Name: Terry Veasey

1955-2018

User Name: Hunter

Total Posts: 2,813

Aerial Victories: 50

Medals: 12

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Dave (Clipper1801):

Indeed its true. November 14 at 1130 hours my long time wingman "Hunter" (Terry Veasey) climbed out of formation. Last of his clan, he leaves behind only friends and memories.

It was Terry and my son Andrew that drew me to this site and into this great fellowship of the wings.

A hopeless collector of model airplanes and guns with an equal addiction to military history, Terry had nearly overcome his childhood bout with polio with his sheer will and happy heart, those who knew him knew him as a kid who just found a great treasure.

With his one good arm he twisted mine on several occasions to do his bidding, ordering 50 Shapeways minis - the first time I had ever heard of such a source of treasure - if I painted his I could have the rest . . . so it began with me and the elves. He lit the Zeppelin fires after visiting my workshop and seeing my first efforts . . . more history . . .

A true friend, horrible driver, and fierce opponent, and my last local Wings player, he will be missed.

Cheers my comrade in arms and fellow addict, long may you climb!

https://www.wingsofwar.org/forums/showthread.php?30280-Hunter-climbs-home

He made it to a few of our sessions, had the darndest poor beginner's luck, but enjoyed gaming with a bunch of old guys.

I was shocked when I saw a post on his Facebook profile that he had been killed in an accident at work.

While this memoriam has been years overdue, and John had never posted on the forum, he was a good mate to game with.

Name: Lukáš Hradil

17 March 1994 - 2 February 2023

User Name: Wasp

Number of posts: 1

Aerial Victories: 4

Medals: 1

Lukáš Hradil was a happy and good-hearted guy and a well established member of our Prague Flight. He also loved playing other boardgames like Robo Rally, Ticket to Ride and such with his family and friends.
A reliable wingman, who respected rules not just during gaming sessions, but also in his whole life.
Lukáš loved aviation since his childhood, probably because Zdeněk (Bumblebee), his father, shared this passion with both of his sons from the very beginning.
He attended our Prague meetings regularly for over 10 years and rarely missed Wings of Prague events till his health failed him. He fought until the very end and he will stay in our hearts forever.
Farewell, dear friend. 

As best I can remember, I first met Bob where we worked at NASA’s Goddard Spaceflight Center in 1975. He and a few of his NASA friends had decided to start a war gaming club at Goddard after hours. They showed up with their Avalon Hill board games to move cardboard counters over a game board. I showed up a few minutes later with trays of painted, metal Egyptian and Carthaginian soldiers, chariots, elephants & WRG’s Ancients 4th Edition rulebook. They were in shock. They had never seen this kind of war gaming.

They put away their cardboard and started pushing figures for the rest of the hour. After that, Bob was hooked. He started buying figures, painting them and putting on battles. For a short time, he even sculpted his own figures, made molds and cast them in his kitchen. Bob’s painting was so good, other players would commission him to paint their figures. When he was tired of his own figures, he had no problem selling them.

Bob really got interested in Vikings and later the Lithuanians, fostered by his maternal grandmother’s heritage. He was always getting me involved in new gaming systems including ancients (DBA), renaissance (DBR) and American Civil War (Fire and Fury).

In the 1990s he helped form what became the Historical Miniature Gaming Society (HMGS) which started hosting an annual war gaming convention. For those familiar with the origins of HMGS, Bob was one of the few who really was present at the famous Wally Simon basement kickoff meeting.

Bob was always a big fan of the American Civil War. In the 1990s he got very interested in the Brandy Station Foundation which had recently formed to preserve the Brandy Station battlefield. Shortly before retiring from NASA after 35 years of service, Bob was the first elected President of the Foundation and held that position for 7 years. One of his greatest achievements was leading efforts to purchase the Graffiti House which had been a field hospital and later an HQ after the battle. The Graffiti House has been preserved and been filmed on local television with the host interviewing Bob.

In the last few years, Bob (like myself) focused on playing less complicated, more relaxed game systems. With a lifelong interest in WW1 aviation, Wings of Glory seem to fit the bill. Here again Bob introduced me to WOG and started focusing on his Lithuanian heritage, paying a visit there a few years back. He painted up dozens of airplanes used by Lithuania during their post-WW1 fight for independence.

After battling a heart condition for over 14 years and more recently other related health issues, Bob no longer could attend our local monthly games at the Gritty Goblin. So Robert, aka RJG173, another gamer friend, “Irish John” and myself resolved to bring Gritty Goblin to him. We would play many Lithuanian scenarios at his home which he dubbed Lastner Meadows airfield. Bob finally succumbed to his condition this year leaving behind his wife of 56 years, Paula, two sons, Scott and Shawn, their wives and four grandchildren.

May you have blue Baltic skies.

19.03.1964 - 01.10.2022

User Name: (Syborg3D)

Number of Posts: 14 

Simon was from Wallingford in Oxfordshire and joined our forum on 11th October 2021, following conversations with some of us at The Other PARTIZAN show in Newark.
Simon was producing and selling some excellent aircraft in both 1/200 and 1/144 scale. He was very accommodating and made several changes to his ranges to make them more appealing to Wings and Blood Red Skies players.
Simon was a lovely bloke, always ready to talk about aircraft (and other stuff) with those of us who encountered him at various shows up and down the country. Although not with us long he was making a name for himself with his excellent planes.
Simons death from a sudden heart attack on 1st October whilst so many of us were enjoying ourselves at our annual Doncaster gathering is a real shock. Our thoughts go out to his family and friends.

Rest in Peace Simon, blue skies always.

https://www.wingsofwar.org/forums/showthread.php?35682-Simon-Ryan-(Syborg-3D)-R-I-P

I left home to serve in the Canadian Forces in 1977, and lost track of Mike until shortly after I retired from the Forces in 2013. Mike had retired from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in 2011, after 25 years of service, and was living in the Comox Valley, just outside of my choice of retirement location in Comox. We met at the Comox Air Force Museum, and from that day in 2017 spent pretty much a day a week playing chess and other games. Wings of Glory being my passion, we played many games and versions of aerial combat simulations from that time.

If you look through my posts, you will find quite a few games in which Mike participated, including two campaigns using the rules developed by Andrea Angiolino. He assisted with Battlestar Galactica Starship Battles, Tripods and Triplanes, and both versions of Wings of Glory. He was the reason I played any tabletop miniature games from March 2020 to present.

Mike, Steve and Shane [skyGuy001] at Games & Grounds (a FLGS) in Courtenay, December 2018.

November 2019, Santa and Snoopy against the Luftstreitkräfte.

Mike Ethier and Shane Dalager [skyGuy001] at the Comox Air Force Museum for a 'Last Saturday of the Month - Wings of Glory' game on 29 February 2020 (the last game just before COVID-19 shut down all social gatherings for two years!)

We recently started throwing discs at trees (Disc Golf) to get us both out of the house and fill our lungs with fresh air. Still, this turned into a thing of tactics and planning, becoming slightly competitive. Mike got the better score in our second last game.

He was a quite, gentle soul, a loving, patient husband and father of two wonderful ladies, which was at great odds with his career and hobby. But, his sharp analytical mind and formidable memory made any gaming encounter a serious challenge.

Mike was never a member of this Forum, being that he avoided computers for the most part, and completely avoided social media. He didn't even have a cell phone, let alone a smart phone. His influence on this Forum, although not direct, will be missed. I haven't had a miniature out of a box in two months, and not likely to have them out in the near future. So, if you haven't seen me post any recent After Action Reports since 18 March 2022, that is Mike's absence having its effect.

If you think of it, send a positive vibe or prayer this way on 21 May 2022, around 2:30 PM (PST), when family and friends will be holding a Celebration of Life for Mike.

Michael A.A. Ethier

14 Sep 1960 - 18 Mar 2022

Name: Barry (Baz) Ernest Patrick Quinn Hickson

24 July 1937 - 17 July 2021

User Name: gully_raker

Number of posts: 16,685

Aerial Victories: 140

Medals: 35

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Not everyone would be thrilled to be known as a ‘legend of the vintage machinery movement’, but then not everyone was like Barry Hickson.

He was a man of many passions, according to those who knew him. A devoted partner, father of two daughters, businessman and lover of everything that moved and/or blew smoke – from tractors to racing cars. And, on occasion, he was not averse to raising his glass to a good red wine.

Barry also had a strong interest in military history – an interest he would maintain all of his life, which was hardly surprising considering his pedigree. Not only did he grow up during World War II, his father, Ernest Henry Hickson, had been a Gallipoli veteran in World War I, his brother, Geoff, a prisoner of war in Changi, and his half-brother, Arthur, died as a prisoner of war on the Burma Railway.

Barry’s daughter, Jennifer Woodcroft, says her family was overwhelmed by the messages of love and support from the NSW South Coast community following her father’s death on July 16, 2021.“It is very special for us at this time to know he touched so many people,” she says. “People are sharing their wonderful memories with us.“It really has been heartwarming. We knew he was popular but we had no idea how much. “When you lose someone you love, hearing how people felt about him does really help.”

Although born and bred in Sydney, it was only when Barry Ernest Patrick Quinn Hickson – “Our father would have loved to see his named printed out in full like that,” says Jennifer – discovered the beauty of the Eurobodalla Shire in the 1970s, and the fact a 30-acre bush block would give him lots more space to pursue house his love of machinery, that his life steered itself in a different direction.

For years, Barry and his partner, Judy, would drive down the coast from Sydney to build their dream house before moving there permanently in 1994.

Within a couple of years, Barry was well ensconced in the Moruya community, and by 1996, during a chance meeting with mates at the Eurobodalla Agricultural Show, they formed the Moruya Antique Tractor and Machinery Association (MATAMA) in 1997. Since then, he continuously held the office of either president or secretary of the association, roles and devotion which earned him life membership. Jennifer says for Barry it was not just a matter of tinkering with machinery, but rather yarning with mates and exhibiting vintage machinery anywhere there was a crowd. He also provided much strength to mates during the hardest of times, such as when bushfire destroyed most of the South Coast village of Mogo on 27 December, 2019, including the MATAMA shed and its contents.

Almost all of the antique machinery collection was destroyed in the fire, along with thousands of hours of volunteer labour MATAMA members had put into restoration work. Jennifer says for her father and his mates it was just a matter of starting again. Restoration work is now well underway on many of those pieces of machinery.

Being part of the South Coast and Southern Tablelands communities was all part of Barry’s world. But the highlight was in 2014 when, along with mate David Brown and the strongest of men and beast, they ploughed their way into the Guinness World Records. They broke the record for not only the largest number of horses ploughing the Yass field at the same time, 28, but also for the heaviest horse which weighed in at more than a tonne.

Although Barry was passionate about tractors and other vintage machinery, he also had a need for speed. In his younger days he was a competitive car racer, competing in touring car and Formula V racing. More recently, he was a keen Supercars Championship spectator and Formula 1 fan, keeping a close eye on Aussie drivers Mark Webber and Daniel Ricciardo.

Barry is survived by his daughters Jennifer and Virginia, grandsons Benjamin, Joseph and Lachlan, granddaughter Louise, and son-in-law Geoffrey.

“Because of the COVID-19 situation and lockdowns, we decided to have dad privately cremated,” says Jennifer. She says the family plans to hold a celebration of Barry’s life at a later date “so we can all be together, family and friends, and give him a send off, according to his wishes”.

A rather large piece of antique farm machinery, or six, will be present, and some fine red wine is more than likely to be on the menu, says Jennifer.

https://www.wingsofwar.org/forums/showthread.php?34554-Clear-Skies-Barry-RIP-Gully_raker

Name: David Pollard

1st August 1951 - 28th January 2022

User Name: Naharaht

Total Posts: 11,018

Aerial Victories: 88

Medals: 24

It is with a heavy heart that we must bid a final farewell to David Pollard (a.k.a. Naharaht). Rob and I were concerned that we had not heard from David (Naharaht) in some time. Unfortunately David has passed away after a short illness at the end of January, not long after his final post on the 21st (of January), his funeral was on March 9th.

David was one of the very first pilots on the Aerodrome (No.145 joining on 14/9/2009) and over the next 13 years was a regular presence at many shows across the Midlands and the Northern parts of the country, as well as being a participant in nearly all the annual Doncaster events. In addition to his commitment to Wings, he was a major player on the Sails scene holding the rank of Admiral on our Anchorage site, where his energy and enthusiasm will be greatly missed. David was calm and quietly spoken but had a really strong knowledge of early aviation history which he was only to willing to share. David was also one of our forum's most prolific contributors racking up an impressive 11,018 posts up to and including his final entry on the 21st of January this year. He was also a keen photographer at shows and events with 2766 of his pictures being shared with his colleagues here on the Wings forum, a real indication of the love he had for the game, the forum and his fellow flyers.

David was a proud Yorkshireman, having been born in Shelby, (his birthday coinciding with Yorkshire Day) He never forgot his Yorkshire roots and always made a point of wearing a white rose on his birthday. David was a much respected maths teacher with a love of history. An intelligent man, he spoke several languages including Latin, Russian, French and German. David obtained a maths degree from the University of Durham where he indulges one of his great passions... chess, representing the University in chess tournaments before also being part of Durham’s University Challenge team.

David was a regular churchgoer and was a major figure in his local parish community, he was a member of the choir a skilled musician and even sound engineer. He also fulfilled the role of safeguarding lead for the group of churches linked to his home parish of Mulbarton in Norfolk. David was also long term carer for his mum Edna who sadly passed away last year. It is amazing how little we know of people at times and certainly that was the case with David.

It is a real shame that we were unaware of David's illness or his untimely passing as I am sure we would like to have had some representatives at his funeral. We will make sure we raise a glass in David's honour at future events.

Farewell and Fly High David.

https://www.wingsofwar.org/forums/showthread.php?35302-DAVID-(NAHARAHT)-R-I-P

Matt at Origins 2018. 

Name: Harry Paul Materne III

11 January 1956 - 15 February 2020

User Name: matt56

Number of posts: 4,108

Aerial Victories: 74

Medals: 17

Harry Paul Materne III was a wargamer and friend to many people. He put together his knowledge of history, his skill as a modeler, and his wonderful personality to make our hobby better for all involved in our field.

Matt was destined to be a hobbyist. Matt’s father would build WWI plane models back in the days before lozenges decals. He would pencil out the pattern on the wings and hand paint them with beautiful results. In high school Matt was an avid gamer. He played the Avalon Hill Games many of us cut our teeth on. Dayton was the home of the Der Kriegspielers Figures. Matt painted and played 25mm Napoleonics.

Matt moved on to bigger things when he joined the army after high school. He loved German classes in high school and continued this love in the army. Matt was sent to Military Defense Language School in Monterey, California. After this and other training he was sent to Berlin as a member of the Army Security Agency. He was stationed in Berlin from August of 1974 to July of 1978. While he was there he perfected his German language skills and developed a great love of German Culture.as as well as a fondness for white ketchup. Matt also put together an amazing collection of Imperial German WWI aviator badges while there.

Matt came back to Dayton to attend college planning to finish college in the officer training program and then rejoin the army. After completing jump school he was involved in a terrible car accident that prevented him from continuing his military career. He picked up the pieces and went back to college to earn a degree in education. During this time Matt and I met and ended up sharing a house together on Highland Avenue. With all our militaria, skins from Africa, Matt’s framed military prints, and a mannequin dressed in a grenadier guards uniform our abode was nicknamed “Highland Barracks”. There were many epic parties held at the barracks from what I can remember.

Matt was always involved with things that related to his military service and his love of history. He was a member of the Royal Canadian Legion serving in the Color Guard and was a Post Officer. He was involved with a WWII living history group that manned various planes at airshows wearing uniforms from the period. Matt and I started doing display work at the WWII Victory Museum in Auburn, Indiana. A crew of us dressed and displayed almost 200 mannequins at the museum. Matt’s knowledge of German language and uniforms made him an invaluable resource. He also was a talented artist. Matt painted various size figures. Anyone who saw his 54mm busts were amazed with their historic accuracy and phenomenal paint job.

In the Wings of Glory hobby group he was known throughout the world for his advancement of the hobby. In 2017 Matt and I picked up the planning for the Origins Game Fair. Matt did most of the heavy lifting, entering games and coordinating with Ares to build a great relationship. In 2018 Matt again went to bat getting all the games entered, coordinating with Ares, and making sure the Lend Lease visit went seamlessly. In 2019 he again took on the task of running Origins. Matt and I ran various games for Ares at GenCon in 2019. Matt was in the process of putting together the 2020 Origins event. Sadly, he was not able to complete this task.

All through this time Matt used his creativity to construct boxes for people to store their supplies and chitties. To call them boxes is a disservice. They were ingeniously made and always decorated with a stunning paint job. Matt sold some of these boxes, but donated many to the Lend Lease raffles, as well to the Doncaster and Prague events. The boxes can be found all over the world.

He and his son Graeme went to England in 2019. There he met many of the UK wing members. He got to spend time with Simon Comben who had come to the 2017 Origins event. Simon and Matt hit it off instantly. Graeme follows Everton FC and Simon got them tickets for a match and some great memorabilia.

For all Matt did in the field of history, the one true love of his life was his family. Matt met Karleen, his future wife, while he was a high school German / English teacher and she was an art teacher. I was in their wedding and it was a beautiful and joyous affair. They complimented each other and truly faced life together. Both of his sons were the apples of his eyes. Graeme is a Graduate Assistant at Bowling Green University working on a masters in Music Composition. Graeme also loves games like his father. Owen is an incredibly talented dancer going to the University of Oklahoma. Matt and his family miss each other in a way no words can describe.

I will miss Matt in ways I haven’t even realized yet. Several people that knew us well have said to me, I have lost a brother. They are so right. As I get older and grow in my dislike of cold, I sometimes think of leaving wintery Ohio. I knew I would never leave as I saw Matt and I gaming, going to militaria and game shows, and enjoying each other’s company for the rest of our lives. Matt always endured my eccentric behavior well. I always felt like a better person around him as he always was one to do the right thing.

As I stated in my first post sharing the news of his passing, I feel like I have lost a part of my soul. When looking at the scribble I have put down here it makes me think of all the great times we had. Sometimes we would look at each other when a situation was transpiring in front of us, one or the other would make a single word comment, and we would both bust up laughing. I will always miss that. Godspeed Matt. You will be missed, but never forgotten.

James F. O’Neil II

Besides being a personal friend, Matt was also one of the few people that I relied on to keep the site running on a day to day basis. He was typically the person the site to greet our new US members as he handled new memberships for the US. He was also often the man behind the scenes approving the various medals that people requested. He did all those things and always asked if there was more that he could do.

All that he did here on the site paled in comparison for what he did for the Lend Lease program over the last several years. When I was no longer able to attend Origins I started to slowly turn that project over to Matt and he ended up pretty much running the show. He compiled the data to generate the top 5 members for the LL program each year. He presented the top 5 to the LL voting committee, coordinated with the selected member and arranged their travel plans with them, and became one of their personal guides while they were here. He also managed the raffles to raise the funds to make the LL program work.

Simply put, Matt was Mr. Aerodrome USA.

Keith Upton

The matt56 memorial medal has been minted in his honor and is awarded to those members who participated in the fundraising raffle to help cover the cost of the Celebration of Life his family is hosting for him. If you would like to contribute to this fund, you can do so via this link.

https://www.wingsofwar.org/forums/showthread.php?32376-The-Passing-of-a-Dear-Friend

https://www.wingsofwar.org/forums/showthread.php?33054-Memorial-for-Harry-Paul-Materne-III-(matt56)

1959-2019

User Name: Setarius

Total Posts: 1,685

Aerial Victories: 20

MEDALS: 5

Dale Garrett (Setarius) passed away after a fight with Colon Cancer in July 2019. Dale was 60 years old being born in March 1959, by profession he drove Semi Trucks & had survived Leukemia.
Dale lived in Paducah Kentucky & had been a member of the Forum since September 2009. He was very active having posted 1685 times & was an avid collector of Wings of War/Glory having acquired 110 WW1 models & 113 WW2 aircraft.
He was a keen participant in the Over the Trenches Solo Campaign & had been awarded 763 Rep points for his contributions to the site. We will miss his AAR's & posts.

R.I.P & Blue Skies Dale! 

https://wingsofwar.org/topic/30637-setarius/

https://wingsofwar.org/topic/30730-dale-garrett-setarius-an-obituary/

Name: Mick Owen

1965-2016 

User Name:  Mickowenuk

Total Posts: 39

Aerial Victories: 3

Medals: 2

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Mick Owen 28th April 1965--22nd August 2016. Mick had been a valued member of the Entoyment Wargamers & Poole Gaming Society since moving to the South Coast of the UK in 2004.
He grew up in Stafford & both he & his wife Judith were members of the English Civil War Re-enactment Society as part of the Artillery. Since moving to Bournemouth, Mick helped launch the Beachhead Wargames Show in 2016.
Mick loved to collect, paint and play both Wargames & Board games, he also had many collections over varying genres, although his favourite was Wings of War/Glory.
He was a proud member of the Aerodrome Forum which he joined 19th Jan 2013 and also proud to be named as the Dorset Flight Leader in 2016.
He will be sorely missed as a smiling friendly face at our Club Nights and his belief that Wargaming should be for everyone has rubbed off on many a fellow Gamer!

A Memorial Game will be run at the Entoyment Store in his memory. Here is a link to that Game---- https://wingsofwar.org/topic/25614-micks-memorial-match-poole-dorset/

https://wingsofwar.org/topic/25308-fallen-forum-comrade/

Name: Joe Richards

27/02/1964 - 30/03/2016 

User Name: Lord of Girth

Total Posts: 43

Aerial Victories: 4

Medals: 1

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It is with great remorse to report that my older brother and friend Joe Richards Lord of Girth died on 03/30/2016 of post illness septic shock.
Joe's final flight log entry on this site was:

On the final picture of the 4 people during the award ceremony, Joe was on the middle left next to my younger brother John (who received the award).
This site and game was a love of Joe's and the topic of hours of conversation between us. His last entry demonstrated how much he enjoyed organizing aerial battles that ultimately brought together his friends and family.
I believe it has taken me the better half of the last 3 months to share Joe's, the Lord of Girth's, demise, because in some sense he was still with us sharing in spirit , fellowship, and the laugh with life approach that this site and game afforded.
The time has come for me to accept his loss, enjoy his memory, and honor Joe Richards The Lord of Girth:
Please join me in honoring Joe, Attention...!!! Present... Arms...!!! Ready... Aim... Fire!!! CRACK... CRACK... CRACK... CRACK... CRACK... CRACK...CRACK... Ready... Aim... Fire!!! CRACK... CRACK... CRACK... CRACK... CRACK... CRACK...CRACK... Ready... Aim... Fire!!! CRACK... CRACK... CRACK... CRACK... CRACK... CRACK...CRACK... Order... Arms...!!!
Thank you Wings of War.org for being a friend to my brother, Chris Richards (TheCCRICH)

Name: Colin Jones.

24/5/1944 - 03/07/2014

User Name: COLBATMAN

Number of Posts: 186

Aerial Victories: 4

Medals: 1

Col Jones (COLBATMAN) was a foundation member of the Sapphire Coast Flight on the South Coast of New South Wales Australia. A lifelong wargamer & professional model soldier painter Col really enjoyed the historical background of Wings.
He did fantastic paint jobs on many Shapeways & Nexus repaints. He loved the colourful German Aircraft & mostly flew for the Kaiser. Col also made brilliant Smoke & Flame markers using cushion flock glued to thin wire with a magnet to attach to the Aerodrome Accessories gimbals which he fitted to most of his aircraft. Sadly the images were lost due to the hacking of the site some time back. His Shapeways lattice tails were usually fully rigged, as was the Shapeways & Ares Fokker Eindekkers.
Col sadly suffered from Cancer over the past two years & finally succumbed to it in mid 2014. He will be greatly missed by his mates at the Moruya Marauders Wargaming Club, his many friends on the Forum, wife Erica & son Craig.
Col served in the Royal Navy & subsequently in the Royal Australian Navy & in the Australian Diplomatic Corps as Head of Security at many Embassies before retiring to Batemans Bay in New South Wales.
Members can pay their respects in the thread linked below

The Colbatman Memorial Medal for those who contributed to Col's memorial fund:  [IMG]http://www.wingsofwar.org/forums/images/medals/alan/ObituaryColbatman.png[/IMG]

https://wingsofwar.org/topic/18829-vale-colbatman/

1963-2012

[IMG]http://www.wingsofwar.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=138787&d=1406953390[/IMG] [img]http://www.wingsofwar.org/forums/image.php?u=198&dateline=1286208734[/img]

User Name: LGKR (aka Rhyno)

Total Posts: 427

Aerial Victories: 21

Medals: 5

[img]http://www.wingsofwar.org/forums/images/medals/alan/WoWAD.png[/img][img]http://www.wingsofwar.org/forums/images/medals/alan/SpecOps.png[/img][img]http://www.wingsofwar.org/forums/images/medals/alan/RepBronze.png[/img][img]http://www.wingsofwar.org/forums/images/medals/alan/100photos.png[/img][img]http://www.wingsofwar.org/forums/images/medals/alan/File01.png[/img]

Don was an avid game player and a regular contributor to this site, because in his words “It’s the best game I have ever played.”
He was one of the two co-founders of the Traverse City Wings of War League (Now Wings of Glory) and helped to develop a set of house rules that allows groups of players track and improve individual pilots in an ongoing series of “One Off” style games. For the last three years of his life he was part of the core team that helped keep the League meeting almost every Tuesday night since it began in 2009. His quick wit and friendly manner always made new players feel welcome and accepted at any gaming table.
His talent for graphic arts is well known to most Aerodrome members as the file area has many of his works included in it. It was obvious where his talent came from when he proudly talked about his paternal father Don Greer the aviation artist who produced most of the artwork for the Squadron Signal series of books on military aircraft.
He also had the wonderful ability to simplify the explanation of game rules so that even people new to gaming could grasp the concepts, as can be witnessed in his many posts on the Aerodrome site.
Although never in the military he always had the utmost respect for anyone who had or were serving in the military. He felt that war games were the best way to convey what members of the armed services experienced to the general public, especially young people. He felt that playing historical games would promote an interest in school aged children to find out more about historical conflicts than just the dry information about dates, locations, and who won or lost taught in most schools that almost nobody remembers. He always said, ”I wish they had taught me this in school” when he found a new fact.
Don is survived by his wife Kim, and two sons Ivan and Jarred. His contributions to our hobby will be missed here at the Aerodrome as well as his other gaming project Gaming for a Cure. It is an organization that puts on an annual public gaming event in Traverse City to raise money for cancer research. He will also be missed around many gaming tables in his home town. Rest in Peace Don.

The LGKR memorial medal minted in his honor and award to those that participated in the fundraising raffle to help his family in their time of loss: [img]http://www.wingsofwar.org/forums/images/medals/alan/LGKR.png[/img]

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