Welcome to the fascinating era known as WWII. If your interests extend into the recreation of this period in our history, we can assure you that you will not be disappointed. We offer a unique and exciting type of recreation” that compares to no other. A caution to the new reenactor: you will trash equipment; so do not use collector grade uniforms and equipment, in fact all participants are urged to use reproductions where possible. Falling in foxholes, sliding down embankments, charging through brush, etc. does wonders for your gear. DO NOT TRASH ORIGINAL STUFF as your comrades will frown on that.
A: We each reenact for different reasons, but most of us feel it is important to preserve history as it really happened, not as portrayed by "Hollywierd." Another reason we reenact is to honor the men and women who gave their all in the Second World War. Lastly, we try to educate the general public about what really happened in WWII. We are also preserving artifacts from the war and restoring them to their original state. After all of this, the Raison d'etre is still the battles--the feeling of "being there"--this is what we are after.
A: If you ask most reenactors, you will find that we have all had an interest in history, particularly military history since about the age of 8 or 9. This is the common denominator that we all share "the love of military history." So, no matter what walk of life you come from we can relate to each other and get along with each other because of this common denominator. You will find many serious students of WWII in the ranks, and in between battles, you will have an opportunity to get an education beyond your wildest dreams. We have everyone from doctors, lawyers, professors and students to mechanics, businessmen and even the "professionally unemployed" In fact, people from every walk of life reenact, and each one offers knowledge on different subjects. We all become one at the events and endeavor to relive an experience that only WWII can give. Often, the only missing elements are the real shells and bullets!
If you are an HONEST and SERIOUS student of history, or just a pure reenactment buff, and wish to CONTRIBUTE to the hobby by being a part of it, then join us! However, do not just "take" from the Hobby, but also "contribute," even if it is only as a GOOD SOLDIER. This is not a spectator sport. We usually do not invite the public to our "combat" events—it is for us! We feel that the type of people we want will find us—sooner-or-later! We think of ourselves as a small fraternity where we can trust any “comrade” regardless of his uniform. The honor system prevails in this hobby, and to break trust with the system by stealing is the MOST serious crime on the field, and it will be dealt with VERY SEVERELY.
A: Well first, you need to decide which side you wish to portray: Allied (American, British, Russian, etc.) or Axis (German or Italian for the most part). Next, do a little research and look at the units that are out there; we have units reenacting both the Allies and Axis powers. Another important thing is to contact Yergen Koshyk, the MCA recruiting officer as he can answer many of these questions involved in picking a unit. You will also need to submit a membership application.
A: To be perfectly honest, reenacting is not particularly cheap. The individual reenactor is responsible for outfitting himself—we have no "Quartermaster" to just issue us our kit and weapons. A complete kit (uniform and equipment) can run over $1000.00 if you just go to a big vendor and put it on a credit card. But… before you start to freak out and run around like a chicken with his head cut off, know that most units have loaner gear and sources to help reduce this cost--sometimes quite a bit less--or at least help space the costs out a bit. We also have a number of good vendors on our links page to help you get outfitted with uniforms and equipment. As we said above, most units have loaner gear so that you may try it out and they will often help you get outfitted. For the most part, reenactors look out for one another, especially amongst unit members—it is a sad unit that doesn't look out for their own. Your unit will give you a reasonable amount of time to put your kit together—usually a year or so. For your weapon, we also have sources that can help you find the correct rifle for your impression--at a reasonable cost. For a bolt action rifle (German, British or Russian) expect to pay in the neighborhood of around $200.-$300. If you are doing American or want a fancier weapon from the other countries, expect more… an American M.1 Garand can cost over $400. Last, there are unit dues, organization dues (which help cover events, mailings and insurance), battle fees (around $15-20.) and blank ammunition costs ($20-25 per hundred rounds). So, you can see, it's not a cheap hobby, but it is comparable with most other hobbies.
A: The battle fees pay for mailings and other things needed to put on an event. Sometimes there are facilities or porta-jons. The organization dues and unit dues cover the costs of newsletters, websites, and other amenities, which differ by unit. In addition to the mailings the costs cover all of the event logistics: rent, insurance, food, etc. Unlike other time periods our events are NOT "public driven." At most, if not all, of our events, the public is not invited to watch--mainly this is because the battles are mostly held in the woods and out of sight of the public. Also, for most event organizers whatever profit is made is usually "seed money" for the next event. No one gets rich off hosting WWII events.
A: We will tell you straight up: WWII REENCTING IS NOT FOR KIDS! (despite what your wife or girlfriend calls you). It is also not a "baby-sitting" service—you must be 18 years old to carry a weapon and participate in the battle. With a parent present (i.e. reenacting alongside you), you may be 13 to come to the events and participate in other ways. This is NOT a flexible rule—we are in a hobby that, if one is not careful, can cause injury.
A: Of course! However because women were not typically allowed on the front line during the war, women need to portray either a non-combatant or… do Russian. The Russians had many, many women soldiers—snipers being a common role for them. This is the best way for women to come out and reenact. This is not sexist or chauvinistic—it is authentic and women fighting in the front lines just did not happen outside of the Eastern Front. We are portraying HISTORY, not modern feel-good happy-happy-joy-joy fantasies.
A: Unlike some organizations, we will not give you some fairy tale or sugar-coat the truth--reenacting CAN be dangerous IF you are not careful. We are careful, extremely careful, but this is NOT like sitting in an armchair--at the reenactments, the ammunition we use is "blank" ammo--meaning there is no bullet and in fact, no live rounds are allowed at ANY of the battle events or living history events we do. HOWEVER, saying this, blanks themselves can be dangerous (this is how actor Brandon Lee was killed—thinking that because nothing comes out the end of the barrel, it is safe—there is still the explosive force of the powder). We require all our members to attend a mandatory safety meeting at EACH event where we go over just what can happen with these weapons. We make sure participants understand and are especially conscious of the fact that they CAN injure someone with a rifle blank or grenade and to ALWAYS bear that fact in mind. The dangers of the hobby are demonstrated at the safety meetings held before each event. Any exploding devices (small pyro charges only--and only in winter because of fire danger!) are demonstrated. The test for grenades is simple: You stand over your device, squat down over it and then set it off between your feet—this works wonders on making sure pyro is safe! All explosives must be approved and accepted by the majority and the majority always rules. In this manner, the majority creates the event and you as an individual make the decision to participate in that event. It is a volunteer's war, and in this hobby, that term takes on a meaning as never before, because you are responsible for the safety of everyone around you!
So, saying this.
does all this mean you will get hurt? NO, but again, reenacting is not your armchair, not safe television…
it is living history.
The WWII “living battlefield” concept is based upon the participant's willingness
to forgo selfish motives and accept what the majority wants. Changes can be
made through proper organizational legislation, but the majority still rules.
This is a hobby where mortar shells (light simulated shells,
of course) can fall on your head, so you MUST always wear your helmet!
The event is as REAL as possible and yet as safe as we can make it.
Most SPORTS are more dangerous than our events, but the bottom line is that you, and you alone, are responsible for your
actions at all times. If you cannot be an honorable soldier
and accept that responsibility, then do
not do World War II. If you have any fear of getting cut-up in brush, trampled-on,
grenaded, scorched, scraped, cut, or otherwise visited by minor injuries,
then DO NOT DO THE EVENT! As in the real thing, your survival will be determined
by your ability to avoid such injuries. You will be totally responsible for
what happens to you, and what you do to someone else! All of this aside, you
will soon become a “veteran” and learn to avoid these hazards while watching
for grenades and mortars.
A note: you should be in good enough physical shape to be able to safely
run, jump, go on marches and do other soldierly things without being a danger
to yourself and your comrades!
A: The WW2MCA participates in approximately 5-6 events a
year. In fact, if you wish, there are events all over the country and you
could probably got to an event nearly EVERY weekend, but most of us prefer
to attend a smaller number to give us a chance to enjoy the hobby more.
A: We, as participants, take on a very serious responsibility NOT to injure anyone in our play. Be careful, be alert, and be responsible. Reenacting WWII makes Civil War look like child’s play and there is no comparison anywhere in the WORLD! It is a serious event, and you MUST enter into it with full knowledge that you volunteered. For this reason, you cannot show up and just participate by yourself. You must be sponsored by a UNIT who will vouch for your integrity and basic skills for taking part in the event. The interest in this hobby is growing rapidly. Each new soldier, if properly motivated, brings to the hobby a personal quality that can only be shared and appreciated in like company, thus, our hobby is a sharing of common interests. Again, be sincere when contacting these people. Listen to their advice and do your share to meet the highest standards of the WW2MCA and the unit you choose to enhance with your presence.
What you will discover is a whole new group of like minded friends what we call comrades. Some of these new friendships will last you a lifetime. Enjoy the hobby. But, we need to reiterate that safety is of PRIME concern to us and also to the reenactment community as a whole. We always have medics at events as many members are Paramedic trained. We take this seriously—it is not paintball nor is it a video game. Keep you eyes open and be careful. So, if you are interested in our hobby and want an opportunity to relive this most harrowing time in history, then join us! However, PLEASE, accept the event for what it is and ADAPT yourself to it—do not expect it to change for you. Learn from experience, and listen to your NCOs.