Let's discuss: Reenacting!

[DeoVindice61]

Yeah Vietnsm can be touchy subject but so does WW2.

Anyway I hear all the crazy shit from Vietnam scene in NC and SC or VA. (Saw that video and I believe that war crime moment was too far, and the book I read describe them as gun happy college kids with ak 47)  but it vary by groups. I'm currently considering 20th Century Marine to join. We do WW1 to Gulf War display as US Marines. (Myself will be doing WW2, Korea and Vietnam with them).  The other group Wolfhounds the president is a Vietnam vet. So it depends the group. You want to work with vets or museum not a bunch if gun happy farby college kids doing air cav with AK47 and Mosin.

[Duuring]

As from what I've heard, most veterans love re-enactors who do a good job. It's about earning the respect of those people, the real guys.

[DeoVindice61]

As from what I've heard, most veterans love re-enactors who do a good job. It's about earning the respect of those people, the real guys.

Amen. It also make them feel good as well. Make them feel appreciated. Especially for Vietnam vets vet, we didn't give them a proper homecoming. There is a WW2 US vet who loved this group who did his unit accurately right. He done and joined them. I had the honor to battle with him twice. Really awesome guy.

[Millander]

Veterans view reenacting on a individual basis. I have talked to Veterans who have said anybody who has seen real combat would never reenact. My grandma is disgusted that there are people who reenact Germans but also there are people who lived then who approve of it like you mentioned. Its strictly an individual oponion.

[Olafson]

And my grandfather seems to take it too seriously.
I showed him my Napoleonic gear last weekend. He started cleaning my bayonet and gun and gave me all kind of tips how to do it right. Every little piece of dirt and rust had to be completely eliminated, every scratch had to be removed... He freaked out that my trousers were slightly dirty and the belts weren't white anymore.

I get that during WW2, his survival depended on how he kept his stuff alive, but I am not in a war, if my stuff looks slightly dirty and my bayonet has a scratch on the bottom, it does not matter. I guess he also did not get that back in the day, during the Napoleonic wars, people did not have access to the materials and tools that they had in WW2 or today.
He ended up polishing my gun and bayonet for more than an hour, even though I already cleaned off all the dirt and rust earlier.

[Vincenzo]

Haha   at least he supports it.

[joer5835]

My dad recently bought me a couple of cans of WD40 for future use, I guess it's something.

Nah just kidding, he's also paying for a fair share of my kit, I love my dad, he's great and he fully supports me in doing this.

[Vincenzo]

My parents only have a problem with storing kilograms of blackpowder.. 


I heard some stories from people that did not recommend WD40 for guns, because its too aggresive especially to the wood.

[joer5835]

Really? I've seen people in my unit use it.

[Vincenzo]

First hit on google..
https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080717091224AAUNeL9

[Olafson]

Usually, I would use any kind of weapon oil only on the metal parts of the gun.
If you want to take care of your wood, buy some proper wood oil that actually is meant to protect and care for the wood.

[joer5835]

I wasn't gonna polish the wood with that stuff anyway.

Interesting read, but I'd like to consult with my unit first about what we should use.

[Vincenzo]

I swear by Ballistol...   Though use it on the metal parts.  It can be used on wood but could make it slightly darker over time.

It can be used on leather too.

[munky-wunky]

WW2 is sweet, just wish we had more tactical stuff on this side of the pond, but the displays and living history is pretty brilliant when done right

man that sucks just this past weekend I had a living history, reenactment and 2 add late day taticals

[Landrik]

I've reenacted on that land and I know quite a few of those guys from WWII.

That event was the first one put off, so a lot of people were scraping together impressions. The SpecOps guys aren't allowed at the Vietnam events that are up in VA, so that was the only one they could do. Obviously doing Dog Infantry is way better than doing some tacticool shit.

The guy who reenacted the execution is a good buddy of mine - from my old German unit. He's a Sheriff in Central NC.

The Vietnam event up in VA is pretty fucking legit. The reason my dad hadn't gone in the past few years was because of Gettysburg. Also, not enough gear to go around to make it a family event.

I'd love to get into Vietnam reenacting, yet I just don't have the money for it. I'm already pretty stretched thin across ACW, WWI, and WWII.