American Civil War Game Club (ACWGC)

The "what do you do in real life" thread made me wonder ... all you Gentlemen who work on such different real life jobs--do you tell your colleagues at work that you're a wargamer who enjoys shedding (virtual) blood, thrives on glory gained on digital fields, and poses as nineteenth-century general in an internet world? Or are you afraid of the "you are doing WHAT??" look in your co-workers' faces that makes you feel like you had just admitted to being some sort of prevert? (At least that's what you get in Germany, in my experience ...)

Just a-wondering.

Gen. Walter, USA
AoS / War College

Dierk,

I've been wargaming, board, minatures and pc for over thirty years now and never hesitated to tell others that I do. Have had a variety of jobs, worked at everything from managing a restaurant to digging up basements installing waterproofing systems. Been working as an electronic tech for the last twenty years now.

Worked with guys who collect stamps, coins, others that do model railroading, I mean the ones who actually have a large setup and run schedules and the whole nine yards. Know others who play the fantasy sports leagues and even met a guy who played the old electric football game in a league once. Some of the guys in the steel mill thought I was strange but to some of them anything that doesn't involve women, sports, guns, animals or drinking is strange. The largest reaction is probably curiousity over how the games work and how I got started on them. My interest in ACW is pretty evident at work as I often have a book or magazine with me that I read at lunch and schedule my vacations for the fall muster at Gettysburg. Several of the guys I work with have been there recently and asked me my opinion on places to stay and things to do while there. With the advent of the pc and the real time games it doesn't seem so strange to people anymore as most of them have tried at least one shooter or wargame.

Lt.Gen.Ken Miller
Veteran's Divsion
VIII / AoS

They do know what I do...and it often surprises people. I guess the dual nature of my personality is what baffles them. They know I wargame & reenact but they also know that I sing in choirs and lead a Bible study. But in High School it was the same way...I played football & was a wrestler....but...I was also in the chorus &drama club. I guess there's just two sides to every coin!

[url="mtdavies@msn.com"]Captain Mike Davies[/url]
4/1/XXV
<i><b>"Keystone Brigade"</b></i>
Army of the James

Before I retired, I did take my laptop to work, on occassion and showed some of my co-workers what the wargames were like. I, also, talked about playing online and even about board games.

They were NOT impressed, except to say something like: "You know my monitor does this or my computer started doing that and how can I fix that." Or, even better, "if I bring my system in, can you..." And they did bring them in and I did fix them.

So the games didn't impress them, it was what I knew that did.


<b><font color="gold">Ernie Sands
LtGen, CO XXIII Corps, AoO

President, Colonial Campaigns Club
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Yep, people know I'm a history nut and in particular civil war nut. I tell them I'm in the club. Most people don't get it. I haven't met a wargamer since I moved to this little town but I'm sure I will sooner or later. Interesting story though, one of the guys I used to wargame with since we were kids all the way through college refound me by google searching for me and my name came up through this club. Haven't seen him in about 12 years and then out of the blue I got an email from him. It was very nice. Thanks ACWGC for bringing friends together![:D]

Major General Don Golen
Army of the Potomac, USA!

Egads, Dierk, do you think I'm NUTS???!!![:D]

I can just see my father-in-law shaking his head, musing to himself that I should be out in the garage working on some car maintenace project as a better use of my time.[;)]


I'm definitely in the closet as a wargamer. Fantasy sports, however, is a different subject. That's often ALL we talk about at work![8D]

My wife knows, simply because I have a Square Headed Girlfriend that I spend so much time with...

Lt. General Jeff Laub
I Corps, Fighting First
Army of the Potomac, USA
http://www.geocities.com/laubster22/I_Corps/

I listed Computer wargaming as my hobby in the bio I gave the company for my twenty year party but no one either noticed or cared enough to ask. I've got a few guys here at the plant that will discuss military history once in a great while that I've mentioned my gaming to but no one has taken an interest.

General Mark Nelms
Union Chief of the Army

It's not something I go out of my way to point out, but yes, many of them know. If it comes up, it comes up. I don't really talk about it with the congregation too much, but that's mostly because I know they wouldn't be interested. They know I'm a history nut, but they are "shoot deer, and yank fish outta the pond" types, and I'm a bookworm/gamer. We get along great, just don't share the same hobbies.

Col. Gary McClellan
1st Division, XXIII Corps
AoO,USA

Mine know i love wargamming since i take my laptop to work and play there sometimes.They also think i am crazy for planning to use my personal leave and floating holidays to attend tilercon if i can not get the time off due to a person with more senority taking vacation then. They are the bleeding heart liberal types too.We are always getting into discussions seems its the 6 women i work with agaisnt me.But they do treat me good on my birthday cooking me anyting i want.Last year to mess with them since they are health nazis i asked for sloppy joes and cheese tater tots.They whined abut it but it sure tasted good.

Lt Col Karcher ,Csa
5th Calvary Brigade
II Corps Army of Northern Virginia

Yes. Everyone knew. Back in the '90's when my partner and I had 18 employees (I sold out in '99 and now it's just me working out of my house), initially 2 people were interested in gaming.

We had space for an extra table and kept a game set up to play at lunch and occassionally for an evening after work. We played not only ACW stuff like the Campaign series but History of the World, Axis and Allies, Up Front and Blackbeard....even Risk. We got a few more people interested when we played History of the World kind of stuff rather then straight wargames so it made for some lively lunches.......and no, no regard for who's the boss when it came to kicking a**.

Gen. Doug Burke
XX/AoC/USA

Because of the layout of the school where I work as a science teacher, I am actually closer to the History teachers. They all know I am a history nut and many of them know I am a wargamer. They ask me questions about stuff all the time. One year I got to teach U.S. History (until 1865). [:)] I even got several of the other teachers to incorporate the movie "Gettysburg" into their class. [:D] From Lexington Green to Appomattox Courthouse my kids learned that American History was definitely not just about a bunch of boring dead guys and that the Civil War was still affecting us (what color is that dollar bill? What Congress decided that?).

Col. Randy Hartwig
1/IX/AoO, USA

I have always let people know, even though it was hard to explain the old board game wargames to many.

LT. GEN. Tony Malone
III Corps AoA
Crimson Tide
"Do your duty in all things, You can never do more, You should never wish to do less".

General Walter,

A few years back, someone in the club organized a tournament and made custom scenarios for it. He modified the names of the officers in the OOB to match those of club officers. He even went one step further: He asked us to email in digital photos of ourselves, and he would use them as the officer's pictures.

If I remember correctly, Rich Hamilton sent in a picture of himself at his one-year birthday, complete with party hat. I decided I could do better than that, especially considering the cause. I borrowed a digital camera from work, dusted off my reenacting outfit, put on an old coat, and had my wife snap a score of pictures. I selected the one I liked best and sent it in.

I was new enough in the club at that time that I didn't rate an actual slot on the OOB, but I was told my photo did show up as a 'Col. Anon' in some games!

Normally, I will swear up and down that I am much handsomer than either mirrors or cameras indicate (it's a conspiracy against me, you know). But in my high school graduation photo (taken 20 years earlier) and in this photo, I am very happy about the way I look. I can hardly wait until I turn 60 and get another good picture taken [:)] !

Anyway, I have my "Dee Dubya" photograph hanging on my cubicle wall here at work, alongside a couple of pictures of my wife (and one of me and my Mom as clowns -- but that's another story). For those few of my co-workers who don't already know about my passion for the War Between the States, this is a great ice-breaker!


Your humble servant,
LGen 'Dee Dubya' Mallory
First ('Grey Line') Corps, AotM

David W. Mallory
ACW - Lieutenant General, First ('Grey Line') Corps, AotM
CCC - Corporal, Georgia Volunteers, Southern Regional Deaprtment, Colonial American Army

Yes, I share it...and try to get people involved when I can...haven't had too much luck though...most people don't like to think this much for a "fun hobby". Their loss...

LGen. Hamilton
II Corps
ANV, CSA

Most of my coworkers now avoid making any statements that will provide me with an opportunity to talk about it. They think that it is silly and wasteful and too complicated. They are correct, of course, but then they go home and play their Dungeons and Dragons or whatever it is that starts with a "D".

My relatives are a different story. They are curious about it yet they still get wargamer confused with reenactor. They will bring me an original uniform worn at the First Battle of Bull Run and think that I care about it. Sheesh, I just send it to the cleaners with the rest of my stuff and then find a time to wear it to work. To the contrary, I'm tickled to death that no one is making me to walk from Chancellorsville VA to Gettysburg PA in the heat and dust of June - and then if I was lucky, I would have been allowed to walk back!!! The only bathroom stops that I knew of along that route 141 years ago wouldn't rate too well with AAA nowadays. Can you imagine the problems you had to deal with if you were at the rear of 100,000 men marching down a road?

Col Ned Simms
3/2/VI/AoS
Blood 'n Guts hisself, a land lovin' pirate. Show me some arty tubes and we'll charge 'em.