Friday, May 8, 2020

Playing at War During the Summer of Love

Here's an old picture of me, when the world was green. I'm probably 3 or 4, doing what I loved most, playing with my soldiers in my sandbox.


Sometime later, having improved my terrain by using a broken fruit basket to make bunkers.

Probably age 6 or maybe 7, playing army. Sometimes you've got to run around. The woods and fields behind our house were an excellent canvas for my imagination as body and mind ran wild with exploits of daring. I lived in my imagination a lot.

Vietnam and the Arab-Israeli wars were on the coffee table in the pages of Life and Time magazines. The vivid images of war fascinated me. But I was blissfully unaware of the sordid reality, just as I was equally unaware of Woodstock, free love and flower power.

Groovy, baby.
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4 comments:

  1. commissarmoodyMay 8, 2020 at 4:34 PM

    You were a well kitted out lad. I hope you still have some of that webbing and helmet.
    I used to run around in the backyard with a old M1 helmet, pistole belt with m16 mag pouches and old US world war two day pack.

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    Replies
    1. JamesMay 8, 2020 at 6:07 PM

      Sadly no.
      The small pack got worn out carrying my books in university.
      Do wish I'd hung onto the helmet.

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  2. commissarmoodyMay 8, 2020 at 8:14 PM

    Well let's hope it is giving enjoyment to who ever has it now.

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  3. tradgardmastareMay 8, 2020 at 11:14 PM

    Great photos. I used to make trenches and forts for my toy soldiers in the soil at the bottom of the garden. Often they would get lost in the ground, some are there probably to this day though we left the house in 1973. Or I like to imagine they are still there?

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