Reading WWII Weekend 2013

[Mark Allen M]

Hmmm!!!! ... well some of this works, some of it, not so much.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XmxnRIe5z0c

and hmmm!!! ... not too bad I guess. Actually not bad at all.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iKIHjfFkhI8

and hmmm!!!! ... well at least the outfits look authentic. Luckily for us these guys didn't storm the beaches of Normandy on June 6, 1944 or there may have been a different outcome ( actually maybe they did storm the beaches back then. ) ..



FWIW I haven't a problem with the "reeacting thing", to each his own and I certainly respect those folks who spend the money, time and effort on their uniforms, equipment, vehicles, displays etc., but the 50+ year old overweight dude running around trying to look and act like a teenage foot soldier just doesn't work for me. The old saying "A man's gotta know his limitations" seems appropriate in some of these displays.

Question seems to be 'Is Reading WWII weekend' a reeactors event with warbirds included, or a warbird airshow with reeactors included. I know it's a good amount of both but what draws the more attention from the spectators.

FWIW(2) I like the 'whole deal' I like the effort being put forth by the reeactors (even if much of the battle sequences look cheesy) it still looks like a lot of fun, and isn't that what it's really about? That and honoring veterans and remembering the past. A 'win', 'win' in my book. .... So carry on soldiers!!!

[Mudge]

We saw quite a few kids (12-14) with some pretty nice lookin' kit. Parents put a few $$$ into the outfits. I like that kids are picking up on the spirit of the event.

Mudge the reenactor

[Mark Allen M]

Interesting you should mention that Mr. Mudge ... looks like they were "picking up on the spirit" as far back as 1954

D-Day Celebrations In Normandy 1954

[Mudge]

I was about to guess that the pictures were taken in St. Mere Eglise but the street there aren't that wide.
Any idea where they were taken?

Mudge the curious

[Forgotten Field]

I am not a real photo-taking person, but I saw the Nationalist Chinese twice. I saw an officer by the O Club, and later saw four of them walking around. I wish I had photos of them as they looked real good. That is the first time I've seen them at the show and I'd like to know more about them as well. I'll see what I can get from the re-enactor coordinator.

[Mark Allen M]

I was about to guess that the pictures were taken in St. Mere Eglise but the street there aren't that wide.
Any idea where they were taken?

Mudge the curious

Here

http://images.google.com/hosted/life/90 ... 34137.html

and here

http://images.google.com/hosted/life/de ... b1172.html

[K3MSB]

I attended the show this year on Saturday. It was a very nice show and I was pleased to see the flying wasn’t hampered by the weather. Excellent aerobatic displays and of course how can it not be a treat to see the B-29 in the air and see it takeoff numerous times?

One of the things I’ve noticed over the years is that there is a lack of representation of WW II era electronics available for viewing. I plan on contacting the MAAM about potentially having an operational display next year. I’m currently on the air with operational ARC-5 units and have a working BC-348 receiver. This winter’s project is the ART-13. I think it would be great to have these radios operational and maybe let some kids twiddle the dials.

Someone said that this year’s show is a bit repetitive. I can see that perspective and agree to some extent. However, I think that needs to be tempered with the fact that there is only so many re-enactors and equipment available in the area from which to draw on.

[Mudge]

I was about to guess that the pictures were taken in St. Mere Eglise but the street there aren't that wide.
Any idea where they were taken?

Mudge the curious

Here

http://images.google.com/hosted/life/90 ... 34137.html

and here

http://images.google.com/hosted/life/de ... b1172.html

Thanks for the links. Very interesting. I could recognize Omaha Beach and Pont du Hoc but nothing in the towns.
(Mrs. Bradley was a very attractive lady.)

Mudge the voyeur

[lmritger]

I can speak a bit for my fellow APS (Aircrew Preservation Society) guys from the repetition point of view... for the past few years, APS has been set up over in the PTO section, and apparently no amount of pleading to move the camp to a different section has had any effect. So when setting up camp and gearing up, we're limited to gear and uniforms appropriate to the Pacific theater. The guys in the group have a wide array of equipment, flight gear, and other artifacts to support almost any theater (we're thin on CBI stuff, from what I can tell), but ETO is the definite preference because of the wide variety of equipment, artifacts, and flight gear combinations available.

I dearly wish I could have gone this year, but it wasn't to be... next year, however, my good friend Terry Friar (grandson-in-law of a 425th NFS P-61 pilot) and I are planning on building and bringing a squadron bar for the APS area, complete with radio, lighting, period glassware and bottles, and actual, modern-day beer and booze. I'm thinking it's going to be a WHOLE lot of fun.

Lynn

[Mudge]

I can speak a bit for my fellow APS (Aircrew Preservation Society) guys from the repetition point of view... for the past few years, APS has been set up over in the PTO section, and apparently no amount of pleading to move the camp to a different section has had any effect. So when setting up camp and gearing up, we're limited to gear and uniforms appropriate to the Pacific theater. The guys in the group have a wide array of equipment, flight gear, and other artifacts to support almost any theater (we're thin on CBI stuff, from what I can tell), but ETO is the definite preference because of the wide variety of equipment, artifacts, and flight gear combinations available.

I dearly wish I could have gone this year, but it wasn't to be... next year, however, my good friend Terry Friar (grandson-in-law of a 425th NFS P-61 pilot) and I are planning on building and bringing a squadron bar for the APS area, complete with radio, lighting, period glassware and bottles, and actual, modern-day beer and booze. I'm thinking it's going to be a WHOLE lot of fun.

Lynn

Lynn...Have you thought of telling the MAAM folks that your main focus is ETO and if they can't adapt to that, you won't be there. Of course, i'd fully expect you to be there even if they called your bluff, but the most they can say is, "NO". They can't kill ya'....well...they can kill ya' but they can't eat ya'. That's against the law.

Mudge the poker player

(Anyone tell me what movie that line is from? If you can't...shame on ya'.)

[TAdan]

Good post, FF. I wouldn't mind seeing photos here of some of the better reenactor camps.



August

Not the best pictures but I was very impressed by the SeaBee camp... Nice selection of vehicles.









The Naval Artillery spotter set up was very nice too.



In the spirit of the discussion... The gentleman on the scooter looked to be having a blast.

[hbtcoveralls]

I can speak a bit for my fellow APS (Aircrew Preservation Society) guys from the repetition point of view... for the past few years, APS has been set up over in the PTO section, and apparently no amount of pleading to move the camp to a different section has had any effect. So when setting up camp and gearing up, we're limited to gear and uniforms appropriate to the Pacific theater. The guys in the group have a wide array of equipment, flight gear, and other artifacts to support almost any theater (we're thin on CBI stuff, from what I can tell), but ETO is the definite preference because of the wide variety of equipment, artifacts, and flight gear combinations available.

I dearly wish I could have gone this year, but it wasn't to be... next year, however, my good friend Terry Friar (grandson-in-law of a 425th NFS P-61 pilot) and I are planning on building and bringing a squadron bar for the APS area, complete with radio, lighting, period glassware and bottles, and actual, modern-day beer and booze. I'm thinking it's going to be a WHOLE lot of fun.

Lynn

I spent some time at the APS camp and it really looked great. Things are probably due for a shake up.
Tom Bowers

[p51]

Man, these photos don't make you wanna go, it looks like a very small event and raining all the time:
http://photos.pennlive.com/4503/gallery/the_mid-atlantic_air_museums_world_war_ii_weekend_in_reading/index.html#/5
I'm not saying it paints an accurate picture, just saying how it looks if you didn't realize it was a much bigger event than this...

[Mudge]

Those must have been taken on Friday. We were there both Sat. & Sun. and there wasn't a trace of rain.

Mudge the dry

[jbenton11]

Does anyone have a clue what this is? I mean, is this a WW2 confirguration for a bike? I've never seen nor heard of anything like this before.

This bike is mine. It's an antique Schwinn Cruiser rebuilt with a small 2 stroke, single cylinder engine, painted and marked as WWII US Army Air Corps flight line vehicles were. I got the idea from a photo of a yellow USAAC flight line jeep with a B-24 parked behind it. I work as an aircraft marshaller on the flight line at WWII Weekend, and I think this was the 20th time I've worked the flight line here. Back when I built this bike, we had maybe four marshallers to handle the roughly 70 WWII vintage aircraft that frequent this event. That's a LOT of running back and forth on the flight line. Simply put, motorizing that old Schwinn has enabled me to do the job without wearing myself out. Before 2003 when I first brought the bike to WWII Weekend, I could barely walk by the end of the day on Friday, and still had Saturday and Sunday to get through before going back to work on Monday. She does need another rebuild, for sure. Did I tell you how cool the neighborhood kids think that bike is? You KNOW you're one cool dude when you're in your mid - 50's like I am and cruising around the neighborhood at home brings the kids out to the street cheering and giving thumbs up!