Greensburg dentist teaches American history through reenacting, podcast

Bill Choby knew he wanted to be a dentist since he was 16 years old. But that would not be the only field to capture his attention.

Choby, owner of Center for Dental Implants in Greensburg, is an avid historian on the side, boasting a book and an accompanying podcast.

While a student at the University of Pittsburgh’s Johnstown campus, Choby, 72, of Unity, became interested in his American history course.

He revisited the interest years later when he ran into a Benjamin Franklin reenactor while on a trip to Philadelphia for dental consulting.

“I spoke with him for about a half an hour and he stayed totally in character throughout,” Choby said. “I thought to myself ‘That’s pretty cool. Someday, I’d like to do something like that.’”

For about 20 years, Choby has done just that, first portraying French and Indian War soldier Arthur St. Clair and, now, George Washington — during parades, tea parties, birthday celebrations at Fort Ligonier and historical anniversaries. Every year, he takes his George Washington attire to the Memorial Day parade in Etna.

But Choby’s most memorable reenacting moment occurred at the dedication for an obelisk in Baltimore, when a young boy approached him.

“He just ran to me with his open arms,” Choby said, “and I just thought ‘Isn’t that something?’ Here’s this little boy with the eyes of innocence recognizing that this is something to behold.”

Choby is not a part of any reenacting groups and he is not paid for his impressions.

“I do it because I like to share the story of our country, and liberty is very important to me,” he said.

So important that he wrote a book about it — “Liberty in America Past, Present and Future,” which was released in 2019. Since January, he has turned his book into a podcast, which he records at home.

Choby has released 25 episodes of the podcast so far. It was picked up by a radio station in California and was listened to by people in Norway and Sweden, he said.

“I take the basic principles of American freedom created by the Bill of Rights and carry through what it looks like today,” Choby said.

Choby, who ran for United States Congress in the 90s and early 2000s, is a “pretty knowledgeable guy when it comes to the history of this area,” said friend Dave Matheny.

Matheny, of Latrobe, is a French and Indian War reenactor who has known Choby for about 15 years.

“I can’t remember if (I first met him) professionally with him as my dentist or in a reenactment,” Matheny said with a laugh.

Matheny and Choby reenact to share history with others.

“I share that same passion with Bill,” Matheny said. “I think every reenactor can call it a passion — that we want to share the knowledge that we have to the next generation so that information is not lost.”

Matheny is president of a Latrobe sportsmen’s club, which Choby recently joined. Choby has been hunting since he first tagged along for deer hunting with his father at five years old. Being outdoors hunting and fishing were cost-efficient ways to have fun growing up, he said.

He regularly hunts pheasant with his Slovakian rough-haired pointer dogs, Ginny, 6, and Falko, 5. Choby has had seven horses throughout his life, currently an 11-year-old Irish sport horse named “Cruise on Ted.”

The future of the podcast is uncertain, Choby said, but he is not finished with the subject. A screenplay of his book was written and presented to filmmakers in Los Angeles.

Though the screenplay has not received any offers yet, Choby plans to stay involved in history. It has changed his life, he said.

“The more I learned about George Washington, I realized that I wasn’t anywhere near this guy in terms of his character,” he said, “and it made me a better person just by studying this guy.”