WWII Living History Day in North Texas honors soldiers
GREENVILLE, Texas—The annual “WWII Living History Day,” hosted by the Audie Murphy and American Cotton Museum in Greenville, gave people a chance to walk through history.
The Greenville Herald-Banner reports members of the Able Company camped out in front of the museum in full gear from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. on Saturday. The crew stayed at their camp until Sunday morning, when their gear had dried off from the muggy weather.
Susan Lanning, the executive director of the museum, said the event has generated a lot of interest in previous years. This is the third time that the museum has hosted the event.
“They put everything on for us so there is no charge to the museum,” Lanning said. “And they come from all over Texas and really enjoy doing this kind of thing. It’s a perfect tie to what we do here in terms of the military history.”
Every year, the members of the Able Company portray the lives of WWII soldiers and speak to visitors about equipment as well as their day-to-day living.
This year, however, was the first time organizers featured Gen. George S. Patton as part of the reenactment.
Greenville resident James Adams is a WWII-veteran who enlisted in the Navy in 1946. While still a young boy growing up in Louisiana, Adams said he met the famous general at a military rally.
“Well this chap was a bit heavier than him, which I didn’t mention” Adams said as he let out a laugh.
Adams, who recently turned 90, came to the event with his wife Jeanne and two of their great grandchildren, James, 8, and Malcolm, who is 6 years old. He said he enjoyed speaking with the different members of the Able Company crew.
Performances are designed to give visitors a more immersive experience than they would from a history book. Costumes and props are not pure theater; they are historically accurate replicas.
Able Company, based in Texas, began reenactments around 2005 but became a nonprofit in 2009. The 1st Battalion, 502nd Parachute Infantry Regiment sets up camp in different locations around the country to help preserve the respect for those who served in WWII.
The organization is also affiliated with the WWII Airborne Living History Association, a nonprofit with the mission of preserving the history of the war through reenactments and immersion.
Will Lee, a member of the Able Company, said he joined the crew because of his love of history. When he’s not busy with the Able Company, he lives and works in Tyler.
“I’m in it for the history and for the chance to pass on the knowledge,” Lee said. “You’ll never see some of the things that we do here in a movie or a book because we focus on the everyday lives of these soldiers.”