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jlytwak
PostPosted: Tue Apr 15, 2025 2:45 pm 
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Joined: Sun Dec 08, 2002 2:50 pm
Posts: 57
Gentlemen,
Being recently retired and having a lot more time on my hands I've been more active in the club and have been participating in a number of MPG's
and games in general. I know many club members are retired military. It reminds me of the CW where there was a mix of "professional" and "non-professional" soldiers (West Pointers vs civilian/political generals) It's interesting to me that our club mimics this with professional military and amateur "hacks" such as myself (hospital pharmacist). I'm curious as to how much having a professional military background is applied to our battles here and potential differences with those of us learning CW military tactics only via play of these games or through reading of CW history.

LG John Lytwak
XVth AoT USA

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XV AoT USA
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Blake
PostPosted: Tue Apr 15, 2025 3:43 pm 
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Posts: 1054
Location: Tennessee
This is an excellent question! I will be interested to read the replies. I believe we do have some Military Academy graduates in the Club as well as regular foot soldiers and sailors.

In regards to the Civil War - the list of non-West Point generals is highlighted by some very talented men. If I had to form an army from scratch using nothing but the general officers listed below then I would actually feel very good about going up against any West Point-led field army in 1863.

US Side:
Alfred Terry
John Logan
Francis Blair
T.E.G. Ransom
Nathaniel Banks
Ben Butler
Lew Wallace
Stephen Hurlbut
C.C. Washburne
Francis Herron
Jacob Cox
G.M. Dodge
Joseph A. Mower
John McClernand
John McArthur
M.K. Lawler
A.S. Williams
J.W. Geary
M. Mott
John Birney
Morgan Smith

Confederate Side:
Richard Taylor
John B. Gordon
John Breckenridge
Pat Cleburne
N.B. Forrest
Thomas Hindman
Wade Hampton
John Wharton
Martin Green

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Confederate General-in-Chief
El Presidente 2010 - 2012
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warbison
PostPosted: Tue Apr 15, 2025 9:26 pm 
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Joined: Wed Nov 17, 2004 7:00 pm
Posts: 887
Location: Mukilteo, Washington, USA - 25 miles north of Seattle
Gentlemen, Sirs! <salute>

At age 18 having just graduated from High School in 1971 I won the Draft Lottery!

There were two fish bowls, one was filled with every date of the calendar year and the other was filled with the number 1 through 365.
I was working in a grocery store and had the early shift. As I was leaving my relief came in and he was in the lottery too. I inquired as
to what number he had gotten, and he replied that his number was 356. Great, at the time it was a known fact that if you received a 3 digit
number you were fairly safe. So when I got home, I checked the afternoon Seattle Times Newspaper and there it was on the front page!
Number 1 was on the upper portion of the fold and when I flipped it over there was my birth date: December 4th! I won!

When I got my draft notice to report to the local Bus Station that would take me downtown to Seattle for my military physical, my Dad drove me
up to there! On the way driving on the Freeway there was a sign that said North to Vancouver, B.C. My Dad looked over at me and asked:
"Well should we head up to BC?" (British Columbia, Canada). We didn't of course and I ended up joining the US Army to become a Draftsman.
I spent almost 9 years in active service in the US Army! Luckily my only overseas deployment was to Taiwan during that time! My military
career was never spent in combat arms, so it has never been a positive aspect of my gaming. However, my time in the service saw me stationed
Maryland and Northern Virginia where I had an opportunity to visit a few ACW Battlefields!

Growing up as a kid we always seem to be playing army or cowboys and Indians! When I was around 12 years old my Best Friend got his first
Avalon Hill (Baltimore, Maryland) board wargame. That was the start of my gaming career. Later in the Army I came across an ad in a magazine
for Strategy & Tactics/SPI which published a magazine with a wargame in each issue every other month. I was hooked. Then later while shopping
at Costco I came across a computer game called Civil War Generals and later Civil War Generals II. I was hooked again! Since that time, I have accumulated
a bunch of books on the American Civil War which enhances my desire to belong to the ACWGC! Unlike a lot of our members, none of my Family was
even in the United States prior to the American Civil War!

Salute to all those who did and have served in combat arms!

General Nick Kunz
Commanding,
Armstrong's Cavalry Brigade,
2nd Corps, AoT
Dean of Cadets, ATA
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krmiller_usa
PostPosted: Wed Apr 16, 2025 8:31 am 
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Posts: 1059
Location: USA
Gen. Kunz,

You beat me, I was part of the first Vietnam draft lottery, 1969 Lottery covered everyone from 1944-1950.
Born in 1950 my birthday was picked #13.
I was in college at the time and having problems balancing school, work and social life I had lost my grant.
Seeing no sense in borrowing money only to be drafted after graduation I quit school.
Enlisted in the Corps and did 3 years active, originally set for infantry the Corps discovered later I player an average trombone and a decent keyboard.
So I got reassigned to musician and served with the base bands at several bases on the east coast then at Marine Barracks, Pearl Harbor.

My infantry training prior to re-assignment was not much help in my ACW gaming.
Had been a bit of an ACW nut since high school so learned that through my readings and playing board games.
My time in the Corps did come in handy when I started playing the Squad Battle games.

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The McKeesport Union Guard

3/1/II
Chief of Staff
AotP
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jlytwak
PostPosted: Wed Apr 16, 2025 9:39 am 
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Joined: Sun Dec 08, 2002 2:50 pm
Posts: 57
Ken,
I see your title of the McKeesport Guards...Am I to assume you are a denizen of Western PA? I reside in the South Hills of the "Burgh"
I got my start with Avalon Hill board games (and a lot of Risk also!!) and many late nights of "Squad Leader" ...I am also like probably most
members here are an avid CW buff when I first saw the Talonsoft CW games I was immediately hooked much to my wife's chargrin!! I told
her recently with retirement it will free up much more time on the battlefield she needless to say was thrilled...lol

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LG John Lytwak
Corp Commander
XV AoT USA
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Scott Ludwig
PostPosted: Fri Apr 18, 2025 7:43 pm 
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Posts: 2568
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warbison wrote:
However, my time in the service saw me stationed Maryland and Northern Virginia where I had an opportunity to visit a few ACW Battlefields!


Hoping to get up to Fort Ritchie (or what remains of it) later this year!

Great little museum for Monterey Pass we went to last year with a friend & he wants to do the hike up a "road" owned by the museum association that was part of the Confederate wagon train road.

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General Scott Ludwig
4/II/ANV

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