San Antonio Express-News (Sunday)
Alamo visitors help celebrate Crockett’s 233rd birthday
In the shaded gardens of the Alamo, hundreds of people Saturday celebrated an American folk legend’s 233rd birthday.
Scott Jones was one of them. He portrayed David “Davy” Crockett as the congressman from Tennessee rather than the frontiersman popularized on television by Disney and the 1960 John Wayne movie.
“You look pretty good for your age,” a man said as he walked by the living historian interpreter, clad in a green button coat, yellow pants and brown boots.
Guests of all ages stood in line for a photo with Jones who portrayed Crockett for the first time. With rifle in hand, he shared his story with tourists from France who identified themselves as Jean-Marc, Lili and Arman. The family learned about the event while staying at the historic Crockett Hotel that loomed behind the landmark and was named for the Alamo defender.
Lili, 56, said in France, Crockett was very popular in cartoons and literature as an adventurer. It wasn’t until they visited the capital in Austin that they learned he was also a politician.
“It’s like a puzzle that’s been put together at each step of our trip,” Jean-Marc, 53, said.
This was the second year that the Alamo celebrated Crockett’s birthday anniversary with a free, family-oriented event. The public daylong celebration included activities that included rubber band shooting gallery, a crayon-coloring station and living history demonstrations.
A screening of Disney’s “Davy Crockett: King of the Wild Frontier” was scheduled at 8 p.m. in the Alamo Gardens. Angel Crockett was scheduled to attend the movie screening and talk about what it means to be a descendant of Crockett.
He was known as a larger than life figure who was a sharpshoot
er, storyteller and skillful hunter. After serving two terms as congressman for Tennessee’s 9th District, he lost his seat and left for Texas. Crockett died in the battle of the Alamo on March 6, 1836.
Associate curator, Ernesto Rodriguez said the 1955 Disney television show helped push Crockett’s story into the mainstream.
“He made a career out of being himself,” Rodriguez said. “He was a role model because people could aspire to be like him.”
Living historian Tim Hicks signaled several volunteers to fire rifles that boomed across the grounds and left gunsmoke drifting in the air.
Alfredo Anselmo, 21, and Jocelyn Rivera, 18, from El Paso, posed for photos with Scott as guests shouted birthday greetings as they walked by. Anselmo said he learned about Crockett and the battle in 7th grade and from the 2004 movie, “The Alamo.”
Gilberto Garcia waited with his Mateo and Olivia and Jennifer Joyce for their photo op with the legend. Garcia said after moving from Mexico City to San Antonio,
he wanted his children to experience the historical site.
“It’s your birthday right?” Garcia, asked Scott.
“Yes,” Scott said, “I was born 233 years ago.”
At a leather-making station, living historian Kent Palma answered questions from visitors such as, “Did Crockett die at the Alamo?”
“Yeah,” he replied, “he died out front. He wasn’t marched to Mexico or paraded through the streets or any of this other stuff that we hear.”
Palma said as a living historian, his goal is to educate and know the answers.
“I’m honored to be here,” he said. “I love it and the people. This isn’t work.”
Beneath the sprawling branches of oak and pecan trees, director Frank Martinez led 13 members of the FM Studios Youth Orchestra through a medley of songs Crockett might have played on his fiddle. The youngsters, playing violins, violas and cellos, serenaded more than 60 guests with selections that included “Cripple Creek” and “Old Joe Clark.”
“It made it even more special,” he said of the group’s performance at the Shrine of Texas Liberty.
Before Crockett arrived, Rob Danielson, 55, joined others posing at the wooden gate display with toy rifles and raccoon hats.
Danielson had traveled from Springfield, Ill., with his wife, Stephanie, 53, and son Zane, 15, to see his daughter, Airman Caitlyn Danielson, 19, graduate from Basic Training at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland.
The chance to visit the landmark linked to his hero was a bonus.
“I was always into the outdoors as a kid,” he said. “I was born 200 years too late.”