Thousands come to World War II Weekend for ‘genuine experience'

Yahoo

14 hours ago

The trip from Tolland to Bern Township isn't a particularly short one.
The route from the Connecticut town stretches about 260 miles, down the eastern seaboard to Newark and then west through Allentown. At nearly five hours, it's quite the hike.
That's especially true if, like Robert Garabedian, you happen to be a century old.
But sitting inside a hangar at Reading Regional Airport late Saturday morning, a steady drizzle tapping on the ground outside, the 100-year-old Army Air Corps veteran was happy he made it.
'I think this is just spectacular,' he said, gazing at the displays honoring the Tuskegee Airmen and other pilots who served during World War II. 'It has to be one of the best events I've ever been to, and I've been to a lot of places in my life.'
Saturday was Garabedian's first visit to the Mid Atlantic Air Museum's annual World War II Weekend, an event celebrating its 34th anniversary. For him, the experience — seeing pristine World War II aircraft, watching reenactors clad in military uniforms and carrying rifles, visiting a model of a 1940s French village — sparked a lot of memories.
This year's event began Friday and concludes Sunday.
A native of Boston, he decided as a teenager to serve his country in World War II by becoming a fighter pilot for the Army Air Corps — the predecessor to the Air Force.
After putting in a lot of effort, going through training and passing tests, he finally got his wings and commission in December 1944. He was then assigned to a fighter group that was scheduled to participate in the invasion of Japan, but before he could deploy America dropped a pair of atomic bombs on Japan, effectively bringing the war to an end.
'I finished all of my training and was ready to go over, but they dropped the atomic bombs,' he said. 'I think word leaked out that I was coming, so they gave up. I hate to take credit — I didn't win the whole war.'
'I still have my sense of humor,' he added with a hearty laugh.
Robert Garabedian, 100, was training to be a pilot when WWII ended before he was deployed overseas was a guest during the World War II Weekend on Saturday, June 7, 2025, at the Mid-Atlantic Air Museum in the Reading Regional Airport. (BILL UHRICH/READING EAGLE)
Garabedian went on to attend Boston University and met his wife, with whom he would have 12 children. He is still a member of the Connecticut National Guard, serving in a unit that participates in funerals of deceased military members.
Garabedian said he was invited to participate in the World War II Weekend by an organization that connects veterans to events like it.
'The interest and attention that we get from people, and the appreciation that they have shown to veterans like me is so wonderful,' he said. 'You know they call us 'the greatest generation.' Thanks very much for saying that, but anyone who puts on the uniform and wants to serve our country deserves the appreciation of all the people who aren't doing that.'
Giving that kind of appreciation is exactly why Oliver and Ben Knesl try to make it a point never to miss a World War II Weekend. The father and son duo have traveled from New Jersey to spend the weekend at the event for more than a decade
Oliver said his love for history drew him to the event, but the talent and commitment of those who help transport visitors back in time keeps them coming back.
'This is a super show — one of the best in the world,' he said. 'The breadth of the reenactors and the attention to detail that goes into this is just phenomenal.'
That authenticity is what inspired them to dress the part themselves.
A native of New Zealand, Oliver was wearing a uniform representing the Long Range Desert Group — a reconnaissance and raiding unit of the British Army. Ben was dressed in a uniform worn by the British 1st Airborne Division.
Ben, 18, said he loves learning something new each time he comes to the event and that he meets a lot of interesting people along the way. It's an immersive experience, he said.
'A lot of people don't really know about this stuff and this provides a genuine experience,' he said. 'It's like a living museum.'
World War II Weekend isn't just a special event for visitors but also for those helping to bring history to life.
Tim Kuntz of Ephrata, a member of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders reenactment group, talks about the unit during the World War II Weekend on Saturday, June 7, 2025, at the Mid-Atlantic Air Museum in the Reading Regional Airport. (BILL UHRICH/READING EAGLE)
Saturday morning a group of 12 of them — reenactors decked out in full uniforms — were stationed under a brown tarp. The actors were sitting around their encampment decorated with items from the era.
They were portraying the 7th Battalion of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, which fought in France before being stationed in northern Africa and Sicily. The battalion also took part in the invasion of Normandy.
'We are as authentic as possible,' said Tim Kuntz of Lancaster, who has been a reenactor since 1986. 'We have the rations they would get, the weapons they would use, the uniforms they would wear to show how the soldiers lived, fought and, unfortunately, sometimes died.'
Kuntz said he enjoys being able to show a different, perhaps unfamiliar perspective of the war.
'The American and British relationship really grew during the war through mutual defiance,' he said. 'And those close ties they formed then remain to this day.'
Most of the members of the reenacting group hail from Pennsylvania and New York and travel around the region for events.
'I like the teaching aspect of what we do,' Kuntz said. 'When I talk to the kids about the alliances that were formed and see the lightbulb go off — that's why I do it.'
Laura Adie of Montgomery County is part of the group. She portrays a member of the Auxiliary Territorial Service, the women's branch of the British Army.
For several years Britain conscripted women to join the war effort. Unmarried women under 30 had to join the armed forces or work on the land or in factories.
'They did a lot of the behind-the-scenes tasks,' she said. 'I work as a public museum educator so I have always been interested in living history events.
'And it's much more compelling to me to portray the British involvement during World War II because they were so much in the thick of things' she added. 'There was a more immediate threat and impacted their daily lives in a way that Americans did not experience.'
Members of the Argull and Sutherland Highlanders reenactment group recreated a scene from Cairo. (BILL UHRICH/READING EAGLE)
While learning more about the details of World War II is a big part of the weekend, some visitors said they stopped by mainly to check out the cool planes.
Becca Burke, an aircraft mechanic from Lebanon County, said she is in awe of the effort it takes to restore them.
'I really love old warbirds, especially those that are still airworthy because there is so much effort that goes into keeping them that way,' she said. 'A lot of the techniques working with fabric wings are just lost to time. So every time I see one of those flying, it's so exciting.'
Saturday was Burke's first time at the event, and she said she was hoping the weather would clear up so she could see some aerial demonstrations.
'It's just a really great event,' she said. 'It's so cool.'
World War II Weekend concludes Sunday, running from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tickets are available at the gate.