Past, Present and Future

Where poppies grow...

REASONS

 “Up and at ‘em, lads!”, the Major called,

As the whistles blew and the bullets cracked.

We tried to run, but the mud was thick,

While those who breathed gas coughed and hacked.

 

Was it only twenty minutes of real time,

Or hours that seemed to pass and go

Before we returned to our holes.

Never once catching sight of our grey-clad foe.

 

It was like waking from a dread dream,

Or more a waking nightmare.

When we looked and counted our dead.

Would our leaders and commanders even care?

 

For us that came home again;

The hale, the crippled and the lame.

We were hailed and feted, promised rewards,

As though we had completed some great game.

 

We prayed that conflict was over

And that this war had ended war.

The swords would be ploughshares

And maybe we had learned to fight no more.

 

When we stopped to reflect and think

About our reasons for marching to war.

We looked at each other and shrugged,

Cast our eyes at the floor.

 

Ashamed to admit we had no answer

The jingoism, the white feathers, our pride.

None of these seemed to be right.

 “O Lord, why?” We cried.

 

Over the years that passed since that November

We came to understand and find

That our purpose was more than we knew.

Certainly for us and our kind.

 

We fought to remain free and stand tall,

When the world headed into darkness.

There was a need for ordinary heroes

Whose thoughts and deeds would be selfless.

 

We, the ordinary and plain.

We, the soldiers that went where we must.

And became the bearers of hope and faith.

And believed our cause was just.

 

Friend and foe alike in thought,

We cannot now hate or forget.

We all fought for what we believed.

In comradeship now we are met.

 

Laurence Cutner

November, 2009

Fight for your right

Well, I survived another gaming weekend and what a nice day it was. The weather was great - almost a crime to be indoors - and there was a great turnout for a long day of game fun. I didn't win anything this time (shame) but I did come away with some new games to play. I was able to test my newly designed game 'Land Dreadnoughts' and found, to my pleasant surprise, that the mechanics worked very well and I will need only minor changes to the rules. Even better was the interest shown by others and the offer of publishing the game if I can get it into a more 'polished' state. As you can imagine, this is very exciting and I've been working away at cleaning up the counters and revising the rules. Who knows.......

On other 'fronts', I have been reading H. G. Wells 'War in the Air' in order to get some inspiration on adding air power to my game. Considering that the book was written just over 100 years ago, it is a remarkable novel and predates many of the 'end of the world' stories of today. To be honest, I think it would make a quite stunning movie as some of the scenes depicted would look amazing on the big screen - is anyone in Hollywood listening? Talking about Hollywood (sort of), I was able to find a copy of a TV film that I remember seeing many, many years ago and the memory of that movie has stayed with me ever since. It is 'The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui' filmed in 1972 and based on the Bertold Brecht 1941 play of the same name. It is an amazing sideways look at the rise of Adolph Hitler and there are all the obvious parallels. The title character is beautifully played and has a real sense of menace about him. It really is a morality tale that says, 'if we don't keep alert, the Hitlers of this world will rise again and again'. This rather obscure little film took a lot of searching to find and my copy is rather poor and grainy, but the brilliance of the story shines through and still sends a frisson of fear down my back. If you can find it, you will not be disappointed.

Still a winner - or is that a wiener?

It was another gaming weekend for me and my young nephew and another successful winning weekend as well. On his second visit to Tabscon he won a solitaire game of Rommel's WWII campaigns and I won a copy of 'Spanish Eagles', a game of the Peninsular War and 'Combat Commander: Pacific', a game on the (duh!) Pacific war. We played a game on the Nazi invasion of the Crimea in 1941/42 and had a rare old time of cavalry charges, artillery bombardments, remote-controlled demolition tanks, assault boats racing towards the shore and multiple Soviet seaborne invasions. All-in-all a real free for all fight with both sides attacking and defending. I sold some old games and swapped for some games I wanted. I snagged a copy of the original Avalon Hill Blitzkrieg - 44 years old and still a terrific game. The real attraction was the opportunity to meet old and new friends in a very congenial atmosphere of competition. If you have any interest at all in board games then THIS is the place to be. If anyone wants to learn about playing the wargame side of things, let me know, I will be happy to teach. I recently had one of the guys over and we played a game on the Vietnam War - very interesting. It was a very well constructed and designed game and really gave a good view of the differences between the Vietcong way of war and the US addiction to firepower and concentration of forces. Currently, I'm gaming out the Russo-Finish War of 1939 and finding that it wasn't quite as one-sided as I thought.

Get the message

I was going to give you a book and/or film review today, incidentally my 28th wedding anniversary (yay!), but this news item just 'got my goat'. It appears that the wimps in charge of the Plains of Abraham reenactment have caved in and canceled the battle. When are the French descendants in this great country of Canada going to realize that their ancestors LOST and the English WON. C'mon guys, it's not hard. I know that there is the feeling that reenacting the battle is somehow 'insulting', but it's an historical event and the bravery, dedication and sacrifice of both sides should be commemorated. Remember, both Wolfe and Montcalm lost their lives here. I really cannot understand what the concern here is. After all, the French are very happy to take part in Waterloo reenactments and had no issues with remembering Trafalgar. Just because you don't like how history turned out doesn't mean you must ignore or forget the events of the past. The dedicated people who commemorate the English and American Civil Wars and the War of 1812 do so to preserve history and bring to life our heritage. I recall visiting a battle site in the UK and watching the Sealed Knot refight a small skirmish that involved the burning of a witch, a cavalry charge and massed pikemen heaving away at each other. I also visted Pickering Museum many times to see Civil War battles. Awesome stuff!  I would have loved to see Wolfe's victory reenacted, but miserable, scared and just plain daft people decided otherwise. For shame!

One name

Throughout history there are people who are known by just one name due to their actions or notoriety. We hear of Patton, Nelson, Napoleon and, more recently, Richthofen. I recently viewed the new German film 'The Red Baron' that supposedly traces his career from the end of 1917 to his death in April 1918. I say 'supposedly', as the film is about 50% accurate and may give a rather differing view of the WWI ace of aces. Most details of his life are fairly well known and there have been many books published on his career - my favorite is 'Richthofen' by William Burrows, published way back in 1969 and long out of print. This latest movie adaptation is remarkable for its attention to detail both on the ground and in the air and the look of the aerial combat is just breathtaking. It's nice to see that they didn't just use the Fokker Triplanes as the stock fighter and we get to see Albatrosses, Spads, SE5A's and Camels not to mention the HP 0/100 bombers mixing it up in the skies over France. The love story (completely fabricated) was actually quite well done and never became silly. In general, the actors were well chosen for their historical resemblances except for Lanoe Hawker and our own Roy Brown. My opinion is that they made the lead character too nice and indicated that losing his comrades and falling in love made him more aware of his mortality and clearly showed his war weariness. I believe that the opposite is true - he became harder and more dedicated to running up his 'score'.  The closing of the movie shys away from the controversy over who actually fired the shot that brought the Red Baron down - was it Brown in his Sopwith Camel or an Australian machine gunner in the trenches? I would say it was an Empire victory and leave it at that. Manfred von Richthofen's final tally of 80 victories is remarkable and may have been even higher, but this pales into insignificance next to the WWII ace Erich Hartmann. This amazing pilot achieved a score of 352 victories. 352!

My two cents worth

Next post will be something for you Terminator fans out there - you know who you are. For now, it's my turn to weigh-in on the mayhem in Gaza. As you know by now, I am Jewish and thus have very particular views on Israel and it's place in the world. In my youth I was very active in a number of Zionist youth moments whose avowed existence hinged of directing Jewish youngsters to Israel and specifically Kibbutzim. My personal feeling is that the presence of a Jewish state in Israel is vital to the well-being of Jews as, for once, there is an entity willing and able to stand up for and protect Jews anywhere in the World. However, and this is important, being Jewish does NOT necessarily mean that I support the State of Israel in everything it does. I am a proud Canadian and not an Israeli citizen. The current situation is difficult, as I am able to see both sides points of view. In Israels defense, I can see that they have become totally fed-up with being a target. Consider, they did pull out of Gaza with much pain and grief, but did it stop the attacks and missile launches - of course not. When Hamas, a known terrorist group, seized power (elections or not), it seemed inevitable that conflict would continue with the innocent suffering. In Gaza, the constant fear of Israeli attacks and the desperate conditions caused by the closing of the borders with Israel created a mood of defiance and fear that allowed Hamas to take power. I won't go on as I could write a book. I will close with part of a quote from a Hamas spokesperson about the UN cease-fire resolution. It says a lot about their caring for 'their' people: '...we were not consulted about this resolution and they have not taken into account our vision and the interests of our people'. Say what! Don't you want the killing to stop? Israel should unilaterally pull back, stop all attacks and see what happens next. If Hamas shows some sense, they will stop as well and perhaps some peace will break out. Naw! Wishful thinking.

An igloo too far?

Why does Christmas bring out the worst in me? I listen to Weird Al singing 'Christmas at ground zero' and watch things like 'Bad Santa'. I DO try and do the right things though - who would had thought  it - a good Jewish boy enjoying Christmas. I get the tree decorated, fill the fridge with eggnog, wrap the presents, listen to good seasonal songs and watch 'It's a good life' and 'White Christmas'. However - you knew this was coming - here is a little treat for those that like some violence with their Reindeer and Elves. Dan Verssen Games has made available their seasonal game of 'Elves under Hoof'. This is a nice easy and fun downloadable and printable board game for those jaded with the deluge of Christmastime 'stuff'. For those other who prefer the antics of a hyper-active rabbit, then Jazz Jackrabbit 2 Holiday Hare is for you. I think you can actually get it for free if you look hard enough. It's  hard to find new  relevant books to read about this time of year, but there is certainly one book for these snowy and miserable days. I really recommend 'Fallen Angels' by the incomparable Larry Niven. This is a very sober but entertaining  (sounds strange, I know) look at a future where the environmentalists appear to have taken over and the fate of two lost astronauts rests in the hands of very unlikely saviors. This story is a fairly quick read, but one that will stay with you and make you more aware of what we can and could do to our planet.

Debriefing

It's been an interesting end to the week. Our overextended military in Afghanistan has lost three more comrades and, as usual, the civilians in Canada are demanding the return of our troops NOW! I believe that our soldiers have done their time at the 'sharp end' and need to be rotated to a quieter area while our allies in NATO take over for a while. I'm also fed up with terms that seem to make this war seem almost a police action. Actually, that's what the US called the Korean War. This is not a policing matter, ask any soldier, this is war to the hilt, brutal and dirty. We should not shy away for this fact and call things as we see them - a roadside bomb is a bomb or a mine not a IED (Improvised Explosive Device) - sounds almost benign, doesn't it? Oh well - rant over.  Board game meet report coming up - now! Apart from the snow I had to drive home in - it was a great day. Considering the weather and time of year, we had a large turnout of gamers. It was refreshing to see things through the eyes of my 15 year old nephew. As he mentioned to me, he had no idea that there were so many different types of games and how friendly and welcoming people were. Once you're a gamer, you're one of the family. I'm looking forward to the next one. Personally, I had a good day and won a door prize and did well in the raffle - as the picture above shows. That's about $360 of gaming goodness. Boy, are wargames expensive.

Europe in the balance

While I am still slogging though my latest alternate history tome, I still found time to re-read this rather excellent book. 'Blenheim' by Charles Spencer was published in 2004 and, last time I looked, is going for about $5 in Chapters' bargain area. This pivotal battle in August 1704 made a profound change in the fortunes of both France and England. This well researched and very readable book traces both the path to victory and the rise of the Duke of Marlborough - the ancestor of Winston Churchill. It always amazes me that people say that war and violence doesn't change things or is counter-productive to society. Unfortunately, violent conflict has shaped and continues to shape our world for better or worse. The old saying that war is an extension of politics is still very true today. What are the wars in Iraq or Afghanistan other that a more vicious game of politics. The sad thing is, that this 'game' causes the death of many a brave soldier and innocent civilian. Mankind is very good at killing, I'm afraid. Whew! That was a rant, wasn't it? Back to the book in question. I always enjoy books that include a lot of personal details and anecdotes to bring a lost period to life and this is no exception. It's also fun to learn new things and get a few surprises. I wasn't all that knowledgeable about the period or the details of the campaign and was quite entertained and educated. One fun surprise was the name of one of John Churchill's soldiers and sources used within the book. A certain Scottish low-lander named Captain Blackader! Yes, it would appear that Rowan Atkinson's creation had an actual namesake. Now, did Atkinson know this to find his character's name - hmmmm. I'll have to write and ask him. If I get a reply, I'll pass it on.

Cheap and cheerful

It was another Chapters foray yesterday. Quite successful too as I picked up a couple of books and was temped by a few more. I am a sucker for historical atlases and found the West Point Atlas of World War II and World War I for $14.99 apiece. Now, if I could find the one for the Napoleonic Wars as well I would be a very happy man. The era of Napoleon is possibly my favorite period and I remember fondly my many wargames fought against the wily Grande Armee using my trusty black uniformed Brunswick troops or my mighty Austrian legions - happy days. Although there are another two months before my next Tabscon outing, there is an informal gathering next month. So...Panzer Leader 1940 will have another outing with new, improved rules and even more counters. Now that I have the procedure down pat, making new counters is easy and less of a chore. It's been a while since I have tried my hand at rewriting or creating rules for a wargame and it's quite a time consuming task. I've forgotten how much research is needed. Now I know more than I really wanted to about French armoured tactics during the 1940 campaign and that dammed DeGaulle keeps popping up everywhere. I'm beginning to detest him as much as Churchill did. Needless to say, I'm looking forward to taking to the sunlit summer fields of Belgium and France and either taking on the German juggernaut or seeing if the French army really is the best in Europe.