RELATED ARTICLE: A look back at this weekend’s Military Through the Ages event at Jamestown Settlementīeing able to return to Military Through the Ages in 2021 after last year’s event was canceled meant a lot to Croft. “You hear the music playing, see some personal items, see the sleeping quarters, get to see a lot of the weaponry that the Marines would have carried.” “When you come into our camp you can pretty much feel the atmosphere of what it would have been like in 1969 in Vietnam,” Croft said. “This is sort of their hobby, so they’ve spent years making their own clothing, making their own armory, acquiring the gear that they’re showing off,” he added.Ĭhristopher Croft was one of the reenactors during this year’s MTA, representing the 7th regiment of the United States Marine Corps Fox Company during the Vietnam War. They come from all walks of life, all different kinds of jobs.” “Our reenactors, these are all volunteers. “They’re the real secret to Military Through the Ages,” Lanier said. This year, the timeline loop began with Charlemagne’s army and went all the way through to the modern Virginia National Guard. Guests were greeted by live Civil War era music from the Federal City Brass Band and reenactors depicting military units from different eras were strategically placed in mostly chronological order. Most of the “living history” (or reenactment) for MTA took place outdoors. With people itching to get some fresh air, visitors walked around the museum and its grounds. The event was spread out across the grounds with fewer units to maintain social distancing (WYDaily/Nancy Sheppard) The fewer units allowed for plenty of space to provide social distancing during the event. Typically, Military Through the Ages includes around 500 reenactors, but this year there were approximately 350 on the property. “They may be behind a rope barrier so no one touches anything, but they’re front and center where folks can see things,” he added. “So the challenge for our reenactors so that our families are still feeling like they’re getting a high-quality experience is to bring those things closer.” We cannot pass artifacts around, we cannot pass helmets around, and things like that,” Lanier said.

“So this year is a little different with COVID. Hand sanitizing stations were set up all throughout the grounds (WYDaily/Nancy Sheppard) An event that usually includes hands-on activities, this year’s MTA was just as immersive, but in a different way. Hand sanitizing stations were placed at every turn, and the museum had strict mask requirements for both indoor and outdoor exhibits. The units were spread further apart in order to give guests, volunteers, and staff plenty of space for social distancing. In order to keep the safety of the event’s guests, volunteers, and the foundation’s staff in mind, MTA had to be modified this year. The annual event, which has been running since 1984, was canceled last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Homer Lanier, the Interpretive Program and Events Manager for the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation, said that they have been planning this year’s MTA since last September.

Military through the ages 2022