Beverly's First Major 'Warrior Weekend' Starts To Take Formation

BEVERLY, MA — Plans for full days of war reenactments, military apparatus displays, traditional martial arts demonstrations, veterans services and plain old-fashioned entertainment began to take shape in earnest on Thursday as more than a dozen military, city, educational and health officials met to discuss the inaugural "Warrior Weekend" festivities planned for May 20-21 at Beverly High School.

The event is designed to serve a three-pronged purpose of giving the public a glimpse into many aspects of the U.S. military branches, providing outreach to regional veterans and the medical, social and financial services available to them, and acting as a recruitment tool for a generation that might not be as apt to consider a tour or career in the U.S. Armed Forces.

"You think of the event as a one-stop shop for all the needs a veteran is looking for," Beverly Veterans Agent David Perinchief said. "To support the recruiting side of the house, as of right now, we all know that it's been on the news that recruiting is down. One of the biggest things that people don't understand is how beneficial the military is for young men and women."

"Through my military service, I have a house. I don't have college debt. I have a job. All these benefits are not being utilized by the younger generation."

(Read Also On Patch: Beverly 'Warrior Weekend' Eyed As Mini-Fleet Week On North Shore)

Perinchief said the plans are for each arm of the military service to have a presence at the event tentatively set for 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on the Saturday and Sunday before Memorial Day — timed to attract many of the military assets and personnel that are stretched thin on the actual holiday weekend, as well as provide an event on a weekend when more people are around instead of when they might be away for Memorial Day weekend itself.

The event will take place at Beverly High School with most vendors and demonstrations in and around the football field. He said the north baseball field will be reserved for the possible landing of a Coast Guard helicopter since the helicopter will be on call and may need the space to take off again on short notice away from crowds.

"These are active military equipment," Perinchief said. "But we do want to show off the equipment and have people have the ability to see where their tax dollars go."

He said Beverly High was chosen as the location for its space and for the abundant area parking. Along with the nearby middle school, he said parking will be available at the Cummings Center and talks are in place for parking at Beverly Hospital, if needed, as well with hopes that the event will attract visitors from the North Shore, and well beyond, with easier access than traveling into Boston.

Among the demonstrations planned for the two days include Civil War, World War II and Korean War reenactments as well as a chance to try on military gear and see traditional martial arts demonstrations.

"The art is called Krabi-Krabong and it is the original Thai martial art that the military used back in the day," Jeff Ippolito of Combat Sports Center in Boston said. "They still teach the weapon system to the current military. I have some toys from them, weapons from them, ... we have various kinds of shields we can demo with them.

"The fun thing is they look really cool. They make a lot of noise when you hit them (with the weapon sticks and staffs — unfortunately, no swords will be allowed)."

The veterans' services are expected to include "toxic exposure screenings" to determine whether someone might be eligible for the federal Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act benefits. The Veterans Administration is also planning a career fair.

Perinichief said that while the typical Beverly Memorial Day parade had drawn between 200 and 300 people, he expects this event to start much bigger this spring and only grow from there in future years.

"That's the starting goal," he said. "Bring people in, get them talking, get them to say: 'Hey, I went to this event,' 'My kid serves,' 'Did you know about X, Y and Z (for veterans' services),' 'My son is thinking of joining, I can bring him down.'

"All that in one spot. The more we give people a reason to show up the better off we are."

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)