History comes alive in Boalsburg bivouac

BOALSBURG — Boalsburg honored Memorial Day with a host of activities this year, including a World War II bivouac erected on the grounds of the Pennsylvania Military Museum.

Pup tents representing both the Allied and German soldiers’ encampments were erected, along with displays of authentic equipment and weapons used by soldiers in the war. Reenactors with authentic uniforms were present to answer questions from spectators and to demonstrate how the equipment works. The soldiers performed mock battles on a grassy area on the museum grounds May 28 and 29.

William Michel, a member of the Furious Fourth Reenactment Group — named for the 4th Infantry Division, whose members hit Utah Beach in the D-Day invasion of Normandy on June 6, 1944 — was present, and demonstrated some of the equipment used by soldiers. Michel, who lives in New Jersey, became interested in World War II history when he had a summer internship at the military museum as a Penn State student in 1997. He has returned to Boalsburg as a reenactor on Memorial Day weekends for the last 15 years.

Michel said that some of the weapons and equipment are reproductions, but much of it is original, culled from the estates of veterans who have passed on.

Also on site was a 1942 Dodge WC-56 command car, owned by Roy Stewart, of Bellefonte. Stewart is a member of the 82nd Airborne Parachute Infantry Regiment, based in Blairsville. The command car is a Jeep-like four-wheel-drive vehicle that was used to escort high-ranking military officers to battlefronts during the war. The rear seat area includes a roll-out desk and other items, allowing it to be used as a mobile command post.

On Saturday afternoon, Joey Vincent, from New Jersey, presented a one-man musical and comedy show to an enthusiastic audience of about 80 people in a covered pavilion on the grounds. Vincent, who performs about 100 shows a year in several states, opened his act with patriotic songs by George M. Cohen, followed by classic tunes from the 1940s and plenty of admittedly corny jokes. He also tossed in a few novelty songs, including “In the Fuerher’s Face,” a humorous, Hitler-mocking tune of the World War II era.