THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, November 1, 1995 TAG: 9510310109
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 11 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Cover Story
SOURCE: BY NANCY LEWIS, CORRESPONDENT
LENGTH: Medium: 73 lines
The World War II battle re-enacted on the Army's Fort Eustis training ground this weekend was the brainchild of two Virginia Beach firemen.
In their spare time, Rick Baer and Davy Gray like to don the uniforms of American and German soldiers and enter a time warp that transports them to an era before they were born.
Together with Marc Meisner of Hampton, they comprise the core group of Hampton Roads Historical Re-enactments (HRHR). They've all been collecting and re-enacting for more than a decade, and their enthusiasm shows no sign of abating.
Baer, 32, said that he became interested in the subject by ``accident.'' He'd been collecting U.S. military gear for camping for about a year when he chanced upon another enthusiast at a flea market.
``He invited me to his place, and there were tables of the stuff,'' Bear recounted. ``I was hooked right then.''
Gray, a 33-year-old Navy Reservist assigned to the SEALs, had been involved in collecting and re-enacting since 1978 when he met Baer. It was their mutual hobby that brought the two together and formed the foundation of a lasting friendship.
In 1984, the two men formed the Old Dominion Living History Association and were soon joined by Meisner, a 35-year-old Army veteran.
In 1991, four other men joined forces with them to create HRHR. Now they again number only three, though 35 members of two other re-enactment groups have applied for associate memberships.
In addition to re-enacting, HRHR puts on living history displays for public events.
Baer, Gray and Meisner spent months preparing for the weekend's mock mini-battle, which became ``tactical'' Saturday morning and raged until Sunday morning. They advertised the event in hobby magazines and spread the word through newsletters circulated by the hundreds of re-enactment groups nationwide.
It was the second annual re-enactment sponsored by HRHR, and it drew 150 living history buffs from around the country, double last year's tally.
The event is unique in the realm of war re-enactments, Baer said, in that, unlike the hundreds that take place yearly, HRHR's does not portray any specific battle. Since the outcome is not predetermined, participants gain a better understanding of what war is like for the average soldier in the field.
As much a part of participants' enjoyment as the mock tactics and actual - though fake - fighting is making practical use of World War II garb and gear, Gray said. In fact, this aspect of the fun really outshines the tactical maneuvers, according to both organizers and re-enactors. And the uniforms they wear and the equipment they pack are as original and authentic as the scenario they play out.
The war history enthusiasts sometimes pay thousands of dollars to outfit themselves. German uniforms and equipment are generally more expensive, and this may account for the fact that Allied forces outnumbered Axis troops two to one in this year's event.
Participants came from all walks of life and ranged in age from 18 to 52.
Though those who came to the Newport News event were all too young to have been involved firsthand in the worldwide conflict that ended 50 years ago, they were experts on the history and artifacts of the war. MEMO: [For a related story, see page 10 of The Beacon for this date.]
ILLUSTRATION: Rick Baer, center, who helped form Hampton Roads Historical
Re-enactments, talks with commanders in the ``Axis'' camp. The war
history enthusiasts sometimes pay thousands of dollars to outfit
themselves. German uniforms and equipment is the more expensive.
by CNB