History in Action

By Naperville Magazine
Appears in the September 2024 issue.

By Jeff Banowetz

Rockford’s Midway Village Museum hosts one of the country’s largest World War II reenactments

Visiting a World War II battlefield typically requires an ocean crossing. But that’s not the case this month, as a near-army of reenactors from across the country make the trip to Rockford for World War II Days, a two-day festival organized by the Midway Village Museum that offers spectators a glimpse into how that global conflict was fought from multiple points of view.

“It’s typically one of the larger World War II reenactments in the country,” says Dave Fornell, the event’s reenactor coordinator. Expect nearly 1,000 volunteers, dressed in period-appropriate uniforms, and dozens of vehicles—including armored transporters, jeeps, and tanks—to create historically accurate scenes of life during the war, including two combat scenarios. “Individual historians create what we call ‘impressions,’ ” Fornell explains. “They have an area of interest they’ve researched, and they can create a scene to tell that story.”

“It’s been really successful for us,” says Luke Fredrickson, the museum’s marketing director. We usually have upwards of 6,000 people in attendance. We’re able to create an environment that people just don’t see anywhere else.”

Taking place this year September 28 and 29, World War II Days was first held in 1998, and it has become the Midway Village Museum’s largest event of the year.

The Midway Village Museum, which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year, is dedicated to chronicling life in Rockford and the Midwest, with a primary focus on the early 1900s. Its Victorian Village re-creates buildings from that era, and historical reenactors provide more information on the region at that time. “It’s a mixture of about eight or 10 buildings, some of which were moved here and reconstructed onsite,” Fredrickson says. “You have a sort of downtown Main Street with a blacksmith, bank, print shop, town hall, a hotel, and additional stores. And then you have the residential area with six or seven homes from the earliest part of Rockford’s settlement.”

The museum’s large property is what first attracted the interest of the World War II Historical Reenactment Society, which was formed in 1976. “On our campus we have a large wooded area, probably about 80 or 90 acres, and it’s a great spot for building trails and foxholes,” Fredrickson says. “It’s where we can reenact some of the infantry-style battles of World War II.”

In a more open space, larger vehicles have room to create a battlefield that shows some of the tank maneuvers and other recreations of scenes that took place in Europe. “Here we can accommodate a much larger crowd safely,” Fredrickson says. “You can see these vehicles and tanks, hear the munitions, and experience the conditions from a European battle.”

There also will be a replica trench system and demonstrations from various actors portraying multiple aspects of the war. “Most of these people are collectors who love to share their enthusiasm and knowledge of history,” Fornell says. “They could be sitting at home watching the History Channel, but it’s a lot more fun to get involved with other people who collect and start a conversation so we can all learn more. Growing up, we were the kids who built models and played army with sticks. The sticks have just gotten a lot more expensive,” he says with a laugh.

The demonstrations attempt to accurately portray participants from different sides of the conflict. “When you go and see the American camps, you can learn about what your grandfather and your uncles did 80 years ago,” Fornell says. “Then go to the German camps or the Japanese camps or the Italian camps and find out what the opposition was like, why they fought, and what types of weapons they had. What was it like to live in Germany in 1939? Because it was vastly different from the experience that most of the Allied countries faced.”

The focus on World War II also highlights the museum’s interest in developing a new permanent exhibit to tell the story of Camp Grant, an army infantry training center created to drill soldiers for both world wars. Hundreds of thousands of personnel went through the base, which was located on the current site of the Chicago-Rockford International Airport.

“It was quite a boom to the Rockford economy and a fundamental part of the history of many families here,” Fredrickson says. “We’re excited to collect artifacts from the old Camp Grant and tell that story.”

The Midway Village Museum is at 6799 Guilford Road in Rockford. World War II Days will be held Saturday, September 28, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday, September 29, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tickets are $19 for adults, $14 for veterans and active military personnel, and $12 for children ages 5 to 12 (ages 4 and under are free). For more information, call 815-397-9112 or visit midwayvillage.com.

While in Rockford

• Dino-crazy kids will love the Burpee Museum of Natural History (737 N. Main St., burpee.org), which features the world’s most complete juvenile T. rex skeleton, named Jane (above). Other popular exhibits include the Ordovician Sea and Ice Age Illinois.

• The Discovery Center Museum (711 N. Main St., discoverycentermuseum.org) is a hands-on children’s science haven (above) that’s one of the top family attractions in the state. Kids are encouraged to explore a variety of areas that focus on space travel, the science of sports, the human body, agriculture, and more.

• Just a five-minute drive from the Midway Village Museum, the Thunder Bay Grille (7652 Potawatomi Trl., thunderbaygrille.com) is known for its steak, seafood, and Cajun specialties, as well as handcrafted cocktails, local beers, and a lengthy wine list.

Photos: Midway Village Museum (World War II Days); Illinois Office of Tourism (Burpee Museum and Discovery Center Museum)