Reenactment offers snapshot of history and communities

ST. CLAIR SHORES — There’s a lot more to reenacting than wearing the uniform. It’s about the portrayal of history and the community formed along the way.

Paul Ott, a reenactor based out of St. Clair Shores, has always been interested in World War ll. He’s watched movies about it and played video games about it as well. It sparked his interest in reenactment.

“One day, I went out to a reenactment and I just kind of got up,” Ott said.

A lot of research goes into reenactment, Ott said. A reenactor has to research the battles, the type of clothing and material they wore and the weapons they used. Ott has also talked to World War II veterans about their experiences.

“When I first started out, there was quite a few of these guys left and it was always good research to get to talk to them and hear their stories and so on,” Ott said.

Ott reenacts as an American soldier from the 101st Airborne Division. The division took part in the invasion of Normandy, France on D-Day, June 6, 1944.

The 82nd and 101st Airborne divisions were tasked with seizing four causeways behind Utah Beach. Their seizure would prevent the Germans from reinforcing coastal defenses and expedite the breakout of Allied forces landing on the invasion beaches.

Ott is also a part of the staff at the Detroit Arsenal of Democracy Museum. Many of the museum’s historical vehicles were featured in the St. Clair Shores Memorial Day Parade this year.

Though reenactors will try to use the same or similar materials used by servicemembers back in the day, original fabrics and uniforms from that time are expensive, Ott said. For the most part, Ott buys his uniforms.

“A lot of companies try to recreate them as best as they can,” Ott said.

He travels all over the country to go to reenactments including Ohio and Pennsylvania. The biggest D-Day reenactment is located in Conneaut, Ohio. According to the D-Day Conneaut website, during this event, which takes place Aug. 15-17, reenactors will invade the shores of Lake Erie for the day, and they come from across the United States and Canada.

“Spectators will witness men, women and their machines perform a living tribute to the veterans of WWII through dress, mock battles, and living history displays,” the event’s website states.

In June, Ott is going to parachute into Normandy for the 80th anniversary of D-Day. He also went to France for the 75th anniversary of the battle, something he says was awesome.

Peter FitzRichard is a reenactor based out of Pontiac who focuses on the High Middle Ages. He started reenacting the late 12th century and now he’s turned his focus to the early-to-mid 13th century. He currently portrays a member of a higher status of the knight class, he said.

“So pretty much always it’s been medieval,” FitzRichard said. “That’s kind of where I’ve stuck my toes in at and that’s kind of where I’ve stuck around at.”

FitzRichard was really intrigued by franchises such as “Lord of the Rings” and seeing castles, stained glass and knight imagery as a child. He started off in live-action role-playing games and, at that point, he said he didn’t realize reenactment was happening near him.

“About four years I was doing LARP and then just out of the blue one day, I guess a guy who was doing reenactment saw pictures of my little outfit I was putting together for LARP,” FitzRichard said. “He was like, ‘That looks really good. Would you like to do the more historical thing?’ And boom, I jumped right in.”

Being a medieval reenactor, FitzRichard doesn’t have a set number of events or battle reenactments that maybe American Civil War or American Revolution reenactors have. He said they go to European heritage festivals and Renaissance festivals.

“Occasionally a reenactment event, a general reenactment or living history event will kind of have like a broader range,” FitzRichard said. “So, you know, at the later end you’ll have World War type stuff but then if you go early or towards the middle, you’ll have people like us who do the Middle Ages or even earlier.”

FitzRichard and his friends will set up military encampments or host traveling groups at these events to provide living history demonstrations and presentations for people.

FitzRichard makes as many of his uniforms, also known as his kit, as he can. He said reenactment is a hobby that has multiple different aspects to it.

“There’s the study, there’s the acting, there’s the physical acumen part of it because a lot of living history stuff can be very physically intensive. A lot of people getting into it don’t realize that,” FitzRichard said.

He also said there’s the planning to make their uniforms and having the skills to make them.

“And a lot of people do do that,” FitzRichard said about having the skills. “And it’s a very respectable thing.”

FitzRichard said once a person gets to know reenactors, they are very friendly.

“I have some of the longest friends I’ve had and some of the best friends I’ve made come from this hobby,” FitzRichard said.

He recommends those looking at the hobby to research online. If there’s not a group around or the options aren’t that great, he recommends to start doing your own thing.

“If it sounds enticing, start studying up on it, contact the group,” FitzRichard said. “People are usually very happy to have new people.”

Ott said he recommends other people get into reenactment because of the history and the people.

“Always a bunch of great guys,” Ott said. “I don’t know very many people in the reenactment world I don’t like.”

For beginners, Ott recommends folks go out to reenactments and ask the reenactors about their experiences. He also recommends researching groups online.

“That’s pretty much how I did it,” Ott said. “I showed up in a uniform and walked up to someone and said, ‘Hey, this looks pretty cool. How do I join you guys?’”

To find out more about the D-Day event in Conneaut, Ohio visit ddayohio.us.