It's right in the middle of a very busy, not far from downtown area, however right when you arrive it's easy to feel as though you've stepped back in time. There are actors recreating battle scenes, artillery demonstrations and lots of people dressed in clothing authentic to the time period of the war they represent. It really is like seeing snapshots of history come to life. One of my absolute favorite visits was two years ago. The theme was medically based that year and we were able to see a re-enactment of a surgery. It was really neat, the girls' reactions to it were complete shock and awe, and I posted about it here.
Proudly showing the beeswax candles they just made. The ROH event has several goals, one of which is to highlight the architectural and cultural treasures of the National Soldiers Home Historic District. The mansion looking building behind the girls is one of a few buildings there that is on the National Register of Historic places and this is the only time it is open to the public for tours. 
During this cavalry demonstration, the announcer explained that they were training one of the horses. It was neat that even Rebekah picked up on the horse's hesitation and the sense that he did not really know what to do. I can't even imagine the amount of preparation it took for them to be ready for an actual battle.
The girls always look forward to seeing President Lincoln here and hearing his storytelling, and it's always been the same man. Last year he confided that his first name is actually Bob. This really struck Alyssa's funny bone and she walked around the rest of the afternoon giggling and saying "Bob...Bob Lincoln." This is a different Lincoln than we have seen in past years, but he was also very nice and knowledgeable. Some of the girls' favorite books are about Lincoln, we have visited his Presidential Library and Museum in Springfield, IL., along with his childhood home in Indiana, and his adult home and tomb, both of which are in Springfield.
Another goal of the event is to honor and pay tribute to the veterans. Every year we have met veterans at ROH. They share stories, explain about the kind of weapons and other supplies they would have carried, and they let the girls sit in their vehicles. One year a man even shared his chocolate bar with the girls explaining the "brotherhood" to them, and how anything that one of them had was shared by the whole group. So cool!
The theme this year was "The Grand Finale" and I'm sad to say that this tenth annual event will be their last, at least for now. When we moved here about seven years ago, this was one of the first activities we ever experienced in Milwaukee, and we've kept going back year after year. I know attending has made the events that the girls read about in books so much more real to them, and I'm thankful that they've had the opportunity to see these living history demonstrations. It makes me feel very patriotic to visit events like this. It's impossible to walk around there and not acknowledge with a sense of great appreciation and pride the freedoms we have here in this country and the brave men and women who fought for that freedom. It's unfortunate that there is not the resources for the ROH to continue. More photos from our day at the last Reclaiming Our Heritage Military Encampment are here.
1 comment:
what a fun family tradition you got to participate in those 7 years! Such a neat way for kids to experience and learn about History!
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