Civil War Day Coming to Forbes Field Oct.
13
For Immediate Release: September 20, 2007
For more information, contact Jack Elliott at the Kansas National Guard Museum (785) 862-1020.
The Civil War will come to life in Topeka this weekend during Civil War Day
at the Kansas National Guard Museum, 6700 South Topeka Blvd (the main entrance
of Forbes Field.) Civil War re-enactors will show what life was like during
the Civil War through dramatic reenactments and encampments on Saturday, Oct.
13. All events are free and open to the public.
Preparation for Civil War Day begins Friday evening with camps being constructed
by participants wearing Civil War era attire. All Civil War reenactors are invited
to participate.
Saturday kicks off with a pancake breakfast open to the public from 7:30 a.m.
to 1 p.m. at the Kansas National Guard Museum. Cost is $3 for the “all-you-can-eat”
pancake breakfast on Saturday.
Beginning at 8 a.m. reenactors will be living the life of Civil War troops
in the encampments on the museum grounds.
During the weekend, the museum will feature the Kansas National Guard history
displays and weapons plus reenactors representing the 2nd Colorado Volunteer
Cavalry Regiment with McLane’s Independent Artillery Battery, William “Rex”
Patty, Civil War Medicine of the 8th Kansas Volunteer Infantry, Frontier Brigade,
the 9th Texas Volunteer Infantry (CSA) and George and Diane Bernheimer, Civil
War Sanitary Commission. Jim Bevan will provide blacksmithing demonstrations
throughout the day. At 11 a.m., the LeCompton Reenactors will present the play
“Bleeding Kansas” inside the museum.
Of special note will be an authentic Civil War wedding as 1st Sgt Rob Robinson
and his bride wed at 1 p.m.
The museum features Kansas National Guard history displays and weapons focus
on the Kansas Army and Air National Guard participation in conflicts including
the Civil War, World War I, World War II, Korea, Vietnam, Gulf War, Bosnia,
Kosovo, Afghanistan and Iraq. Weapons are also on display assigned to the museum
from the Anniston Army Depot in Alabama. Outside displays include ¼ ton,
21/2 ton and 5 ton trucks, M-1 Abrams Tank, M-60A3 Main Tank, 8” Self Propelled
Howitzer, Personnel Carrier, “Duster” Twin 40 mm Anti-Aircraft gun,
UH-1 “Huey,” OH-6 “Cayuse,” AH-1 “Cobra,” OH-58
“Kiowa” and CH-54 “Skycrane” Helicopters, M-102 105mm Howitzer,
and M-109 155mm Howitzer. Also on display is the F-4D “Phantom II”
in which Brig. Gen. Steve Ritchie, the only U.S. Air Force pilot Ace from Viet
Nam war, shot down his second MiG.
The Kansas National Guard Museum is open Tuesdays through Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and is always free and open to the public.