Honoring Doolittle Raiders: 'Hail Our Heroes' World War II reenactment planned for Crestview

CRESTVIEW — The sound of gunfire will ripple across the Twin Hills Park east pond as brave GIs charge up the hill and liberate the Château Vue de la Crête from its German occupiers.

Don’t be alarmed. It’s just an exciting World War II reenactment and the “shots” will be blanks.

Actually, the “château” is the Northwest Florida State College Crestview campus and the “GIs” and “Germans” have “real” jobs when they’re not portraying World War II warriors. And the “liberation” is just one of the scenarios to be enacted during Crestview’s “Hail Our Heroes!” World War II living history weekend, an 80th anniversary commemoration of the daring Doolittle Raid.

World War II film posters are displayed at the Crestview Public Library in conjunction with the city’s “Hail Our Heroes!” commemoration of the Doolittle Raid’s 80th anniversary.
World War II film posters are displayed at the Crestview Public Library in conjunction with the city’s “Hail Our Heroes!” commemoration of the Doolittle Raid’s 80th anniversary.

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The educational April 22-24 event will include reenactment scenarios; displays of equipment, aircraft and vehicles; Allied and Axis encampments; a “World War II Milestones History Walk”; musical performances; history briefings; a USO-style big band dance; and a Sunday interdenominational World War II field church service.

In conjunction with the Twin Hills Park activities, retired Air Force Gen. Clay McCutchan and his fellow warbird enthusiasts will host a static display of World War II aircraft, equipment and vehicles at Crestview Bob Sikes Airport, just a 6-minute drive away. Weather permitting, some of the aircraft will conduct flyovers above the reenactments at Twin Hills Park.

This World War II spotter plane will be one of several displayed at Crestview Bob Sikes Airport during the April 22-24 “Hail Our Heroes!” World War II reenactment weekend.
This World War II spotter plane will be one of several displayed at Crestview Bob Sikes Airport during the April 22-24 “Hail Our Heroes!” World War II reenactment weekend.

Activities will include occasional “war briefings,” short history lessons from former Eglin Air Force base historian Dr. Robert Kane; musical interludes by Encore History performer Jody Ingalls including her show, “Sentimental Journey: Songs That Brought the Boys Home”; weapons and techniques demonstrations; and opportunities to learn about the vehicles and equipment exhibited.

An exhibit about the Doolittle Raiders at the Crestview Public Library includes then Lt. Gen. James Doolittle’s cap and World War II artifacts on loan from local collectors. The exhibit will be open through April.
An exhibit about the Doolittle Raiders at the Crestview Public Library includes then Lt. Gen. James Doolittle’s cap and World War II artifacts on loan from local collectors. The exhibit will be open through April.

The Saturday evening big band Victory Dance, like all the weekend’s activities, is free to the public. Featuring the 15-piece Hashtag Swing band, war-era favorites such as “In the Mood,” “Opus One,” “Don’t Sit Under the Apple Tree,” “Moonlight Serenade” and more big band standards will get visitors swinging and swaying outside the NWF State's Bob Sikes Educational Center portico.

Living history and reenactment units from throughout the region and elsewhere in the Southeast will come to Crestview to set up camps and displays. Included is a unique unit from Georgia that specializes in German headquarters and clerical impressions, which will set up a typical occupation force headquarters in the Bob Sikes Center at Twin Hills Park.

“Hail Our Heroes!” adviser Dako Morfey chats with retired Air Force Gen. Clay McCutchan about World War II airplanes the general and his team will exhibit at Crestview Bob Sikes Airport during the April 22-24 reenactment weekend.
“Hail Our Heroes!” adviser Dako Morfey chats with retired Air Force Gen. Clay McCutchan about World War II airplanes the general and his team will exhibit at Crestview Bob Sikes Airport during the April 22-24 reenactment weekend.

Visitors may interact with the reenactors, ask questions, examine equipment and — with permission, of course — possibly even try on a helmet or two.

“Always ask permission before you touch anything,” event adviser Dako Morfey said. “Many pieces of equipment are valuable 85-year-old antiques that their owners have restored. They’re proud of their artifacts and glad to display them, but just request ... visitors and their kids to ask before touching. That goes for the vehicles, too.”

Morfey, no stranger to World War II and Cold War reenactments, is a member of the National World War II Museum’s Living History Corps and is also a stickler for authenticity at the reenactments he organizes. He begins each day of an event with an “S&A” — safety and authenticity — briefing.

“Safety and authenticity are essential to reenactment events,” he said. “I don’t want to see a modern digital watch or cellphone on any of the reenactors during public hours. We want our visitors to feel like they’ve slipped through a time warp and landed in early 1940s Europe or Asia.”

Morfey and his fellow safety officers are certified weapons instructors and check each weapon used at the event to assure no live ammunition is brought to the park. During demonstrations and reenactments, safety officers will assure audience members are kept at a safe distance from the action.

There’s one more essential component that the “Hail Our Heroes” weekend will emphasize, he said.

“Education is as important as safety and authenticity,” Morfey said. “Students have told us many times at many reenactments that seeing the vehicles and equipment and talking to the reenactors brings alive the material they’d been learning in history classes and makes it relevant.”

“Hail Our Heroes” runs from noon to 6 p.m. Friday, April 22; 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, April 23; and 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Sunday, April 24. The Victory Dance is from 7-9 p.m. Saturday and the nondenominational field church service is from 12:30-1:45 p.m. Sunday.

Twin Hills Park will remain open to the public for usual activities such as using the walking path and having family picnics at its usual hours.

For further information, contact Crestview’s Cultural Services Division at 850-398-5459 or hughesb@cityofcrestview.org.

“HAIL OUR HEROES!” EVENT SCHEDULE

Parking is at the Twin Hills Park gymnasium lot, 100 Hathaway Street, Crestview. Stop at the Command Tent for events schedules, park map and a “passport” for collecting reenactors’ stamps. Accompanying events are WWII aircraft and related equipment static displays at Emerald Coast Aviation, 5535 John Givens Road, at Crestview Bob Sikes Airport; and a Doolittle Raiders display, exhibits of WWII film posters and books at the Crestview Public Library.

Friday, April 22

Noon: Exhibits open at park

1 p.m. (approximately): Château Liberation battle scenario

2-5 p.m.: Impromptu scenarios, history briefings, musical entertainment, as posted

5:30 p.m. (approximately): Château Liberation scenario

6 p.m.: Exhibits close

Saturday, April 23

10 a.m.: Exhibits open at park

11 a.m. (approximately): Château Liberation battle scenario

Noon-5 p.m.: Impromptu scenarios, history briefings, musical entertainment, as posted

5 p.m. (approximately): Château Liberation scenario

6 p.m.: Exhibits close

7-9 p.m.: Victory Dance with Hashtag Swing big band, at the NWFSC Bob Sikes Center

Sunday, April 24

10 a.m.: Exhibits open at park

10:30 a.m. (approximately): Reenactment battle scenario

12:30 p.m.: Exhibits close, Field Church Service at NWFSC Bob Sikes Center

This article originally appeared on Northwest Florida Daily News: World War II: Doolittle Raid reenactment planned for Crestview