National Park Service

[Antonescu]

Received an email from the NPS and being asked to come this a potential event this spring to participate in a possible Stalingrad event being held at the WWII Memorial on the Mall in Washington D.C.

Two questions to ask and if anything else just let me know.

1)Any one ever do an event with the NPS?

2)If so, what did you do while there if you attended?

I might even be in contact with some of you to see if you would come or not as well!

[Oskar_2ndChev]

I've dealt with the NPS for a couple of Indian Wars events and to put it politely, it's a lot of BS. The only reason why I put up with it was the opportunity to do living history on some actual sites.

While we didn't have it so bad for Indian Wars, be prepared for all sorts of BS restrictions on weapons (not to mention DC's gun-unfriendly laws) and even on how you do your impression.

One event I did, we were issued a ten-page single-space set of rules and regulations which pretty much limited us to just standing still and saying nothing (OK, maybe that's a bit exaggerated  ).

Anyway, I don't mean to paint a dark picture but you need weigh out if putting up with their BS is worth it. In my case it was since we got to use historic facilities.

If there's a coordinating organization acting as a buffer between the reenactors and the NPS, it might be a better situation. While I've run accross some OK individuals, there's the overall NPS mind-set which often is very reenactor-unfriendly.

Personally, I steer clear of having anything to do with the NPS but your mileage may vary...

[Natalie]

Hi,

I am assisting a fine arts video that is requesting WWII reenactors who can provide their own gear or folks that we might be able to rent gear from. It will be taking place Tuesday and Wednesday, May 1st and 2nd in the Boston area during the morning both days. There is a stipend available. If you or anyone you know might be interested, please email me a photo and contact information. Thank you!

Natalie
nat.anatomy@yahoo.com

[prgeyer]

Back on subject. . . 

I used to do an event at Fort Washington, MD, which is an NPS site.  For a number of years it was a really good timeline event, with a good mix of impressions from ancient Romans through French Indo-China (and sometimes beyond).  While publicity was always awful, they always provided nice facilities, some food, and a supportive environment.  Then the head ranger retired, and despite having junior rangers still in favor of the event, the park became increasingly hostile to the reenactors.  Ultimately, being within the DC capital region, they banned post-1898 weapons, which killed the event. 

I think whether one chooses to work with the NPS or not really depends on the specific people you're working for.  Some value reenactors, many definitely do not.