Several of my friends and I dressed in olive drab, strapped on our pistols, shouldered our

[Atticus]

military style rifles and set out to confront "those damn commie bastards"!

It was 1957. We continued the game until the 2000 watt incandescent street lights came on and we had to go home for our baths.

WE outgrew the "let's play soldier" phase. RWNJs, not so much.

[redstatebluegirl]

1. Excellent!

[safeinOhio]

2. Just a little tike in 1957

and even then I never wanted to play army. Didn't get then and don't get it now.

[Aristus]

3. When I was five, my friends and I used tree branches as rifles,

and played "Silver War" (at least, that's what we thought it was called...

[Atticus]

4. Yes, I had no idea why a war would be "silver", but that's what people called it. I also

wondered what a "dawn surly" light was---as in, "Oh, say can you see---"

I guess I was slow because it took several years in Sunday school to realize that the title of the hymn was "Gladly the Cross I'd Bear", not "Gladly, the Cross-eyed Bear".

[MyOwnPeace]

9. THAT is where BunkerBoy learned his bias.............

He was pizzed that anybody cared if "Jose" could see - nobody asked HIM what HE could see......

[soldierant]

14. I not only had no idea why a war would be silver,

butI couldn't make my mind snap around it, and had to look it up.

And I'm a veteran (but not of THAT war - I'm not THAT old!)

[Karadeniz]

5. You almost had me!

[Atticus]

6. GOTCHA! (almost) nt

[KT2000]

7. My neighborhood then was overrun

with vigilantes for a time. There was a family with 6 boys and the mother went to army/navy surplus for their Christmas presents. It was pandemonium!!!

[flamin lib]

8. When I was 6 years old I asked Santa for a soldier suit.

In 1969 when I was 21 he gave it to me . . .

[MyOwnPeace]

10. Perhaps your request

was "lost in the mail!" (yeah, we're so lucky that Bunkerboy wants to fix the USPS now, right?)


PS: Thank you for honoring your "gift from Santa!"

[rickford66]

12. In Boot Camp our first pay check was taken for uniform purchases.

Navy 1969

[flamin lib]

16. They did that as late as Desert Storm but

they were charging for uniforms that were left on the battle field, some with legs and arms still in them. I think they stopped doing that but can't say for sure.

[tiredtoo]

11. Don't remember playing soldiers at all

Perhaps it was too soon. We played cowboys and Indians in the late 40s.

[KY_EnviroGuy]

13. Then you probably recall what a treat it was....

to get a little allowance and buy a roll of caps for your cowboy pistol. I even remember the smell of those those things going off.

Trips to the five and dime were rare for us and a huge event just to look at all the toys.


KY.....

[tiredtoo]

15. For sure

Fond memories of days as a young lad.

[onethatcares]

17. "Johnny got his gun"

should be required reading in fourth grade.