On the East side of the Ohio State House in Columbus is a memorial to the soldiers of the United States. There are two walls facing each other, one north, one south, with small fountains before each them. This is not a memorial of the size and grandeur of the ones in Washington, but the heart of this memorial is as great as any for the devotion it represents. The memorial displays in relief on the two walls a number of letters home from those in service.

I am unequal to the task of honoring the men and women who have served my country in time of war, but in memory of those in uniform, I present a small number of photos of those letters from the memorial at the Columbus State House. Keep in mind, these pages should not be mistaken as glorifying war, or making light of war's impact on humanity.

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Games do not speak well to an important aspect of History that everyone should remember. While I and many others enjoy wargaming as a hobby, War itself is neither a hobby nor enjoyable. It's often just about exerting power through force. It is sometimes necessary to respond in kind.

War is conducted by real men who live real lives. Some of them were there because they were drafted in times of war when the United States had to draw on manpower beyond the volunteers. Most Americans in uniform are there simply because they Serve. No man in service of the United States does it from love of War.

Serving can often mean taking risks for those of us at home while we sit here doing normal day in and day out activities commonly taken for granted. The things we're doing in their absence become things they long for, even the chores. Things like mowing the lawn, washing windows, as well as things like eating ice cream with our young.