War Games

The second "day trip" with K.C. was to Yellow Springs Ohio and then to Dayton with a tour of the Airforce Museum at Wright Patterson Airforce Base.  I've been there several times and naturally Uncle Maurice and his boys all flooded into my memory.  How much more interesting the viewing would be with Uncle Maurice giving commentary on the exhibits. 

So it was natural as I was browsing DVD's, I picked up and viewed last night "Fly Boys".  Based on WWI early pilots, it had many colorful scences of Dogfights among the Aces.

While watching this movie, I remembered the countless hours of playing the Milton Bradley game "Dogfight".  With the special cards for Barrel Rolls, and Loop to Loop.  How fun playing the game with Mark Wells at Grandma & Grandpa's house in Stillwater, Ok.

War games are an important part of military training.  Simulated battles and stragegy prepare the soldier for both the knowns and unknowns.  The early games - Dogfight, Avalon Hill etc. for the boys are now replaced with high tech computer simulations - "Call of Duty, Halo etc.

Passing through the hangers at Wright Pattterson Airforce Museum the technology of War and the sacrifices of the men and women put a somber tone on the memory of war games.  Not just a plastic red  Fokker or  green Sopwith F-1 - these restored planes were the real thing - even some bullet holes of reality.

War is not a Game.