A small bit of World War Two history will come to life in Macomb this week.
The Macomb Park District and the Western Illinois University Department of History are hosting a World War II Live History Exhibit.
“I think it will be something new and exciting for Macomb. As we talk about things that could be bringing people from out of town into Macomb, these reenactments can be really big for communities,” said Rachel Lenz, Executive Director of the Macomb Park District.
Encampments will be set up in Veterans Park from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 18 featuring reenactors in uniforms representing a variety of nations from the conflict.
Weapons demonstrations will be done at 11 a.m. and 4 p.m.
The encampments will then be set up in the Western Illinois University campus mall from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 19. Uniform demonstrations will be done at 11 a.m. and 4 p.m.
All the events are free and open to the public.
Lenz said schools in the region were invited to come out so students can interact with and learn from the reenactors.
“They’ll discuss what it was like at that time period and their encampment, what part they played in World War II,” Lenz said.
WIU history department Chairperson Tim Roberts said the reenactors will represent American, British, German, Russian, and Finnish soldiers.
In addition, he said there will be reenactors representing African colonial soldiers, Polish soldiers and resistance fighters, and American women in the military and on the home front.
The history department hosted a similar event on campus last October.
Tri States Public Radio produced this story. TSPR relies on financial support from our readers and listeners in order to provide coverage of the issues that matter to west central Illinois, southeast Iowa, and northeast Missouri. As someone who values the content created by TSPR's news department please consider making a financial contribution.
