Living History Weekend and School Day

March 22-24,2024

Thank you for your interest in volunteering and/or participating in the Museum of the American G.I.’s Living History Weekend on March 22 & 24,2024.  The Living History Weekend aims to allow the public to experience military history in a more intimate and meaningful way through living history displays, demonstrations, and battle reenactments. The public can explore camp life by touring Civil War, WWI, WWII, and Vietnam Living History displays. There will also be an impressive collection of historic, running WWII and later-era military vehicles, including WWII Sherman tanks, M18 Hellcats, and various German vehicles.

WAYS YOU CAN PARTICIPATE

You can participate in this event in many ways, from setting up a living history display for the public to tour to participating in the WWI and WWII battle reenactments to simply displaying your military vehicle.

The living history displays and period camps are not limited to WWII US and German impressions.  All Allied and Axis impressions and those from earlier or more recent conflicts are welcomed.  Friday’s Living History School Day is an excellent educational opportunity for you to present your displays and period camps to interested school kids.  Likewise, we encourage the public to come early on Saturday/Sunday and stay all day to enjoy the displays.

To further engage the public, we have other activities that encourage public participation.  We will have a dedicated area for Military Vehicle displays and special demonstrations throughout the day.  We are happy to set aside time and space for new demonstrations, so please let us know if you have a special demonstration that you would like to perform. 

All event activities (except vendors) will be at the top of the hill.  There will be two (2) reenactment arenas with the information/ticket/food/living history displays between the two arenas.  Spectators will be driven to the area in WWII trucks and dropped off in front of the Information tent.  There will be three (3) WWI skirmishes, three (3) WWII skirmishes and two (2) Vietnam Era skirmishes over the two days of the event.  

REGISTRATION  – CLOSED to BATTLE ONLY PARTICIPANTS and INDIVIDUALS NOT ASSOCIATED WITH A REGISTERED GROUP

WAIVER HOLD HARMLESS  2024 –  Fill out and bring with you

MEDICAL FORM Fillable  – Fill out and bring two copies with you (one you will keep on your person at all times, and the other will be held by either your unit commander or the museum)

GENERAL ARRIVAL AND SETUP INFORMATION – will be emailed to all registered participants

AUTHENTICITY STANDARDS

We ask that everyone participating in the Living History displays or the WWI, WWII, and Vietnam era skirmishes be correctly uniformed for your impression during the open hours.  During public hours, please disguise or hide modern personal items from view.  For those who will participate in the WWI and WWII battles, we ask that you wear period-correct uniforms, use period-correct guns, limit (remove) facial hair, and do not wear visible modern jewelry and/or sunglasses.  These simple restrictions increase the spectator’s enjoyment, many of whom take pictures.  Nothing is more disappointing than getting a wonderful photo to find someone or something not period correct.  Curse those plastic water bottles and Coke cans, which have ruined many good shots!

SAFETY RULES AND REGULATIONS

The purpose of these rules is to create a safe environment for the reenactor, especially for the public during living history displays and public demonstrations/shows. While authenticity in appearance (uniforms and equipment) is important to properly educate others about military history, of paramount importance is safety. Everyone has a responsibility to adhere to the highest possible safety standards.

The Museum of the American G.I. Board of Directors and Armored Support Volunteers are covered with personal injury, organizational liability, and personal liability insurance. Individuals and units are highly encouraged to obtain personal liability insurance. The Museum of the American G.I. leaves authenticity standards to individual units.

The term participants apply to reenactors, Living Historians, AND vendors.

I. General Event and Safety Guidelines

A. All participants must check-in/register upon arrival before setting up unless prior arrangements have been made
B. All participants must sign the MAGI Hold Harmless / Liability Waiver
C. All reenactors must keep a current medical form on their person during the battle reenactment and have one on file with MAGI or their unit commander
D. All participants must follow all city and state laws and ordinances.
E. All participants agree to abide by the MAGI safety procedure
F. Absolutely NO LIVE AMMUNITION will be brought to any MAGI Sponsored Event. This applies to ammunition brought to sell, trade or display.
G. Absolutely no gun or ammunition can be sold
H. Absolutely NO LOADED WEAPONS at any time until the time of the battle or authorized demonstration.
I. All motor vehicles must be driven by a licensed driver in a safe and sensible manner.
J. No one is to ride on or outside of a vehicle unless they are a trained member of the crew of that vehicle or have been given permission to do so by the owners of said vehicle.
K. Please respect our neighbors’ property. Do not attach or hang any items on fences.
L. All trash must be deposited in a dumpster or designated area at the end of the event.

II. Camp Safety:

A. Keep your camping area CLEAN. Leave your area as clean or cleaner than you found it. Do NOT leave trash in your campsite or vendor space.
B. Camps must be neat and well organized, with clear walkways through and around the camps.
C. Campfires are not allowed under any circumstances when a county burn ban is in effect
D. Be careful with campfires at all times. DO NOT leave any fires unattended for any reason

1. All fires will be enclosed in proper stoves, fire pits, steel plates, or fire boxes not to exceed an area of four (4) feet in diameter. All flammable material such as limbs, leaves, and so on shall be cleared from the fire area for a distance of four (4) feet in all directions.
2. Axes and hatchets (bladed tools) must not be left around campfires, wood piles, or in walkway areas, but rather they must be sheathed and put in a secured area such as a tent, vehicle, or chest
3. Fires must be at an appropriate distance from tents.
4. Children must not be allowed to tend fires without close adult supervision; no playing around fire pits or stoves.
5. A bucket of water must be at each fire pit.

E. At the end of its’ use, fire pits must be drenched in water, stirred, and drenched again, replacing the sod and re-leveling the ground to its’ former appearance.
F. NO GARBAGE MAY BE BURNED IN A FIRE PIT OR BURIED IN A FIRE PIT AT THE END OF AN EVENT.
G. No bonfires are allowed
H. All firearms, ammunition and edged weapons not in the direct control and possession of their owner shall be stored in a safe, secure manner that is inaccessible to unauthorized personnel. Firearms and blank ammunition shall be stored in separate locations.
I. Each unit shall be responsible for safety and security within its’ own camp area. This may include proper prior arrangements with the MAGI personnel.
J. Please, no excessive consumption of alcoholic beverages and absolutely no consumption of alcohol before or during the battle.
K. If you are under 21, NO ALCOHOL.

III. Public Demonstrations:

A. Under no circumstances shall anything other than approved blank ammunition of the crimped closure type is be used.
B. No weapons may be discharged except during an authorized demonstration or during the reenactment.
C. Demonstrations shall take place in a controlled situation and area that isolates and protects all participants and spectators. Use of ear plugs during weapons demonstrations is recommended.
D. Bayonets will only be drawn as part of a controlled prescheduled demonstration and only under the guidance of the MAGI assigned safety officer.
E. Mock hand to hand combat with a steel weapon is forbidden! This rule also applies to all other edged weapons.
F. The public should not be allowed to handle ammunition or weapons except during an authorized demonstration and only under the guidance of the MAGI assigned safety officer.

IV. Reenactment Rules:

A. Do not point or fire your weapon into or near the spectators.
B. Do not fire weapons next to or near anyone’s head or face.
C. No person entering a battlefield area and carrying any type of weapon shall be under the age of 16.
1.  Participants 16-18 years of age must have a parent or guardian present.  Event Organizers and guardians must have been given a release form by the parents of the minor
authorizing them to make medical decisions in the event of an accident
2.  Participants 16-18 can carry a weapon without ammunition.
3.  Age verification must be done before the start of the reenactment walk-through.
D. Affixed bayonets are forbidden at all times during a reenactment unless rubber
1. The only exception is a preapproved choreographed vignette under the guidance of the MAGI assigned safety officer
E. Absolutely NO ignitable devices are to be thrown or projected at or near any motor vehicle.
F. During reenactments, all ground units must be aware of, and avoid all designated vehicle zones. It is the responsibility of ground units to be situationally aware of vehicles in or
near your  location at all times. You can see them, but they might not see you! It is your responsibility to move out of their way.
G. Reenactors not associated with a unit will be attached to a larger unit during a public battle. Freelancing will not be allowed.
H. DO NOT SHOOT PRISONERS.
I.   All motor vehicles must be driven by a licensed driver in a safe and sensible manner. All closed cab vehicles must have at least two crew members – the driver and a spotter
J.  No one is to ride on or outside of a vehicle unless they are a trained member of the crew of that vehicle or have been given permission to do so by the owners of said vehicle.
K. Artillery and Tank Crews should be trained so that each man is familiar with all jobs related to the firing of the gun.
1.   Artillery and tank fire must always be at a distance of at least two hundred (200) feet from the spectator line when firing in the general direction where spectators may be located
2.  Artillery used in a direct fire situation must be oblique with the spectator line, or firing away from the spectator line.
L . Battles, where an opposing force advances toward the public may not fire in the public’s direction, except when the opposing line is between the attackers and the spectator line.
At that time, the defending force (those with their backs to the public) must be at least fifty (50) feet from the spectators. Those firing in the direction of the spectators must be at
least one hundred and fifty (150) feet from the spectators and be aiming fifteen (15) feet in front of the opposing enemy target, and at an oblique.
M. All federal, state, and local ordinances not specifically mentioned will be obeyed at all times.

V. Weapon Safety:

A. Before all events, MAGI safety coordinators or Unit Commanders will check the following items; any that are found unacceptable will cause that firearm to be rejected as unsafe and will not be allowed on the field of battle until the condition has been corrected and passed:

1. The weapon must have been proof tested before it can be used at an event.
2. Suppressors and Shredders check.
3. Trigger pull and bolt action check.
4. Fit of barrel breech to stock (no gaps between metal and wood).
5. General inspection for obvious cracks and weakening of stock.
6. Check of all ammunition for type and content, being sure that all ammunition is of a safe blank type and that weapons are properly fitted with devices like shredders where needed.
7. The firearm must be clean and in good working order at all times.

 

Based on the Living History Association’s WWII Safety Rules
http://livinghistoryassn.org/

Mod June 2017 for the Museum of the American G.I.