08/21/2026
At the World War II Days reenactment at Old Falls Village in June, put on by the Friends of Old Falls Village Park, I photographed Ward Zischke, a retired U.S. Army lieutenant colonel, at the flag-raising ceremony. He’s carrying a real 48-star American flag and wearing a period-correct U.S. Army WWII field uniform — M1 helmet, olive drab shirt, and combat suspenders. I was feeling a bit shy that day and thinking more about my camera and visuals and missed out on the full the historic immersion experience around me.
A few weeks later, at the Vietnam reenactment, I was given a uniform to wear. That’s when the immersion finally felt real. Standing there in a MAAG-V uniform made me feel an obligation to understand a little more about the clothing on my back — and I realized how much history I’ve been missing.
On that rained-out Saturday when the reenactment battle and most activities were canceled, I got to talk with Ward for a bit at the historical society. Somehow, in the most natural of conversations, he walked me through the geopolitics of that war. That conversation stuck with me.
Back at the WWII Days event I also met a few fellow photographers who inspired me. One was Finn, who reenacts in a Soviet uniform — a mid-war Red Army gymnasterka with pilotka and combat equipment, the standard field dress of the soldiers who carried the heaviest burden on the Eastern Front. Another portrait I made that weekend, a photographer who wore a Polish Free Forces officer’s uniform. After Poland fell in 1939, these men continued the fight under Allied command from Britain to Monte Cassino and into Germany. The “POLAND” title on the shoulder was both identification and a quiet statement: we are still here.
Inspired by my conversations with the three photographers at WWII days, I decided to experiment with older looks myself for these finished portraits.
Cheers to the next reenactment. More photos to come
