Ww2 reenacting downturn?

[rolf5]

I recently attended a Civil War reenactment in California after an absence of 6 years.

Based on what I have seen in WW2 reenacting, I expected lower numbers on all sides, but to my surprise, I found that not only were levels higher than expected, there were 9 new young adult recruits in my old unit! Also, several units that had become more or less defunct had been revitalized with an infusion of approximately 10 reenactors apiece...

Does anyone have observations from other parts of the US?

[unteroffizier38]

I suspect the 150th anniversary cycle of the Civil War will inflate those numbers for a few years. Remains to be seen if those are permanent or not; last time I did CW the average age was creeping up to "long in the tooth."

[Boogiewoogie]

I have seen some of the WW2 reenactors in our area, want to go do CW 150th events. It will happen for the next 4 years.

Martin

[cco23i]

YUP, with the 150th many old friends I did civil war with are dusting off their things and going. I got TOO much stuf in AAf going.

Scott

[twhigham]

I've noticed that guys that did both WW2 and ACW are (usually) going ACW when dates conflict. Fortunately, in Florida there weren't many major battles. We didn't have our Manassas, or Gettysburg, or Vicksburg, or Richmond, so we don't have the same level of consciousness burned into our memory about the conflict. It's not like Sherman marched to Miami and looted South Beach or anything.

[mburch66]

^ I agree. If I still lived near the South I would never have even started doing WWII again. As a whole, I find ACW is much more fun and exciting than WWII events.

[137e R.I.]

With the year 2014 on the horizon, I would imagine that there may be a brief spike in interests regarding WW 1 re-enacting. I know I've already begun preparing for this, though I wonder if for the ocassion there will be many WW 1 themed events to attend, or anymore than exist already. I do not believe it would diminish the level of interests or numbers in WW2 re-enacting very much, if at all. Nevertheless, with the 100th anniversary of WW 1 coming soon, it will be something to watch for and I'll be ready for it.

-yb

[Boogiewoogie]

Oct 27, 2011 14:28:52 GMT -5 mburch66 said:

^ I agree. If I still lived near the South I would never have even started doing WWII again. As a whole, I find ACW is much more fun and exciting than WWII events.

You should have came to the last event. I fell out with your unit, we had a good time.

Martin

[mburch66]

Martin,
I hear it was a really good event. Unfortunately work got in the way! I have to find a way to make money by reenacting.

[Railsplitter]

I think we will get a small bump in WWI reenacting due to the anniversary, but it will probably match the massive influx from the release of The Pacific, which was a relative non-event. The new WWI site in Parsons, Kansas will help them do more WWI in this area. We don't really have many who bounce between WWII and ACW here. Most do one or the other. The latest recruit for a german unit here came from the SCA!

LTC Tim

[sweatlock]

Well, let's look at some of the reasons why ACW may be more popular than WW2 reenacting, shall we?

1.) You can have long hair
2.) You can have a beard, sideburns, mustache, etc.
3.) Making your own clothing, uniform, etc., is not only allowed but encouraged
4.) Making your own blanks consists of a paper tube and some gunpowder
5.) No FFL, no form 5320.20, etc., etc. needed
6.) Tied in with # 5, no $40K MG42, no $8K MP40, no $15K Tommy-gun needed - weapons are typically replicas or reproductions, and their cost can actually decrease over time, especially for used examples
7.) You can be out of shape and/or really old/young and still participate - being on the firing line isn't too strenuous
8.) It's easier to recreate battles authentically - cavalry and artillery aren't too difficult to recreate, whereas recreating WW2 artillery strikes, P-51/FW-190A-8 air support, King Tigers, etc. is
9.) Many units "galvanize" thus removing a lot of the stigma from portraying Confederate Troops - this also gives reenactors a better sense of unity so that there's not as much "us" vs. "them"
10.) A truly unique American experience

[Boogiewoogie]

To be honest, I would rather do something 19th Century for living history. It is easier to explain things like the American Civil War, then the huge conflict that WW2 was.

Western Indian Wars relates to local events in the past, vs something 1000's of miles away.

There is a myriad of things different. Sometimes I miss it, but not for too long.

Martin

[mburch66]

I agree. I would love to go back to ACW, but I really dont wanna have to travel back to MS, TX, etc. for the events that I used to go to. Once a year in NM doesn't appeal to me. So, for now, it is WWII - and, God, like I need another hobby, I am thinking about WWI.

[m20ben]

You know it is the 70th anniversary of US involvement in the war.

[TarawaJon]

Hair grows back and short to no hair is much easier to maintain; I need to shave every day so my beard will come back; I have no time or desire to make uniforms or blanks; machine guns 'nuff said; and at times I can ride in jeeps and trucks. By the way being out of shape is not a good thing. Yes it is "American" you got me there and I may even try Civil War some time.

Here in the Midwest most WWII units I have observed and talked to seem to be holding their numbers and some are picking up people. Not hordes but a good trickle of new people. Some of the German units seem to be picking up younger people.

[sweatlock]

Oct 31, 2011 16:46:32 GMT -5 TarawaJon said:

Hair grows back and short to no hair is much easier to maintain; I need to shave every day so my beard will come back; I have no time or desire to make uniforms or blanks; machine guns 'nuff said; and at times I can ride in jeeps and trucks. By the way being out of shape is not a good thing. Yes it is "American" you got me there and I may even try Civil War some time.

Here in the Midwest most WWII units I have observed and talked to seem to be holding their numbers and some are picking up people. Not hordes but a good trickle of new people. Some of the German units seem to be picking up younger people.

I agree and I'm not saying ACW is better or worse than WW2. The list is just something I threw together to show some reasons as to why ACW may be more popular.

The fact that ACW is more popular than WW2, and always has been, cannot be disputed.

Btw, regarding point # 9, this is more important than most folks realize - for many U.S. G.I. reenactors their only experience prior to reenacting is video games and Tarantino movies. The term "Nazi soldier" is thrown about quite often nowadays at events, parroting what was read in a new review in PC Gamer.

Having been in WW2 reenacting for 28 years, I have to say that this is something new for me - just for the record, I'm a registered Republican.

[Railsplitter]

ACW had about 15-20 year jump start on WWII as well. Also, the access to original battlefields helps a lot in this. We will never have this in the US, unless we are reenacting the Japanese sub shooting the baseball diamond at Fort Stevens, or a balloon bomb landing in Gearhart Mountain.

LTC Tim

[TarawaJon]

A little more seriously, overall in my area I am just not seeing a downturn. There are more events and more people wanting to put together events. Not all the events are huge but you have several choices per month from April to July and the same from Sept to Dec. Several years ago I recall the early summer months were practically empty. The troops do not seem to buy as much at the vendors but it seems like they are still spending mainly between themselves. To promote WWII reenacting we need to continue to find ways to include those younger people who have some interest. I do not see a falling off for WWII interest.

[Boogiewoogie]

There are many factors that WW2 has been less popular.

Dad didn't fight in the CW. My uncle got CW reenacting, he could never really understand the WW2 thing.

There is something romantic about the Lost Cause. If you think the same thing about the Nazi's, most people think you have issues.

The upsurge in WW2 living history in the 21st Century, has opened a door to those that found running around in the woods silly. There were those that found it difficult to find clothing and gear that fit. The CW crowd had lots of repros. You could be in less physical shape and participate.

The vets could tell their own stories. There were millions of them. The story didn't need reenactors to help tell it. The CW reenactors were the link to the vets.

Blanks were cheaper. The only thing that compared were .308. I know a couple of people that this was a factor.

The CW military is a foreign concept to most. How many times have WW2 reenactors believed that their military service is exactly the same?

There are a myriad of reasons.

Martin

[Railsplitter]

There isn't anything romantic to me about the Lost Cause, but then again I am an Illinois yankee. The lost causers are one of the big reasons why I probably won't ever do CW.

LTC Tim