| Show Living history from WWII at Janet Rams eth Staff Writer T I THE HE World War II Living 1 History Association WWII put in a guest appearance last quarter during a history class The guests wore authentic uniforms and brought live grenades guns ammunition and a white armored panel car supplied with a M 3 for its fire power Ron Shelby president of the WWII spoke about the association and its 30 members who regularly participate participate participate par par- in reenactments from WWII for history students and other social functions They are a profit non-profit organization organization organization or or- and their goal is to produce authentic reenactments reenactments reenactments reenact reenact- ments depicting the true experience experience experience ex ex- of the WWII soldier Shelby wearing the Pinks and Greens officers officer's uniform said that the German military had a bad reputation but that the individual soldier was simply fighting for what he believed in According to Carl Tim- Tim merman most of the WWII members are veterans who collect war antiques and andare andare andare are believers in histories of past present and future portrayal of ofa a German Panzer tank y 55 7 i oft 7 t J J. s' s Si Russell a member of the World War II Living History Association Association Association As As- is dressed in the authentic tic gear of a British field soldier division soldier was extremely extreme extreme- ly well He stated that the black uniform he was wearing was great for tanks because it hid stains so well He also said that he had spent some time tilDe during the in as a tank jockey Germany A self-proclaimed self British buff Bruce Morgan was wearing the original kilt of a major in the Royal Artillery of the British Army He said that the queen decided that kilt unhealthy for the the was British soldier and the uniforms were then changed to trousers Russell McGonigle McGonagle said he hemet hemet hemet met some of the members of WWII two years ago at a agun agun agun gun show and couldn't resist joining the association McGonigle's military experience experience experience ex ex- as a chemical munitions munitions munitions muni muni- and demolitions expert was apparent in his role as a afield afield afield field soldier of the British Army He had with him a bolt boIt action 1 Lee-Enfield Lee Mark III sword bayonet with tion He also brought five grenades a backpack full of equipment and all from the WWII era US infantry soldier Jim Mertin was equipped with a standard rifle weighing 8 2 lbs Ibs his ammunition and a backpack weighing 35 to 50 lbs Ibs The infantry soldier was vas directly involved in the fiercest fiercest fiercest fier fier- combat of the war George Jessop was very believable in his Nazi SS uniform His portrayal of the Nazi officer was effective as ashe ashe ashe he spoke about the background background background back back- ground of the SS forces Originally a paratrooper division the SS forces became one of the most effective and destructive of the Nazi forces Shelby the spokesman for forthe forthe forthe the association said that they reenact 1 actual 4 WWII I. 1 events 1 for the purpose of reliving history He said the members of the WWII hold no animosity or bias for any country's involvement or in any soldiers soldier's participation in WWII events and the associations association's members are arc individuals individuals individuals in in- who possess a great love for history I |
