Jackson Free Press

Lucky Osborne, 61, leads an artistic life steeped in history. When the native Mississippian isn't working on miniatures for exhibits at the Old Capitol Museum, he's working in pen-and-ink or pastels. Osborne didn't study art formally—he calls it self-inflicted—but it did run in the family. "My mother was quite artistic," he mused.

Back in the '60s when he was in the Navy—he served aboard an aircraft carrier as flight deck director during Vietnam—Osborne heard first got hooked on re-enacting, specializing in Civil War artillery.

"I have a deep love of history, military history especially. Re-enacting is something I've done every chance I get, ever since 1973," he said while we sat on chairs made from kegs in a corner of the Harley Davidson of Central Mississippi showroom.

Osborne's next re-enactment is May 21 and 22, outside the dealership on five wooded acres. "The Trail of Honor" is in its third year and honors veterans with a two-hour living history lesson. Right at 100 people will re-enact every armed conflict Americans have fought in since the Revolutionary War through today's war in Iraq.

Osborne, lately into the Union Navy, wore an authentic navy-blue wool Civil War-era sailor suit, with a flat cap emblazoned with "Benton" in gold capital letters. "I'm part of a landing party from the gunboat Benton, the flagship of the river fleet during the siege of Vicksburg," he said. "It's real satisfying to be able to semi-create what they went through." His persona is on shore leave to visit his sister. A friend's wife will play that part. Although his wife supports his hobby, "You couldn't get her in a tent at gunpoint," Osborne said.

Civil War soldiers ate dried, salted meats, dried vegetables and hard tack crackers "When you say hard, it's hard," Osborne explained, tapping on the table in emphasis. "You wouldn't just pick one up and eat it. You'd have to crush it, soak it in coffee or milk, something like this. I've seen several recipes where they were fried in bacon grease and sprinkled with brown sugar." While some hardcore re-enactors eat authentically, Osbornes doesn't. "We have to go to work Monday morning," he said.

Osborne says it doesn't make any difference whether you're for the war in Iraq or not, you still need to support the troops. Families and friends can do just that this weekend at the Trail of Honor. After all, Saturday is Armed Forces Day.