Zach Through the Ages

I have always had a deep love for history. While many of my current academic peers have business degrees, I dual majored in History and Fine Arts. The summer of my junior year I met a guy at a party that did historic reenacting. He was a member of the 1St Maryland Rgt, a group that reenacted the American Revolution. Nervous as all get out, not knowing what to expect, I went with him to a reenactment. The folks there made me feel welcome, lent me clothes and gear, and I was hooked. Over the years I have gotten to do things and visit places that many people never get to do(have you spent a summer crawling in the rigging of a tall ship?) The list is just going to be a chronological recap.

1720's, ships crew on the Kalmar Nykle out of Wilmington Deleware (2000, 2001).

For about a year, I mixed a love of history with a love of sailing. Normally, we did not sail in costume, but it was very cool when we did. I learned the trade over the winter - taking a 3 month course on working the ship, learning where all the lines go, and how to climb safely. Which I am doing in the next picture.

Amusingly, I very nearly died moments after that picture was taken. The leather soled shoes slipped on the painted rigging and I lost my footing before I could clip in. I nearly took a 50 foot express trip to the deck. It was the last time I ever wore "correct" shoes aloft.


I'm in the brown coat, commanding one of the ships cannon. The cannon is loaded, which can be determined by the fact that there is a leather glove over the touch hole. You don't want an errant spark setting off 1/2 pound of black powder before you are ready. People have literally lost hands at events when that kind of thing has happened.

I eventually stopped as the commute from Baltimore to Wilmington most Saturdays sucked and was eating too much of my time away. I'd still be doing it if I lived a bit closer.

1780. First Maryland Regiment, American Revolution. 1996 - 2007
Where it all began for me, and the only group that I have stayed with over the years. I have traveled to other countries, camped on the battlefields where our nation won its freedom, climbed handmade wood ladders up the walls of old forts, and even got married reenacting the Rev War. I was the commander for the 1MR for 4 years, and only gave it up as I knew I would not have time to continue running the group as a father and a grad student. When I finish my MBA in August, I am looking forward to being able to go and play with the 1MR again.

First pic is my old private's uniform, taken on the Guilford Courthouse battlefield in North Carolina.

The next is when my wife and I got married in Oct. of 2006, at Williamsburg, VA. Nerdy? Yes, but it was the single coolest thing I have ever done.


1812, Ships Company, USN (2005-2007)
This was another cross over for me. Another chance to spend time on the water with some folks that I had gotten to know through the 1MR. Plus, at the time they were trying to get funding to build a replica ship rigged cutter to sail on the Bay. I played with them for a few events, but started this period right before I stopped reenacting to concentrate on being a grad student and a dad. I mainly liked the idea of playing on boats in funny clothes.

For this one, some of us were doing small boat drills on the Canadian side of the Niagra.


1870's, Market Hunter (2000 - 2007)
This was a fun period to reenact. I did this period for years, but only did one event per year. The event, "Marching Through Time," held in April every year near College Park, was a timeline event - where several different groups from several different time periods set up historical set pieces. It was always laid back, the weather is springy and fresh, and I always looked forward to it. It was as much a chance to see people that you had not seen all winter as it was to educate folks about the past. Our group usually put together a camp of market hunters - those guys that killed all the buffalo and sent the skins back East to drive the American industrial revolution. I was the camp cook, and spent the entire weekend cooking and drinking and talking and... drinking. I great way to pass a weekend.
My wife and I, not thinking about Monday.


1944, Belgan SAS, 15th Scottish Recce (2001-2005)
WWII. Next to the American Civil War (ACW) it is the most popular reenacted period world wide. Folks I knew from the Buffalo Hunters camp convinced me to give it a try. So I did, and I did not have a great time at first. Time periods prior to the ACW tend to be family oriented. Events are created with the idea that they will be attended my the public. You get a chance to talk and educate. With WWII, my experience was that it was a bunch of middle aged men playing a very expensive game of cowboys and indians. Then, one day we were camped with another commonwealth group that were playing with armored cars. I jumped ship, and started doing that and realized I was having fun again. So I helped restore 3 armored cars and, and spent the weekends in the drivers seat. Did you know that you could pop a wheelie in a 4 ton 60 year old armored car? You can! I found out while drag racing one of the other armored cars on an old grass runway. Serious business. :)

I left the group in 2005 when they started bickering and in-fighting. I did not want to do that, I just wanted to wrench on old iron.

This is the vehicle that I did most of the work restoring. I wished I was in a place to have bought it when the owner sold it. I'm standing in the drivers seat, right before a parade (its English, so the driver sits on the right.) The armored car is a Bren Gun Carrier, made in Canada in 1943. Fun Fact: Canada and the US supplied England with nearly their entire war machine, after the Brits had to abandon everything during the retreat from Dunkirk in 1940.


This is the only C-15T/A left in running condition in the world. And I got to drive it. Wicked cool armored car.