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A Walk Through History at Oatlands: Inside "Together We Win"
There is something extraordinary about walking up the brick path to Oatlands' Greek Revival mansion and being greeted not by the usual hush of a historic site, but by French poilus in horizon blue and American doughboys in olive drab. That is exactly the scene that unfolded this morning as Together We Win opened its first day, and it is one of those rare Loudoun County experiences I can wholeheartedly recommend—especially since there is still tomorrow to catch it.
A living tribute just outside Leesburg
Hosted by Oatlands Historic House and Gardens, "Together We Win: Shared Sacrifice and the Struggle for Justice in the World Wars" gathers living historians, Smithsonian scholars, antique vehicles, and immersive exhibits across the mansion grounds. The premise is simple but powerful: bring the home front and the front lines into the same conversation, and let visitors hear the voices that history too often left out. Sitting just south of downtown Leesburg, Oatlands itself becomes a kind of stage for the storytelling.
What the grounds look like today
The encampments scattered across the lawn are remarkable. Reenactors representing American, Australian, Canadian, Irish, French, and Scottish contributions from the First World War have set up authentic field kits—rations, tools of the trade, and the small personal touches like a paperback novel or a tin of tobacco that humanize the men who carried them. A Royal Army Medical Corps officer walked me through the evolution of the gas mask, from the first improvised cloth hoods to the rubberized respirators that arrived later in the war. In the greenhouse, nurses in starched whites and gray staffed a recreated convalescent ward, surrounded by potted citrus and Japanese maples just on the other side of the glass. It is the kind of immersive experience no textbook can match.
Word-class speakers, at home in Loudoun
Saturday's speaker lineup was outstanding. Staff from the Clerk of the Circuit Court Historic Records Division opened the morning with a thoughtful look at Loudoun County during the Second World War, followed by Dr. Joy Kinard, Chair of the Division of Political History at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History, presenting "Aviation, Adversity, and Achievement: Understanding the Tuskegee Airmen." Dr. David Clark closed out the day with "Never Forgotten: A Vanished B-17 and Crew, 1943"—a remarkable piece of archaeological detective work.
Sunday's program is equally compelling. At 11:00, Rachel Yarnell Thompson—author of Marshall: A Statesman Shaped in the Crucible of War—speaks on George C. Marshall and troop morale, a particularly fitting subject given the General's deep ties to nearby Leesburg. At 1:00, Smithsonian Museum Specialist Noriko Sanefuji presents on Japanese Americans in WWII, a story that deserves a far wider audience.
Plenty more to explore
Beyond the speakers, the event is rich with things to wander through: vintage Ford Model A's lined up along the drive, the American Red Cross display, exhibits from the Thomas Balch Library, Morven Park, the George C. Marshall House, and the Loudoun Heritage Farm Museum. Inside the mansion, antique women's military uniforms are on view, and members of the Loudoun Sketch Club are painting plein-air across the grounds. Families will appreciate the Victory Garden planting demonstration with Loudoun County 4-H on Sunday, plus historic toys and games for the kids. The Brookfield Dairy ice cream truck and the California Taco Truck (Sunday's vendor) round out the offerings, with Loudoun Brewing Co. pouring from 11:00 to 3:00.
Why it's worth the drive
What makes "Together We Win" worth attending is the way it uses Oatlands itself—the columns, the gardens, the conservatory—as a setting for living memory. Walking from a French infantry encampment to a WWI hospital tableau in the greenhouse, then into a lecture by a Smithsonian historian, is the sort of layered experience that simply does not exist most weekends. It is also a reminder of why this corner of Northern Virginia feels so special. World-class programming, in a setting like Oatlands, just minutes from downtown Leesburg.
Plan a visit tomorrow
"Together We Win" continues Sunday, April 26th, from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Admission is $15 per individual or $25 per family, and free to all service members. Tickets and full event details are available at oatlands.org. Oatlands Historic House and Gardens is located at 20850 Oatlands Plantation Lane in Leesburg, a short drive from downtown.
For anyone in the community considering a Sunday outing, this is the one to choose.
Photos & drone videography by Loudoun Digital
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