WWII Weekend brings history to life

GLEN DALE, W.Va. (WTRF) — On Sunday event goers had an opportunity to see different artifacts and engage with historians and veterans alike during Cockayne Farmstead’s WWII weekend.

Site manager Kara Gordon says this event helps folks get a better understanding of the time period and connect with people from the past.

“An event like this makes it a little bit more real and helps people to see what that experience was really like. A lot of people around here really connect to this idea, and they want to learn about their history.”

Kara Gordon, Site manager for Cockayne Farmstead

Cynthia Sandor, author and event participant, shares how she took a deep dive into her own family history and discovered how her mother’s life was intertwined with WWII Germany.

“Four months before she passed away, I found her journal – and I’m standing there like mom, what’s going on, did you write it, can you read it? She closes the book, puts her hands on it and says very proudly – of course I can read it, I wrote it. I was in the Hitler Youth.”

Cynthia Sandor, Author and event participant

In Sandor’s book, Through Innocent Eyes, the chosen Girls of the Hitler Youth, she brings to light her mom’s firsthand account growing up in an annexed Austria.

“This is a story about their time together when they were children, growing up under their culture and what they were learning to become productive members of society.”

Cynthia Sandor, author and event participant

Other stories showcased throughout the event sparked curiosity in community members and allowed them to gain an appreciation for the past.

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