Pros / Cons, and opinions on Re-enactors

mlenoch · **Posted:** Sat Jan 29, 2011 7:38 am

Very appropriate re-enactor: Field Service Rep.

VL

mustangdriver · **Posted:** Sat Jan 29, 2011 8:11 am

Check one in the Pro side!

Russ Blow · **Posted:** Sat Jan 29, 2011 1:05 pm

When I bought my L 4 I thought about getting some period correct flight gear. In fact I still have most of my dads gear from his AAF days but then it hit me. All the period flight gear in the world wont disguise the fact that I am a bald 51 year old that weighs 240 lbs. Funny looking through all the historical pics of L birds and even through my dads pics when he was in China I have yet to see any pilots that looked close to how I look now.

So I gave up on that idea. The plane looks like it did back in 45. No way I could look like the pilots did in 45 so whats the point. So I will stick with my jeans, sweatshirt, dock shoes ( try getting on the rudders with size 13EEE feet otherwise ) and when cold my CWU 45 jacket. Then I will step aside and let the plane be the center of attention ( that is unless a Mustang or Spit show up then I become a footnote

)

muddyboots · **Posted:** Sat Jan 29, 2011 1:26 pm

Personally, I think if you are young enough to look appropriate in uniform you should be IN uniform instead of playing army man. If you are too old to look age appropriate, then you should quit play acting and accept you're an old fart and quit trying to be 18 again. I like seeing photos of guys who look age appropriate in uniform, but honestly there's something creepy about it. I hope to god I never see dudes reeacting my era although I suppose somebody will eventually decide to do it. No offense guys, you can do what you want, it's a free country. But please don't think wearing an era appropriate uniform means you know what wearing that uniform really means unless you have served. The only people I judge able to tell me what WWII was like are men who fought it, not some 20 year old playing Saving Priivate Ryan. Sorry if I've offended anybody. Just my opinion.

cco23i · **Posted:** Sat Jan 29, 2011 2:00 pm

muddyboots wrote:

Personally, I think if you are young enough to look appropriate in uniform you should be IN uniform instead of playing army man. If you are too old to look age appropriate, then you should quit play acting and accept you're an old fart and quit trying to be 18 again. I like seeing photos of guys who look age appropriate in uniform, but honestly there's something creepy about it. I hope to god I never see dudes reeacting my era although I suppose somebody will eventually decide to do it. No offense guys, you can do what you want, it's a free country. But please don't think wearing an era appropriate uniform means you know what wearing that uniform really means unless you have served. The only people I judge able to tell me what WWII was like are men who fought it, not some 20 year old playing Saving Priivate Ryan. Sorry if I've offended anybody. Just my opinion.

Just remember there were older guys in the rear areas doing OTHER jobs. THAT'S why we do ground crew as we fit in!

Scott

Mudge · **Posted:** Sat Jan 29, 2011 2:09 pm

muddyboots wrote:

Personally, I think if you are young enough to look appropriate in uniform you should be IN uniform instead of playing army man. If you are too old to look age appropriate, then you should quit play acting and accept you're an old fart and quit trying to be 18 again. I like seeing photos of guys who look age appropriate in uniform, but honestly there's something creepy about it. I hope to god I never see dudes reeacting my era although I suppose somebody will eventually decide to do it. No offense guys, you can do what you want, it's a free country. But please don't think wearing an era appropriate uniform means you know what wearing that uniform really means unless you have served. The only people I judge able to tell me what WWII was like are men who fought it, not some 20 year old playing Saving Priivate Ryan. Sorry if I've offended anybody. Just my opinion.

So what you're saying is, if you're not in your late teens to mid-twenties, don't bother? Sorry, Muddy, but I totally disagree. Not because I do it but because I think it's thoroughly enjoyed by those "civilians" who are in attendance.
We (Mrs. Mudge and I) are constantly being asked to pose for pictures with "civilians", by ourselves and by other reenactors. (It could also be because we're a handsome couple. :wink:

) I'd be willing to bet that, at least 40-50 pictures were taken at MAAM last year and in '09.

Mudge the photogenic :rolleyes:

Who wouldn't want a picture of these two?

cco23i · **Posted:** Sat Jan 29, 2011 2:21 pm

One thing too everyone has to remember is that many men in their 20's at that time looked older than they were due to a hard life during the 20's and 30's.

Scott

RyanShort1 · **Posted:** Sat Jan 29, 2011 3:14 pm

muddyboots wrote:

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

muddyboots · **Posted:** Sat Jan 29, 2011 3:23 pm

Mudge wrote:

muddyboots wrote:

Personally, I think if you are young enough to look appropriate in uniform you should be IN uniform instead of playing army man. If you are too old to look age appropriate, then you should quit play acting and accept you're an old fart and quit trying to be 18 again. I like seeing photos of guys who look age appropriate in uniform, but honestly there's something creepy about it. I hope to god I never see dudes reeacting my era although I suppose somebody will eventually decide to do it. No offense guys, you can do what you want, it's a free country. But please don't think wearing an era appropriate uniform means you know what wearing that uniform really means unless you have served. The only people I judge able to tell me what WWII was like are men who fought it, not some 20 year old playing Saving Priivate Ryan. Sorry if I've offended anybody. Just my opinion.

So what you're saying is, if you're not in your late teens to mid-twenties, don't bother? Sorry, Muddy, but I totally disagree. Not because I do it but because I think it's thoroughly enjoyed by those "civilians" who are in attendance.
We (Mrs. Mudge and I) are constantly being asked to pose for pictures with "civilians", by ourselves and by other reenactors. (It could also be because we're a handsome couple. :wink:

) I'd be willing to bet that, at least 40-50 pictures were taken at MAAM last year and in '09.

Mudge the photogenic :rolleyes:

Who wouldn't want a picture of these two?

No not at all. I'm saying "Don't bother at all," lol! Although I have t admit you two make a cute couple!

muddyboots · **Posted:** Sat Jan 29, 2011 3:30 pm

RyanShort1 wrote:

muddyboots wrote:

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.

cco23i · **Posted:** Sat Jan 29, 2011 6:26 pm

As I said before, as I HAVE SERVED for 27 years AND reenact I see no problem with someone reenacting AS LONG AS THEY DO IT RIGHT. We have many vets air and ground crews come up to our groundcrew display and they love it and say it's about time someone recognized the ground crews for all their hard work.

Scott

Rossco · **Posted:** Sat Jan 29, 2011 6:29 pm

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.

muddyboots · **Posted:** Sat Jan 29, 2011 7:28 pm

cco23i wrote:

it's about time someone recognized the ground crews for all their hard work.

Scott

I'm with ya there

whistlingdeath77 · **Posted:** Sat Jan 29, 2011 8:06 pm

muddyboots wrote:

Personally, I think if you are young enough to look appropriate in uniform you should be IN uniform instead of playing army man. If you are too old to look age appropriate, then you should quit play acting and accept you're an old fart and quit trying to be 18 again. I like seeing photos of guys who look age appropriate in uniform, but honestly there's something creepy about it. I hope to god I never see dudes reeacting my era although I suppose somebody will eventually decide to do it. No offense guys, you can do what you want, it's a free country. But please don't think wearing an era appropriate uniform means you know what wearing that uniform really means unless you have served. The only people I judge able to tell me what WWII was like are men who fought it, not some 20 year old playing Saving Priivate Ryan. Sorry if I've offended anybody. Just my opinion.

you seem to have rotten opinions here and there. you should be honored that somebody would tell your story and dress as you did for your country telling people what you or your company did. People here are just having fun and their not hurting anyone. Just because you're not 18 anymore you should stop doing what makes you happy? Everbody here if they wanted to can do what they want for as long as they want. If it creeps you out, walk back to your car and go home

muddyboots · **Posted:** Sat Jan 29, 2011 8:16 pm

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.

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