David Shuey: Remembering the consummate Living Historian 

By Anthony C. Hayes
via the Baltimore Post-Examiner web site

Carlisle, PA — There is a WWII uniform hanging in my closet which wasn’t there six months ago. The badges on the epaulets may say “U.S. War Correspondent,” but please know this: it is not a theatrical costume. I actually wear that uniform, as well as other pieces I’ve assembled, in my work as a journalist while covering living history events. For the longest time, I hesitated to go reenactor gonzo with my job. Then David Shuey – actor, reenactor and living historian – told me, “You know, I could talk all day about Gen. Pershing or Jeb Stuart and the Civil War, and no one would give a damn. But once I put on a uniform and get on my horse, I have their undivided attention.”

And so he did.

I first encountered Dave in Washington D.C. at the 2015 Air Force Association Convention. I was there that day to do a followup story on the late Jerry Yellin – the Army Air Force pilot who led the last combat mission against the Japanese during WWII. Jerry was set to receive the Association’s 2015 Hoyt S. Vandenberg Award.

To say I first “encountered” Dave that day is no misnomer. With his smart service cap, four gold stars, calf-high riding boots, khaki britches, and mustard green tunic – David Shuey clearly stood out amongst a sea of Air Force blue. I followed Dave from the auditorium, where he watched as the association presented Jerry with the award, across the hall, down the escalator, and into the exposition area. There I lost him – until I turned a corner and found Dave and Chris Isleib manning the U.S. World War I Centennial Commission booth. Of course, once I got to the booth, Dave’s entire getup made perfect sense.

Read the entire article on the Baltimore Post-Examiner web site.

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