09-30-2008, 08:24 AM
Chenoa resident Owen B. Streeper, an Air Force veteran who fought in World War II with the 461st Bomb Group, took a saunter down memory lane today as he watched battlefield reenactments and paced himself through Allied encampments in the woods at Midway Village Museum.
![[Image: g11314f39a3ce03f59413ddd04336c0d36ddcf626e0ee33.jpg]](http://www.rrstar.com/multimedia/x459457498/-photo-WWII-days-1/g11314f39a3ce03f59413ddd04336c0d36ddcf626e0ee33.jpg)
The 85-year-old was just one of many veterans who attended the 12th Annual World War II Days at Midway Village Museum.
“I spent three months fighting with the French underground,” Streeper said of working alongside U.S. allies. “When I walked down through the village here, it made me feel like I spent 87 days, 7 hours and 35 minutes behind enemy lines again. I remember wearing civilian clothes and walking right out in front of the Germans and all of it just came right back out to life.”
![[Image: g149190c2edb74a432e0e7fb4d1a271f0c22a452d2f5ab3.jpg]](http://www.rrstar.com/archive/x345112696/g149190c2edb74a432e0e7fb4d1a271f0c22a452d2f5ab3.jpg)
While the event gave plenty to entertain families, veterans and history lovers, it was the World War II 30-minute re-enactments that took thousands of attendees to the forefront of battle. They watched tanks and armored vehicles charge before their eyes, looked through the smoke and gunfire to see forces entangle, troops take refuge in fox holes and heard the sounds familiar to many veterans during the chaos of battle.
![[Image: g1a9152111abd700d5c2027860521012362c75e41fce126.jpg]](http://www.rrstar.com/archive/x1378746940/g1a9152111abd700d5c2027860521012362c75e41fce126.jpg)
Enamored by the stories of veterans, Rockford resident Sam Hiser, 27, attended the event for the second year in a row, bringing his fiancee, Andrea English, along for the battle.
He said watching the American and German armored vehicles and the infantry at the battlefield sparked something inside of him that made him want to join along with the re-creation of history at the museum.
“It’s like going back in time,” Hiser said. “This is my second year, and I enjoy talking to a lot of the folks, the re-enactors and the veterans here ... I’m looking to get involved next year.”
Burpee Museum Executive Director Alan Brown said the event brings wars into perspective.
“We have to learn from history and to do that we can’t repeat it. This is for us to understand the causes of war and how wars get started so maybe we can avoid them in the future,” he said. “I’ve been here every year and love being here.”
Midway Village Museum hosted more than 7,000 attendees over the weekend, said Lonna Converso, director of marketing at the museum. The museum’s attendance numbers were up from nearly 6,000 people in 2007. Converso said overall the event has attracted more people each year who just want to be a part of history.
![[Image: g1a912f1cd81615346b77b98e9ec025a66dac6af55544b1.jpg]](http://www.rrstar.com/archive/x1378746938/g1a912f1cd81615346b77b98e9ec025a66dac6af55544b1.jpg)
Streeper said the weekend is all about pride and looking out for freedom. He’s pleased others are taking the time to learn about the past and connect it to the present.
“I’m proud of it,” he said. “I might be 85 years old, but I can still fight good to protect the American people. One more beating ain’t gonna hurt me after what I’ve seen. This is where people see what we went through.”
The 85-year-old was just one of many veterans who attended the 12th Annual World War II Days at Midway Village Museum.
“I spent three months fighting with the French underground,” Streeper said of working alongside U.S. allies. “When I walked down through the village here, it made me feel like I spent 87 days, 7 hours and 35 minutes behind enemy lines again. I remember wearing civilian clothes and walking right out in front of the Germans and all of it just came right back out to life.”
While the event gave plenty to entertain families, veterans and history lovers, it was the World War II 30-minute re-enactments that took thousands of attendees to the forefront of battle. They watched tanks and armored vehicles charge before their eyes, looked through the smoke and gunfire to see forces entangle, troops take refuge in fox holes and heard the sounds familiar to many veterans during the chaos of battle.
Enamored by the stories of veterans, Rockford resident Sam Hiser, 27, attended the event for the second year in a row, bringing his fiancee, Andrea English, along for the battle.
He said watching the American and German armored vehicles and the infantry at the battlefield sparked something inside of him that made him want to join along with the re-creation of history at the museum.
“It’s like going back in time,” Hiser said. “This is my second year, and I enjoy talking to a lot of the folks, the re-enactors and the veterans here ... I’m looking to get involved next year.”
Burpee Museum Executive Director Alan Brown said the event brings wars into perspective.
“We have to learn from history and to do that we can’t repeat it. This is for us to understand the causes of war and how wars get started so maybe we can avoid them in the future,” he said. “I’ve been here every year and love being here.”
Midway Village Museum hosted more than 7,000 attendees over the weekend, said Lonna Converso, director of marketing at the museum. The museum’s attendance numbers were up from nearly 6,000 people in 2007. Converso said overall the event has attracted more people each year who just want to be a part of history.
Streeper said the weekend is all about pride and looking out for freedom. He’s pleased others are taking the time to learn about the past and connect it to the present.
“I’m proud of it,” he said. “I might be 85 years old, but I can still fight good to protect the American people. One more beating ain’t gonna hurt me after what I’ve seen. This is where people see what we went through.”