As a student of history, few opportunities could be more appealing to me than being able to experience events firsthand. Learning about one of my favorite subjects through experiences, rather than by reading books or watching documentaries, gives a dimension to history and allows me to more fully appreciate some of the adversities faced by previous generations.
During the summer following my freshman year in college, a friend introduced me to Army Group 1944, a nonprofit organization dedicated to staging re-enactments and public displays of World War II history. The group has members in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, California and Canada.
The members’ passion for history made it clear that this was the group for me.
For the next two years, I attended tactical and public events with Army Group 1944. Tactical events are weekend military simulations throughout the Northwest which use period tactics. Public events focus on outreach and education.
In February 2013, I found out about a group called 2nd Armored in Europe. The group, based primarily in England, specializes in organizing reenactments throughout Europe lasting as long as two weeks.
The group frequently follows the historic routes of the real units they represent, tailoring the theme of their events around that history. In this case, the group was looking for participants for its 2014 trip dedicated to the 70th anniversary of the liberation of northern France. The group would be portraying the U.S. Army’s 2nd Armored Division, a famous unit that deployed overseas in 1942 and served until the war’s end.
The requirements for authenticity were much stricter than with other groups, from the weight and physical ability of applicants to the proper equipment. Our unit would consist of more than 180 men and would be traveling in a convoy of more than 50 original World War II vehicles, living as armored infantry did during the war. I applied to participate and, to my great joy, was accepted.
Over the next year, with the help of my grandfather, I went about buying gear, extra uniforms and equipment. I worked hard to get in better physical shape for the trip, since we’d be running around the fields of France for almost two weeks, and ended up losing almost 30 pounds.
By the time the trip began in August, I felt more or less ready, but I remained apprehensive. All of my contact thus far with the group had been via email. I wasn’t about to let a little uncertainty get in the way, though, and was determined to enjoy the trip and learn as much from the experience as I could.
The trip itself was like no other. We lived in tents, under tarps or in holes in the dirt the entire time. We ate period-correct foods from a 1942 Army cookbook provided by a World War II mobile kitchen.
We operated throughout the Somme region in the province of Picardie, driving through or staying in the towns of Lihons, Bray-Sur-Somme, Péronne, Flers and Cambrai, as well as dozens of villages and hamlets that dotted the route. The Somme was made infamous by the horrific battles of World War I but also saw many of the battles of World War II, particularly in August and September of 1944.
The reenactments included the staged “liberation” battles against German re-enactors for the aforementioned towns, other public battles in cooperation with local historic groups and museums, and our own private tactical battles along the route between towns.
The locals were very enthusiastic, and one of the most memorable events was meeting an older gentleman who recalled a soldier from 2nd Armored giving him chocolate in 1944.
My squad leader ran back to our vehicle and returned to give the man and his grandchildren some chocolate, a gesture that was met with a round of applause. Residents and dignitaries were always on hand to greet our convoy, and it was a joy to share our experiences and knowledge with the people we met.
The scars of both wars are evident throughout the region. Many towns remain unchanged from 100 years ago, and many of the buildings sport bullet holes, shrapnel gouges and visible repairs from the damage they sustained.
We camped in a field near the town of Flers. We found shrapnel, helmets and other debris from World War I littering the ground, along with several live artillery shells and grenades.
This is not an uncommon experience in the region, as the military made regular trips to the village to dispose of the live ammunition, and it wasn’t uncommon to see farmers who lost an arm or a leg to a lurking shell in their fields.
There are very few opportunities to ride in uniform, with the correct weapons and equipment, in the correct vehicles, through real towns and fields that were traversed by our soldiers 70 years ago, almost to the day. This experience, with the rain, mud, gasoline, gunpowder and metal, gave me an unparalleled appreciation for what these men went through in 1944.
The true experience is elusive. There was nobody shooting at us, our lives weren’t in constant danger and our event lasted a few weeks rather than the months or years the real soldiers endured.
This trip, however, allowed me to feel a tiny bit of connection with those men, and in some small way appreciate and honor their sacrifices.
Another highlight of this trip was the chance to connect with the men and women who experienced the events we were commemorating.
We had plenty of opportunities to meet and talk with locals about the war and who were willing to share their accounts and stories.
In addition, we had several opportunities to meet three veterans of the 2nd Armored Division who were visiting the battlefields they had served on 70 years ago. The chance to hear them speak, to ask them questions and to listen to their accounts of events was invaluable.
One conversation in particular stood out.
Francis Turner served as an officer with the combat engineers from 1942 until the end of the war. The fact that he had survived almost the entirety of U.S. involvement in the European war and some of the most grueling battles throughout the conflict was remarkable, and he had many sobering, informative and occasionally hilarious stories to share with us.
In one retelling, it was winter, and his tank column had stopped in a wooded area near some empty foxholes. He was wearing several layers of clothing and was walking near the foxholes when he found a solitary German soldier.
His pistol was in its holster, buried underneath his trench coat. He knew he couldn’t get to it quickly enough, so he thought he was as good as dead.
Instead, the German put down his weapon and surrendered.
We met with the veterans in Bray-Sur-Somme, Péronne and Flers, and along the way we helped them commemorate several of their fallen comrades who were buried in those towns by acting as an honor guard and parade group.
This was likely the last opportunity that we would have to meet these veterans in the field, and we seized it as best as we could, as the number of surviving veterans has fallen sharply in recent years.
They expressed their appreciation for helping to keep history alive in a new generation.
As the years pass, we must do the best we can to ensure people don’t forget — that they appreciate the sacrifices that were made. In participating in this trip, I hope that I have made a contribution to this effort and that I can pass on some of this appreciation to my future students.
Derek Hanson, 22, of Mukilteo, graduated from Willamette University in May with a degree in history. He is pursuing a master’s degree in secondary teaching through Western Washington University in Everett.
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