

I just don't get these guys and I don't like what they pass of on the audience/public as factual history.

 

Just my two cents...

Steve

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I have seen that type, you should have seen the look on the "soldat" as he "fired" a full clip with his k98.

 

After each "shot" he expected the guy to go down, he just kept running. And pretty much "won" the battle. Too bad he cut it short and sort of ruined it.

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Yes, almost forgot about the real life video game character

 

These people never take hits and believe the whole thing revolves around them and the vast amount of really wretched gear they are wearing....

 

Thankfully this seems to be confined to modern time periods. Until "medal of honor: rebs revenge" comes out...

 

Or "call of duty VI: American revolution"!!

 

Or god forbid another "epic" (note the implied sarcasm) movie series comes out on hbo....

 

But that is fodder for another rant....

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You forgot one. The former military officer who can't do any impression UNLESS it's an officer's impression.
I think I might be guilty of that one. I decided I wanted to paint up an M-1 helmet with a 2nd ID insignia as I was going to put together a Ordnance Section impression for displays only. So I decided to put together a WW2 impression of what I did in real life. But it’s NOT used for tactical events at all, just when I set up displays. The officer impression is because I always wanted to paint up a pot with all those markings, and that on my shirt, you can see the Ordnance branch insignia to know what I’m supposed to be right away (and to know I’m specifically trying not to portray a combat arms branch person).

I’m doing the same thing with my Desert Storm impression, again for displays only, because I intend on putting together a lot of ordnance stuff to show the logistics element of the war, which was substantial. It’s to show the branch, but a field impression as an enlisted person wouldn’t show the branch with a cursory glance at the uniform. THAT is the only reason I’ve done this. I hope that’s not the same thing, but I’m willing to accept the slings and arrows if it’s not. At tactical events (either private or public), I’ve always shown up either as a Private or a civilian Correspondent. The group I do stuff with is a display-only group, so all of us usually just hang with our displays. We don’t “pull rank” on anyone else in any sense. The strange part is that when dealing with the public, I’m often asked, “were you a Captain in real life?” and when I say I was, it makes perfect sense to them then.

Hang on a second, ain't anyone who does public "battles" a John Wayne character
Good point. I refuse to do the “battle of the baseball field” events anymore. Some public events are done halfway decently, but all too many times, it’s in a mowed field with NO cover at all, and people are pretty much doing a Civil War battle with WW2 equipment and weapons. Back in the 1860s, they DID stand out in the open and shoot at one another in formation. I can’t think of any time in WW2 that ever happened, but many public events (regardless of the timeframe) would lead one to think that the Civil War tactics never went away!
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I think I might be guilty of that one. I decided I wanted to paint up an M-1 helmet with a 2nd ID insignia as I was going to put together a Ordnance Section impression for displays only. So I decided to put together a WW2 impression of what I did in real life. But it’s NOT used for tactical events at all, just when I set up displays. The officer impression is because I always wanted to paint up a pot with all those markings, and that on my shirt, you can see the Ordnance branch insignia to know what I’m supposed to be right away (and to know I’m specifically trying not to portray a combat arms branch person).

I’m doing the same thing with my Desert Storm impression, again for displays only, because I intend on putting together a lot of ordnance stuff to show the logistics element of the war, which was substantial. It’s to show the branch, but a field impression as an enlisted person wouldn’t show the branch with a cursory glance at the uniform. THAT is the only reason I’ve done this.

 

 

The only bad thing is when you get officers in that THINK they know what they are doing and try and take over events or units. :thumbdown:

 

Scott

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The only bad thing is when you get officers in that THINK they know what they are doing and try and take over events or units. :thumbdown:

I hear you there, Scott!

I was at a small tactical event many years ago, and there was one "LT" ordering everyone around. I kept giving him grief every time I saw him, yelling, "Hey, Loot, where's the best chow?" or, "Hey, Loot, the front is this way!" This went on most of the day. By the afternoon, he came up and started yelling at me, demanding to know what he'd done to me to warrant me acting like this as we'd never met before then. I pulled out my active duty card (Army, O-1) and said, "If you're going to wear those bars, you need to be ready to be treated like real Lieutenants get treated by the line soldiers." To his credit, he didn't say another word.

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Simmunitions.... *shudders* I remember many a exercise wearing a poor man's crotch protector (a folded up towel in the crotch of your BDUs) while praying I didn't catch a round in the wrong place. I have a video here somewhere of a guy getting shot in the hoo hoo by simunitions... lets just say that you get hit THERE and you are definitely taking your hit. Period. End of Story. It was inevitable in hindsight... he was taking ill use of available cover, standing and popping out to shoot from a doorway. The first thing that ran through my mind before I saw him get hit was, "This isn't going to be good..." The sound track is pretty funny though... "Thanks for the nutshot sweetheartholez!!!" among a few other choice statements.

 

Wayne

 

 

Wayne,

 

My dad's Police Dept. does training with Simmunitions a couple times a year, he showed me a bruise he caught during the training scenario. He had asked me if I wanted to play a hostage for the next training, needless to say I said no way jose!

 

 

-Nick

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I have to say that I stopped Reenacting because of many of these types of people unfortunately. Although I could not find a unit to be affiliated with because of my location not being close to well.... anything haha, so I was more or less a lurker. The only real show that I would annually attend was the Battle of the Bulge Reenactment at Ft Indian Town Gap due to it being only a 45 minute drive from my house, and the fact that I was in the 28th Infantry Division at the time... haha that's how I ended up meeting several important people such as MG Randall Marchi, and several Majors. (Shopping at the PX)

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Anyone seen the reenactor type that hangs around anything WW2 like it's a backdrop to "their" impression?

 

 

Yes and you just reminded me of some others that are very similar.

 

The Poser: Shows up at an event and poses for pictures with every body else, other peoples displays, aircraft and the setting. These re-enactors avoid interacting with the public because they are just at the event to take cool pictures of themselves.

 

The fashion plate: the fashion plate has an spot on impression down to the tiniest detail. They quite literally look like they stepped out of a fashion plate from the era. The problem is that they don't generally fit the event, their persona is usually too elite or aristocratic for the event scenario and they stand out something fierce. I've also heard them called peacock's as they tend to strut about in their fantastic impressions. They also do not interact with the public much as they just want to be seen and admired.

 

The other time period guy: If there's a re-enactment going on with in a 50 mile radius of this guy's house so he's going to show up in kit no matter what era it is. He will tell you and the public why his time period is better and he may even try and get in on some of the demonstrations. He will without fail provide unsolicited commentary on all the differences between your era and his to the public as you are trying to explain your display/ demonstration. He will also let himself into your set up with out asking because "he's another re-enactor after all" completely ignoring how he ruins the entire effect of your display with his anachronistic presence.

 

-Sarah

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oskar_2ndchev
The fashion plate: the fashion plate has an spot on impression down to the tiniest detail. They quite literally look like they stepped out of a fashion plate from the era. The problem is that they don't generally fit the event, their persona is usually too elite or aristocratic for the event scenario and they stand out something fierce. I've also heard them called peacock's as they tend to strut about in their fantastic impressions. They also do not interact with the public much as they just want to be seen and admired.

 

You especially see this type at earlier-period events and it gets really bad when doing either Revolutionary War or Napoleonic Era. And heaven forbid they actually DO anything functional that might get the pretty uniform dirty. I was at one Napoleonic event where one individual showed up dressed to the nines as a hussar officer (heavy on the bling). When I asked him where his horse was, he couldn't come up with a reply and avoided us for the rest of the weekend (I was mounted). Don't talk the talk if you can't walk the walk... :-)

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Yes and you just reminded me of some others that are very similar.

 

The Poser: Shows up at an event and poses for pictures with every body else, other peoples displays, aircraft and the setting. These re-enactors avoid interacting with the public because they are just at the event to take cool pictures of themselves.

 

The fashion plate: the fashion plate has an spot on impression down to the tiniest detail. They quite literally look like they stepped out of a fashion plate from the era. The problem is that they don't generally fit the event, their persona is usually too elite or aristocratic for the event scenario and they stand out something fierce. I've also heard them called peacock's as they tend to strut about in their fantastic impressions. They also do not interact with the public much as they just want to be seen and admired.

 

The other time period guy: If there's a re-enactment going on with in a 50 mile radius of this guy's house so he's going to show up in kit no matter what era it is. He will tell you and the public why his time period is better and he may even try and get in on some of the demonstrations. He will without fail provide unsolicited commentary on all the differences between your era and his to the public as you are trying to explain your display/ demonstration. He will also let himself into your set up with out asking because "he's another re-enactor after all" completely ignoring how he ruins the entire effect of your display with his anachronistic presence.

 

-Sarah

 

I've seen the first, tried to take a photo and had some guy "jump in" to my photo! Moved and he did it again! :rolleyes:

 

Ha, the "fashion plate", seen them too. Notice they tend to leave early? Guess being outside is too much! :lol:

 

Third guy, always see them wandering around. Odd way to get attention. :blink:

 

 

You especially see this type at earlier-period events and it gets really bad when doing either Revolutionary War or Napoleonic Era. And heaven forbid they actually DO anything functional that might get the pretty uniform dirty. I was at one Napoleonic event where one individual showed up dressed to the nines as a hussar officer (heavy on the bling). When I asked him where his horse was, he couldn't come up with a reply and avoided us for the rest of the weekend (I was mounted). Don't talk the talk if you can't walk the walk... :-)

 

One event nearly fell apart because of a brief (10 minute) rain shower that was really light, apparently the majority were worried they *might* get muddy, to their credit about 20-30 guys went on with the show. Oh, and the crowd who stood in the open during the rain didn't care they were wet. :blink:

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You forgot one. The former military officer who can't do any impression UNLESS it's an officer's impression.

 

Scott

 

Or worse, a prior Service ENLISTED MAN, usually from a non army service or non combat arms branch who insists on protraying an infantry officer. If someone shows up at an event with equal rank, the next event, his rank will be one greater than that. Keep in mind, they may have only been a wrench turner or bomb loader or some such, never led a troop a day in their time in the service, but insist on portraying an officer... a leader... and wind up really sucking at it. Yes, I've dealt with one of these too... LOL

 

Wayne

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I guess I did this once. Collings Foundation's 17, 25, and 24 came to town. I threw an 8th AF patch on my HBT coveralls and pieced together a mediocre outfit to see them land. I live in a small town, so there isn't any reenacting going on, except for maybe Civil War. I just wanted to be representing the grease monkeys and watch them come in like they used to. I rode on the 25 "Tondelayo" the next day and swapped my 8th patch for a 5th patch. Sure wasn't putting on airs, I'd have talked to anybody that wanted to talk, I just enjoyed myself. To be honest, that's about the closest thing to reenacting i ever did. I wouldn't crash a reenacting event in a uniform, though.

 

Anyone seen the reenactor type that hangs around anything WW2 like it's a backdrop to "their" impression?
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Good ones, Sarah! :thumbsup:

How about the people who have to show up as a specific famous person? I’ve never understood that. Now, I have done impressions based on specific people (War Correspondent Howell Dodd and in the 90s, a specific PFC from the 1st ID who was a friend at the time), but nobody famous.

I must admit it’s initially cool to see a well-done Patton of Monty impression, but after a while, you get tired or bowing and scraping to someone for really no good reason. If it’s true that re-enactors are only indulging their own egos, it would have to be the case for people who do this. You also see this a lot in Civil War re-enacting for some reason. I’ve seen a few “Robert E Lee” people at re-enactments of battles that the real Lee was never at. Go figure. I won’t name the location, but I know for certain that at one event, there was a coin toss between two E/506 units to see which specific person would portray Dick Winters. A pal of mine was there, caught it happening on a cell phone and later sent it to me. I’ve begged him to post it on you tube but he won’t because he’ll probably be shut out of events by both groups. “We do it for the vets,” they say? Baloney. If it was REALLY for the vets, everyone would be an anonymous grunt.

As for the “timeframe impaired,” I’ve seen that in the past but thankfully not recently. We do display events with varied timeframe groups every now and then and we’ll all look around at the other’s stuff, but that’s not the same thing.

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I guess I did this once. Collings Foundation's 17, 25, and 24 came to town. I threw an 8th AF patch on my HBT coveralls and pieced together a mediocre outfit to see them land. I live in a small town, so there isn't any reenacting going on, except for maybe Civil War. I just wanted to be representing the grease monkeys and watch them come in like they used to. I rode on the 25 "Tondelayo" the next day and swapped my 8th patch for a 5th patch. Sure wasn't putting on airs, I'd have talked to anybody that wanted to talk, I just enjoyed myself. To be honest, that's about the closest thing to reenacting i ever did. I wouldn't crash a reenacting event in a uniform, though.

 

 

The Collings fellows are GREAT! We do their "bomber camp" in Stockton and have a blast with them. Hey if you want to play ground crew drop me a line and I'll help ya' out with the impression. :thumbsup:

 

Scott

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