World War II history came to life at the Chaplin Creek Historic Settlement in rural Franklin Grove last weekend as reenactors staged a re-creation of the Battle of Rome and the breakout from Anzio, two key Italian battles that helped liberate Italy.

Around 100 reenactors representing the American, British and German armies set up camps around the 30-acre historic settlement. The village itself was transformed into a German-occupied southern Italian village, complete with German signs on some buildings, tanks, trucks and a working 88 Flak anti-aircraft gun.

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Smoke is used to cover troop movements Saturday, May 16, 2026, during a reenactment of the Battle of Anzio in Franklin Grove. (Alex T. Paschal)

As the historic scene unfolded on Saturday and Sunday, the event was also a time to honor a Franklin Grove man who served in the war itself.

Willard Simpson, 101, was presented with a certificate of recognition to honor him and his service.

“You are an inspiration to us all. Thank you for being a true hero. Your sacrifices will never be forgotten,” state Sen. Li Arellano Jr. said Saturday as he read from the proclamation from the Illinois State Senate and the 104th Illinois General Assembly to honor Simpson, who served as a U.S. Army soldier during the Battle of the Bulge in Western Europe in December 1944 and January 1945.

“We really walk in the footsteps of giants who helped bring us here,” Arellano said. “The World War II generation is certainly among the best that our nation has produced, and Willard is a great example of that. I’m a little in awe of him and what he’s done and the life he’s lived.

“It was my great pleasure to honor him and, as a soldier myself, to recognize a hero right here in our district,” said Arellano, who is a squad leader in the U.S. Army Reserves and a former Dixon mayor.

Simpson, drafted into the U.S. Army when he was 19, returned home after the war. Originally from southern Illinois, Simpson traveled north to find work on larger farms in the northern part of the state.

“I wanted to farm, and in southern Illinois, they didn’t hire there. I knew I had to come north to where the bigger operations were,” Simpson said.

He worked at a farm near Milledgeville for two years before being offered an opportunity on a farm near Franklin Grove.

“I’ve been here ever since,” he said.

He said his advice to younger generations is to keep going.

“I like these words – good, better, best. Never let it rest until your good is better and your better is best,” he said.

Scott Spangler, one of the organizers of the battle reenactment weekend, said the turnout and the weekend were successes, with the unique layout of the camps and the battlefield allowing spectators a unique perspective.

“This is one of the few reenactments where the people are in the center of the battle instead of on the edge. The battle went around the audience, it started in the fields and ended up in the village,” he said.