Military reenactments honor DeKalb County area vets at annual two-day event

Entrenched in the throes of military encampments staged outside the Genoa Veterans Home in Genoa over this past weekend, several individuals and groups brought military history to life for spectators.

Veterans Weekend commenced Saturday and Sunday with stops in Genoa, Sycamore, and DeKalb.

Marengo resident Mike Bigalke was bunkered with his mates from the 504 Parachute Infantry in an encampment greeting spectators.

“The guys that I’ve been doing this with for 20-plus years, all these guys, we’re all getting old now,” Bigalke said. “But some of these guys’ kids ... some of these guys I’ve known for 20-plus years doing World War II reenactments. That’s what we do.”

Between grenades and fighting knives, Bigalke said he’s amassed a lot of the artifacts and weaponry on display in the encampment from World War II veterans.

“It’s a whole fraternity, but yet it’s a whole industry because people find stuff through industry,” Bigalke said.

American Legion Post No. 337 commander William Craziar said it is his hope that civilians will be drawn to see the power of the living history military encampments.

“They keep our military history alive,” Craziar said. “That would be a good way for people to learn.”

Elsewhere at the event was a Veterans Awareness Fair which included nine vendors running booths to point attendees toward resources they may find helpful.

Craziar said he’s hopeful that people see benefit in the Veterans Awareness Fair.

“We have different vendors that cater to veterans, veteran causes,” Craziar said. “We hope to entice the veterans to come in, see some of the vendors. Maybe they could find some that might help them in their lives.”

ExpandAutoplay

Image 1 of 9

Tim Cook (center) is seen picking up a phone call in a living history military encampment set up Saturday, Aug. 2, 2025, during Veterans Weekend outside the Genoa Veterans Home in Genoa. (Megann Horstead)

Vicki Fogle of Canines for Christ Ministry was making her rounds to greet people on the floor of the Veterans Awareness Fair. She said the Genoa-based charity often attends funeral visitations and visits schools, hospitals, nursing homes, and more.

“We take the dogs where people are in need, or happy and just want them – like preschools,” Fogle said. “Our goal is to bring the dogs to bring comfort. We’ve found that they are trained as therapy dogs, and we have found that a dog opens conversation.”

Fogle said veterans tend to appreciate the company of dogs.

“It opens up conversation for the veteran because a lot of them are secluded,” Fogle said. “It gives them a place to reach out and have someone else to talk to [who] is a fellow veteran. What we found is that if we go out and we’re not part of the military rank, they are much more reserved about opening up.”

Also at the event was a corn boil, live music, face painting, ice cream, popcorn and more.

The Genoa Veterans Home also showed the Hometown Heroes Display, presented by the Kishwaukee Valley Heritage Museum.

The installation tells the story of 100 years of hometown heroes and their contributions to DeKalb County’s military history, starting at the Civil War.

Also at the Genoa Veterans Home, a Veterans Honor Run arrived after making eight stops in DeKalb, Sycamore and Genoa.

The motorcycle parade was led by the Sycamore American Legion Run.

Don Paulsen, director at Sycamore American Legion Riders Post No. 99, said his favorite part of the run was visiting retirees.

“We stop everywhere, and it’s amazing how appreciative at these retirement centers ... the veterans [appreciate] what we do,” Paulsen said. “We come around and we honor them. We do a salute to them, and we just spend time talking with them. They tell us where they served, what division they were in. They love it because they get to share their stories.”

Paulsen said he believes Veterans Weekend does a good job of honoring veterans. He said taking part in the events brings great meaning to him.

“I, myself, did not serve,” Paulsen said. “I’m Sons of the American Legion, but all of my kids served in the Army. That’s why I’m into this.”