Why do people participate in Civil War reenactments?

History. Reenacting the American Civil War began even before the real fighting had ended. Civil War veterans recreated battles as a way to remember their fallen comrades and to teach others what the war was all about.

Are there Vietnam reenactments?

“In Country,” a new documentary from filmmakers Mike Attie and Meghan O’Hara, follows a group of men who are dedicated to authentically reenacting the Vietnam War. Many of the participants are vets of wars in Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan. Others are between deployments, and a few have not served in the military.

Do other countries have war reenactments?

Indeed they do. Canada has several groups (mostly in Ontario and the Atlantic Provinces) and some of those groups portray units from the country that tried to invade and conquer Canada (three times) as well as portraying American Civil War units.

Are Civil War reenactments problematic?

And some who take part in these events feel the rising tensions. While supporters see these reenactments as a great way to understand the war in a historical context, critics decry it as culturally insensitive and a way for white people to whitewash history.

Is Civil War reenactment dying?

The reenactment phenomenon is fading everywhere, even in strongholds like Gettysburg, said Kevin M. But it has always been about something apart from the realities of the Civil War, Levin said. Re-enactors steered away from race and slavery, and the war’s bloody toll.

What started the Vietnam War for America?

Gulf of Tonkin Incident. The Gulf of Tonkin Incident, also known as the U.S.S. Maddox incident, marked the formal entry of the United States into the Vietnam War. “In the summer of 1964 the Johnson administration was laying secret plans for an expansion of U.S. military involvement in Vietnam.

Does Europe do War reenactments?

The Europeans who are enthusiastic about the battles are no less dedicated than any American re-enactor. But the battle they’re recreating isn’t the only one they do year after year. Every year they come to recreate a different battle, often from a different year of the war.

Do they do ww2 reenactments?

Some reenactment includes Waffen-SS units, the paramilitary force of the Nazi Party in Nazi Germany. Although banned in Germany and Austria, SS reenacting groups exist elsewhere, including in Europe and North America. By the end of the 1990s there were 20 Waffen-SS reenactment groups in the United States.

Are reenactments scripted?

Commercial reenactment shows are usually choreographed and follow a script. Some locations have set up permanent authentic displays. By their nature, these are usually living history presentations, rather than tactical or battle reenactment, although some host larger temporary events.