Funny reenactment stories

[DRKstl]

This past August I went to D-Day an event in Ohio. On Saturday night they have a USO dance. The unit I was with decided to go to this local bar/pizza place around the corner because there was a sign reading, "Germans welcomed" it was about 9 30 when we walked in. I was the only girl in the group along with about 10 guys. They were all dressed in the gear and I was wearing a 40s dress. The few people in the bar/pizza place just laughed and went on eating dinner. We took over the back section of the bar, ended singing (off key) German songs, and taking over the tv when a Rambo movie came on. It was a long night, but the bartender/owner invited us to come back next year as she had more fun with us and the other re-enactors from the weekend, than the locals anytime.

[Berthier92]

DRK: Sounds like a lot of fun ^^. come on guys, keep this Thread alive (i havent got any to share YET) im sure there have been many more funny or awkward moments since 2004

[LSSAH1944]

Not quite reenactment, but..
In the veterans day parade in NY today, I marched as an American Boy Scout of the 3rd liberty loan drive. My mom was a salvation army donut girl, and my dad wa sa WW1 US aviator. We were with the WW1 doughboys. When we were done, we all went to a restaraunt called Bill's. All the renactors started to sign songs, and one old man and us sang K-K-K-Katy. It was a greta day for us.

[SchutzeHagemann]

So back in 2009 I attended the Drive on Stalingrad in nowhere, Colorado. Perfect place for the "russian steppes" minus Pikes Peak in the distance. Awesome awesome event. Probably over 100 German Soldats marching all day with Russian soldiers ambushing us along the way.

Anywho, at the end of the night we had to stop because of some difficulties with the local inhabitants. We were hunkering down in the freezing temps in an old school house along the road. We had permission but apparently farmer Joe knew better and said we were disrupting his cattle (who were not by the school house but instead within a fence and were not disrupted by us.) He preceded to call the Sheriff as we were obviously the next Red Dawn (we were Germans ). He said he had way more guns than us and then drove off, getting back-up from his 18 brothers I presume.

After the farmer left, I began to notice an odd single white light coming down the road. It did not look like a civilian vehicle. I kept staring and the danged thing opened fire on my German squad! They were the freaking Russian scout patrol we had been trying to find all night haha. (I went on Recon earlier than night in a halftrack, but to no avail.) As soon as they opened fire on us the Sheriff turned on his lights and started screaming "Real World Situation!!!! Cease Fire! Cease Fire!!!" Best moment of my reenacting career All of us Germans just stood where we are with a " piss off" attitude. One guy ran out and fired at them though.

Sam

[LSSAH1944]

Hah, that sounds funny. Wish I could've been there.

[Berthier92]

i went shopping the day prior with 3 in my Afrika Korpgroup, dressed in uniform (myself with Pith Helmet and the horrible chocolate brown greatcoat) and talking german. a customer looks at us and asks me "Are you French Soldiers?" 0.o FRENCH!!!!!!! -.- i made sure he got a good look of the swastika shield on the side of my Pith.

[Brendan Hunt]

^...why?

[Dutch2770]

I have to ask. Why would you go shopping in uniform ? If im not at a reenactment I tend to leave to swatikas at home.

[DJMOON17]

Not really reeactment story, but here goes.

I do British WWII and I was unemployed and ended up taking my friends (that would be plural) advice to work with them at GIANT. Welp, the only position available was overnight, so I went for it.

Two weeks later, I was exhausted, angry and being yelled every ten minutes and threatened to be fired, if I didn't (drunk like two redbulls and start haulin' A** to earn my 8 dollars an hour.) I had just about had it.

So I standing they're placing Jelly and jam on the shelves, at about 6 in the morning, an hour left on my shift (which is always seems like the longest hour of them all) and an old man shuffles up to me.

"I love jelly. You ever have the apple jam?"
"No sir" (I always say sir.) (I also at this point in time panicking, several times with this overnight job crazy people have approached me with innocent conversations then end up offering me jobs with the companies that don't exist any more or asking me if I remember working with them at the Sunoco down the street during the sumer of 76, even tho I was born in 88)

Anyway...
"Son, how old are you?"
"22."
"You know what I was doing when I was 22?"
"What's that sir?"
"I was dodging bullets in the Ardennes."
(Turns to face old man, places box of jars on cart)
"Sir, you have my utmost and undivided attention."

Well the guy went on about being 4th armored, riding in halftracks and how he saw hundred of guys dying and being wounded to left and right of him, but he surivived. He said he still wasn't sure if he believed in god, BUT he suspected....that surviving all that and being healthy as an ox into his 80s, that god might have something to do with.


Also, I nice sentimental one.

At the reading airshow, in 2009 I believe, we had a gentlemen nearly collapse from heat exhaustion near our tent. We brought him in the tent and gave him water. Turns out he had been a Fallschrimjaeger in Italy and told two amazing things. First, apparently they were still doing jump excersizes for invading Malta...in 1943! In fact one of our members is from Malta and they both conversed in Italian. He also talked about how he had met a beautiful Italian girl and fallen in love with her, but he never saw her again after the war. He says he still thinks he can find her.

[Berthier92]

I have to ask. Why would you go shopping in uniform ? If im not at a reenactment I tend to leave to swatikas at home.

We had to get some food for lunch at a reenactment, so had to get sausages etc in German uniform because most of us had left our civvies in a locked van, besides, the shoppers didn't mind watching us fall on our asses every two minutes in hobnailed boots on the stores Lino floor

[Trackhead M2]

Dear All,
I have a funny story about recruiting for the Reenactment Society at a Gun Show in Peoria, IL more years ago than I care to remember: We were at our table in Fielld Wool Shirts and Trousers, leggings, etc. and some guy walks up to us and asks if we are WW 2 veterans. I answered this is what happens when you eat SPAM for 50 years; you're preserve inside and out.
Strike Swiflty,
TH-M2

[Robinj]

Last race to the bridge, we were hungry and in oosterbeek we wen to a snackbar. So with a original airborne jeep that was used in oosterbeek, a bren carrrier and 6 pounder anti-tank canon we stopped there in front of the snackbar. Everyobes face inside turned to use and as a whole group we walked in, everyone would be silent. After we told that it was alright(as british airborne!!) it went normal. We had it there about others like nice teenage girls from across the atlantic in w-ss uniform, it would be silent again.

Another thing before race to the bridge. One of the members had drunk almost a whole whisky bottle with cola. He was asked, you do not have to puke tonight? No said. You are certain. Again yes. At 12 o clock midnight we would go to bed, and the commander though i was not able to sleep because i looked still awake as if i could run around for ten minutes in the backyard. After an hour, when i was just sleeping, i heard Bleeech! And then was said, Robin, please give me some light. The commander went up stairs(we were in the basement) and he shouts That filthy boy(another name) Peter, he just puked on me. And he has cleaned the carpet the same night and he walked the airborne hike all the way with a hangover.

[Trackhead M2]

Last race to the bridge, we were hungry and in oosterbeek we wen to a snackbar. So with a original airborne jeep that was used in oosterbeek, a bren carrrier and 6 pounder anti-tank canon we stopped there in front of the snackbar. Everyobes face inside turned to use and as a whole group we walked in, everyone would be silent. After we told that it was alright(as british airborne!!) it went normal. We had it there about others like nice teenage girls from across the atlantic in w-ss uniform, it would be silent again.

Another thing before race to the bridge. One of the members had drunk almost a whole whisky bottle with cola. He was asked, you do not have to puke tonight? No said. You are certain. Again yes. At 12 o clock midnight we would go to bed, and the commander though i was not able to sleep because i looked still awake as if i could run around for ten minutes in the backyard. After an hour, when i was just sleeping, i heard Bleeech! And then was said, Robin, please give me some light. The commander went up stairs(we were in the basement) and he shouts That filthy boy(another name) Peter, he just puked on me. And he has cleaned the carpet the same night and he walked the airborne hike all the way with a hangover.

Dear Rj,
I recall a couple of instances, a time we did a McDonald's Drive through with our M-8 Greyhound. That was the only time I ever saw a person unable to talk as we pulled up to the window. Another was in Edinburgh (Indiana, not Scotland) we went to dinner in our uniforms. All of us in allied uniforms just wore class A's or Khaki's. The Germans usually changed into US Navy Blues. One of the German reeactors was wearing a Luftwaffe Dress Uniform with Riding pants and Boots. We walked in and People started calling him Colonel Klink.
Strike Swiftly,
TH-M2

[Berthier92]

RJ, did he have a monocle?

[Robinj]

Monocle? A one eye glases, no he did not have one. Or do you mean another monocle.