Many parents in the hobby have often complained that they have been unsuccessful in interesting their children in wargames and military history. They sadly watch their children grow to love video games and TV heros rather than the men and battles in history which have captured their own hearts. How wonderful it would be if the scarce "quality time" they share with their kids could be combined with their love for the hobby! Obviously, it would be unrealistic to think that every child should follow in his father's footsteps, and share the same interests, however, maybe if we remember how our own interest was kindled, we can make an effort to help our children learn and love military history.
I remember getting my very first set of soldiers at age four. It was a Marx special three-figure pack of Davy Crockett, Jim Bowie and Colonel Travis. From that point I was a defender of the Alamo. I was riveted to the TV to watch Fess Parker as Davy Crockett, King of the Wild Frontier, fight the river pirates and battle the Mexicans at the Alamo (now on video). Slowly I collected the other sets.. The Alamo, Fort Apache, the Civil War, Battleground, Captain Gallant, etc. Although it became just "junk" to my parents; to me, it was the best.
At about five or six, I came up with a simple set of rules. Each player rolled one die, and needed a 6 to kill if shooting at each other. In hand to hand combat, a high die roll wins (cavalry kills 2), artillery rolls one die and that was the amount of casualties. Such a simple game, but it was my introduction to wargaming: a Marx set, a friend, and let the battle begin.
As I grew older, I learned the value of a bazooka while watching the series COMBAT and how a hand grenade tossed skillfully into the slit of a pillbox could knock it out of action. Determined not to lose men through attrition, I gradually replaced lost or "missing" (thrown out by parents, I suspect) soldiers with new plastic ones from the local five and dime.
Alas, age takes its toll on every adolescent, and I found fewer friends to play "toy soldiers" with and other interests took precedent. Slowly I entered my boardgame period, which lasted through my college days. Post college, I was introduced to the world of miniatures.
I recently sat in on an HMGS meeting in which the discussion included ideas about how to introduce youngsters to wargaming. I thought back to my own beginnings, and my current situation with my four year old son. All right, I tried to interest him early in the games. Age three may seem extreme to some, but I took advantage of his "daddy worship" phase to let him watch some battles and look at my miniatures. Then, for my own desire as well as his, I re-purchased some of those old Marx sets at toy shows. Before I know it - he was hooked!
Now when we fight a battle, it's the high die roll that wins. We keep the rules simple and fun, and slowly introduce more complicated aspects of the game: what a general is, what a turret is, what a cannon and bazooka can do, what color Napoleon's white horse is, etc. And at four, my son's arithmetic is near perfect as long as two dice are involved. In addition, he is learning that winning, as well as losing, is OK.
Sure, it's not all a bed of roses. There are complications, such as when my son goes to pre-school and announces that he was "basing with daddy" and the staff looks blankly at him (figures, not freebasing cocaine). And yet, there is a great thrill when I walk through the door after work and I am greeted by my son with "Daddy, do you want to play a battle?" I wish I could have said the same to my own Dad.
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© Copyright 1991 Legio X
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