Today:

TOP JOBS Assistant Principal Huron High School. Send resume and other pertinent information to: Ric... MANAGING RENTAL PROPERTIES. Exp. Part-time, Dearborn Fax-CV 313-583-1388 or call 313-595-1...  [ View All Top Jobs ] TOP AUTOS  [ View All Top Autos ] TOP HOMES LINCOLN PARK 3 bedroom Tri-Level for sale by owner Hot Tub, Patio, Privacy Fence newer car... $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ Your Tax Rebate= HOME OWNERSHIP! From $688 per mo! 3 bdrm. 2 bath up to 1...  [View All Top Homes ] TOP RENTALS CHELSEA - CONDO 2 bdrm., 1.5 baths, laundry/utility room, air conditioning, all appliances... TAYLOR 7702 Katherine, 3 bdrm., 2.5 car garage, w/ sunroom, remod. kit., $925/mo. 231-679-...  [ View All Top Rentals ] TOP MERCHANDISE MOOM MAGICK Herbs, Handmade Herbal soaps, Crystals, Oils, Candles, Pagan Books 4780 E. M-3... CHELSEA- ESTAE SALE of Jane Freeman, May 9 & 10, 9-4. Inverness Country Club 13893 N. Terr...  [ View All Top MDSE ]   View Classifieds   Submit a TopAd        or call 1-877-888-3202

	The View A Heritage Newspaper Weekly Publication

Battle re-enactment coming to town

Thunder Over Michigan event set for Aug. 8-10

By Austen Smith, Editor

PUBLISHED: May 8, 2008

Residents around the city of Belleville are hearing the call to war!

Advertisement

Well, a call to a fake war anyway.

To kick off this year's Thunder over Michigan Air Show and display, officials at the Yankee Air Museum will be holding a small-scale WWII battle re-enactment at Village Park in Belleville. The battle will run from 6 to 8 p.m. Aug. 8.

The re-enactment will act as the teaser to the full-scale battle re-enactment events set for 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Aug. 9 and 10 (two shows each day) in the large field adjacent to the old Yankee Air Museum at Willow Run Airport.

Michael Luther, air show director with the Yankee Air Museum, said although the Village Park re-enactment will be about "one-tenth" the size of the full-scale battle shows, he expects young and old alike to enjoy the unique event.

"We've never done this before, bring a convoy into Belleville, so it will be interesting," Luther said. "We will have about 50 people involved in the battle itself and we expect more than 100 or so people to attend."

He added that they expect somewhere between 500 to 800 people to attend the full-scale shows.

The firearms being carried by the battle actors will, obviously, be loaded with blank cartridges, and will represent .50-caliber and .30-caliber machine guns. In addition, some of the armored vehicles - including a German PAC 40 cannon - will be able to fire a lighter blank charge.

Luther said they won't be firing the main guns on the tanks during the Village Park show for fear of the close proximity of the residents near the park and possible window damage.

The armored vehicles being used in both battle events will be borrowed mostly from armored divisions throughout the country and some private collectors.

"We have some medium and light tanks that are being sent up from the 14th Armored Division out of Tennessee. We also have some vehicles coming from the 2nd Armored from Massachusetts," Luther said. "There is another vehicle being lent to us by a private collectors in New Mexico."

Luther also said that he hopes the shows will appeal to more than area veterans and local history buffs.

"I think the veterans and their families will enjoy the events," Luther said. "It seems like a lot of children of veterans are interested in it, the kids want to see the aircraft and the tanks.

"This can also be educational as well."

For more information, visit the Web site at www.yankeeairmuseum. org