posted 02-23- 09:18 AM            

Old enough to know better, but don't :-)

Older bolder and wise?

Older than most but younger than some.

Glad you asked?

posted 02-23- 01:35 PM               

(Jeeves runs for cover)

------------------

Brought to you by the campaign for a better Dauntless!

posted 02-23- 04:27 PM               

Does Sigmund the seamonster ring any bells?

(did anyone else think johny was one of the ugliest kids on the face of the earth?)

When I was born:

There was no apparent end to the Vietnam war.

No-one had heard Disco before and Elton john was a nobody.

Atari hadn't created the 2600 game console yet (pong was expensive).

No-one in their right mind would have given a hand-held calculator away.

That should give you a few clues

posted 02-23- 11:59 PM               

It's Howdy Doody time, It's Howdy Doody time.........sure glad you can't hear me sing!

Now how old is nicolai, hope he doesn't think we are a bunch of old farts
.......now where is that denture cup.

------------------
silas Demon's Runway
Fortes fortuna adiuvat
Fear, that's the other guy's problem.

posted 02-24- 12:06 AM               

Big old bully, is what he really was.

Ok.. Howdy Doody was a new kid; calculators were a pencil, your fingers and toes, and the girl who sat in front of you in class. Jets were being test flown, Korea was still a few years off, there was still a distrust of Japanese and German natives, and the Russians were not to be trusted under any circumstances. Truman was a hero as much as Eisenhower, Mom and Dad were God and schoolteachers were the Herald Angels. Joe McCarthy actually made sense, and both the Lord's Prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance were performed at the start of every school day. Doctors actually tried to help people and care for them, and lawyers were (gasp) respected. Kids both trusted and feared the police and knew if they got in trouble they had it coming. High School basketball scores were like, 10 to 8, and a really BIG football player topped out at 6 foot and 185-195 pounds. And so on...

A really terrible time; yup, I am that old too.

------------------
nealg=FC=

posted 02-24- 01:04 AM            

The scene you just described may have been a terrible time, but let me say that it sounds a whole lot warmer and more "human" than childhood these days. Black and White then, shades of grey now...

Old? Old is how I feel late in the morning, young is how I feel early in the morning.

Werner

------------------
Visit Abbeville Field Today!

posted 02-24- 01:10 AM               

Ok a straight answer here... Im 17 years old.

posted 02-24- 02:59 AM               

I think I know what you mean. I will tell you, though, it was the best of times for me except for the greatest day: the day my son was born. I hope many of you younger folks can look back on these years with some longing, but I have to admit, I would hate to be growing up in these times.

Then again, it may just be that I am looking at it from a different perspective. But I do, as many others may also, look back on those years with fondness.

------------------
nealg=FC=

posted 02-27- 10:01 AM            

I thought it was cool to be a fool so I hung with the leather jacket crowd in school.

What do I remember?

They were not all dressed like the bunch in Grease. We wore jeans of course but the leather jackets were handme downs and mine was brown.

I spent my day getting up, getting into my 51 ford and heading for Jefferson High. I parked a block away so the guys wouldn't slit my tires. I sometimes had a smoke before home room and was usually late.

In school I was bored so I hung out in the boys room with the boys and we talked cars and smoked cigs as the days went on.

After school it was work on the car, go to a buddy's house, pile in his car of the month, and head for the avenue. We would bunch up in gas stations or at the A&W and bug the carhops or drive around looking for trouble.

My American Graffitti was real and even more crazy then the one on film. We were always in our cars, at the gas station, at the root beer stand, or at a drive in movie. We played bad but never dirty. I had only one knife fight and a couple of fist fights.

One summer night we were on the avenue and a 56 Merc pulled along side our car, a 40 ford coupe with racing flathead. We raced of course and beat 'em. They got upset by our winning and pulled along side us close, going about 55mph.

They fingered us and we cursed them, then they opened the passenger door and slammed it into ours hard. We replied and this went on for blocks. Finally both cars worse the ware and us out of breath we all pulled into the A&W and chatted till closing.

That was wild but the crazy stuff came when we would find a car full of big bad guys and chase them. Sometimes they would turn around and chase us! We did get caught bad one time when we turned into a blind alley. They came out with bats and tire irons. Sometimes it wasn't all fun.

I did graduate from high school in 1962. After high school it all changed. Viet Nam, long hair, grass. I traded my leather jacket for a blue jean jacket and a different, calmer life; at least untill I bought the Harley!

Some good memories some not so good. I can't believe to this day the stuff we did and got away with. I have a book in mind but writing is tedious. I am very lucky to have lived at that time and helped make a memory that is now very popular and does not seem to die.

posted 02-27- 11:19 AM               

FWIW, that was a fun read.

You had me captivated for a minute or two there. Have you written anything like this to date?

Granted, I'm not a publisher or an author, but I do enjoy reading and I'd recommend you pursue that book. Judging from your sample, it would be well worth the time (No, I'm not just being kind).

posted 02-27- 01:05 PM               

Maybe the best advice that can be given to our younger members is, make the most of being young, and create good memories; life itself will take care of creating bad ones.

------------------
nealg=FC=

posted 02-27- 01:47 PM               

Even though I was really young, I remember watching JFK's funeral. I can still see my Mom stopping what she was doing and tears streaming down her face when they announced his death on the radio.

Lionel Trains were still high on the list of most wanted Christmas presents, followed by the original GI Joe.

Lost in Space and Star Trek were the cutting edge of TV sci-fi.

Air raid drills were still done monthly. Malmstom AFB was next to my hometown and was a NORAD command post.

Schools actually taught students how to read, write, add & subtract.

Teachers could paddle you if you got out of line- so very few kids did. uch:

We had the ultimate sim game my folks saved up for 6 months to get us for Christmas. A 4 lane HO race set. Our house became the local hangout during the winter.

I have original copies of the Avalon Hill games U-Boat, Battle of the Bulge, France 1940, Richtofen;s War, Kriegspiel, and Blitz Krieg. We had the first real WWI airplane game from a game company. It was by Parker Brothers and called Dogfight. It's missing some pieces but I still have it.

EXPENSIVE models were $10. Revell 1/32 scale airplae models sold for $2.99

Played Dungeons and Dragons when there was only one paperback book of instructions.

I was in high school when Carter was elected, in the Navy when he botched his rescue attempt in Iran. I got in trouble at my swearing in ceremony for actually falling on the floor laughing (with tears running down my cheeks) when they reached the part about obeying the orders of your commander in chief. All I could picture when they said that line, was a giant peanut with huge lips barking orders. Took me almost 5 minutes to recover and everyone thought I was nuts.

I remember the first real home video game -PONG. We would play it for hours.

Wore civvies so people wouldn't know I was in the military when I was off base until Reagan came along. 2 years later you would be bought food, drinks, etc if you went on leave and wore your uniform.

Owned a TI-99, then a Commodore 64, then an Amiga.

I guess the bullies I played with were of a different type. Russia was still the Soviet Union and we were always seeing who had the best subs and submariners ( we only got tagged once in 7 patrols). They lost these hide & go seek games most of the time.

Got REALLY pissed at Toshiba when they sold the propeller machining equipment we used to the USSR. A couple of years later the Soviet subs were not as easy to track.

I have 3 sons at least one year older than you Nicolai

posted 02-27- 02:14 PM            

I started writing it once but realized after several tries it was going to a hard job and a long one. I have thought about it again and with internet publishing I could just put it out there my self.

I have several, no lots, of great true stories like those. Heres another:

I used to hang out at the First Avenues A&W with Richard. We would sit in his 40 ford and try to look cool for hours while nursing a lone rootbeer. Well one day a new girl showed up.

This girl was something with her long blond ponytail and freindly smile. Richard was gaga and I sort of stayed in the background. We always gave her a lot of greif like all the girls at the A&W but she took it well and even returned our abuse.

One night it happened. Richard talked her into letting him take her home. This was a very big deal as she had been leaving with a letter stud driving, I think, a 58 Vett. Anyway she said ok and Richard turned to me and I said "sure take me home first and have at it son"

The time came and she waltzed over with her ponytail swinging and a great grin on her face. I got out of the car to let her in but this was a coupe! She said "I'll just sit on your lap till we drop you off"

You got it, the ride of my life. All the way home she sat on my lap and talked up a storm. I don't remember a word of it. When we got to my house I had a little trouble getting out of the Ford. I hunched over a bit and rose from the car and noticed a smile come across her face as she noticed my predicament. I smiled weakly and headed for the house bumping into the mail box and looking like the fool I was.

I dated her when Richard found another and see her around in Kmart and such to this very day.

posted 02-28- 12:32 PM            

See nealg, nothing like that ever happens today because the girls are afraid of what we might do to them and we're afraid of the possible lawsuits. Youth has gotten so boring.

Werner

posted 03-01- 12:45 AM               

"with all the pieces" Where do you live and what times are you never home?

Lessee, I also have Panzer Blitz, Panzer Leader, and Arab Isreali wars. Luftwaffe is missing the rules. Africa Korps (AH version) was stolen. Still have Jutland, Third Reich (First Edition), and Outdoor Survival. I actually had the main game for Drag Nach Osten (spelling?), and actually played a full campaign game of War in the East (a friend bought it) during one winter (it get's cold in Montana where I grew up). My brother had the same version of Gettysburg and used to whip my butt at it. Tobruk was another great tank game with each piece representing one tank. You're right, these are real games and even more fun because you get to sit across from your opponent while playing.

I wish I still had some of the others I once owned.

Problem nowadays is finding someone willing to play them. Hold on to those games. I was knocked flat when I found out what the going price for U-boat in only fair condition was.

------------------
"Where'd he GO!?!?"
thunk-thunk-thunk-zing-OUCH
That answered my question

posted 03-01- 03:37 AM               

Hawk...again..man, memories!! So sweet...thanks!

------------------
nealg=FC=

posted 03-14- 01:17 PM               

The great thing about SDOE is the community has pilots who never knew a day when e-mail didn't exist, and pilots who can remember when air-mail was a really big deal. This game has the broadest age group of any game I've ever heard of.

PS- I'm a very young 37. I don't plan on "feeling" old for a very long time to come.

posted 03-14- 01:50 PM               

Are you missing all of the rules/ there should be the basic and tournament set. Do you have the combat results table, or do you need that too?

Send me an e-mail and I can get them to you in a couple of weeks in pdf format.