Historical Wargamers invade Kissimmee, Florida
From August 20-23 2026, nearly 120 wargaming enthusiasts attended the 2026 HMGS-South Hurricon Gaming Convention held at the Holiday Inn Resort in Kissimmee, Florida. This year’s theme was, “Fife and Drum” and featured stimulating wargames and tournaments during a wide range of historical periods. Whether you were a seasoned wargamer or new to the hobby, this convention had it all. I played a couple of wargames for the American Revolutionary period and really enjoyed the camaraderie as well as strategizing and competing against fellow wargamers. Check out the photos HERE.
Speaking of camaraderie, I was able to interview two wargamers, Jim Riley and Eugene Zehner, and they agreed to share their experiences at the convention with BK Nation.
Jim Riley
KR: Jim, welcome to BK Nation and thanks for giving us your perspective of this year’s Hurricon Convention. How long have you been attending this convention?
JR: I’ve been coming to the HMGS South’s Hurricon and Recon since they began. I also regularly attended the Suncoast Skirmishes which preceded them.
KR: What would you say to new or potential wargamers who have never attended a wargaming convention?
JR: Our conventions are a place where friends come together to present and play historical (and sci-fi and fantasy) miniatures games. We get to share our love of history in an enjoyable game setting. Spending time with friends, both old and new, makes our conventions the special events that they are.
KR: What games did you play?
JR: At this Hurricon, I game mastered three battles of the American Revolution in keeping with the convention’s theme - Long Island 1776, Freeman’s Farm 1777 and Monmouth 1778. I ran each battle twice with a total of 48 participants plus a few kibitzers on the sidelines. I had a great time. I also played in an excellent ancient’s game run by Mike Panko on Saturday night.
KR: What is your favorite historical wargame and why?
JR: I have so many favorite periods that I can’t pick just one.
KR: What did you like best about Hurricon and do you plan to attend next year?
JR: I enjoyed the friendships and competition. I definitely plan on attending the next convention.
Eugene Zehner
KR: Eugene, great to have you as part of BK Nation today. How long have you been coming to Hurricon?
EZ: I’ve been coming to Hurricon and its sister, Recon, for three years now. Work commitments kept me out of the convention arena until four years ago when my schedule opened up. Now I attend as many gaming conventions as I can get to, including GenCon, MegaCon, other HMGS cons, etc.
KR: What is your favorite genre of wargames?
EZ: I am attracted to the sci-fi/fantasy genre if we count those as wargames. My first memories are as a teen playing in what we called Banana Republic games that mixed modern war and fantasy. I have always loved the modern era of warfare, particularly WWII, from a historical point of view, but I would say overall, that I am an “Omni Genre” wargamer and will play any era.
KR: What games did you play at Hurricon?
EZ: I played Ancients, Revolutionary War, and Sci-Fi, but as you know there just isn’t enough time to get in every game we’d like to play, so, I missed out on some air combat games that I would have liked to jump into, along with some Boardgames like Zombicide that I enjoy playing with some friends that come regularly to the Con.
KR: What is your favorite historical wargame and why?
EZ: There are so many great systems and games to choose from! I am going to call Circus Maximus my favorite historical game. It is also one of my all time favorite games. It is about chariot racing in the Roman Empire and has more chaos, violence, and mayhem than any other wargame I can think of. Of course, that is not the only thing it has going for it. Circus Maximus is a highly tactical knife fight that has just the right elements of skill and luck that ensure a tight, taut outcome every time.
KR: What did you like best about Hurricon and do you plan to attend next year?
EZ: Hurricon is small enough that it seems like a reunion of old friends but large enough to offer a great variety of experiences available, and never feel stale or redundant. It feels like a regular gaming group that meets every six months instead of every week.
Historical Events in September
September 1, 1939 - At 5.30 a.m., Hitler's armies invaded Poland starting World War II in Europe. August 1, 1944
September 2, 1864 - During the American Civil War, Atlanta was captured by Sherman's Army. "Atlanta is ours, and fairly won," General William T. Sherman telegraphed President Lincoln.
September 3, 1783 - The Treaty of Paris was signed by John Adams, Ben Franklin and John Jay, formally ending the American Revolutionary War between Britain and the United States.
September 4, 1886 - The last major U.S.-Indian war came to an end as Geronimo was captured. He died of natural causes in 1909 at Fort Sill, Oklahoma.
September 5, 1774 - The First Continental Congress assembled in Philadelphia with 56 delegates, representing every colony, except Georgia.
September 6, 1991 - Leningrad was renamed Saint Petersburg by Russian legislators following the collapse of the Soviet Union. Russia's second largest city had been known as Leningrad for 67 years in honor of Vladimir Lenin, founder of the Soviet Union.
September 7, 1940 - The German Luftwaffe began its Blitz bombing campaign against London during World War II.
September 8, 1565 - The first Catholic settlement in America was founded by Spaniard Don Pedro Menendez de Aviles at St. Augustine, Florida.
September 9, 1976 - Longtime leader of Communist China, Chairman Mao Zedong, died. As a Chinese revolutionary soldier and statesman, he had proclaimed the People's Republic of China in 1949 in Beijing.
September 10, 1919 - Following the defeat of Germany in World War I, the victorious Allies signed the Treaty of Saint-Germain ceding parts of pre-war German-Austria to Italy and Czechoslovakia. Austria was also forbidden to unite with Germany.
September 11, 2001 - The worst terrorist attack in U.S. history occurred as four large passenger jets were hijacked then crashed, killing nearly 3,000 persons. Four separate teams of Mideast terrorists, operating from inside the U.S., boarded the morning flights posing as passengers, then forcibly commandeered the aircraft. Two fully-fueled jumbo jets, American Airlines Flight 11 carrying 92 people and United Airlines Flight 175 carrying 65 people, had departed Boston for Los Angeles. Both jets were diverted by the hijackers to New York City where they were piloted into the twin towers of the World Trade Center. The impact and subsequent fire caused both 110-story towers to collapse, killing 2,752 persons including hundreds of rescue workers and people employed in the towers. In addition, United Airlines Flight 93, which had departed Newark for San Francisco, and American Airlines Flight 77, which had departed Dulles (Virginia) for Los Angeles, were hijacked. Flight 77 with 64 people on board was diverted to Washington, D.C., then piloted into the Pentagon building, killing everyone on board and 125 military personnel inside the building. Flight 93 with 44 people on board was also diverted toward Washington but crashed into a field in Pennsylvania after passengers attempted to overpower the terrorists on board.
September 12, 1943 - Former Italian Dictator Benito Mussolini was rescued by German paratroopers on orders from Adolf Hitler. Mussolini was being held prisoner by Italian authorities following the collapse of his Fascist regime.
September 13, 1814 - The Battle of Fort Henry in Baltimore Harbor occurred, observed by Francis Scott Key aboard a ship. He watched the British attack overnight and at dawn saw the American flag still flying over the fort, inspiring him to write the verses which were later coupled with the tune of a popular drinking song and became the U.S. National Anthem in 1931.
September 14, 1901 - Eight days after being shot, President William McKinley died from wounds suffered during an assassination attempt in Buffalo, New York. He was succeeded by Theodore Roosevelt.
September 15, 1916 - Tanks were first used in combat, during the Allied offensive at the Battle of the Somme, in World War I.
September 16, 1620 - The Mayflower ship departed from England, bound for America with 102 passengers and a small crew. The ship weathered dangerous Atlantic storms and reached Provincetown, Massachusetts on November 21st. The Pilgrims disembarked at Plymouth on December 26th.
September 17, 1862 - The bloodiest day in U.S. military history occurred as General Robert E. Lee and the Confederate armies were stopped at Antietam in Maryland by General George B. McClellan and numerically superior Union forces. By nightfall 26,000 men were dead, wounded, or missing.
September 18, 1947 - The U.S. Air Force was established as a separate military service.
September 19, 1893 - New Zealand became the first country to grant women the right to vote.
September 20, 1873 - The New York Stock Exchange was forced to close for the first time in its history as a result of a banking crisis during the financial Panic of 1873.
September 21, 1873 - The Great Fire of New York broke out during the British occupation of New York City, destroying up to 1,000 buildings.
September 22, 1776 - During the American Revolution, Nathan Hale was executed without a trial after he was caught spying on British troops on Long Island.
September 23, 1952 - Vice-presidential candidate Richard Nixon delivered his Checkers Speech on television and radio to address accusations of financial misdeeds.
September 24, 1957 - President Dwight Eisenhower ordered the National Guard to enforce racial integration of schools in Little Rock, Arkansas.
September 25, 1789 - The first U.S. Congress proposed 12 Amendments to the Constitution, ten of which, comprising the Bill of Rights, were ratified.
September 26, 1960 - The first-ever televised presidential debate occurred between presidential candidates John F. Kennedy and Richard M. Nixon. Many who watched were inclined to say Kennedy 'won' the debate, while those who listened only to the radio thought Nixon did better. Nixon, who declined to use makeup, appeared somewhat haggard looking on TV in contrast to Kennedy.
September 27, 1964 - After a 10-month investigation, the Warren Commission Report was issued stating a lone gunman had been responsible for the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in Dallas on November 22, 1963.
September 28, 1542 - California was discovered by Portuguese navigator Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo upon his arrival at San Diego Bay.
September 29, 1789 - Congress created the United States Army, consisting of 1,000 enlisted men and officers.
September 30, 1938 - British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain returned to England declaring there would be "peace in our time," after signing the Munich Pact with Adolf Hitler. The Pact ceded the Czechoslovakian Sudetenland to the Nazis. Chamberlain claimed the agreement meant peace, however, Hitler seized all of Czechoslovakia in March of 1939.
FINAL THOUGHTS
It's hard to believe we are in the ninth month of the year…..where has the time gone? Even so, there is much to look forward to. September brings us some exciting events such as the kickoff to the first NFL game (9th), Grandparents’ Day (13th), Constitution Day (17th), and Hispanic Heritage Month (15 Sep-15 Oct). Let us not forget Patriot Day which is held in honor and remembrance of those who died in the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.
During this month, I think its fitting to feature some informative and educational books about Hispanic history and culture. I recommend the following for your reading pleasure: 100 Heroes of Hispanic Heritage: Amazing Stories for Kids by Rosie Bright Sky (2026), The House on Mango Street (1984) by Sandra Cisneros and The Woman in Battle: A Narrative of the Exploits, Adventures, and Travels of Madame Loreta Janeta Velazquez.
For those of you who aren’t quite in the mood for books and prefer something on the light side, I have uploaded some word search puzzles on my website. Feel free to download them by clicking HERE. This month’s focus is on Hispanic American figures and culture. I hope everyone has a safe and enjoyable Labor Day and keep an eye out for the next newsletter in October.