Show of Forces

Justin Blackburn stared at the soldier in the Nazi uniform, German helmet on his head, and asked his father if the man was “really one of the bad guys.”

Lloyd Blackburn assured his 8-year-old son that the German soldier and the others dressed in World War II uniforms--U.S., British and German--were not real soldiers but “guys who like to dress up and play soldier.”

The “soldiers” were not members of a cast in a World War II movie but participants in a weekend military encampment at Irvine Regional Park organized by military buffs, Army and Marine reserve units and the California National Guard.

The exhibits included vehicles, weapons and equipment used by U.S. and enemy troops in every war since the Spanish-American War. All of the historical equipment, including armored vehicles and a self-propelled howitzer, are owned by civilian collectors from the Military Vehicles Preservation Assn. and the California Historical Group.

In addition to preserving combat equipment, the historical group also reenacts World War II battles “in an effort to better educate the general public as well as ourselves on the daily rigors of the WWII soldiers,” according to a brochure.

But some people were offended Sunday at the sight of men in Nazi uniforms lolling on the grass on a sunny afternoon and by literature about the combat history of some German army units.

“It seems like they’re glorifying the Nazis. I find it a bit offensive,” Larry Davidson said.

One man wearing a German uniform said that “one or two people have asked me why I’m wearing this uniform.” The man, who declined to give his name, said the exhibit was not “an effort to promote the German army” but was part of a “living history display.”

A sign posted next to a reproduction of a German FW-190 WWII fighter bomber said the exhibit owner realized some people were offended by the Nazi uniforms but added that they were worn in an effort to maintain historical accuracy.

There were no displays of Japanese army units or uniforms, and the only Japanese equipment on display was an artillery piece.

Sunday’s events included a reenactment of the U.S. Army’s charge up San Juan Hill, complete with Spanish army defenders shouting, “Viva Espana!” and the participants firing blanks.