Tom Carton dressed as a soldier from the British 2nd Battalion of the Royal Sussex Regiment wears a gas mask from WWI during a presentation on chemical warfare at Museum Village in Monroe on April 2, 2016. The mask was soaked in an anti-gas agent to protect soldiers from gasses the Germans used, and while it may have saved the soldier from immediate death, they weren’t necessarily fit to serve anymore. (Holly Kellum/Epoch Times)
MONROE—Museum Village officially opens April 9, but it opened its doors a week early for its third annual one-day World War I tribute that commemorated 98 years since the end of the War. There were battle re-enactments, a presentation on chemical warfare, costumed interpreters from the time period, and displays on military life throughout the museum’s buildings.
The guest of the day was Marc Calcoen, the Consul General for the Belgium Consulate in New York. Calcoen is from Ypres, one of the towns in Belgium that was hit hard during the War, and he said recently hundreds of thousands of tourists have been coming to the area.
The town is very popular, especially with the British, the Canadian, and New Zealand, and Australian visitors because they want to find the place where their forefathers fought,” he said.
He said the war is still very much alive in Belgium, both in the pockmarks that dot the landscape from military projectiles and in the commemorative events that surround the War’s anniversary.
John Valter dressed as a lancer from the German Cavalry (L) and John Kish dressed as a soldier from the German Infantry, Regiment 92 from the State of Brunswick during a WWI re-enactment at Museum Village in Monroe on April 2, 2016. (Holly Kellum/Epoch Times)
Coleman Adamec dressed as a soldier from Company A, 107th Infantry, 27th Division of the American army during a WWI re-enactment at Museum Village in Monroe on April 2, 2016. (Holly Kellum/Epoch Times)
Steve Pellegrini dressed as a soldier from the British 2nd Battalion of the Royal Sussex Regiment lays wounded during a WWI re-enactment at Museum Village in Monroe on April 2, 2016. (Holly Kellum/Epoch Times)
Coleman Adamec dressed as a soldier from Company A, 107th Infantry, 27th Division of the American army (L) surrenders as John Kish, dressed as a soldier from the German Infantry Regiment 92 from the State of Brunswick advances during a WWI re-enactment at Museum Village in Monroe on April 2, 2016. (Holly Kellum/Epoch Times)
World War I re-enactors at Museum Village in Monroe on April 2, 2016. Museum Village's Executive Director, Michael Sosler, said this is the most re-enactors they have had during the three years the museum has held the event. (Holly Kellum/Epoch Times)
Belgium Consulate General, Marc Calcoen (center) surrounded by World War I re-enactors at Museum Village in Monroe on April 2, 2016. (Holly Kellum/Epoch Times)
John Kish dressed as a soldier from the German Infantry, Regiment 92 from the State of Brunswick and Christine Wilk, dressed as a civilian from the WWI period at Museum Village in Monroe on April 2, 2016. (Holly Kellum/Epoch Times)
Sharon Albin dressed as a nurse during WWI and John VanVliet dressed as a soldier in the British 2nd Battalion of the Royal Sussex Regiment during a WWI Tribute at Museum Village in Monroe on April 2, 2016. (Holly Kellum/Epoch Times)
Vivian Davis dressed as a British civilian from the WWI period during a tribute to the Great War at Museum Village in Monroe on April 2, 2016. (Holly Kellum/Epoch Times)
An American soldier's travel supplies, including tins for carrying food, a gas mask, and a first aid kit displayed during a WWI tribute at Museum Village in Monroe on April 2, 2016. (Holly Kellum/Epoch Times)
Steve Pellegrini dressed as a soldier from the British 2nd Battalion of the Royal Sussex Regiment wearing a primitive gas mask from WWI during a presentation on chemical warfare at Museum Village in Monroe on April 2, 2016. The mask was used to protect against chlorine gas the Germans used against their enemies, and was soaked in urine because the ammonia in it neutralized the effect of the gas. (Holly Kellum/Epoch Times)
Tom Carton dressed as a soldier from the British 2nd Battalion of the Royal Sussex Regiment wears a gas mask from WWI during a presentation on chemical warfare at Museum Village in Monroe on April 2, 2016. The mask was soaked in an anti-gas agent to protect soldiers from gasses the Germans used, and while this type of mask may have saved soldiers from immediate death, they weren't necessarily fit to serve anymore. (Holly Kellum/Epoch Times)
John Kish dressed as a soldier from the German Infantry Regiment 92 from the State of Brunswick wears a gas mask used during WWI during a presentation on chemical warfare at Museum Village in Monroe on April 2, 2016. The can at the bottom has holes in it so the soldier could put an antidote to whatever gas the enemy was using and the air they breathed would filter through it. (Holly Kellum/Epoch Times)
Coleman Adamec dressed as a soldier from Company A, 107th Infantry, 27th Division of the American army during a presentation on chemical warfare at Museum Village in Monroe on April 2, 2016. He is wearing a gas mask that was one of the later styles used during the WWI, and while it protected a soldier's air passage, the skin on their neck was still exposed to the poisonous chemicals. (Holly Kellum/Epoch Times)
WWI re-enactors show the different styles of gas masks used during the war in a presentation on chemical warfare at Museum Village in Monroe on April 2, 2016. (Holly Kellum/Epoch Times)
Soldiers' boots during a chemical warfare presentation at Museum Village in Monroe on April 2, 2016. (Holly Kellum/Epoch Times)
Dan Conna, dressed as a representative of the U.S. Army Signal Corp during a WWI tribute at Museum Village in Monroe on April 2, 2016. (Holly Kellum/Epoch Times)
Dan Conna, dressed as a representative of the U.S. Army Signal Corp during a WWI tribute at Museum Village in Monroe on April 2, 2016. The Signal Corps dealt with communications systems during the war. (Holly Kellum/Epoch Times)
Belgium Consulate General, Marc Calcoen speaks with WWI re-enactors during a WWI tribute at Museum Village in Monroe on April 2, 2016. (Holly Kellum/Epoch Times)
An Edison phonograph that played celluloid records called Blue Amberols after their trade name at Museum Village in Monroe on April 2, 2016. The phonograph, named after Thomas Edison, was built sometime between 1914 and 1919. (Holly Kellum/Epoch Times)
An Edison phonograph that played celluloid records called Blue Amberols after their trade name, at Museum Village in Monroe on April 2, 2016. (Holly Kellum/Epoch Times)
Blue celluloid records called Blue Amberols at Museum Village in Monroe on April 2, 2016. The sound comes from the etchings in the celluloid, an early plastic. Each cylinder can play a recording of no more than four minutes. (Holly Kellum/Epoch Times)
Friends Read Free