"Battle of Rock Hill part 2 1966" Topic

Finished up my report of a company level action using my rule mash up of O group and Battlefront. Found here:
link

Enjoy

Joe

Joe,
What a great AAR and game board! Nice job working a bit
of role play or giving individual characters into a game of that scale. Not an easy thing to do, I would think. You must have had a lot of fun playing it. Looks like the game could be a great multiplayer game. My congrats! It was worth the wait.
And yes, I did take my time looking at the photos and
DID read every word! ;-)
Again, thanks for sharing.
Sam

Sam,

Thanks. The personal interactions are so important. Really makes it come alive for me. I used small words specifically for you and Jack!

Joe

Gettin' awful saucy, aintcha Joe? Being retired, with the ability to flee anytime you need, seems to have done wonders for your trash talking ;)

In any case, let's get to the business at hand. Aside from the obviously horrible idea of making us wait for a second part, what a great fight! And while you felt like you were fighting a company, the batrep certainly felt that way, too. Having said that, it's literally crying to be pushed up to battalion level! ;)

It was a helluva back and forth, and I loved the shot of the Hogs rolling in with rockets, that was fantastic. It sucks the CIDG never showed up (maybe they were completely eliminated by the NVA the previous night?) and the ARVN were dragging their feet, but overall a successful op, I think. Despite the fact you're getting relieved for 2nd Platoon taking 50%+ casualties! And properly utilize supporting fires. And even this was only after Top Matthews saved your bacon! Twice ;)

Was pretty cool how the NVA (mostly) melted away when things weren't going their way, as per real life. I say mostly because you had a pretty successful pursuit for someone that didn't helo in another company into blocking positions! ;)

"Capt Jaroz wasn't there, what could he say? " I have to trust my people. Go get em!""
How very unusual for a zero, particularly of the Army variety…

But again, all joking aside, that was a great fight and a great read. I really hope you stop skipping around like a butterfly and do some follow ups to this, and I really hope you bump it up to battalion. It's certainly inspiring me to get back to Vietnam gaming.

V/R,
Jack

Well look who shows up! Baseball weekend I bet. Good for you! My kids are in town next weekend for wife's b-day. Yes being retired certainly has elevated my mood.
I think it important the the NVA/VC play historically. If they are winning they stay, if not they leave unless there is a bigger play involved. I put in Top for you. Is MSgt the right rank?
Agreed the system is begging to be bumped up to battalion and I actually thought of expanding the board to add a blocking company, next time. 😀 unfortunately I have already run a bomber escort with my P-39 squadron in Tunisia.
Cheers

Joe

Yup, I've got a daughter playing softball, a little boy playing coach-pitch baseball, and my older boy is 12U AAA, and I'm the coach for two of the three, so baseball runs my life, especially as we're in Texas and play year round.

"Yes being retired certainly has elevated my mood."
Good for you, I'm green with envy ;)

"I think it important the the NVA/VC play historically. If they are winning they stay, if not they leave unless there is a bigger play involved."
Amen, and it really felt appropriate in the game.

"I put in Top for you. Is MSgt the right rank?"
I appreciate that, we both know there have to be NCOs present or nothing gets done ;) In terms of it being the right rank, that's a tough one… I don't know Army that well; Master Sergeant is the rank that we called "Top" in the Marine Corps, but I think the Army does it for 1st Sergeant, or maybe both MSgt and 1st Sgt. And again, in terms of TO&E, the Marine Corps only has one E-8 at the company level, and that's the company's 1st Sgt. I know the Army has a 1st Sgt at the company level, too (in both the Army and the Marine Corps the 1st Sgt is the senior enlisted at the company level and the Sergeant Major is the senior enlisted at the battalion level, though I think the Army actually calls him the "Command Sergeant Major"), and in the Marine Corps you will have a MSgt at the battalion level in the S-3 shop, but he'll be the only one in H&S Company (unless there's a cook or Motor T MSgt in there somewhere that I was unaware of).

"Agreed the system is begging to be bumped up to battalion and I actually thought of expanding the board to add a blocking company, next time."
Yes, I've actually been driving myself nuts, daydreaming about this…

"(U)nfortunately I have already run a bomber escort with my P-39 squadron in Tunisia."
You are killing me…

I'm still boxing your stuff up, will let you know when I mail it.

V/R,
Jack

Jack, enjoy, I remember those days well.
I am retired but still see patients twice a month and teach but yeah it is great! You will get there my friend.
I don't know about the name of the enlisted advisor but pretty confident it was an E-7 MSgt at Company level for the army. Will have to try and research that for next post.
Sorry about the fighters but wanted a quick game, it took 30 minutes.
Mailed your stuff yesterday.

Cheers

Joe

Joe,

Absolutely, this is literally the best time of my life. I never thought I'd have lived this long, but now married with three kids, a dog, a cat, house with the picket fence, I am truly blessed. I don't know what I'll do once this phase of life passes me by. Yeah I do, more time for gaming, right? ;)

I promise you the senior enlisted man in the Army at the company level is the 1st Sgt; I think you're mixing it up with the Air Force (E7 is Master Sergeant, E8 is Senior Master Sergeant, with either fulfilling the role/billet of 1st Sgt). And an Army E7 is Sergeant First Class (so puny sounding up against the Marine Corps' Gunnery Sergeant).

The Army and Marine Corps actually split into two ‘tracks' at E8 then E9, the ‘specialist' track (Master Sergeant and then Sergeant Major for Army, Master Sergeant and then Master Gunnery Sergeant for Marines), or the ‘leadership' track (First Sergeant then Command Sergeant Major for Army, First Sergeant then Sergeant Major for the Marines).

No sweat on the fighters, I like dogfighting too, but P-39s???

And thanks! Your stuff is finally completely wrapped, hopefully my dear wife can post it tomorrow. I wrapped that stuff as tight as I could; I take great joy from the fact you're going to be spending the better part of the next three weeks pulling that stuff out of bubble wrap! ;)

V/R,
Jack

Jack, you sound truly blessed. I have found gratitude to be the secret to happiness.
Thanks for the clarification on the ranks. You are correct, I was thinking air force.
I have always liked the airacobra. Wait till you see who I rolled up to fight.
Thanks for the stuff!
Have fun this weekend dad!

Joe,

Indeed I am, and I agree about gratitude. And while I joke around on here quite a bit, words we take very seriously in the household are gratitude, humility, and grace, specifically from the angles of not always assuming the worst in someone and not aggressively reacting to every slight (real or perceived).

And along those lines of humility, of course I was right ;)

Can't say I'm too much in love with the P-39. The F4F Wildcat is my particular baby, followed by the sleeker, more modern F4U Corsair and P-38 Lightning.

We're all worn out from the weekend, but plenty of fun! I received the package, thanks Joe, and my sweet wife mailed yours this past Friday, so you should have it any minute now.

V/R,
Jack

Jack,
Those are great planes and I have squadrons for all but you have to love the underdogs, not just wildcats.
Got the package yesterday. You are right will take several days to unpack, thanks.
There will be a battle of rock Hill part three. The ARVN regimental CC wants to know why the ARVN forces can't clear the town of Duc Bien of local VC.

Joe

Joe,

Yes, sorry it's going to take so long to unpack, but hopefully it worked and the minis are ready to go out of the box.

And I'm very happy to hear there shall be a part three. Now hurry up!

V/R,
Jack