READING – Walking into WWII Weekend at the Reading Airport is literally walking back in time to the 1940s. Everything you see, feel, taste and hear is 1940s-era.
Reading Airport is home to the Mid-Atlantic Air Museum, and for the past 34 years, the airport has provided its vast acres of runways and fields for MAAM to host a WWII event as a annual fund raiser. Proceeds from the WWII event supports the museum and its many restoration projects involving vintage planes.
A highlight of the weekend are the surviving WWII veterans. One such veteran, Charles Brookings, was present and shared his experience. Brookings is a WWII U.S. Navy veteran who served as a Gunner’s Mate 2nd Class operating the twin .50 cal. machine gun. He served in the Asiatic-Pacific Theater of operations on the MTB RON 16 and 42, PT-223, PT-619, PT-621 and PT-617. He served two years active duty, then an additional eight years as a Navy reservist. “Charles just loves sharing his story”, said his daughter.
Every aspect of 1940s America is presented to the visitor by re-enactors who seek to remember and celebrate this time in history. Housewives and their children can be seen cooking meals and washing clothing. Visitors can enjoy 1940s-era food and candy. Re-enactors present “radio shows” recreating the famous Abbott and Costello programs including USO shows.
American and French Army soldiers re-enact combat skirmishes in the permanent French Village at the Reading Airport. American and German tanks prowl about the landscape. Overhead, the sky is crowded with American, British, German, and Japanese fighter planes and bombers.
Around the airport runways are re-enactor camps for American, German, and Japanese soldier re-enactors. The visitor to the camps is welcomed to learn about the history of WWII as presented by the different countries involved in that war.
Saturday at WWII Weekend in Reading ends with the annual “Big Band” concert and dance attended by all re-enactors regardless of their nation’s flag including visitors.
WWII Weekend at Reading is a celebration of a generation who won a great war against evil, and it is a gathering of friends from around the world.
