D-Day Conneaut 2024

D-Day Conneaut 2024

D-Day Conneaut Ohio is one of the largest and most realistic World War II reenactments in the United States. Over 1,500 reenactors portrayed military and civilians during the three-day event, centered around the D-Day invasion on June 6, 1944.  The beach and grounds of Conneaut, OH feature a long, flat sandy beach along Lake Erie and a steep hill at the back end, very similar in appearance to Normandy, France.  Each represented country has a camp set up in different areas in the park, allowing the public to feel like they are entering that specific country when walking around.

I have been volunteering as a staff photographer since 2016, and in 2022, I took over as the lead photographer.  My job as the lead is to make sure that all the staff photographers have gotten coverage of all aspects of the event. Being a photographer at the event allows you to experience what it was like on the beaches of Normandy in 1944.  Every detail is carefully planned to give the event realism, so each time I go, I see something new I hadn’t seen the year before.  

Each day of the three-day event features several small battles as well as the big beach battle. The smaller battles at the stone bridge reenacted the battles that the French Resistance and the Airborne had with the German army during the early hours of D-Day. During the big beach battle, the Allies land on the beach in real WWII landing craft and they slowly make their way up the beach through several hedgehogs and foxholes. Ultimately they make their way up the hill to defeat the Germans.

Saturday evening, the reenactors attend a formal dinner and  1940s jazz dance to finish the weekend event.  During the dance, I set up a vintage portrait booth so all the reenactors could get classic-looking photos in their uniforms and best outfits.

The 2025 D-Day Ohio event is scheduled for August 14-16, 2025.  Be sure to check it out; you won’t be disappointed.