Volume 26, Number 9
Return of Kevin, Michael Makes for Interesting 2015
When Michael Morgan and Kevin Richeson returned to the gaming table for the 2014 Armistice Day Fits Tournament in November, the implications were far greater than the immediate impact they had on the game.
The last few years have seen minimal squadron growth. We've gamed consistently and had a great time, but attendance had settled into a predictable range. The squadron's appearances at WhosYerCon had generated interest among local players and even brought a few people out to Indy games, but had not yet produced any core players over the long term.
Return of Kevin, Michael Makes for Interesting 2015
When Michael Morgan and Kevin Richeson returned to the gaming table for the 2014 Armistice Day Fits Tournament in November, the implications were far greater than the immediate impact they had on the game.
The last few years have seen minimal squadron growth. We've gamed consistently and had a great time, but attendance had settled into a predictable range. The squadron's appearances at WhosYerCon had generated interest among local players and even brought a few people out to Indy games, but had not yet produced any core players over the long term.
So the return of Michael and Kevin is important for several reasons. First, because (as we learned the hard way at Armistice Day) the level of play at the table is raised considerably by their presence. It's not just two more players rolling dice. These guys can win and their presence sets a higher standard for everyone in the game.
Secondly, because Kevin and Michael are the key to renewing interest with a number of other players. They are in a position to influence a lot of other people who may not participate in their absence.
And most importantly, because Kevin and Michael have a long history at the squadron and deep friendship with nearly every player to game at Indy in the past decade. It's encouraging to everyone to see them again. Squadron activity has an ebb and flow that we all expect, but perhaps this bodes well for a strong upswing in activity in 2015.
Secondly, because Kevin and Michael are the key to renewing interest with a number of other players. They are in a position to influence a lot of other people who may not participate in their absence.
And most importantly, because Kevin and Michael have a long history at the squadron and deep friendship with nearly every player to game at Indy in the past decade. It's encouraging to everyone to see them again. Squadron activity has an ebb and flow that we all expect, but perhaps this bodes well for a strong upswing in activity in 2015.
Indy Releases 2015 Calendar
The 2015 Indy Squadron calendar is now available, with dates at two major gaming conventions as well as our local championships. See the current calendar on the right sidebar of the home page on this site.
The year begins with local gaming on February 7th. The squadron then takes its 26th annual Red Baron Fight and the 2nd WhosYerCon Open to the Wyndham West Hotel in Indianapolis for WhosYerCon 2015. This event reaches deep into the midwestern gaming community and has rewarded the squadron with consistent exposure among regional gamers.
The Indy Squadron will support Gen Con, the world's largest gaming convention, in August although it does not register as an official Indy event. September 26th is our third date of the year and the final opportunity to establish your eligibility for the Indy Squadron championship in November. Attending just a single game at any of our three regular events is sufficient.
The 27th annual Armistice Day Tournament is slated for November 7th to round out the year at Saltire Games, which hosted the 2014 event.
The 2015 Indy Squadron calendar is now available, with dates at two major gaming conventions as well as our local championships. See the current calendar on the right sidebar of the home page on this site.
The year begins with local gaming on February 7th. The squadron then takes its 26th annual Red Baron Fight and the 2nd WhosYerCon Open to the Wyndham West Hotel in Indianapolis for WhosYerCon 2015. This event reaches deep into the midwestern gaming community and has rewarded the squadron with consistent exposure among regional gamers.
The Indy Squadron will support Gen Con, the world's largest gaming convention, in August although it does not register as an official Indy event. September 26th is our third date of the year and the final opportunity to establish your eligibility for the Indy Squadron championship in November. Attending just a single game at any of our three regular events is sufficient.
The 27th annual Armistice Day Tournament is slated for November 7th to round out the year at Saltire Games, which hosted the 2014 event.
Blood in the Trenches - Book Review
Capt. A. Radclyffe Dugmore
Pen & Sword Publishing
Hard bound, 158 pages
$24.95 US
Order here:
http://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/Blood-in-the-Trenches-Hardback/p/7037
Pen & Sword's amazing “Eyewitnesses from the Great War” series continues with this personal memoir written by a journalist-turned-soldier employed by the British army in 1916.
Captain Radclyffe Dugmore began the war as an idealistic, wide-eyed filmmaker bent on exposing the alleged atrocities committed by the German army invading Belgium. After several harrowing ordeals, told in an entertaining and believable manner by Dugmore's talented pen, he joins the British army and sees the horrors of the Somme first-hand.
Blood in the Trenches is an excellent read on two levels. First and most amazing is the study of the effectiveness of nationalistic propaganda on Dugmore's mind. The early chapters of the book are largely dedicated to the regurgitation of Allied war propaganda, which is astonishingly similar to the war propaganda employed by western nations today. The parallels are remarkable and unmistakable.
The impact of this propaganda on Dugmore's decision making process is apparent. He relies on it for the justification of human slaughter and the rationalization of the worst destruction in world history up to that date. The utterly convincing nature of the Allied propaganda and the absolute sway it holds over the mind of this soldier is a study in itself.
The second great achievement of this book is a very personal and intimate retelling of the Battle of the Somme, not from a strategic overview, but simply from the daily routine of Dugmore's experience. He graphically recounts battles, details his travels and trials, and pulls no punches in describing the disaster through which he lived.
Dugmore's description of his hospital experience after his first wound in battle is a gold mine of information. The author describes every moment in utmost detail, including his laying in a shell hole immediately afterward, his struggle to reach friendly lines, and he even recounts every step of his trip in an ambulance. With this material the reader is able to easily and completely reconstruct the entire system of medical care – or the lack thereof – from the instant a wound is sustained on the battlefield through the full treatment and recuperation process.
Blood in the Trenches is a valuable insight into history of the Somme, the tragically blinding effect of war propaganda and the amazing personal experiences of one British captain whose life is well worth re-living on these pages.
Capt. A. Radclyffe Dugmore
Pen & Sword Publishing
Hard bound, 158 pages
$24.95 US
Order here:
http://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/Blood-in-the-Trenches-Hardback/p/7037
Pen & Sword's amazing “Eyewitnesses from the Great War” series continues with this personal memoir written by a journalist-turned-soldier employed by the British army in 1916.
Captain Radclyffe Dugmore began the war as an idealistic, wide-eyed filmmaker bent on exposing the alleged atrocities committed by the German army invading Belgium. After several harrowing ordeals, told in an entertaining and believable manner by Dugmore's talented pen, he joins the British army and sees the horrors of the Somme first-hand.
Blood in the Trenches is an excellent read on two levels. First and most amazing is the study of the effectiveness of nationalistic propaganda on Dugmore's mind. The early chapters of the book are largely dedicated to the regurgitation of Allied war propaganda, which is astonishingly similar to the war propaganda employed by western nations today. The parallels are remarkable and unmistakable.
The impact of this propaganda on Dugmore's decision making process is apparent. He relies on it for the justification of human slaughter and the rationalization of the worst destruction in world history up to that date. The utterly convincing nature of the Allied propaganda and the absolute sway it holds over the mind of this soldier is a study in itself.
The second great achievement of this book is a very personal and intimate retelling of the Battle of the Somme, not from a strategic overview, but simply from the daily routine of Dugmore's experience. He graphically recounts battles, details his travels and trials, and pulls no punches in describing the disaster through which he lived.
Dugmore's description of his hospital experience after his first wound in battle is a gold mine of information. The author describes every moment in utmost detail, including his laying in a shell hole immediately afterward, his struggle to reach friendly lines, and he even recounts every step of his trip in an ambulance. With this material the reader is able to easily and completely reconstruct the entire system of medical care – or the lack thereof – from the instant a wound is sustained on the battlefield through the full treatment and recuperation process.
Blood in the Trenches is a valuable insight into history of the Somme, the tragically blinding effect of war propaganda and the amazing personal experiences of one British captain whose life is well worth re-living on these pages.
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