A Well Equipped Army First Marches through the Chow Line
How do we make 2025 feel like 1918? Dress like they did, live like they did, hear what they heard, smell what they smelled, read what they read and eat what they ate. Food is a gateway to the past, and it is usually the one thing at reenactments, especially immersion events, that completes the sense of immersion. It is also the chief offender of ruining that immersion when out from a pack or pocket is pulled modern food item, or god forbid a gold colored commercially available paint can cosplaying as a C ration. Now, I have been attending the Newville WWI reenactment in Pennsylvania since 2015. For those who do not know what this event is, check out the Great War Associations Web site HERE. It was this event that really pushed me to elevate the accuracy of my reproductions, with the goal of making them as close to originals as possible. Prior to 2015 though, I had been experimenting with ways to hide modern food at the local events my Marine Corps reenactment group The 20th Century Marine attends. We built immersive displays, and made serious efforts to eliminate all modern “garbage” from view with long conversations being spent on how we could hide our beer cans. As we expanded, I worked to reduce the amount of work required to police modern garbage by making replica rations for use around the public. This is where the journey began, but it was Newville that really pressed home the idea that “close” is not “good enough.”
I’ll never forget my first event, cold, hungry, very tired, and low on ammo. Our Sgt brok the unit into two and told us to march up to the bivouac area, drop our packs, and go down the road to the Salvation Army Hut. I had no idea what this was, and being the first night of my first time attending hot off the heels of a 12 hour drive I started at 1am, this 7pm march for rest and food was something I excitidly looked forward to. I had no idea just how amazing this would be though. The Salvation Army group is fully immersive, they make a variety of period correct food items from donuts to drinks and baked goods, all from original recipes using original baking utensils and methods. I had not eaten since 8am that day, the seemingly endless buffet of delicious food gave me strength and I stuffed my pockets full. We then marched back to our camp and were ladled out a hearty and hot slum, which complimented the Salvation Army biscuits I stuffed into every pocket.
This trip was repeated several more times through the weekend, and between the gas attacks, trench raids, bombing runs from airplanes, and artillery barrages, became a highlight. The only time I was pulled out from the immersion of the event, was when I or others removed from their pack a modern tin of food, or a packet of saltine crackers standing in for hard bread.
I went home from that event determined to begin work on creating truly accurate reproduction rations so that immersion was not broken. The was the start of a fantastic journey researching in archives, acquiring original examples, patterning from those originals, making friends in the ration community, and generally sharing my love of food history on a brand new level. The best part about trying to taste the past, is that the variety of food soldiers ate is immense. Even in WWI, AEF soldiers were eating civilian food, military contract food, tinned food, field cooked food, French food, Belgian Food, German, food, British food, and the list goes on. By trying new food, especially the food of those who lived before you, you step outside of your comfort zone and experience something you are unable to in your everyday life. Food connects you to other cultures and people through time and space, and having the right ration to eat is just as important as having the right helmet, rifle, or button on a coat.