I finally read GI Newsletter (2/1/02) and your lead article on Kasserine. Damn fine read. I wish I'd known about your actions when I was stationed at Hahn AB from 1991-93 and/or Pruem Air Station in 1977-78.

I am a board wargamer, see my game list on the webpage listed below. In December 1978 I tried to solo Wacht am Rhein. Note: I lived on the road from Pruem to Losheim crossing just south of the road to Stadtkyll. The site, Pruem Air Station, is in the Schnee-Eifel. All that in 1992 left was ramshackle buildings.

But anyway, what I liked of your game description is how you broke up the players into command groups. What I'd like to see is a good mini game with two or three levels of command with some sort of prize incentive to win.

Back in the late 60's my friend and I bought some toy soldiers made by Marx. They used an old WWII design for the Americans (you can still occasionally see the same design with the 'rubber' soldiers) but they had Viet Cong soldiers to fight. They were made of a brittle plastic and were hand painted. Recently I've gotten a bug to learn some miniature rules for them.

Giac My (Fantac, 1978) by MacCrae, Lutz & Ratner was my first set of rules. They are in a small format rulebook, bad art, and seem to be a bit complicated.

Charlie Company (RAFM,1997) by Reeves, Novak & Hummitzch was found a few months later. These are quicker playing rules, put the players in command of squads, platoons and higher. The real draw to the game is that you are trying to survive your 12 months in country. Think Campaign. If your men are hit you have to replace them with FNGs. I recommend these rules for Vietnam.

I hope to one day play enough miniatures where I could GM a game using Charlie Company. We have a local event called TwisterCon. An idea would be to have a three scenario venue. (I learn this word every Olympic Game.) The first scenario would be an attack on a Special Forces base so they could get their feet wet in the system and not get creamed either. The next scenario would be a ambush scenario in an attempt to relieve the SF base. The last scenario would be a big assault on the overrun SF base.

Your article got me interested again. Thanks.