MEET Our MEmbers
JEFF M.
What do you do when you’re not in uniform?
When I'm not in uniform I work for Nassau County DPW highway department. I also like hunting deer upstate and on eastern Long Island.
What’s a Civil War book or movie or etc you recently enjoyed?
The movies Gettysburg and Glory.
Describe your first event with the 14th.
My first event was in 2013 at Old Beth Page Living History Museum on Long Island New York.
Favorite part about reenacting?
My favorite part is the feeling I get when I'm reliving and experiencing what it is was like for a solider in the time of the civil war. The day to day live, the struggles they went through, the chaos of battle, the sight and sounds of combat, the camaraderie from my comrades.
Why is the 14th Brooklyn your favorite regiment?
I love the look of the 14th uniform and how they were a tough fighting militia regiment from Brooklyn.
Scott A.
What do you do when you’re not in uniform?
I am a senior in High School and I work at a Pancake House in the summer. I also do service projects, which I hope to continue through college. I am a big family person, I love hanging with my cousins and aunts and uncles.
What’s a Civil War book or movie or etc you recently enjoyed?
My all-time favorite civil war book is Killer Angels and the accompanying movie Gettysburg.
Describe your first event with the 14th.
I have been reenacting since about 2010 with another group. The event that I got to actually be in the fourteenth for the first time was Ridley Creek State Park in Media, PA. It was awesome how everyone got into the mindset during the battle but also were checking in on me from time to time to make sure I was getting the best out of the event. That is the feeling of knowing you're with a good group of guys.
Favorite part about reenacting?
My favorite part about reenacting is the idea that we all want to preserve the history of the men that fought and died during the war. I also think that my favorite part is the little things especially food / rations. I like to try to put the right rations in my haversack to get a little bit of an experience of the soldiers.
Why is the 14th Brooklyn your favorite regiment?
The Red Legged Devils are my favorite regiment because of their history at the battle of Gettysburg, which is the battle that made me interested in the Civil War as a wee lad. Their charge on the railroad cut is an amazing story and same with their defense of Culp's Hill. They are my favorite in the hobby because they all are awesome people, and they are always looking out for each other!
Felix P.
What do you do when you’re not in uniform?
I retired 7/2017. Now I travel and take pictures. Been to 6 Countries and about 20 States and a lot of Battlefields along the way.
What’s a Civil War book or movie or etc you recently enjoyed?
The Horse soldiers is my earliest favorite CW movie. Just read Blaze of Glory by Jeff Shaara right after I visited Shiloh.
Describe your first event with the 14th.
First reenactment with the 14th was the 140th Gettysburg Battle Reenactment. Impressed by the amount of soldiers.
Favorite part about reenacting?
I like staying in camp telling people about CW history and showing them our "stuff".
Why is the 14th Brooklyn your favorite regiment? (historically or in the hobby)
I'm from Brooklyn and the 14th has a great history and it's a great group.
JOHN D.
What do you do when you’re not in uniform?
I'm in school currently, hoping to go into an education program. I'm usually out with friends or watching whatever streaming service, playing video games, or reading whichever of the 5,000 books I'm currently on.
What’s a Civil War book or movie or etc you recently enjoyed?
The most recent movie is Glory. Book is Campaign of Giants.
Describe your first event with the 14th.
First event with the 14th Brooklyn was Neshaminy back in April of 2017. I had done one event before, but this was on a grander scale. Doing something like this is definitely an experience cause you get a sense of how things were back then. Now obviously you can't feel the exact way the soldiers who fought felt, but to me it just put things in perspective.
Favorite part about reenacting?
Besides going out in uniform and spending time with great people, my favorite part has to be educating the public. Kinda opens their eyes to see how things were and what a battle or campsite would have looked like.
Why is the 14th Brooklyn your favorite regiment?
I am ashamed to say I do not know as much about the 14th Brooklyn as I'd like to — yet. Within the hobby itself? It's just a great group of guys. Just a very welcoming feeling as someone who was new. At the end of the day it's a fun regiment to be in and around, and I always look forward to going out with this group.
Andrew B.
What do you do when you’re not in uniform?
I’m working full time as an insurance claims examiner while attending flight school. I’ve loved aviation since I was a kid. Along with Civil War Reenacting, I also do World War II Living History with a focus in the aviation side of the war that takes me to air shows around the world.
What’s a Civil War book or movie or etc you recently enjoyed?
The most recent book I finished was, Long Island and the Civil War by Harrison Hunt and Bill Bleyer. It told the story of Long Island’s role supporting the war effort.
Describe your first event with the 14th.
My first event with the 14th was at Old Bethpage Village in July, 2010. I was 15 years old and was finally able to become a Civil War Re-enactor. I was surprised on how quickly I was taken in by everyone in the group and knew right away this was the group I wanted to stay in.
Favorite part about reenacting?
I really enjoy interacting with the public. I love teaching children and their parents who come up to us about the history of the 14th and the role it it played during the war and watching them become interested in the subject. I also enjoy their faces every time I pull the trigger on my 1861 Springfield when I do a musket-firing demonstration.
Why is the 14th Brooklyn your favorite regiment?
I’m fascinated with the men who made up the regiment and where they came from. I enjoy researching how a regiment made up largely of who you may consider “city boys” became one of the most well known and respected regiments the U.S. Army had to offer. You also have to admit the uniform they picked looks pretty cool.
LUKE H.
What do you do when you’re not in uniform?
I am a graduate of Fairleigh Dickinson University with a B.A. In History, on the road to becoming a high school history teacher. In my free time I am a multi-instrumentalist who likes to write, play, record, and perform my own music.
What’s a Civil War book or movie or etc you recently enjoyed?
Rebels of Gettysburg
Describe your first event with the 14th.
Neshaminy 2017. What got me hooked was the camaraderie and closeness of everyone. Since it was my first event, I had no idea of what to expect, and what I experienced was enough to rope me in.
Favorite part about reenacting?
The research of primary and secondary sources of the time period to make the experience as realistic as possible to really get into the mindset of the soldier.
Why is the 14th Brooklyn your favorite regiment? (historically or in the hobby)
The 14th are a great group of guys who care about the hobby and the work that goes into it. Another bonus: the uniform is awesome.
Brian B.
What do you do when you’re not in uniform?
I am going to college with hopes of one day serving as an officer in the United States Marine Corps. I enjoy playing the guitar and reading books about the Civil War, the Marines and NASA history.
What’s a Civil War book or movie or etc you recently enjoyed?
The first Civil War movie that I ever saw was Gettysburg from 1993. My favorite book on the Civil War is Ulysses S. Grants memoirs.
Describe your first event with the 14th.
The first time I saw the 14th Brooklyn in the field was my brother’s first event at Old Bethpage Village in the summer of 2010. That October, I joined myself, at a small reenactment as part of a celebration for Civil War artist Mort Kunstler.
Favorite part about reenacting?
My favorite part of reenacting has to be the people, especially the members of the 14th Brooklyn. While I enjoy wearing the period uniforms and participating in the living history and reenactments it really is the people that I enjoy the most and the camaraderie that we share. Between the stories that we tell around the fire to the experiences that we have, the friendships that I made as a result of the 14th Brooklyn will last forever.
Why is the 14th Brooklyn your favorite regiment?
Because of their story. When I read about the valor of the 14th during the Civil War it really is inspiring.
Joe C.
What do you do when you’re not in uniform?
When not in uniform, I am attending graduate school! I’m a Doctoral student in Hofstra University’s Psy.D. in School-Community Psychology program. I also play the bass guitar and synthesizer in my synthpop band, BowTie Fridays, and am an Assistant Scoutmaster.
What’s a Civil War book or movie or etc you recently enjoyed?
The book “Hard Marching Every Day.” I am currently reading “The Old Nineteenth Tennessee Regiment.”
Describe your first event with the 14th.
Old Bethpage Village Restoration’s Fourth of July Celebration in 2019. I immediately felt a connection with the members that I had met at this event; they are very welcoming and good-natured people! I was impressed with the quality of the 14th’s teaching abilities. Spectators and event attendees can learn so much from this group.
Favorite part about reenacting?
Educating children and their parents; when they can see the history they’re learning about come to life, it becomes much more meaningful and interesting. I enjoy teaching about the day-to-day doings of a soldier, on either side, as well as their uniforms, equipment, and weaponry.
Why is the 14th Brooklyn your favorite regiment?
What initially drew me to the 14th was definitely the distinctive Chasseur uniform! And their inspiring history, their journey to becoming one of the most renowned fighting units of the United States Army.