Where did Draeger come across the field of hoplology?
Draeger was an incredibly gifted athlete. He was probably a world-class athlete as far as genetic capabilities. He was also a very intelligent fellow, very well-read. He was near genius, if not genius; in fact, in combination of capabilities, I would have to say he was genius. Draeger was incredibly well-read across a broad area, from engineering to cultural studies. Essentially, his interest was in weapons and warfare. Having been a combat marine, he had seen more weapons and warfare than most people of our [later] generation. Draeger came upon the word hoplology in his readings of the early European hoplologists themselves, essentially Burton. Many of us who later knew Draeger and worked under him often joked of him being the reincarnation of Burton. Unfortunately, Draeger didnt have quite the language capabilities of Burton; he had the language capabilities of a Marine. Actually, he was a very erudite fellow, but he often came across as a jock. And I think this is part of the reluct
