The Fort MacArthur Museum was the setting for a trip through time this past weekend. On Sunday, it was warm and the sky was blue while an assortment of 70 different reenactment organizations, dedicated to various periods of military history, enjoyed sharing their knowledge and passion for a bygone era. Armed warriors, from the Roman legion to the Viet Cong, enthusiastically demonstrated their skills on the old battlements of the museum.
Turning in to Angelâs Gate Park, my niece Fiona and I, saw a trio of Native American Indian tepees camped just beyond the Korean Friendship Bell. This startling contrast, on the hills that overlook the Pacific Ocean, boded well for an exciting experience.
After Fiona and I entered this portal through time, or in other words paid our $10 dollars to gain admission onto the museum grounds, we met Craig and Laurie, decked out in WWI German uniforms. Laurie, portraying a nurse, and Craig, an infantryman, are members of the Great War 1914-1918 Historical Society.
The two were set up in their encampment, complete with an authentic WWI trench and machine gun battery. Laurie sat at a table, laden with books about nursing and medical items from the era.
âThere arenât many roles for women in military history, except for nurses,â said Laurie. However, this didnât seem to bother her. âIâm studying to be a nurse so learning about how they operated during this period of time is fascinating to me.â âMy fellow nursing students, think what Iâm doing is interesting as well.â
Craig, on the other hand, is a little guarded in telling others what he does for a hobby. âThis is very much a subculture,â he said. âPlus I work in construction and those guys just wouldnât understand.â
Craig, though, is extremely dedicated to this pursuit. Heâs purchased authentic items from the period such as gas masks and even a 1916 Spandau rifle, which cost $700 dollars.
I asked how they got involved in this and Craig said it started with the Renaissance Faire. âItâs like the gateway drug to all these other historical societies,â he said. When I visited other encampments, several participants said they developed their interest when they started going to the Renaissance Faire as well.
However, Roman Castile, resplendent in his centurion outfit said, âI was inspired by Hollywood epics such as Ben Hurâ. Roman, who goes by the name of Theodosis, came all the way down from San Francisco to participate in this event. His organization, Legion VI, under the Roman emperor Hadrian, is based in Southern California. When I asked how he found this group he promptly replied, âThe History Channel.â
The History Channel was represented there as well. R. Lee Ermey, the Gunny, who hosts Mail Call, was present signing autographs and selling his DVD. The proceeds benefited the museum. He raised $1,200 dollars during this event and gave it to the museum director at the closing ceremony.
Fiona, who served as my photographer, took his picture and several others during the day. She enjoyed watching the mock battles, one of which consisted of British colonial soldiers against a ragged, cutthroat mob of pirates.
There was plenty of laughter, shouts of “Hussar”, gunfire and cannons exploding during the day. The participants often mingled to my delight. Civil War soldiers chatted with British Redcoats and Southern Belles walked alongside women dressed in the silk uniforms of the Viet Cong. All in all, it was an educational and satisfying day!
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1 kharol // Jul 21, 2008 at 12:20 pm
i really enjoyed the article on Fort Mac and the marine mammal rescue. Need more articles showcasing the San Pedro area.
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