By Slater de Mont
On Saturday, October 10th and Sunday, October 11th, Collings Foundation hosted the annual World War II re-enactment. The cost was $10 for children and $15 for adults.  People were able to explore and see historical equipment and planes up close, including a Fokker Tri-plane and a Douglas torpedo bomber. Under the supervision of the re-enactors, the people were allowed and even encouraged to touch the weapons and equipment. In addition to seeing the weapons, people could even pay to take flights in the PT-17 or the T-6 Texan fighter.
Food and refreshments were available along with souvenirs. The re-enactment started with a brief history of the battle and the events leading up to it, and talked about the American paratroopers attacking force. The actual battle began with the flight of the German Fiesler Storch Reconnaissance plane taking off into the air above the airstrip set in 1945 Germany. The plane rose immediately after it started down the airstrip. The plane then banked and started to fly slowly over the surrounding area. Then, the German motorcycle, complete with an MG 42 equipped sidecar, took off. A few minutes later, the distant sound of gunfire from the attacking American Paratroopers and tanks could be heard. As the Americans pushed forward, the gun turrets started to fire. Then, a massive explosion was heard as the German 88mm Anti-Aircraft gun, which was then aimed down range, fireed at the tanks. A massive explosion went off next to the tank. The Americans pushed forward, forcing the Germans to surrender or fall dead to the unstoppable Allied force.
This was only a part of the battle, as there was much to see that day. This particular battle ended with the Americans, with the assistance of the Russians, overtaking the Germans and capturing the airfield. However, with four shows, the outcomes of the battles are always a surprise.
