A love letter to David (repost from general forums)
Posted: Thu Feb 16, 2023 6:07 pm
Hi Everyone,
This is user HamburgerMeat posting on my dad's account (wie201, WIE standing for an early computer wargame he played called War in Europe.) David passed away a few weeks back after a long battle with several bacterial infections and an amputation.
David was a grognard as far back as I can remember. His basement is full of old and new boardgames, mostly wargames. I'd wager at least 1,000 games down there. I have no idea how to sort them or what to do with them. Maybe donate them to a library? Or a game museum (is there such a thing)?
Wargames were a bit much to handle when I was young, but we played other strategy games like Civilization II together. The first WW2 boardgame he showed me was called Victory: The Blocks of War. Several years ago, he invited me to play my first proper computer wargame: Strategic Command: War in Europe and World at War. He showed me some of his AARs like this one:
https://www.matrixgames.com/forums/view ... 8&t=306723
And we had a blast together. We ended up playing turns together and talking through both overall strategy and smaller details like unit operations/tactics. He both laughed and cried at "gamey" moves that were completely unrealistic (really, field the entire German army in North Africa?) We'd order takeout at our favorite restaurants and talk about history, game plans, and how things were when he was growing up. He wasn't just my dad; he was my best friend. The guy who always had my back.
And now my best friend is gone. I was his only child, the son he always wanted. There's no one else to talk to about the things we loved to do together. I wish I had a sibling just so there'd be someone else that knew from firsthand experience what a great guy David was.
Thank you to this community for giving my dad and I such great times together. Apologies to any opponents (since you had to deal with two heads at once, a bit unfair I know).
The world just feels so empty without you dad.
This is user HamburgerMeat posting on my dad's account (wie201, WIE standing for an early computer wargame he played called War in Europe.) David passed away a few weeks back after a long battle with several bacterial infections and an amputation.
David was a grognard as far back as I can remember. His basement is full of old and new boardgames, mostly wargames. I'd wager at least 1,000 games down there. I have no idea how to sort them or what to do with them. Maybe donate them to a library? Or a game museum (is there such a thing)?
Wargames were a bit much to handle when I was young, but we played other strategy games like Civilization II together. The first WW2 boardgame he showed me was called Victory: The Blocks of War. Several years ago, he invited me to play my first proper computer wargame: Strategic Command: War in Europe and World at War. He showed me some of his AARs like this one:
https://www.matrixgames.com/forums/view ... 8&t=306723
And we had a blast together. We ended up playing turns together and talking through both overall strategy and smaller details like unit operations/tactics. He both laughed and cried at "gamey" moves that were completely unrealistic (really, field the entire German army in North Africa?) We'd order takeout at our favorite restaurants and talk about history, game plans, and how things were when he was growing up. He wasn't just my dad; he was my best friend. The guy who always had my back.
And now my best friend is gone. I was his only child, the son he always wanted. There's no one else to talk to about the things we loved to do together. I wish I had a sibling just so there'd be someone else that knew from firsthand experience what a great guy David was.
Thank you to this community for giving my dad and I such great times together. Apologies to any opponents (since you had to deal with two heads at once, a bit unfair I know).
The world just feels so empty without you dad.