“I
fear all we have done is to awaken a sleeping giant
and
fill him with a terrible resolve.”
–
Admiral Yamamoto
In my spare/parenting time I’m preparing a Wings of Glory
scenario for Pearl Harbor. My son, the Little Guy, now eight years
old, has discovered that his ability to read means he can explore
different books that interest him, both fiction and non-fiction.
Earlier this year he and a friend developed a fascination for books
about the Titanic disaster they found in the school library. I
shared with him a few Titanic books from my own library. Then
he discovered a book about Pearl Harbor. He started asking me
questions. I encouraged his curiosity and we both undertook some
research, exposing him to some historical events for the first time
and allowing me to revisit them. Ultimately it led him to ask me if I
had any games about Pearl Harbor we could play, one in which he could
play the Japanese. I took it as a challenge, one to enhance his
knowledge and fuel his curiosity. And I’ll admit it’s put me in
an odd bind I’ve faced before: how do we feel about wargaming
events in our nation’s past that evoked – and still evoke –
deep feelings.
I don’t remember which Pearl Harbor book the Little Guy brought
home first. Maybe it was the “graphic novel” depiction, perhaps
it was a more historical one featuring voices of those who witnessed
it. Like the Titanic books, they grabbed his curiosity and
inspired him to ask questions, to understand various aspects of the
attack. Why were the Japanese upset with the United States? Who were
the Allied and Axis powers of World War II? Did anyone in our family
serve in that war? I encouraged his curiosity. We looked over a few
of my World War II books that covered the attack (I’ll admit the
Pacific war isn’t one of my preferred areas of study, but I still
have some material on it). I happened to have a kids “You Choose” book for Pearl Harbor – the historical equivalent of the classic
Choose Your Own Adventure books – that included storylines
for a US sailor, hospital nurse, and Japanese pilot. I bought him
some books, including a fictionalized I Survived Pearl Harbor
kids chapter book. When we watched Tora Tora Tora together (at
his request) he read all the subtitled Japanese dialog and stayed
awake until the last 20 minutes. He asked more questions, like what
happened to Admiral Yamamoto. We took a day trip to the National Museum of the Marine Corps in Quatico, VA – well worth a visit by
history buffs for its collection of artifacts and a host of
“immersive” exhibits – where he stood in rapt fascination at
the entrance to the WW II gallery listening to a broadcast of
President Roosevelt’s “Day of Infamy” speech to Congress. But
the highlight of our day came as we were browsing the gift shop just
before we left. We met two vets wearing their baseball caps: one
Vietnam vet was pushing the wheelchair for a WW II vet, who had upon
his cap two names stitched: Pearl Harbor and D-Day. We struck up a
conversation with both of us asking interesting questions and talking
about both wars. The WW II vet served with the Navy on a seaplane
tender that arrived in Pearl Harbor later on the fateful day of the
attack. (He also drove a Higgins boat landing troops at Utah Beach on
D-Day.) It was a humbling, personal experience tied to our
exploration of WW II history.
So the Little Guy asks me to run a game where he can fly Japanese
planes at Pearl Harbor. BoardGameGeek lists a host of titles, though
most fall into the category of complex chit-and-board wargame. The
excellent Junior General website offers a Pearl Harbor scenario by
Pete Pellegrino of the US Naval War College, complete with cardstock
miniatures to print out; but the rules seemed quite complex, though
it simulates the entire operation across the entire island of Oahu. I
wanted something I could run easily for kids with materials I had on
hand. I’m fortunate to have a full library of books and games on
which to draw. Rather than reinvent the wheel I decided to use a
simplified version of the Wings of Glory aerial combat game.
We’d previously played the World War I version, but haven’t yet
tried the one for WW II. Rather than simulate the entire attack, I
wanted to focus on a slice of the action. I have two Aichi D3A “Val”
dive bombers and a host of Mitsubishi A6M “Zeroes.” I wanted them
to have a particular target, so I chose the USS California
(BB-44) since it’s off on its own at one end of Battleship Row. I’m
working on prepping top-down views of BB-44 as well as a few other
ships in the navy yard which, given my scale map, should also appear
on the field. I have a 4x6-foot blue felt for the harbor, which I’ll
dress with some oaktag cut to form part of the navy yard at one end
and the coast of Ford Island near BB-44 at the other. I didn’t want
this to be a simple bombing run, so I figured I’d field some P-40s
I have (although one has American Volunteer Group markings for
service in China...the famous Flying Tigers) and give the USS
California the ability to counterattack with its anti-aircraft
guns (more on that later...).
I’m
putting this together with an eye for running it for the Little Guy
on the basement wargaming table and possibly bringing it to a
regional wargaming convention, where I try offering kids games to
encourage the next generation of wargamers. And here’s where I
start questioning myself. Is it right to run a game about one of the
most tragic episodes in American history? Where some participants can
“play” the Japanese attackers? After
talking with a veteran who personally witnessed the
carnage and destruction of
Pearl Harbor? I’ve
discussed some of these issues before in “Daddy, Who Are the Bad Guys?” and I continue mulling them over in my conscience. I’m
sure some would disagree with me, that this is no subject for a game,
that it’s certainly too much for an eight year old. Yet in school
they talk about the September 11 attacks. They practice “intruder”
drills. I view wargaming –
and especially something like this Pearl Harbor game – as a
learning experience. To paraphrase John Dewey, “education
equals experience plus reflection.” I must do my
best to offer an
interesting experience framed in the context of history, particularly
the consequences this attack
had for America, Japan, and the world, as well as the sacrifice of
those who served their country, often to the death. As a father I’m
here to answer questions and offer guidance, helping my son and other
kids to reflect on this event and understand a little bit more about
what it means to them.
I still have a ways to go. Top-down ship pieces need mounting and
trimming. I have to transpose maps of Ford Island and the navy yard
docks onto properly sized oaktag. I have to brush up on my Wings
of Glory rules, especially for dive bombing and anti-aircraft
fire. My additional research to make this as historically based as
possible gives me the satisfaction of adding to my own knowledge as
well as my son’s. And I want to make a few props both for our
personal game and in case I bring this to a wargaming convention for
other kids. I want to give each player “orders” for their
mission. For the Japanese this will consist of a folded piece of
cardstock with their target information printed on the outside: an
archival photo of the USS California before the attack and
both a top-down and elevational view, aids many Japanese pilots used
and carried with them for the attack. For the intrepid American Army
Air Corps pilots and the player running the California’s
anti-aircraft guns I’ll offer a similar folded cardstock with the
image of one of the telegrams transmitting the message “AIR RAID ON
PEARL HARBOR X THIS IS NO DRILL.” I’ll have a piece of tape
holding each folded cardstock closed; after the game players can open
them. Inside the Japanese pilots’ orders I’ll print Admiral
Yamamoto’s fateful words:
“I
fear all we have done is to awaken a sleeping giant
and
fill him with a terrible resolve.”
Inside the Americans’ folders I want to include
some historical information about the USS California: the
number of sailors who died aboard the ship and specific information
about Ensign Herbert C. Jones and Chief Radioman Thomas Reeves, both
of whom gave their lives conveying anti-aircraft ammunition from the
bunkers below decks to the guns topside when Japanese torpedoes put
the ammo lifts out of action. In researching the game I’d been
unsure whether to add anti-aircraft fire as an additional threat to
incoming Japanese aircraft; reading about this particular sacrifice –
which garnered both men the Medal of Honor – convinced me to
include anti-aircraft fire as a further obstacle to Japanese success
against the California. The entire experience reminds me we
are always learning, both as curious third graders and as seemingly
know-it-all parents. Yes, games are a form of play, but they can
serve as tools to expose us to new experiences, to help us learn and
reflect on those ideas, and hopefully to grow with those lessons in
mind.
