A few fellow historians and I from The Duffle Bag and Associates, and The American Veterans Historical Museum put together a little display for Guardian Revival’s 10th Annual Veterans Appreciation Chow Down last month.
I always do very well finding stuff here.
https://www.fdrlibrary.org/events-calendar
Memorial Day Weekend Event:
World War II Military Displays
Time: 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Location: FDR Library Great LawnOn Saturday, May 25 and Sunday, May 26, 2024, in honor of Memorial Day Weekend, the Great Lawn in front of the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum will take on the appearance of a World War II encampment with WWII Military Displays.
Period military vehicles of all sizes and soldiers in battle dress will be on hand to share their love of World War II history. Free public event.
The Duffle Bag and Associates, along with the American Veterans Historical Museum and a host of other living historians, are doing Memorial day again at FDR, sponsored by the library. I’ll be there, weather permitting, with a small display.
Normally I do a Cold War display at FDR, despite it being predominantly a World War II themed event. There are a few of us who do a post-1945 displays there. This year however marks the 80th Anniversary of the D-Day landings in Normandy, France, and my wife and younger daughter are planning on cosplaying Rosie the Riveter (their first time going in costume for this event), so I figured it would be a good idea to have a complementary costume. I don’t think, however, that I’ll be doing an ETO impression.
Despite the amount of media play that D-Day receives, there were also other pivotal events that happened elsewhere in June, 1944. Allied forces had captured Rome in the Mediterranean Theater on June 4th. June 5th was the first B-29 bombing mission, Operation Matterhorn, in the CBI theater. June was also the beginning of Operation Forager in the Pacific Theater.
Locally speaking, many National Guard and Reserve units in this area served in the Pacific or CBI Theaters. The 77th Infantry Division (USAR), 43rd Infantry Division (CTARNG et al), 27th Infantry Division (NYARNG), 118th Observation (now Airlift) Squadron (CTANG), and 333rd (now 131st) Fighter Squadron (MAANG) all served in the Pacific or CBI Theaters. Honorable mention goes to the 98th Infantry Division (USAR) that was slated for the cancelled Operation Olympic, and served occupation duty in Japan after the war.
Memorial Day is next weekend, and I’ll be displaying some Cold War communications equipment at the FDR Home and Library in Hyde Park, NY sponsored by my friends and fellow historians with The Duffle Bag & Associates. I’ve done this event since I moved back East, save for when it was cancelled due to COVID.
I previously set up static displays. This year will be different as I’ll have a military shortwave receiver listening to broadcasts, and I’ll be in on the air. I’ll have a Part 15 FM broadcast station, “WFDR,” on 99.5 MHz., and a 6 Meter Amateur Radio station on 51.0 MHz. FM with my PRC-25. Hopefully the band will be open. A couple of my fellow ham operators and historians will be on HF. Callsigns and frequencies will be posted on my Facebook feed.
If you’re within driving distance of FDR come visit. My fellow historians do an excellent job of putting this event together. We’re going to have the Big Band Sound Jazz Orchestra playing on Sunday, and other family events over the course of the weekend.
Spending part of the day finishing my packing for my friends’ militaria show next weekend. I’ve got an excess of stuff, so I’ll have my usual corner table next to the bleachers.
So far I’ve got three Sterlites full of stuff. I’ll have some French & Indian and Revolutionary War books, military TMs, military electronics, and other items Here’s a sneak peak:
Militaria, & Knife Collector’s Show
https://www.thedufflebaginc.com/militaria-show
SHOW HOURS 9AM-3PM
Admission: $7.00 at the door.
(Children under 12 admitted free with paid adult).
Join the Duffle Bag Saturday, APRIL 22, for its annual Militaria, & Knife Collector’s Show at the Patterson Recreation Center.
Children under 12 admitted FREE with paid adult, so bring the entire family for a good old fashioned militaria show. Come and find vendors covering a broad range of vintage militaria for sale. Choose from military surplus, insignia, vintage clothing, custom knives, edged weapons, and firearm accessories.
Bring your military treasures and have Brian Benedict of the Duffle Bag appraise them for you.
The Patterson Recreation Center is a beautiful facility located in the rustic town of Patterson NY. FREE PARKING adjacent to the building in the well lit Metro-North
Railroad parking lot. The Patterson Recreation Center is one block from the Patterson Metro-North Railroad station. An easy drive from Interstates 84 and 684.
I missed the past two years for Memorial Day at FDR because of COVID. Things settled down enough this year that the National Archives and the National Park Service opened it up for my associates and I this year. This time around I planned for an even bigger display than in 2019.
A line of rain and thunderstorms came through Saturday, making that day a wash (no pun intended) for the most part. Sunday was much better. I didn’t make it Saturday because of the weather, but got there early Sunday morning and set my display up.
This year I displayed three tables of radio communications and electronics test equipment covering a time span from World War II to the Cold War eras. I also set up a Part 15 FM radio station, “WFDR,” on 99.5 MHz. that played some 1940s era music for a short while.
In this picture there is a Cold War era Soviet R-105m VHF transceiver, a PRC-25, PRC-75, PRC-74, WW2 Navy/Marine Corps TBY, WW2 R-156 sonobouy receiver, and WW2 BC-1000/SCR-300.
This picture shows an early WW2 Amateur Radio station consisting of a Hallicrafters SX-25 (which did see military use during WW2) and a Utah Junior HF CW transmitter, along with a reproduction foxhole radio using an old “blue blade” safety razor blade. Unfortunately I didn’t have the space to set up a decent antenna to run the foxhole radio. Two of next years’s goals include getting reception for the foxhole radio and getting a vintage Amateur Radio station on the air.
The bottom right shows a small collection of electronic test equipment. We have a radar IFF test set, oscilliscope, VOM meter, and RF SWR/power meter.
My favorite Army/Navy store is once again sponsoring a militaria and knife collector show next month in Patterson, NY. I’ll be in my usual spot in the corner doing a small museum display of military communications electronics and test equipment from World War II to the late Cold War era as a practice run for an upcoming event in Dutchess County, NY later this year. In addition to the vendors, there are usually other living historians attending as well. At the last show, Revolutionary War reenactors from the Living History Guild and 4th NY Regiment brought an original antique RevWar cannon. They’ll be back in April, according to the show organizer.
If you are a military history buff, this is a good show to see some neat artifacts, and maybe start a memorabilia collection. If you’re already a collector, regardless of whether your interest is the American Revolution, World War II, Vietnam, or GWOT, it’ll be at the show.
This is a family friendly event. You won’t see any of the gun show BS that you don’t want your kids exposed to. Actually, the only guns you might see there are antique muzzleloaders. So, if your kid has an interest in military history, this is a safe venue for him or her. In fact, youth will be well-represented among the living historians at the show.
Those of you using public transportation from downstate can simply get on the Metro-North Harlem line and take it up to Patterson Station. Get off the train and walk across the street. If you’re driving up from downstate, you can take I-684 up to Rt. 22, and hang a left at Rt. 311. If you’re coming in from the other side of the Hudson River, take I-84 to Rt. 311, and head towards Patterson. Coming in from Connecticut, just take I-84 to Rt.22 . Wherever you’re coming in from, it’s pretty easy to get there.
Twice a year (under normal circumstances), my friends Brian and Jean, who own my favorite Army/Navy store, host a militaria show down in Patterson, NY. It’s real easy to get there. You can take the MTA Metro-North Harlem Line to Patterson and walk the quarter mile down to the Rec Center. You can also take I-84 to Rt. 311 into Patterson, getting off at what once was Exit 18 and is now Exit 61, or take Rt. 22 to Rt. 311 into Patterson Village proper. At any rate, the What3Words for the entrance to the Rec Center are ///muddle.indefinite.encroach. They haven’t had a show since COVID started, so it’s been almost two years. Everyone is champing at the bit, and it’s going to be a good show.
Last Month, a few fellow historians and I from the American Veteran’s Historical Museum did a display for the Veterans’ Chow Down held by the PFC Joseph P. Dwyer Vet 2 Vet Program of Putnam County.
Fellow historian Joe S. with his display of uniforms, headgear, and ephemera from the Vietnam War to the present.
Fellow historian Paul M.’s World War II home front and USO display.
My display of Cold War era radio gear.
AN/PRC-25
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