American Civil War Game Club (ACWGC)

Gentlemen.

The Picture below is the award winner in the European Professional Photographer Portrait category - 2010.
Mom and Dad are both Soldiers serving in the Irish Army.

The little girl in the midst of this loving family huddle is 2 years old and the young boy - Ruadhán (Li'll Roo), 4 years old.

Roo was 18 months old when he was diagnosed with a large tumour in his stomach. The tumour was so large and the damage
already done to his small body was so great, that the decision was taken to medicate, an attempt to shrink the tumour,
until such time as Roo was strong enough to hold his own after the tumour was removed.

Sargeant Jack and Roo bunked together on two occasions and got on well together. Roo was rarely - if ever in bad form
He and Jack found common interests in Dora the Explorer and Spongebob amongst many other things. Li'll Roo was so
quiet - it would have been easy to forget He was in the room . . p'raps Ye could say - he could be overlooked. Roo on the
other hand, never overlooked a thing. His eyes were never at rest in a room - he noted every detail, every nuance . . he
was permanently - 'on the ball.'

Roo underwent his op, followed by a bone marrow treatment late last Autumn and we met him at the Hospital's Christmas Party.
He was in good form and looked so well, that it took weeks to get over the shock when we were told that Roo was
in Palliative Care. The bone marrow treatment had failed and there was no going back and no way forward.

In March, the Good Lord decided that Roo had served his share of Humanity's Penance and called him Home to rest.

This last week, li'll Roo's 5th Birthday passed and went. And the News that the beautiful picture below had won this
prestigious award, has struck all that knew Roo, as a message that Roo is still around - still watching, nothing missed.

I hope Y'all enjoy the picture and reflect upon the Thought that ' This is what it's All about. '

The Love and Joy of Family - Our only Treasure on this Earth.

Gentlemen, whenever You next talk with Your God . . . . please ask Him to spare a little time . . . .
To remind Roo that He is missed and to encourage Roo to keep his wonderful eyes ever-trained on us all -

Never miss a Second.

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Great photo. Thanks Pat.

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General Antony Barlow
2/1/XX, Army of the Cumberland

A beautiful picture to go with a sad but beautiful story.

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Gen. Drex Ringbloom,
AotS ,Commanding