I can see how the people who put in all the work on their vehicles are keeping history alive, (as long as they are accurate). But are re-enactors really representing the original soldiers, or just playing soldiers and showing off. I've always said, that I would much sooner see one original uniform on a dummy (that I could see properly) than a battalion worth of uniforms running around a field playing soldiers. The men and women who wore (and still wear) these uniforms for real went through a lot to earn the right.
A friend of mine was at beltring for the first time, and although he quiet enjoyed the experience, he found the re-enactors very unsettling. He could see why the old(ish) men might want to dress up (if they regretted not joining up, and wanted to get what they considered a similar experience. But he couldn't understand why the young ones didn't join up for real, and do something usefull, rather than playing around in a field for a week.
There's a section in spike milligans memoirs where he explains how one batman saluted the officers best uniform every morning, regardless of whether the officer was wearing it or not. It was the uniform of the king and what it represented was his excuse. It might be taking it to an extreme, but It does represent the way soldiers feel about other people wearing uniform and insignia.
Rant over (and I didn't even mention the health risks of being that size)
