Pros / Cons, and opinions on Re-enactors

[RyanShort1]

Personally, I think if you are young enough to look appropriate in uniform you should be IN uniform instead of playing army man

Just to play devil's advocate here, what if a person believed that the founding fathers intended us to have militias instead of standing armies... ?
Old King George III might have thought those country bumpkins were silly, too...

Ryan

Then that person obviously doesn't want the United States to exist. Let's not turn this into a constitutionality of a standing army argument please.

You missed my point entirely.

Ryan

[Zachary]

Deleted...

[whistlingdeath77]

I did say it's a free country and you can do as you like, Frank. Just don't expect me to fawn all over you when you walk up acting like the cock of the walk. I do have a certain respect for guys who do civil war reinactment. They're still little boys playing at war, but age doesn't matter as much for soldiers back then, in eithe rdirection. And of course they aren't trying to imitate living men whose shadows they cannot fill. You in particular I fund humorous as you cannot fly and wear the gear. Something twisted in that imo.

Why would you stalk me at an airshow anyways? Like i said, simply walk away and be negative all the time instead coming up to me and talking some warbirds. What do you care if i can fly or not? Would you be so happy if i could fly a cesna? I love being by the plane i love but will never own and i love meeting people interested in the history of the plane and i'm happy to talk to them and meet new friends. You for some reason always have something not so great to say and put me down. You probably think that time hasn't passed you by either. That you can still do everything you did when you were 18 but let me fill you in, it has. I'm sure you'll disagree with me because that's what you do all the time. Why can't you just stay positive and stop putting people down?

[Jack Cook]

Personally, I think if you are young enough to look appropriate in uniform you should be IN uniform instead of playing army man

You got issues with the Navy

Last year when I went to FL, Beachy and I were going to Fantasy of Flight. I grabed my flight jacket and she told me to leave it behind and wear
something else. When I asked why she replied that I'd be mistaken for one of the want-a-bees who wear their fake flying gear out there.
Well, #1 she was right and #2 WOW what a HUGE compliment
No offense to those into that kinda stuff but to me it seems sorta odd. But, to me even the CAP pimply faces pre-teens wear unis with 5 rows of ribbons
while running around barking orders look sorta odd.
Come to think of it I look sorta odd

[muddyboots]

YOu know I love you Navy types. Can't get enough seamen in the can...

[p51]

Few years ago heard a story of some re-enactors going through a Macdonalds Drive thru in a replica Kuebelwagen in uniform with a replica Mg34.Got a few looks driving down the highway too.

I get that all the time in my 1944 Willys Jeep. I used to have a M1919 MG mounted on the back. It's not there anymore but I too took it through drive-throughs like that more than once.
I'm the staff cartoonist for WW2 re-enactor magazine (it's published in the UK and can found at many Barnes & Noble stores). The issue coming up will have a cartoon showing exactly this.

[Dan Jones]

YOu know I love you Navy types. Can't get enough seamen in the can...

Like nobody here is gonna put a spin on that one...

[whistlingdeath77]

YOu know I love you Navy types. Can't get enough seamen in the can...

MARINES- My. a$$. rides. in. NAVY. equipement

[Hemiman]

Interesting comment on the A-2, Jack. I concur with not wanting to come across as a re-enactor. Now, please don't misunderstand, I see nothing wrong with re-enacting, when done correctly ( on site, not Mc'D's). In my opinion, you have distinct,different approaches to honoring the men who served our country. The re-enactors, who are keeping alive the "experiences" and those who wear replicas of our fathers ( and our) past to honor the individual. My A-2 has my dad's name, not mine, on it, along with his gunner's wings and the Reunion Sqdn patch. If some one comes up and asks, I tell them it honors dad and the guys he flew with. Nothing more, nothing less. If someone is "bent" over that, tough sh--!

Bill

[cco23i]

As I said you all would be surprised how many reenactors HAVE served OR are STILL SERVING. I am retired after 27 years in the Air force, one of our guys was in the Marines in Nam and has 2 purole hearts, our Captain was 82nd airborne AND we have 2 fellows STILL IN! As for the Marine / Navy comments, my good friend who was awarded 2 purple hearts in Nam always has a comeback to anyone saying the Marines are in the Department of the Navy, Murph always says "yes, the MEN'S department".

Scott

[Mudge]

OK troops...my last post on this thread so it might come across, to some, as a bit harsh.
Some here, think reenacting sucks and is a manifestation of immaturity. I'm sorry you won't, at least, respect our hobby even if you don't approve of it. A lot of the troops here have hobbies that I don't have any interest in, but I'm glad they enjoy doing it and I'd never bad mouth it.
I, and others, think it's honoring the greatest generation by allowing people (ie. non-reenactors) to relate to the history of WWII. After all, the history of WWII was about people not just planes, vehicles, and ships. It's my belief that every reenactor that dons a uni, from any conflict, should be able to relate a character background for the person he/she is "representing". Not just walk around in all the, hopefully accurate accouterment. After all, almost without exception, every plane we see at an airshow is painted to represent a plane that was involved in WWII. Each one of those planes has a story to tell. Why shouldn't each human reenactor?

Scoff if you like but I, for one, don't care. I'm gonna' do it anyway, thank you.

Mudge the outta' here

[the330thbg]

Scoff if you like but I, for one, don't care. I'm gonna' do it anyway, thank you.

Mudge the outta' here

Land of the free because of the brave (soldiers not re-enACTORS)

[Robbie Roberts]

I'm going to put it this way. EVERYBODY has their "WEIRD" hobbies. So what if MINE is putting on a 70 year old uniform and equipment, which I have invested hundreds or thousands of dollars of MY money into, and hang out at airshows believing I am adding "atmosphere", but in reality ENJOYING THE HELL out of myself with other like minded individuals while seeing aircraft we revere, or, alternately running about the woods playing war, and believing I am getting a better understanding of something I wasn't around for: i.e.:reenacting history. Maybe YOUR hobby is buying little pieces of gummed paper with pretty pictures on them, and getting all excited when there is a mistake on them, especially having spent a lot of money on something someone else may consider a waste of time, or chasing butterflies with a net, while other people look at askance towards you.

If you haven't been a reenactor, then you are only seeing one side of the coin. BUT STOP PUTTING REENACTORS DOWN FOR THEIR HOBBY. If it ain't for you- fine. But everyone has their hobbies, so get over yourselves, you stuffed shirt perfect people who consider reenactors nothing more than overgrown children. There are actually people who ENJOY the reenactors being there. They call it "Living History" Sure- anyone can look at a uniform and equipment hanging in a museum on a mannequin, but seeing the shovels being used, the uniforms on breathing people, etc. actually adds to the experience. And wearing the uniforms, carrying the equipment, handling the weapons- well, that gives the reenactor/living historian an appreciation for the fact that these guys dealt with stuff we've never encountered in our modern society. How many of you fine critics of reenactors have gotten up at o-dark-thirty wearing the same wool uniform you lay down in, pulled on a cold pair of leather double-buckle boots, and tried to warm yourself up after crawling out of a two-man pup tent on a cold September morning by walking around trying to find coffee, while the only noise in the world is the rest of the forest waking up? Nylon/Cotton BDU's and ABU's just don't have the same feeling- especially after two or three days. And then you put on your field gear- hard canvas and buckles holding a good deal of what you have with you, a belt filled with 8 round clips(yes- the Garand uses a Clip- not a Magazine) of ammo, and marching off to see what the day brings. Not quite the same as putting on LBE, or the latest greatest offered by the lowest bidder. How about trying to reload an M-1 Garand under pressure, and catching a case of "M-1 Thumb" where the bolt slams home on your opposing digit? That won't happen with an M-16 or M-4.(Release the slide and tap the assist 3 times, and say "There's no place like home, there's no place like home!) Experiences, however diluted by reality, you cannot get in the military today- period.(Do not take this as me spouting against the military- I am very proud of them, and of my service, though I readily admit I never did anything even remotely of importance when I was in...)

This is not playing soldier- I had that in the military. this is experiencing a recreation of history. You want to see a BS reenactment mentality? Join a USARNG Signal Unit sometime- talk about petty BS. I went Cavalry later, and it was high speed- low drag for sure.

And you know what strikes me? The guys with the planes, flying around, playing Peter Pilot, lord of the skies, admired by the men of lesser stature on the ground, desired by all the women around them, flying in their very expensive machines from WWII, well, THEY ARE DOING THE VERY SAME THING- Except their uniform and equipment cost a LOT more. Period. Same Thing. You want to fly as fast as a Mustang? GET A CITATION JET. You want to do loops, Immelmans, aerobatics? Go get an Extra... You want to fly a big, four engine aircraft? Go get a Boeing 747 and your ATP. But if you want to fly in WWII era aircraft, and enjoy them, and show them off- Guess What Buddy- YOU are a REENACTOR- like it or not- So get over it.

Quit all this bickering about how YOU look down on reenactors because YOU think they are just big children playing army because they are afraid to go into the real military: Many would like to, but can't due to physical impairment or old injury. Many ARE current military or VETS(I am now a "vet") and ALL are interested in HISTORY. (When I got into the hobby, we had WWII vets running around in the woods WITH us- now most of them who still attend events only stay out of the field because they are no longer physically capable- Are you gonna call those people we call "Original Cast Members" overgrown children and such?)YOU , who owns , flies, or maintains a WWII airframe are just as much a REENACTOR as those of us with old military vehicles, and who wear uniforms and "play army" Your "moral superiority" because you are not a reenactor is bogus. And so is that attitude. Get over yourselves- If you are going to put down the reenactment community, then I recommend you sell the shiny or pretty airplane, and go buy some artwork, so you can be a condescending snob in an area that needs more of them. Maybe a Degas, Chagall, or something, and you can go pick on people who buy prints of fine works because they can't afford the real thing.

If you can't tell, I'm kinda disgusted with this whole thread- I am a reenactor, have been since the early 1980s, and I am an aviation enthusiast, PILOT, A&P mechanic, and military vehicle owner. I have restored cars, trucks, and antique radios. These are MY hobbies- What are YOURS?

It comes down to Coke or Pepsi. If you don't like reenactors, fine. But shut up about it. I'm sick of the negative waves, Moriarity...

Scott/aka Robbie

[Robbie Roberts]

Scoff if you like but I, for one, don't care. I'm gonna' do it anyway, thank you.

Mudge the outta' here

Land of the free because of the brave (soldiers not re-enACTORS)

I WAS a SOLDIER, and an AIRMAN and a REENACTOR. Hell, I've even been an EMT, Firefighter and PILOT. I have walked the parapet edge of tall buildings doing antenna work. I have even FLOWN a JEEP.(Yeah- in retrospect, not the best idea) Let me know when you grow up.
Scott

[cco23i]

Get 'em Scott! I'm glad I am not the only one getting disgusted with narrow minds.

Scott