Major Bill Harting is the Editor of the HMGS-MidSouth newsletter, a retired military officer, and a very active wargamer. I first ran into Major Bill, as he is known, in Oklahoma City about four years ago at a convention I found him to be a real gentleman and a man who loves the hobby we are involved in.
1) MWAN: Major Bill, can you give some idea of your personal background including military service and how you first became interested in toy soldiers and wargaming?
Major Bill: I spent 20 years on active duty in the US Air Force, From 1967-72 1 worked classified missions, then 8 winters in Montana (note that it was 7 1/2 years but you can see how I remember them) I was assigned to Arnold Engineering and Development Center in 1979, fell in love with the area and my beautiful wife, kept the TN house while overseas in command of a Site Alteration Task Force installing the Ground Launched Cruise Missiles in Sicily, then finishing up my career in Dayton, OH purchasing the Training System for the LANTIR-N system for the F-15E Strike Eagle so spectacularly used by our aviators in the Gulf War. After retirement, Elfi and I went back to the TN house which we had kept.
At that point there was a decision to be made: either move to some high cost-of-living area, go to work as an engineer or remain here (in TN) where we could live off my retirement. It took about 2 microseconds to make that decisionOne thing I noticed was in all my travels a dearth of organized wargaming groups. Essentially at every duty station (except my last in Dayton) I organized or started wargaming groups, some of which are still extant today, I bought my first commercial board wargame back in 1957 - Tactics II from Avalon Hill. Man, does that date me or what" I guess I have my father to blame for my love of history, that and movies like 12 O'clock High and TV shows like Victory at Sea. Personally, I feel that like many of the 'Boomer' generation, we were influenced by all media to have a positive outlook on the country, military, etc. During High School, I scratch built ship models and collected WWII Roco but it was not until the early 70's that I bought a box of Airfix Highlanders and I was hooked. Besides, what else was one to do during those long Montana winters? (no nasty commentsM).
2) MWAN: What about wargaming is there that holds your interest, you have been involved for a long time.
Major Bill: Some time ago I was engaged in a discussion with a Clinical Psychologist on this subject and his read was that the hobby satisfied a number of basic needs, Physical, Intellectual, Social and Artistic plus a couple of others I can't remember. Actually, I thought it was just because painting miniatures helped me to relieve stress and on game nights I could go out and kill something in a socially acceptable activity.
3) MWAN: You have been active with HMGS-Midsouth, formerly HMGS-South, since it's inception. How long has this been? How did you happen to get involved and what sustains your interest over time? Tell us about the newsletter you have published for years.
Major Bill: Hal, first I'm going to have to chide you for MidSouth has ALWAYS been that, and it was the South and Gulf-South that started up their own Regions. At first I was opposed to the Balkanizations but one day at Historicon Dick Sossi took me aside and pointed out that really ALL the Regions were an outgrowth of the original ITMGS (now HMGS-East), so really all of us were coming out of their hide. As far as the Regional newsletter, the Dispatch, is concerned, I will admit that it was an idea unabashedly stolen from the Greater Dayton Wargaming Society, of which I was a one time president. It started out some 10 vears ago as a 1 page news sheet and has grown over the years to its present form of 24 pages. MidSouth is celebrating it's 10th year of incorporation, though we were active even before then. The newsletter has always been viewed as a member benefit rather than a commercial enterprise, though it is continuing to improve as technology gets better. The basic purpose has always been to inform our membership of the Society's activities and a great networking tool to bring gamers in the Region together, along with some information educational and entertaining as well.
4) MWAN: Obviously you feel HMGS nationally, and it's various chapters, meet a need across the country. What do you see as that need" Has it changed over time? Where do you see it in five or ten years' Where do you think it should go?
Major Bill: I guess as a person who has been stationed and lived all over the country, I have a unique perspective as to 'how things were'. I personally see HMGS first as a networking agent to bring together persons with similar interests. Second, I see the organization as something to support, promote and defend the hobby. Do our Toys need defending? Well, there have been two major assaults on them in the past 12 years and both have been successfully fended off I'm proud to say that HMGS and it's members have played no small part in this. Hal, I hate it when folks ask me about the future of the hobby etc. My crystal ball is just as cloudy as yours About all I can say is that although history doesn't repeat itself, people do. I see the same mistakes and challenges being made to our hobby. I can only hope that the powers that be at the time will have the wisdom to handle whatever comes up.
5) MWAN: HMGS nationally has stuck around longer than any other attempt to organize the hobby on a national basis, sometimes, in my opinion, in spite of itself. Why do you think this has happened?
Major Bill: Given that our hobby is one based upon conflict, I too am surprised that HMGS has not self-destructed. Here in the South, I can say it is due to the laid back attitudes of most gamers here. Hey, after all, how serious can a bunch of grown men be playing with toy soldiers? Quite. for those who feel it is a test of their manhood, Also, please note that HMGS is NOT a monolith, but simply a confederation of 9 Regions of the country, each with it's own regional flavor and attitudes. To get on my soapbox for a moment, it is unfortunate that the East BoD decided to castrate the National Board of Directors, at least that is the opinion of many folks out in the hinterlands. The next meeting of the new National Coordinating Committee will be interesting.
6) MWAN: Having published your newsletter for many years and having seen the changes brought about by the internet, including MAGWEB, what do you see in the future for newsletters such as HMGS-South, SAGA, MWAN, SYWA Journal, Lone Warrior, etc.
Major Bill: As you know, the Dispatch appears on MAGWEB about a month after it is sent out. Pete Panzeri and HMGS-GI is a purely electronic Region, encompassing Gamers Internationally. I'm probably too old fashioned to ascribe to the 'paperless society' but in the next 50 years, who knows? I don't see paper disappearing completely, even though the electronic media has the advantage of rapidity of dissemination of information.
7) MWAN: What periods, scales, and rules do you personally use and what has attracted you to them?
Major Bill: I have established a very simple system: if it has gunpowder, then 15mm. If not, then 25mm. At the present time I have over 30,000 miniatures (and growing). My Naval collection numbers about 1400 models of Ancient ships (1/900), Age of Sail (1/2000), ACW, WWI, WWII and Moderns (1/2400) and Russo-Japanese War (1/1200). My preference in rules lend to the Grand-Tactical rather than the individual or skirmish. After all, we're all striving to be Generals and Admirals. I think economics drive all of one's collecting. In my case it was that and moving frequently in the Military. Also, the more modern the era simulated, the more massive the forces required which drove the selection of figure scales. I will fully admit that we currently live in a 'Golden Age' where availability and diversity is nearly overwhelming Some new lines I see (and you see more than I) truly make me salivate and I have to exercise extreme restraint to not dive right in to a new era or scale.
8) MWAN: What do you think is required to keep a regional group, such as HMGS-MidSouth, active and growing?
Major Bill: Well, the normal platitudes about giving the membership what they want etc. still apply. Also, listening to the membership and responding appropriately is necessary. The biggest problem is just figuring that out. In the end, I look at what attracts me and go with that. Apparently I am not so different from other gamers (though older) so my choices are enjoyed and appreciated by others in the Region and hobby. We like to play with (and show off) our toys and have the opportunity to do so.
9) MWAN: Where do you see our hobby of historical miniatures going in the next ten years?
Major Bill: Hal, you're asking me to look into that damn cloudy crystal ball again. We are getting some Gen-Xers into our ranks, but I don't think it is enough to grow the hobby that much. Really what is needed are more media events like 'Saving Private Ryan' to light that spark to get guys (let's admit this is a mostly male hobby) interested in and involved.
10) MWAN: You do an awful lot of traveling to various conventions around the country. Having had that exposure, do you see "differences" in approaches to the hobby regionally?
Major Bill: Yes, I have traveled a lot, but I really had not paid too much attention to any major regional differences. There are generalizations only, but what I have observed is that West Coast gamers are for the most part laid back like folks here in the South are. Midwest gamers tend to have exceptional terrain setups and Eastern cons have a plethora of very well painted figures. Stuff that makes me drool in envy. As I said, these are generalizations and exceptions can be found everywhere.
11) MWAN: I've been involved in this hobby since about 1975 or so - a long time. I've seen it grow and change and become something I never thought possible as to variety of products, publications, the internet, rules sets, etc. What have been the reasons for this occurring in your opinion?
Major Bill: My God, YOU're an old fart too! (grin) Seriously Hal, the reason for the proliferation of products supporting the hobby is money. As the disposable incomes of we 'Boomers' has increased, so have the available products. This all folds into the 'graying of the hobby' syndrome. I don't see 'Gen X'ers getting as involved as we are. Primarily this is due to demands upon and activities to fill their free time. It is sort of like the reasons that the two California based Regions of HMGS have not grown any larger than they have ... too many available activities competing for their time.
12) MWAN: We have seen a real "shift" occur, in my mind, as to rules sets. When I started in the hobby, Column, Line and Square was the big set of rules and everybody tried to pattern themselves after this type of "more realistic" approach. Since the 80's, the movement has been toward more "simple" rules for the most part. Do you agree/disagree, what are your opinions on the subject?
Major Bill: Well, Chess has been around through a couple of millennia, it has straight forward, simple to learn rules, but virtually an infinite number of intellectually challenging situations and games. As a hobby, historical miniatures has also gone through a growing up period where unnecessary complexity has been discarded to produce games which are fun, historically relevant (notice I do not say accurate Simulations) and are FUN, which is after all the purpose of a bobby.
13) MWAN: After all your years of hobby involvement and traveling across the country meeting many wargamers, what are the common threads, in your opinion, which hold us together as a group?
Major Bill: It is a love of history and playing with our toy soldiers (and boats) and file visual spectacle that our hobby presents. Also it is the comradeship of being with those of' like interests.
14) MWAN: When you sit down to play a wargame, what are you looking for?
Major Bill: Fun, fun and fun, in that order. Though I've played hundreds of games, I can only recall in any detail only a handful. Above all, they met the three criteria listed above. We have a social hobby and friends made in it are a most precious thing.
15) MWAN: What effect has this hobby had on your life?
Major Bill: It has provided me with a circle of friends who have become very dear to me.
16) MWAN: If you were starting all over in wargaming, what would be your goals as to periods/scales/approach(es) to the hobby?
Major Bill: Aside from matters of practicality (changing over my Naval collection from 1/1200 to 1/2400 for storage and transportability issues, &c.), about the only side track I regret going down was early in the D&D era. Even at that I was later able to sell a vI#1 issue of the Dragon for $300, big money 15 years ago. Since I've painted and sold about as many models etc. as I currently own, it is with pleasure that I see them turn up occasionally in another collection/game.
17) MWAN: If you were in charge of an "Academy of Awards" for our hobby, who and what would you choose to honor and why"?
Major Bill: Living or dead? Actually I would like to reward every person who has ever put brush to model or sprinkled a base of flocking. They have made the hobby what it is today and helped push the improvements that we ALL enjoy today.
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© Copyright 2000 Hal Thinglum
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