Who has never been in the military?

[TheElf]

Seems only fair[:)]

As a civilian how do you finance your wargaming habit and what started it?

[cpt_Venomous]

Prolly Im only one of the few who didnt serve during the past millenium in my family which served in Russian, Polish and Serbian armies.
Actually obcessed with wargaming from since I can remember myself from tin soldiers and capture the flag mugging fests in pioneer camps.

[Pascal_slith]

Unfortunately my eyesight kept me out of US Navy OCS (back in 1983). I was really unhappy about that.

Almost professional historian (have been into history since I was 5 watching the war movies on TV with my Dad back in the mid-60's).

I'm an investment manager, so I make enough to have around 5000 history books at home and about 250-300 wargames (paper and counter), adding regularly (including finding rare out-of-print). An obsessed collector? Sure.

[Sneer]

same story Pascal
the only diffrence I'm ap 10 y younger

[kaleun]

MD. Always interested in wargames, history.

[captskillet]

I guess I was lucky...had to register for the Draft my senior yr of high school (1974) but by then we were out of Nam..now I'm too old I guess cause if they need me .....WE ARE IN DEEP DODO!!![:D]

[SirRodneyOfGout]

Started playing wargames in Grade 7. First purchase was S&T's "CA" from another student. Anthropology / Archaeology B.A. Tried to program a space war game on my Coleco Adam when I wasn't writing term papers on Sumerian warfare.

Pushed keys for a while, then I pushed others to push keys. Lots of $ to buy games but no time to play them. My hats off to G.G. & co for banging their heads on monitors, day in and day out, to make games instead of getting rich writing financial software packages...

Now I'm a lab rat for pharma companies. More time to game but less $ to support the habit.

[Mr.Frag]

Flat Feet ... they wouldn't take me ... funny enough, profile stuff said I'd be an excellent sniper [:D]

[rlc27]

Anthropology degree here too, currently closing in on the Ph.D. One year to go, if I can get this danged dissertation done.

Wanted to be an AH-64 pilot for the longest time when I was a teen, did two years of ROTC in college but some mild asthma made it impossible to finish.

[grraven2004]

My start was reading a book called Flattops at war in Jr. High.

Its been downhill from there [:D]

I drive truck so cash is not an issue with me. I don't have any lol

[IanLister]

I'm an English teacher. Been playing wargames since 1963 aged 12. I got interested as my dad was an artillery observer in 78th Battleaxe Div in British army in WW2, one uncle flew Spits and Hurricanes 1939-45 and anothe was an engine fitter in the RAF, served in Egypt, Malta and tha Far East. The other one disappeared while on a Coastal Command Catalina patrol over the Atlantic so I never met him. WW2 was all they ever talked about..........my mum was an RAF truck driver during the war, met Glenn Miller when he was in England at one point.

[Grell]

Interesting stuff that Ian, an entire family at that.

[IanLister]

It gets better. My fighter pilot uncle was a Czech whose father was a local politician. In 38 dad was murdered by Nazis during the invasion, and he left to France and joined the airforce. I believe he flew Curtiss Hawks in 39-40, then escaped to England with 2 mates in a fishing boat. He joined the RAF in June 1940 and flew Hurris in 310 Czech squadron during the Battle of Britain. Shot down twice but doubled that score in return. He later commanded 313 squadron in Spits, and then joined the RAF permanently in 1946 - he couldn't go back home as apparently he was persona non grata with the Russians. He flew Sunderlands in Korea and then, scariest of all, married my mum's sister. Died last year aged 88. Do you ever play Talonsoft's Beyond The Reich? I contacted the guy in the US who has reworked that game big time, and he kindly added my uncle in to the pilot database at the right rank in the correct squadron[8|]. First time I played the campaign after that, he was shot down and killed on his first mission. I felt sort of guilty......

[Grell]

Ian,

That is truly bookworthy stuff. Ever thought of putting it all together and getting it out?

[IanLister]

When I stop teaching about books and retire, I'm planning a work of fiction based on the idea of interweaving the lives of my WW2 relatives' real experiences. BOB, Malta, Egypt, Tunisia, Italy, 2TAF in 44 over NW Europe, Burma campaign in 44-45 etc......7 years to retire, another 7 to write it.....try the bookstore in 2018, if by then you're bored with WITP. Hang on, if WITP is as good as I hope, I may still be playing it myself, and there'll be no book!

[Grell]

Nah, Ian,

That's as good a book as any top-seller AFAIC. I'd do the book thing and watch the royalties flood in!

[TheElf]

ORIGINAL: IanLister

It gets better. My fighter pilot uncle was a Czech whose father was a local politician. In 38 dad was murdered by Nazis during the invasion, and he left to France and joined the airforce. I believe he flew Curtiss Hawks in 39-40, then escaped to England with 2 mates in a fishing boat. He joined the RAF in June 1940 and flew Hurris in 310 Czech squadron during the Battle of Britain. Shot down twice but doubled that score in return. He later commanded 313 squadron in Spits, and then joined the RAF permanently in 1946 - he couldn't go back home as apparently he was persona non grata with the Russians. He flew Sunderlands in Korea and then, scariest of all, married my mum's sister. Died last year aged 88. Do you ever play Talonsoft's Beyond The Reich? I contacted the guy in the US who has reworked that game big time, and he kindly added my uncle in to the pilot database at the right rank in the correct squadron[8|]. First time I played the campaign after that, he was shot down and killed on his first mission. I felt sort of guilty......

Closest I can come to this kind of story is this. When I was in college my mom introduced me to a member of our church. His name was Richard Mehle. He flew Hellcats off the Big "E". Had 5 or six kills to his credit. We talked a lot and I asked him lots of questions. I wish he were still alive, cuz now that I am winged I think we'd have MUCH more to talk about. I'd have a million more questions to ask too. He was a rascal. Even in his 70's he had a young(relatively) trophy wife.[:D]

My late Uncle Fred was a ground crewman in Germany during WWI He ate breakfast in the same chow hall as the Red Baron, saw him regularly, and spoke with him on a couple of occaisions. Again, wish he were still alive to pick his brain.[:(]

[IanLister]

Actually, I'm spending so much time on here waiting for you-know-what to suddenly manifest itself, i could be writing the book....it might be therapeutic! I AM GETTING A LITTLE IMPATIENT.[;)][;)]

[Grell]

Good Stuff Elf!,

My grandfather fought in WWI in the Hungarian army.

LOL, Ian,

Sounds like a plan friend!

[wworld7]

Flat feet and a dislike for getting up early kept me out of the service. Instead I pushed cardboard vounters around for the last 30 years... BTW computers are fantastic.