What is a Grognard you ask...

Grognard is a French word used to describe the experienced soldiers of Napoleon's "Old Guard". It is synonymous with the French word grognon which translates to moaner. You could see how the latter could be misconstrued. Although, among wargamers, like any walk of life, there are plenty that fit the bill.

However, in the early 1970s, John Young, an employee of wargame publisher SPI, coined the phrase grognard as it applies to veteran wargamers. Alan Emrich tells the story on his web page, found here.

So, who's a Grognard?

Undoubtedly, this guy...

...and this guy.

And yeah, these guys too!
For the beer fans, those are Highland Gaelic Ales (Highland Brew Company - Asheville, NC) on the port and starboard. We're playing S. Craig Taylor's Wooden Ships & Iron Men (Avalon Hill) here... hence the port and starboard.

So, if you've stumbled across this blog by searching for grognards, then stick around, as you may find some of the posts interesting.