So tell us a little bit about yourself...Part2

[88l71]

That sucks. As I said, F6F is my favorite plane. Wished there was one around here, closest we have is an FM-2 and Avenger (flyable) at Addisson Airport.

[Titanwarrior89]

Long time wargamer since 78'. Retired First Sargeant(E-8) U.S. Army (Regular)-Infantry. Been playing Witp since the day of release in July 04 and now Witp AE.

[Mike Solli]

Very funny, Ted. [:D] You forgot to mention that I was trouncing you in WitP. [:'(]

I'm Mike Solli, born 1960, got my first wargame in 1970 (Panzer Blitz) and never looked back. I have a closet full of them including pretty much all the monster games. My training is in entomology and I was pretty much a scientist and teacher until 2003.

I enlisted in the Guard in 1988 (for 6 years, I told my wife). I'm now a Major over 21 years. I've deployed 4 times. Missed the fifth by breaking some ribs last year. [:D] In 2003 I was drafted to prepare for a deployment to Kosovo. I spent the year preparing then deployed on that mission for another year. I downloaded WitP at the mob station. [:D] I got offered a full time job in the Guard as a logistician and am still doing that today.

Been married 26 years, a son in his second year of college and a daughter in her last year of high school.

I bought UV, WitP and AE when they came out. Life is pretty busy right now but I'm going to attempt AE with Ted (tc464). He's my oldest WitP partner. We started our PBEM in 2005 and decided to switch to AE. We'll get it going after the offical patch 01 comes out. Look for a couple of AARs near you. Ted's will be fantasy and mine will be the truth. [:D]

[Chijohnaok2]

My screen name "Chijohnaok" comes from the city I was born in (Chicago); my first name (John), and the rest you can figure out. Born in '65.

My avatar is "Siebenburgen" aka Transylvania. That is the region in Romania that my parents came from.

First started playing boardgames as a child: Stratego, Risk, Axis & Allies.
First computer wargame I owned was "Eastern Front-1941"(?) on my Atari 800 computer (it had 64kb of ram memory--WhooHoo!!!). Also owned "Carrier Strike". I think that may have been a Gary Grigsby game.

PC games include most of the Panzer General series, first 3 Close Combats, Operational Art of War I & II, Civil War Generals I & II.

First Matrix game was UV, then WITP & now AE. Also War Between the States.

Am a history buff, mostly Revolutionary War, Civil War and WW II; as well as a political junkie (growing up in Chicago did that to me).

[ChezDaJez]

I joined the US Navy in October 1972 because I was being drafted into the Army. While in bootcamp, I learned the draft had been suspended! [:@] Turned out to be the 2nd best decision I ever made (the first was marrying my wife). I was an aircrewman in P-3 Orion subhunters for 26 years operating airborne sonar, radar and EW equipment.

My shipmates called me "Chez" (short for Sanchez). The old codename for airborne acoustics was "Jezebel" and was often shortened to "Jez" so I became known as "ChezDaJez". I retired in 1998 as a senior chief (E-8) and held a variety of deadend jobs until I got smart and went back to college where I earned my registered nursing degree. I like to tell people that I learned how to kill people in the Navy now I know how to save them.

I've been an avid wargamer since the 60s when I received "Battle of the Bulge" wargame for Christmas. At one time, I owned every single computer wargame published by SSI and was a beta tester for them for a short time.

I've played WitP since a short time after it came out and was priviledged to be invited to help research Japanese aircraft for WitP AE. Currently battling BradfordKay for the past 2.5 years with a CHS game. We are in July 1944.

Interesting facts: My mother was born in Manchester, England and received a shrapnel wound to her leg in 1941, probably from part of an AA shell. She married an American soldier and emigrated to the States in 1952. Then I came along in 1954. She passed away a few years back still a British citizen. She was one proud Brit.

Her father served with the Seaforth Highlanders during WWI and was gassed at the Battle of the Somme. He never fully recovered from its effects.

Her brother, my Uncle George, served with the Burma Chindits on both expeditions. He was wounded 3 times. He never talked of his experiences but he always had the look of someonewho had seen something terrible.

I've known my wife since she was 7 years old. her brother was my best friend, her dad my scoutmaster and I dated her oldest sister for several months in high school.

Chez

Chez

[DivePac88]

Hi… I was born in 1958 and am now 51 years old, did the Army bit when I was young, and went on to a career in telecommunications. Have been wargaming this theater since I was about ten, with my Grandfather on the floor with an old dog-eared Taylor rule book. That’s where my name divepac comes from, as my Granddad always said I had lucky rolls with my Dive-bomber’s.

Played the floor and cardboard marker games till the board games started to arrive in NZ in the early 80s. Wasn’t till about 3 years ago that a friend showed me UV, and I haven’t looked back since. My one regret is that my Grandfather didn’t get to see this beautiful game, as he passed away in the early 80s. For years I always played the Japanese side as I considered them the under-dogs, but now play exclusively as the Allies as I know them to be the real under-dogs.

[Wirraway_Ace]

I am 45, married to a ballet dancer, with family roots in Australia, England and the U.S. I opted for a college education in the U.S. I served 20 years in the U.S. Army which gave me multiple opportunities for command and staff experience in combat…I now work for an international consulting firm (very little relation to my military experience) and work consistently harder and longer hours than I ever did in the service—leaving limited time for wargaming.

I have been playing war games as long as I can remember. My father and wife’s father both grew up during WW2 and it shaped much of their thinking and instilled a love of the history—which they passed on. Somewhat ironically, I still have the entire WW2 German and Japanese surface navies in miniature.

My favorite board games are: Avalon Hill’s The Longest Day and Clash of Arms La Battaille series

I have been playing UV and WiTP since they came out. Against a good and fair opponent, the PBEM experience of these games is unmatched by any other gaming experience I have had. The constant daytime stress and sleepless nights waiting for the results of the most recent turn’s combat tells an eloquent story about the gaming experience these products provide. These games seem almost too real.

My other passions are my wife, 2 sons, skiing and scuba diving.

I split my time between Austin, Texas and Brisbane, Australia.

My login is a shout-out to the first combat aircraft built by Aussie industry. In one of my first UV games, I had a pilot flying Wirraway's that became an ace. It gave my quite a chuckle due to its improbable nature...

mike

[JD70]

OK, this is interesting so I will add my story.  I have been an avid wargamer since I was a young kid.  There is a shelf in the basement loaded with games, but sadly they have not been used in some time.  Fortunately, computer wargaming has helped fill that void.  I started with UV, moved on to WiTP and am now getting my feet wet in AE.

I have always been a history buff, which led to my decision to join the service.  I graduated from the Naval Academy and went into the submarine service.  Perhaps my greatest adventure in the Navy was being part of the expedition to find the USS Yorktown in 1998.  For someone who has always been fascinated with the Battle of Midway, that was just an amazing experience to stand on Midway, sail in the waters where the battle took place (we looked for the Japanese ships too) and to ultimately find and survey the aircraft carrier. 

I have a wife and two kids (one girl and one boy).  Just this last year I taught my seven year old son to play the old AH War at Sea...it is a start.

[stuman]

I cannot say anything yet, the Court Order is still in effect. I probably just said too much. Damn, in trouble yet again.

[alaviner]

I will jump in here.  My name come from my first AOL account in 94 or 95 when I was working on my Master's Degree in Forestry at North Carolina State University (NCSU).  If you remember in those days you were limited to 10 characters.  My Avatar is a pict of the horse and goat that we had for several years.  Started this game with PACWAR and have progressed through the series.

[dereck]

Jined the US Navy in 1979 in the delayed entry program. Entered boot camp less than a week after high school graduation. Went to Photo School in Pensacola, FL. Stationed on the USS Midway when she was forward deployed in Yokosuka, Japan to play Cold War games with the Soviets. Visited the PI, Thailand, Singapore, Hong Kong and a lot of the Indian Ocean and also hit Perth, Australia among other places (but never got closer to US territory than the Aleutians).

Been interested in WWII history all my life. Was in awe when I actually walked around places like Corregidor and other spots. Father served with the 13th Air Force, an uncle with the 1st Cavalry Division, a grandfather, a great uncle (KIA) and cousins with the 32nd Infantry Division.

Got into WITP when I was looking for an update to the old PacWar game I still have.

[RHoenig]

Not much to explaine re. my Nick, as it is simply my name (my forum nick pretty much everywhere else, "Hawkeye", was allready taken)
As my avatar (not much creativity there either) shows, I am from Germany, and the southern part at that (Swabian rules lol)
Born in 1963, now working in the forestry, teaching young boys to become forest workers.

I started pc-gaming some 20 years ago with space sims (elite) and RPGs (Bards Tale). Got into tabletop gaming by reading the BattleTech Warrior Trillogy (saw the add in the book, went and bought the game, so at least once, advertizing worked)
Allready been interested in history in general and in WW2 in particular, when I stumbled over Panzer General and started strat-gaming on the PC.

Now it´s HOI-2, WitP/WitP-AE and Aurora pretty much exclusively

[Central Blue]

Central Blue from Locksley Hall:

Heard the heavens fill with shouting, and there rain'd a ghastly dew
From the nations' airy navies grappling in the central blue;

First computer game was Earl Weaver Baseball in 1987. I got my all -time Cards team all planned out.

Favorite computer war games are the Pac War family, Harpoon, TOAW, and AOR.

Been wargaming since the early sixties when my oldest brother came home from college with AH Gettysburg and Blitzkrieg.

[Caliban]

I was born in 1948. My father was the youngest crew member aboard s-38 when the Japanese bombed Manila Bay on December 8th, 1941. He talked little of his war experience but what he did say was pretty harrowing. I had a newspaper from December 31st, 1942. In an interview he gave while home on leave he described some of the events which took place immediately following the Manilla attack and their encounter with elements of the Japanese invasion fleet. I gave the paper to BRADY to add to his WWII collection. My health seems to be on the decline and I didn't want this artifact to be lost. BRADY has been instructed to pass it on to someone in this group.

BRADY was my first WitP PBEM opponent. I met him through my best friend shortly after purchasing WitP. He introduced me to the forums which I have read nearly daily for several years. Writing is both difficult and arduous for me as I was born with arm and hand deformities. If this were not the case you would have heard much more from me. So very many of you I consider to be friends and mentors.

Larry Kocher

Caliban is a character from William Shakespeare's "The Tempest". "Richard III" and "FDR" had already been taken. [;)]

[NormS3]

My name is pretty simple, just a shoertened form of how I used to introduce myself as a kid, Norm son of Norm son of Norm. Born in 1975 with a severe hearing imparment in my left ear and asthma, I also was quite sickly growing up and spent much time indoors reading my fathers history books. Read about some Theodore Roosevelt fellow and decided that I could over come my difficulties and was running 9 miles a day by college (then going out and playing whatever sport was in season (and never had to be told to hustle!)

Proceeded to ruin my ankles then the knees (never was smart enough to stop doing things I liked[:D]) and thus provided strikes three and four for military service my freshman year in college. Dad always encouraged me and shared a like interest, but bad heath kept him out as well.

Both of my Grandfathers served in WW2. One on the DE Dedee and Norm I served as a telephone repair operator in the VMSB-341, my avatar. Spent so much time outdoors (and indoors playing volleyball, again, I'm an idiot[:D]) that I have only begun to explore computers in the last couple of years, only to find this new addiction!

[Takeshi]

I started with wargames back in the seventies. I came home from the Army and my teenage brothers were playing Panzer Blitz and I became hooked. We picked up a Battle of the Bulge game from where I can't remember and it was something to have my father who was a company XO and CO in 10th AIB, 4th Armored Div point out his location at different times of the game. (South of Bastogne mostly, clearing out German infantry from the woods along a road).

I remember several Avalon Hill games (Third Reich, Tac Air) but RL kept me from spending much time on them. I picked WitP a couple of years ago because I like messing with Japanese production (I know, I'm disturbed). I've been waiting for AE to come out so I can be a newbie among newbies. I hope to start my first PBEM after the first patch comes out.

I picked Takeshi for my user name from the Takeshi Kovacs scifi novels.

[PeteG662]

Figured I would support Steve on this venue as well as the previous one with WitP since we had some beers together during the first Metro Area WitP gathering in DC.
 
Tallyman is reference to where I was formerly living when signing up for a Yahoo account (Tallahassee, FL). The 662 is reference to the date of birth (June 1962). 77 is the best number though, not 69! You mathematicians can figure that one out. Anyway, I'm a recently retired US Army artillery officer (the cannons in the photo are the same type I used in one of my units). Divorced once and working on getting married again so I guess I didn't learn the first time. Played games since I was about 10 or so by cutting teeth on various Avalon Hill titles. Got into computer games in the late 1980s with Ancient Art of War for my C64! Haven't looked back since but still have many of the board games around. Lurked a while on the boards here while watching the game play from UV and then bought it and a few other Matrix titles. I play mainly against the AI since my work schedule for the Department of Defense (currently ensuring folks like Skrewball get mail in Iraq) and my life with the future wife would interfere with the flow of the game.
 
To keep life interesting, I jump out of airplanes, ride over waterfalls in rafts, drive fast on closed circuits (or the beltway when I can), explore the ocean depths, and write graphic short stories for kicks.
 
One other tidbit is that I dated a former Miss America when she was Miss America.
 
NEXT............
 
 
 

[baghdadbob]

Hello fellow gamers,

My name is Jeff Fritz, born in 1967 and currently live near Buffalo, NY. I am married with one 8 y/o beautiful girl. We have 2 cats and a German sheppard. I work for the NY Air National Guard in aircraft maintenance at an Air Base in Niagara Falls. My username, Baghdadbob is the nickname the press gave the Iraqi PR guy during Gulf War II. That guy was hilarious with some of the reports he gave to the press. Anyways, I have been serving since 1985 and plan on retiring in 2025 (40 years of service). I have had the honor of being involved with the military actions in Panama, Iraq, Afghanastan, Kosovo and the "war on drugs". My most memorible time was when I served in New York City as part of the 9/11 clean up/security force shortly after the terrorist attacks on the WTC. I grew up playing Avalon Hills games and countless other war games. Every year my friends come into town for a weekend of gaming, laughs and some good old fun. If only I could get them to game on line with WITP... I look forward to diving into AE with my new PBEM friend as soon as the patch is released. Good luck to all you gamers out there and always remember... "its not who wins but how much fun it is to play the game".

[crsutton]

It is my psuedonym. I am actually the Prime Minister of Swedan.......

[AW1Steve]

Bump![:)]