Allison Woods

Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined. --Henry David Thoreau

So last weekend I braved the port-a-potties and participated in a big event in Statesville, NC. At a patch of land called Allison Woods, four types of reenactors converged to put on a show for the public: Revolutionary, Civil War, WWII, and Vietnam. Friday was the school day during which probably about 800 kids were bussed in to the grounds for a tour of the camps and for demonstrations. It was fantastic to see the kids soaking up the displays and having a good time. Of course, the leader of our group is a teacher so he was prepared with flyers and a good lesson when the kids came through. On Saturday and Sunday, there were two public battles: Civil War and WWII. Both went very well. Of course, I am a bit partial to the WWII battle because it's the battle my group participated in. I almost didn't get to see it, but at the last minute some of the Civil War reenactors came to watch our camp so I could go. It was really fun to watch. The crowd booed the Axis group and cheered when the Allied troops showed up. I have to give kudos to the guys in my group. They were incredible and cool under pressure. The public battle went over well. Overall, I really enjoyed helping educate the public, but I also really just enjoyed spending time with the guys in my group. They are such a great group of guys. I learned a lot from them last weekend and am very grateful. If you have an opportunity to see a group of WWII reenactors in your area, you should really try to make the effort. Most of these guys put a LOT of time in effort in making sure their stuff is squared away. Anyway, here's a pic of the group. Not a great shot of me, but...