Authenticity Regulations

All WWII era re-enactors representing Axis and Allied forces of Western Europe in 1944 are invited to attend the event. ETO and Home Front impressions and displays are welcome and encouraged. Participants are asked to refrain from wearing and displaying items not documented to the European Theater of Operations or US homefront. Educational materials and display boards, as well as tagged or labeled items intended for spectator’s education are permitted.

The following authenticity guidelines have been developed to help D-Day Ohio attain the highest quality WWII representation and living history experience for spectators and reenactors. As such, the success of the event depends on the efforts of the participants and their cooperation in abiding by the safety and authenticity rules is very important.

Your cooperation and positive attitude in meeting or exceeding the authenticity guidelines is greatly appreciated. In the rare event, if a participant chooses to ignore the safety or authenticity requirements, the event organizers reserve the right to request the participant to terminate their involvement in the event.

Prohibited Impressions
Eastern Front, PTO, Political and Celebrity Impressions are not permitted at the living history encampment or the beach assault. However, those wishing to do a Celebrity Impersonation of non-political persons may contact event staff to discuss the permissibility of their proposed impersonation. Individuals wishing to come to attend the event as an officer must be associated with a unit participating in the event.
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General Re-enactor Guidelines
    1. Military courtesy will be in effect in the camps.

    2. Dress and grooming should be consistent with 1944 Europe and North American standards.
        a. Clothing styles and ensembles should be appropriate to the wearer’s impression
            (see below for specific information on military impressions).
        b. Obviously modern hair color is not permitted (e.g. blue or pink) and modern hairstyles should
            be covered or altered to appear “vintage.”
        c. Men’s facial hair should be trimmed to be appropriate to the impression they are portraying.

    3. All tools, drinking vessels, utensils and other common items should date to 1944 or before.
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Not Sure? Don’t Bring It
There are camp and personal equipment items which were likely not to have appeared in the European Theater of Operations. We consider these items “questionable” (a list of the items follows). If you have documentation for a specific items use and would be willing to bring the information, we would be delighted to share in your knowledge. If you are unsure about the use or appropriateness of any of your items, please consider leaving it at home. We have also included some items we commonly see that are not appropriate and should not be brought to or worn at the event.

    • M1944 “Haybox” “Mermite” Coolers –we consider these to be a modern cooler, as we can not
       document their use in the ETO. Please keep them out of plain sight during the hours that the
       camps are open to the public.

    • French Ranger Boots

    • Civilian Work Boots being worn as reproduction boots

    • Brown US Army Undershirts

    • M1965 Field Jackets

    • Modern Sunglasses (Oakleys or other obviously modern glasses)
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Living History Encampment
To maintain the historical integrity of the event, the event staff requests that all reenactors adhere to simple guidelines that will help ensure a June 6, 1944 and before focus to the encampment. Excluding educational materials and display boards, if it is not appropriate to the European Theater of Operations in 1944, please don’t bring it. Items of modern manufacture needed for basic health and safety (e.g. coolers) should be hidden form view during public hours and discreetly used when the camps are open to reenactors. Like all participants, there are items that we consider “questionable” and would prefer were left at home (please see the section on “Not sure? Don’t bring it.”)

Encampment and Camp Equipment
    1. Tentage and camp equipment must represent items in use in the European Theater of Operations
        during WWII.
        a. Modern tentage is permitted in the modern camping area. Included in Modern or
            Postwar tentage are: GP Small / Hex tents and M-1945 Command tents as these were not
            used in the European Theater.
        b. Ground-cloths or tarps must be period in style. Modern blue or silver tarps may only be used
            after public hours or completely hidden from view.

    2. Modern vehicles must be parked in the participant parking. Modern vehicles may not be parked
        in or along side the encampment, including the drive by the tennis courts.

    3. Each participant should police their trash. Trash bags will be provided in the registration packet.

    4. Open wood fires are not permitted in the encampment, except in the sand pits at the end of
        the company streets.
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