Now all roads lead to France and heavy is the tread
Of the living; but the dead returning lightly dance.
Edward Thomas, Roads

Wednesday, April 23, 2014

The Centennial at the Grass Roots Series: Mustering the Doughboy Reenactors


Since I've been operating The Doughboy Center Website I have seen that one component of the World War I community has labored tirelessly to keep interest in America's participation in the Great War active and living. It is the loose-knit collection of Doughboy Reenactors, who are scattered around the country and even in Europe. During the Centennial these groups are going to come to the forefront. They make themselves available for ceremonies, they help with education of young people, and they can always be counted on to encourage appreciation of history anyway they can.  In case you are  not familiar with any of these groups, here is the homepage of one of my favorites, the 318th Infantry Regiment. Their Newsletter Articles have terrific information on the Doughboys' uniforms, gear, and food. (Have you ever wondered how to wrap puttees on your feet so they don't get tangled up?)


As part of my plans to retool the Doughboy Center for the Centennial, I am adding a full roster of the all the Doughboy reeanctors I can locate, so people learn about them and contact them for Centennial events.  If you would like your group included, whether Army, Marines, Navy, or Air Service,  just email me with your contact information: greatwar@earthlink.net.

Mike Hanlon

1 comment:

  1. Great idea, Mike. Their visibility at local events across the country will certainly help get people interested and involved. It sure worked for the Civil War, last year's Gettysburg event alone drew 50,000 people and 11,000 re-enactors.

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