Post by mcaryf on Apr 21, 2006 4:32:53 GMT -6
Hi
My name is Mike and I got involved in LBH through an organisation called U3A (University of the Third Age). It is an international organisation but I do not think you have much activity with it in the US - possibly because it started in France! More seriously it is an organisation to promote continued learning amongst older people. The French model was more linked with universities but in the UK it is much more of a self-help activity where members help each other with their knowledge and research. We have several hundred thousand active members in the UK and it does operate in many countries worldwide. The idea is that people with a common interest in a topic or activity get together on a regular basis - this might be the study of a language or literature or music or even an activity such as walking or table tennis.
We have local organisations that might typically span 40 sq miles (remember we are more densely populated than the US) and have 20 or so topic subgroups within those areas. I lead a military history discussion group in an area about 15 miles South of London. Quite a lot of my members are ex-military (e.g. Normandy veterans), I am not although I worked for a major computer supplier to the UK government and my jobs included managing its technical support to all Ministry of Defence computers. You will gather that I am of mature years although not quite as mature as Fred yet!
I have quite a wide interest in military history although Naval is possibly my favourite (I have helped to develop a computer WW2 Naval wargame that has sold a few hundred copies). I was short of a topic for one of my U3A meetings and so volunteered myself to lead a discussion on the LBH. I had read Clay Fisher's "Yellow Hair" as a lad and remembered seeing some TV programme about archaeology on the battlefield which gave new perspectives. I hunted around the Internet and bought myself a copy of RA Fox's book (my surname is actually Fox but no relative) plus hunted the local libraries (Panzeri, Custer Myth etc). Altogether I found the topic a fascinating one and despite the fact that the discussion meeting was last month I am still active on your board. My group's topic for next Monday is The Indian Mutiny/The Sepoy's Revolt (different sort of Indians!). Whilst I am sure that will be interesting I doubt it will grab me as LBH has done.
I had a bit of fun in starting my session on LBH. I showed them the final LBH battle scene from "They died with their boots on" and then listed a load of things that were wrong with it e.g. no sabres, not an encounter battle, too many Indian casualties, no use of cover by the Indians, no command separation by Custer etc etc etc.
Has there ever beeen a decent movie about LBH? Might there be something one day like the film of Gettysburg?
Anyway enough about me, congratulations to all of you for keeping this fascinating topic alive with new research and new perspectives. Who would have thought 150 odd years later people would still be finding out more about what really happened and why.
Regards
Mike
My name is Mike and I got involved in LBH through an organisation called U3A (University of the Third Age). It is an international organisation but I do not think you have much activity with it in the US - possibly because it started in France! More seriously it is an organisation to promote continued learning amongst older people. The French model was more linked with universities but in the UK it is much more of a self-help activity where members help each other with their knowledge and research. We have several hundred thousand active members in the UK and it does operate in many countries worldwide. The idea is that people with a common interest in a topic or activity get together on a regular basis - this might be the study of a language or literature or music or even an activity such as walking or table tennis.
We have local organisations that might typically span 40 sq miles (remember we are more densely populated than the US) and have 20 or so topic subgroups within those areas. I lead a military history discussion group in an area about 15 miles South of London. Quite a lot of my members are ex-military (e.g. Normandy veterans), I am not although I worked for a major computer supplier to the UK government and my jobs included managing its technical support to all Ministry of Defence computers. You will gather that I am of mature years although not quite as mature as Fred yet!
I have quite a wide interest in military history although Naval is possibly my favourite (I have helped to develop a computer WW2 Naval wargame that has sold a few hundred copies). I was short of a topic for one of my U3A meetings and so volunteered myself to lead a discussion on the LBH. I had read Clay Fisher's "Yellow Hair" as a lad and remembered seeing some TV programme about archaeology on the battlefield which gave new perspectives. I hunted around the Internet and bought myself a copy of RA Fox's book (my surname is actually Fox but no relative) plus hunted the local libraries (Panzeri, Custer Myth etc). Altogether I found the topic a fascinating one and despite the fact that the discussion meeting was last month I am still active on your board. My group's topic for next Monday is The Indian Mutiny/The Sepoy's Revolt (different sort of Indians!). Whilst I am sure that will be interesting I doubt it will grab me as LBH has done.
I had a bit of fun in starting my session on LBH. I showed them the final LBH battle scene from "They died with their boots on" and then listed a load of things that were wrong with it e.g. no sabres, not an encounter battle, too many Indian casualties, no use of cover by the Indians, no command separation by Custer etc etc etc.
Has there ever beeen a decent movie about LBH? Might there be something one day like the film of Gettysburg?
Anyway enough about me, congratulations to all of you for keeping this fascinating topic alive with new research and new perspectives. Who would have thought 150 odd years later people would still be finding out more about what really happened and why.
Regards
Mike