Soldiering Through the Ages 2026 After Action Report
Soldiering Through the Ages returned to the Veterans Museum at Patriot Park in Newburg, Maryland, for its third year, bringing together roughly fifteen living history organizations representing an incredible span of military history. Walking through the event, visitors could travel from Ancient Rome to the modern National Guard, with Vikings, medieval knights, colonial and Revolutionary War soldiers, fur traders, War of 1812 impressions, American Civil War units, Spanish American War displays, World War II camps, and more filling the grounds. The Maryland Air National Guard and Army National Guard also made appearances. For Cohort II, the weekend began Friday afternoon. Heidi and I arrived around 1 p.m. and started laying out camp. Charlie was shortly behind us, followed by Leonard, Amanda, and little Asher. Before long, everyone was pitching in, throwing up tents and flies and getting the camp organized for the weekend. Unfortunately, the weather forecast was already working against us. With a significant storm system heading our way, we decided to leave the catapulta packed away. As much as we enjoy displaying and demonstrating it, getting a wooden artillery piece soaked in a storm is not particularly high on our list of good ideas. The wind was already strong and consistent throughout setup. We tightened every rope we could and made sure the canvas was well secured. Thankfully, everything held despite some impressive gusts. Once camp was mostly finished, Leonard, Amanda, Heidi, and I headed to the Port Tobacco Marina Restaurant for dinner. We sat outside along the waterfront and watched a beautiful sunset while we ate. Considering the weather that was coming, it was probably the calmest moment we were going to get all weekend. After dinner, we parted ways for the night and prepared for Saturday.
Saturday morning greeted us with overcast skies and more strong winds. Considering how hard it had blown overnight, camp survived remarkably well. We only lost one tent fly after its pole cracked. With very little protection from buildings or trees, however, the wind cut straight across the event grounds and made an already cool morning feel considerably colder. Normally, cooking together over the fire is part of our camp experience. With lower numbers and the wind howling across the field, we decided that building a cooking fire probably was not the smartest decision. So we turned to that great cornerstone of ancient Roman military logistics: Dunkin'. Heidi and I brought breakfast back for everyone, proving once again that even the most historically minded legionary can appreciate modern coffee and donuts when the weather turns against him. Andrew and Crystal showed up shortly after breakfast, and soon afterward, Patrick and Paula arrived with their dog, Kennedy. Just before we formed up for drill, our two newest members, Joe and Nick, arrived as well. We quickly got them into historical clothing, and Joe had the opportunity to get into armor for the first time. With everyone assembled, I got the legionaries into line for a short drill session. The goal was mostly to knock the rust off before our scheduled public drill demonstration later in the day. Unfortunately, attendance was lighter than expected, likely because of the weather, and the formal drill demonstration was eventually cancelled. That did not mean there was nothing to do. Throughout the day, several visitors came through our camp, and everyone did an outstanding job talking with the public. Smaller crowds sometimes create better opportunities for interpretation because instead of speaking to a large group, we can slow down and have real conversations with visitors. Those who stopped by were genuinely interested, asked good questions, and gave us plenty of opportunities to talk about Roman military life. We also broke out some slings and began practicing with tennis balls. Several of us joined in, but Nick picked it up remarkably quickly. Before long, one of our newest members was launching tennis balls across the park. Apparently, we were not the only ones impressed. One of the dogs from the nearby Colonial camp noticed what we were doing and decided that Roman sling practice was actually a game of fetch. Soon we had an unexpected auxiliary attached to the unit, happily retrieving our ammunition and bringing it back. Later in the day, Jason, the event organizer, made his rounds carrying a bushel of Maryland blue crabs and handed several out to the participants. A number of our members immediately took advantage of the local delicacy and tore into them. Ancient Rome, Maryland blue crabs, and freezing wind may not be the most historically accurate combination we have ever assembled, but nobody complained. As the event wound down for the day, we changed out of our historical clothing and headed to Texas Roadhouse for dinner. That was where certain members of Cohort II made a serious tactical error. A few individuals, whose names shall be remembered when future camp duties are assigned (ahem Andrew and Paula), informed the restaurant staff that it was their Centurion's birthday, which it definitely was NOT. For anyone unfamiliar with the Texas Roadhouse birthday tradition, they bring out a saddle mounted on a rolling stand. The unfortunate "birthday boy" is expected to climb aboard while the staff makes sure the entire restaurant knows exactly what is happening. I was, of course, volunteered. Once I dismounted from my noble wheeled steed, several threats involving latrine digging were directed toward the guilty parties. Discipline must be maintained after all. In reality, everyone had a great time, and the prank produced one of the biggest laughs of the weekend. For the first time at one of our events, everyone in camp had decided to stay in hotels rather than sleep on site. That turned out to be an excellent decision. As we were leaving dinner, the rain began. A nor'easter was moving up the East Coast, bringing torrential rainfall and strong winds with it. At times, the rain was intense, and we could only hope that everything we had tied down in camp was still there the next morning. Thankfully, it was.
We reconvened Sunday morning and found the camp wet but intact. Considering what had moved through overnight, we were fortunate not to have sustained any significant damage. The forecast called for intermittent rain throughout the day, with additional storms moving through the area. With that in mind, I made soft kit the uniform of the day. There was no reason to put everyone into armor just so we could spend the afternoon watching our legionaries slowly turn orange from rust. Unfortunately, Sunday attendance was even lighter than Saturday. The threat of another round of severe weather undoubtedly kept many people home. Still, the visitors who did make their way through the event were enthusiastic, and we had some excellent conversations with those who stopped at our camp. Eventually, another strong line of storms appeared on the radar. Rather than gamble with the weather, we decided to begin breaking camp a little earlier than originally planned. Ironically, the same wind that had been beating on us all weekend finally did us a favor. Most of the canvas had dried considerably, making it much easier to pack everything away. Everyone jumped in, and within about an hour the entire Roman camp had disappeared back into boxes, bags, vehicles, and trailers. We said our goodbyes and began the drive back to our respective homes.
It would be easy to judge the weekend by what went wrong. The weather was terrible. The wind cracked tent poles. The rain came down in sheets. Attendance was much lower than we had hoped. Our drill demonstration was cancelled, and the catapulta never even made it out of storage. But that would completely miss the point. Living history is certainly about educating the public and representing the past as accurately as we can. But weekends like this are also about the people standing beside you when the wind is trying to carry your tent into the next county. We laughed, we ate together, we welcomed two new members into camp. Someone wore Roman armor for the first time while someone else learned to use a sling. We talked history with visitors. We ate Maryland blue crabs. A Colonial dog joined the Roman slingers. Finally, through an outrageous breakdown in military discipline, the Centurion ended up riding a saddle through Texas Roadhouse. Those are the things we will remember. Sometimes an event does not go according to plan. Sometimes the crowds do not come. Sometimes the weather refuses to cooperate. But when you have the right people in camp, the trip is still worth the drive. With Soldiering Through the Ages behind us, Cohort II is now heading into our unofficial "off season." Of course, anyone involved in living history knows there really isn't much of an off season. We already have several workshops planned, equipment to repair and improve, research to do, and perhaps even a winter hike in the works. This may have been our last scheduled East Coast event of the season, but the work behind the scenes never truly stops. Next year's season will be here before we know it, and there is A LOT of work to be done.
Attendance:
Kyle
Heidi
Andrew
Crystal
Patrick
Paula
Leonard
Amanda
Asher
Charlie
Joe
Nick
Respectfully submitted,
Centurion Kyle Sabol
Cohort II
Legio XIIII Gemina Martia Victrix
Legio XIIII, Protnius!
