I was thinking guys, why do we do what we do and research about one of the most tragic events in history? I have come up with some things. This is a very sobering and confusing question. I am very passionate about WWII as are we all, but why? Of course there's the reason that we don't want it to happen again but I think it's more than that. There's so many veterans whom I've met that just make me proud to have the freedom I have today. I want to respect those men in whatever way I can, thus begins my study. There's so much history in this period of time, it really is never ending. In my passion I believe is a respect and reverence for the men of whom I am so grateful for their sacrifice. History is compelling to me and therefore I study.

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Hence the saying: One may know how to conquer without being able to do it- Sun Tzu

The simple answer is 'because its interesting'. I can think of pleanty of other reasons, veterans, family members, various moral and philosophical factors but basically the reason I study WW2 is because I find it facinating. Will that do?

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There's no honorable way to kill, no gentle way to destroy. There is nothing good in war. Except its ending.

Well, other than being a miniture wargamer, I would like to think that some day I might actually publish some of the 'junk' laying around the study. My "opus'" on electronic warfare, WW II TO&E's and OOB's or, my research in developing wargaming rules that turned into a book's worth of essays and math on such esoteric subjects as: "Determining the Mobility of AFV From Historical Data" or, "Effects of HE Shells" might have some limited viability as books.
I would like to think that at some point someone other than myself might look at some of this and say "Wow, this is really useful!" Well, anyway, that's why I do the research.

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Truth is stranger than bullshit!

T.A. you better hurry before all your OOB items are taken and published. Give it a whirl it can't hurt.......

as to research I've given my opinions in the past years but essentially it was the curiousity in my relatives history/career that led me to my interest both from the Allied and German sides.

~E

To keep it quick. I love to read the history and to talk with the men who were actually there. Just recently--I met another ww2 Submarine vet who might be interested in sharing his story here. (Im still working on the first ww2 Sub vet mentioned months ago)

This history to me--especially the fighting on the Eastern Front--is fascinating to me--I cannot read enough on it.

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Lost are only those, who abandon themselves) Hans-Ulrich Rudel.

That is an interesting question...

At least no-one really told me it is a good thing to do like collecting stamps. Even once when at the library they asked me to put my favourite books on display as one of the people who visited most the library, you should have seen the look on people´s faces or the suggestions by my school friends. Well, this is my thing and I intend to carry on.There are much worse hobbies like putting the money on cigarettes....

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I think most peoples reasons are a variation on the themes described so far, I was always interested in military stuff, courtesy of my father, but then I got into living history which added a whole new dimention to things for me. It somehow makes a lot of difference, I mean now if I look at a photograph of a German soldier in the Ardennes, I have no idea what he was going through, but I know where his feet hurt, I know what the dull ache in his shoulders from carrying a pack feels like, I know why he is holding his helmet up and why he doesn't have the chin strap on. It sort of changes things...

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There's no honorable way to kill, no gentle way to destroy. There is nothing good in war. Except its ending.