SAW reenacting event pictures.

pony express · October 21, 2018, 09:14:27 PM

I ran across this while scrolling down the Facebook page Sir Charles linked to in the Boer War Rifles thread:

https://www.facebook.com/FortMott/posts/1968139783204980

https://www.facebook.com/FortMott/posts/1970902782928680

Note the 2 sailors, wearing dixie cups resembling the one Grenadier shared the pic of.

Wonder where they got all those Rayadillo uniforms?

smoke · October 22, 2018, 07:07:05 AM

Somewhere I saw a link to a vendor for Spanish uniforms. Think I saved it? Nope.

Maybe it was here in a previous thread about the SAW.

Doc Jackson · October 22, 2018, 07:27:14 AM

Talk about having your act together, they men and ladies really look the part, very dashing.

smoke · October 22, 2018, 07:36:25 AM

They are some cool pics. The Asian Spanish guy cracks me up.

Grenadier · October 22, 2018, 12:04:02 PM

I know many of these guys from other eras of "Grown Men Playing War". They are all top shelf when it comes to accurate portrayals.

smoke · October 22, 2018, 12:28:20 PM

They do look good.

I went to an event last month that could have used these guys. There was one SPANAM guy and he was excellent. A ww2 GI that was also. The rest of the WW2 and later GI's were a soup sandwich. Mixed era uniforms, half a uniform, long hair, goatees etc. Civil war guys were pretty good. Some very interesting units. Other era's were pretty good. Some good non-US ww2. Marquis, Poles, etc.

pony express · October 22, 2018, 07:33:16 PM

Quote from: smoke on October 22, 2018, 07:36:25 AM
They are some cool pics. The Asian Spanish guy cracks me up.

Spain owned the Philippines for 400 years, I expect a lot of Filipinos wore that Rayadillo. And than when the Spanish were gone, Aguinaldo's forces wore a similar uniform , fighting against us.

There's a vendor in Manila that makes the Spanish uniforms, but....he has a facebook page that hasn't been updated in years. Some swear by him, others at him....for really slow delivery.

smoke · October 22, 2018, 08:41:19 PM

I think that they are reenacting the a battle in Puerto Rico, no the Philippines.

Spain was pretty racist and arrogant. I doubt they would have had a native officer leading Spanish troops, native troops sure.

It's a hobby so they can do what they want to have fun but if they are intending to portray history at a public event, they need to get it right.

Same goes for guys who portray WW2 Japanese troops....no white guys need apply.

smoke · October 22, 2018, 09:23:18 PM

I don't mean to give offense or criticize an other guys hobby. If you want to reenact and run around the woods playing soldier, go for it. Doesn't bother me in the least. Sounds like a fun time. Want to dress up and shoot guns...great! I think this is the funnest shooting sport there is. Want to dress all tactical and shoot guns....great! Pick your hobby and have fun.

My biggest compliant is the guys who proclaim that they are honoring the vets and preserving history while presenting a picture to the public that is not in the least bit like it was. Fat infantry men, women infantry men, old infantry men and the list goes on. I realize that the average citizen is ignorant about history and doing a poor living history impression, furthers the ignorance. It grinds my gears.

I will climb down off of my soap box now.

pony express · October 23, 2018, 06:12:34 AM

I see your point about the old, fat, infantryman not really looking the part, but....I don't see a lot of young, fit, guys that are interested in doing it. So I'll just be an old infantryman nearing retirement, I guess. But at near 6'2 and 230lb, and white as I can be, I wouldn't try and portray an Asian, just wouldn't work.

Pitspitr · October 23, 2018, 08:06:33 AM

Even when I was young and fit I was too big, or at least too tall.

As the former Coordinator for Living History and Volunteers at Fort Hartsuff, I know that from a park's perspective you're usually grateful for any volunteer you can get. $:-\$

I too understand what you mean, I'm just not sure how you get around it.

Major 2 · October 23, 2018, 08:17:13 AM

Quote from: smoke on October 22, 2018, 09:23:18 PM
I don't mean to give offense or criticize an other guys hobby. If you want to reenact and run around the woods playing soldier, go for it. Doesn't bother me in the least. Sounds like a fun time. Want to dress up and shoot guns...great! I think this is the funnest shooting sport there is. Want to dress all tactical and shoot guns....great! Pick your hobby and have fun.

My biggest compliant is the guys who proclaim that they are honoring the vets and preserving history while presenting a picture to the public that is not in the least bit like it was. Fat infantry men, women infantry men, old infantry men and the list goes on. I realize that the average citizen is ignorant about history and doing a poor living history impression, furthers the ignorance. It grinds my gears.

I will climb down off of my soap box now.

sure you did ...

Sad fact is , I tend to agree

....I don't mean to give offense ...either !

Pitspitr · October 23, 2018, 09:10:41 AM

Oh, I agree, I just don't know how you fix it especially given the limited resources most state parks have. Then throw in the PC BS they have to deal with and if you turned away a volunteer based on how they look, the park would be sued into closing.

Fortunately, when I worked at Fort Hartsuff all of my male volunteers were relatively trim, early middle aged or younger and the female volunteers wanted to sew and cook. Even so, we were all too big except for the early high school aged kids. Heck even my high school aged daughters were bigger than the average soldier of the IWP and they really aren't even that big by today's standards.

Grenadier · October 23, 2018, 09:58:13 AM

I'm fortunate that I can find orignal uniforms from WW1 and later that fit but I tend to agree with Smoke on all points. I love playing soldier but I also realize that Billy Yank assaulting picnic shelter 14 and driving Johnny Reb back across then playground to the swimming pool is down right silly. Seeing a 60 year old confederate Santa Claus with three revolvers, Sharp's and a Henry rifle is goofy but I understand he's having fun just like me.

Drydock · October 23, 2018, 10:39:13 AM

One of the reasons I like the SAW period is that the services at that time had a lot of old officers and senior enlisted. Gray haired captains and sergeants were not that unusual.

BTW, that was done in Ft Mott, New Jersy! The guy doing Vara del Ray looked damn good.

Major 2 · October 23, 2018, 11:11:05 AM

and as I said I tend to agree.....

That's why I stopped ~~retired~~ hung up my saber...whatever, 20 years ago

to old, becoming too fat, to play mounted cavalry ... but there was a shinning time ...

30+ years at it .... numerus invites to NPS, Chickamauga, Shiloh, to name two recurring , perhaps 10-12 films ...

I recall , a quote I heard from Ken Burns (PBS Filmmaker of some note) he said something to the point:
" he did not thing too much of Reenactors ( many were hired as background ) as they were too old & too fat to portray a CW combatant "

Though he was correct ...it did not stop the backlash and retorts...

One in particular " that particular reenactor with a very good kit took offence ....

His reply " there was also one too many scrawny, lousy acting, yankee gay filmmaker, in cameo roll as well ! "

smoke · October 23, 2018, 11:42:42 AM

Quote from: Pitspitr on October 23, 2018, 08:06:33 AM
Even when I was young and fit I was too big, or at least too tall.

As the former Coordinator for Living History and Volunteers at Fort Hartsuff, I know that from a park's perspective you're usually grateful for any volunteer you can get. $:-\$

I too understand what you mean, I'm just not sure how you get around it.

I'm not sure either. I do understand the "any volunteer is better than no volunteer" thing.

smoke · October 23, 2018, 11:47:30 AM

Quote from: Major 2 on October 23, 2018, 08:17:13 AM
sure you did ...

Sad fact is , I tend to agree

....I don't mean to give offense ...either !

I really did not mean to offend anyone but yes I was critiquing/criticizing them. Again, any gun hobby is a good hobby but when interacting with the public, a higher standard is called for.

smoke · October 23, 2018, 11:51:24 AM

Quote from: Pitspitr on October 23, 2018, 09:10:41 AM
Oh, I agree, I just don't know how you fix it especially given the limited resources most state parks have. Then throw in the PC BS they have to deal with and if you turned away a volunteer based on how they look, the park would be sued into closing.

Fortunately, when I worked at Fort Hartsuff all of my male volunteers were relatively trim, early middle aged or younger and the female volunteers wanted to sew and cook. Even so, we were all too big except for the early high school aged kids. Heck even my high school aged daughters were bigger than the average soldier of the IWP and they really aren't even that big by today's standards.

I have been to a number of places recently that employ or use reenactors/living historians. They all were well within spec IMHO. A little age or extra pounds did not detract from the impression. I don't know if it was a coincidence or the guys running the forts/programs etc had some standards.

I still have not headed out west.

smoke · October 23, 2018, 11:52:16 AM

Quote from: Grenadier on October 23, 2018, 09:58:13 AM
I'm fortunate that I can find orignal uniforms from WW1 and later that fit but I tend to agree with Smoke on all points. I love playing soldier but I also realize that Billy Yank assaulting picnic shelter 14 and driving Johnny Reb back across then playground to the swimming pool is down right silly. Seeing a 60 year old confederate Santa Claus with three revolvers, Sharp's and a Henry rifle is goofy but I understand he's having fun just like me.

Thanks.