Vietnam War re-enactors try to feel fathers' pain

[Judi Lynn]

Aug. 13, 2005, 5:47PM

Vietnam War re-enactors try to feel fathers' pain
The children of veterans stage conflict in Virginia area transformed into Asian jungle
By PHUONG LY
Washington Post

Leaves rustled, and Robby Gouge, sweating in his jungle boots and Army fatigues, clutched his semiautomatic rifle tighter. He walked slightly crouched and listened intently, just as he thought his father might have done.

The 30-year-old had come to the oak forests of central Virginia to relive his father's war in Vietnam.

Walking behind Gouge on this hazy summer morning were a dozen men, toting gear culled from military surplus stores.
Another team had fanned across the other side of the woods. A few men and women, dressed in the black pajamas of enemy fighters, waited in ambush.

Most war re-enactments are staged to make history come alive for generations who know it only dimly from books. Vietnam, though, isn't quite history. To many people, it's a painfully current event.

Even those who stage battles from other wars question whether it is too soon to re-enact Vietnam.
(snip/...)

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/nation/3308694
(Free registration required)

[NYC]

1. Strange concept.

...The re-enactors try to recapture the war's fear and danger, but the biggest risk is turning the war into a game or parody...

I don't understand why people do this. Recapture fear and danger? There is no danger, consequently, they can't possibly feel the fear the war participants did.

[The Traveler]

2. Polynesians

would sail for hundreds or thousands of miles to participate in war games, in a sense re-enactments of old conflicts. In this manner, warriors kept their skills, earned each others respect, and avoided doing it for real.

[NYC]

3. Do you think these reenactments

serve the same purpose? (Avoid doing it for real.)

[The Traveler]

4. Possibly

Hopefully. Who can say for certain? But if it creates sympathy for the soldier, empathy for what the soldier experiences, then it just might promote the purposes of peace.

Ever hear the Dire Straits tune "Brothers in Arms"? No one is more anti-war than a soldier who has "seen the elephant". One cannot always avoid war ... but real soldiers would really appreciate we all tried harder to find ways of doing so.

[Toots]

8. What is there to fear in a re-enactment

Unless death or being maimed is the final result you can never understand. Why not play a video game instead?

[Betsy Ross]

5. Kent State re-enactment anyone? n/t

[OldLeftieLawyer]

6. Jerks

It's not a real reenactment unless they use real ammunition.

I'd pay to see that, actually.

How come these dress-up commandos don't join the real armed forces, hmmmm?

Pass the popcorn.

[DrZeeLit]

7. Are they nuts? Helllooooo.... we lost that one. AND...

unless they are going to Vietnam or a hostile jungle... ummmm...how they gonna "re-enact" it? Leaves rustling?

I suggest dropping some napalm, running some really loud helicopter and machine gun fire, perhaps a few bombs?

Remember, no fair using body armor or humvees or ... oh, I know...

I'm such a CYNIC! For goodness sake -- I've got friends on that Wall. It was a war, not a video game.

And, I've got a bro-in-law, former Marine, saw not only action, but his best friend blown to bits. Ask him if he wants to relive it? Nah...don't think so. He's currently actively involved in talking kids OUT of enlisting, and has been doing that very quietly for quite some time.

Why don't these people go VOLUNTEER at Walter Reed, working with our CURRENT brave wounded/amputees returning from Iraq? Better use of time.

[Barrett808]

9. They could just enlist in the Marines and spend a year in Sadr City

That would be an adequate learning experience.

[Gman]

10. This is probably some RW ideological attempt to legitimize

the VN war since this illegitimate war in Iraq is often compared to the VN war.

[Judi Lynn]

11. I'd like to see them re-enact a real high point in that war

The Gulf of Tonkin incident.

[saigon68]

12. They can re-enact Cheney, Bush, Delay and Clinton DODGING THE DRAFT

[Judi Lynn]

13. Why stop there?

I'd like to see re-enactments of the DWI arrests!