All over the state of Utah, Independence Day celebrations lit up the night and filled the week with parades, activities, barbecues, and more. There was one event, however, that was unique in scope and transported visitors back in time.

In the Scera Park, in Orem, two tent cities sprung up seemingly overnight. One, very well known, was the Colonial Festival, with living historians and reenactors portraying people and occupations from the American Revolution. The other, however, while still very much historical, was much more modern.

The Military History Days encampment is the product of many years of trial and error and represents the hard work of dozens of people bringing back to life the history of the men and women who served in World War II, and, according to many visitors, it really is like stepping back in time.

Visitors to the encampment rounded a corner and were met with an avenue of actual World War II-era tents, with friendly living historians in period-accurate uniforms presenting at each tent. They would walk past the information post, pick up a passport and map, and step out of 2023, and into 1943.

Sounds of aircraft, and the music of the 1940s drifted over the air as over 6,000 kids and adults alike raced to participate in each activity, filling out their passports with stamps to earn a prize and learn a little something along the way. Among the popular displays about women’s service, and aviation, one display consistently drew crowds.

At the end of the encampment, visitors couldn't help but be drawn to a collection of World War II-era jeeps, from Willys and Ford, in various states of repair. Groups of living historians in accurate uniform coveralls worked tirelessly on each, performing routine maintenance, and restoring the jeeps to working order. It looked just like a 1940s field mechanic shop.

One such mechanic was Briton Christensen Earle, of Woods Cross. Briton, who had his own WWII jeep, “Milk and Cookies” there, spent much of the time from Saturday, July 1, through July 4 working on, and talking about vintage vehicles, has a clear passion for the subject matter.

“I got into living history when I was a kid,” said Earle. “I watched a lot of documentaries on the world wars, so naturally, I started collecting and ended up meeting the Utah Military History Group which is what brought me into living history.”

“It’s important to preserve our past and remember how far we as a civilization have come since then,” Earle said. “It’s also important to remember those who have fought and bled for generations to come.”

An event like Military History Days takes a lot of work: months of preparation, and countless hours in planning, setup and execution, so, why do it? “I love being able to teach and show younger generations what was used to fight one of the biggest conflicts of our history,” said Earle. “I hope people can gain a knowledge and appreciation for the people who fought and the equipment those people used.”

This won’t be the last opportunity residents have to visit Military History Days either. The non-profit organization plans to bring the encampment back to the Orem Freedom Festival next year and is constantly looking to make improvements year after year. For any questions, residents can visit: https://militaryhistorydays.com.