Living His Story: World War II

By Chris Dunmire

There is a place off of Guilford Road in Rockford, Illinois, called the Midway Village and Museum Center. The brochure I picked up notes:

"Explore the past in the 55,000 sq. ft. Museum Center. See the Rockford Peaches Exhibit [A League of Their Own] and the 1928 Stinson-Detroiter 'Greater Rockford' Aircraft. View permanent, changing, and traveling exhibits. … Experience life at the turn of the century as you stroll through picturesque Midway Village featuring 26 historic structures. … See history come to life during re-enactment's from the Old West to World War II."

This weekend's events included World War II Days, where "hundreds of Historical Society re-enactors bring the event to life with vintage vehicles, campsites and demonstrations."

I've never been to a re-enactment of World War II before, and despite my pacifist nature, I wanted to take part in the experience as part of my lifelong education and fascination with history.

We arrived just in time Saturday afternoon for the 1:00 p.m. Village Battle on Main Street. While we took our standing position on the side of the road with hundreds of other spectators, army-fatigued soldiers began occupying the village readying to battle with German soldiers at the other end of town. Ear-piercing shots rang out on either side, and a 30-minute mock battle ensued.

I stood stunned for the first 10 minutes of the battle. One of the main draws for attending re-enactments is to experience historical events in an as-close-to-reality setting as possible. Thus, the environmental canvas is themed to the drama of the time period, complete with sights and sounds of yesteryear. This battle was no exception — the reality unsettled my heart, and I had enough around the 20-minute mark after watching several soldiers fall to the ground in a mock death sort of way.

Next, it was over to the 1:30 p.m. Field Battle. It was rumored to include authentic tanks, noted my two machine-fond male companions, so I readied my camera. While we waited for the action to begin, I noticed how serene the soon-to-be battlefield appeared. The mid-September day was gorgeous — sunny and in the mid-70s as the Midwest fall was happening before us. Several dragonflies surfed the currents in the air, oblivious to what was about to happen. I assumed that the dragonflies in the 1940s were very much the same.

It didn't take long for the action to begin. This time, we were able to view both sides in the field engaged in battle head on. Rifles popped, small cannons exploded. Uniformed men with leaves and sticks in their helmets squatted and crawled closer, while others drove in their war machines ejecting ammunition designed to destroy and defeat. Huge explosions rocked the atmosphere and clumps of earth and smoke fountained into the air. Violence juxtaposed with the backdrop of a beautiful autumn day. The dragonflies still surfed.

The rest of the day's events included more battles that we decided to bypass in favor of lunch at an off-site place called the Machine Shed. We did come back, however, to walk through the mock military campsites in the woods complete with authentic vehicles and museum-esque displays of army weaponry and other artifacts.

Meeting Lawrence Spialek

The highlight of Saturday came after I pondered over a display of famous newspaper headlines, and turned the corner to make eye contact with a gentle looking elderly man in a uniform. I asked if I could take his picture, and he immediately smiled and posed with a quiet sense of pride. Lawrence Spialek is a World War II veteran, who served in the Army Air Corps from 1943-1945. Surrounding him was his collection of wartime mementos, medals, and accolades, including those of his brother who died in the war from stepping on a land mine.

I approached Lawrence to thank him for the picture, and he looked into my eyes and reflected back something I found quite overwhelming. Perhaps it was my own thoughts about his life in the context of surviving a world war and living out his golden years reliving the history that he helped to create. For a split second I wished his life had been different, and not included the pain and suffering of war. I was happy to see him there, full of life and vigor while so many others never had the chance. I could sense that he learned how to take life in stride.

Lawrence asked where I was from and we began chatting about the re-enactment events. My husband and brother-in-law joined us and were full of questions for him. I slipped away to examine his spread of artifacts more closely while listening to him regale in his experience of D-Day, teaching the young men with many questions a history lesson they would never read in a book.

We left Midway Village before the Victory Parade at 4:00 p.m. It was the last event of the day before the costumed volunteers were reprieved for an evening of relaxation and an all-night camp out. They stayed overnight for today's continued World War II re-enactment battles and ceremonies. I was surprised when Lawrence told me, that he too, would be camping out with the rest of the volunteers.

Now Sunday, I think about everything I experienced at Midway Village yesterday. I hope that Lawrence had a good night's sleep and was able to express himself to more eager learners seeking first-hand information about the war. There is always a story to be found underneath the surface of things, sometimes a story that is difficult to tell. Lawrence told his with much dignity and pride, which he earned with his life. •

Endnote: Mr. Spialek passed away on June 28, 2005.

Related WW2 Web Sources:

National WWII Memorial Washington, D.C.

Interviews with Veterans (Including Lawrence Spialek)

Midway Village (Rockford, Illinois)