Our parents loved it when we asked for inexpensive toys. I guess that's because we so seldom did so. While TV commercials hawked expensive games and toys, the subject of today's piece was, and continues to be, a huge seller with no advertising whatsoever.
Plastic green army men were in residence by the dozens in practically every toybox in America in the 1960's. After all, they were available at the dime store, individually for a nickel, or in a bag of 50 or so for 99 cents. And while it took some serious cajoling to get mom to spring for a toy like the James Bond attache case, she could sometimes be convinced to throw a bag of army men into the basket, or at the very least allow me a dime to get a couple more of the guys shooting the rifle while laying prone on the ground (I loved those!).
What would happen next would generally involve going to a friend's house, or having one come over to yours. Both parties would have their own armies. There was no need to mark which ones belonged to each opposing sides, because hand-to-hand fighting generally didn't take place.
The battle would begin with strategic planning. The battleground, generally an area of the home team's bedroom, would be scanned out by both generals. Then, the platoons would be emplaced so as to inflict the most damage on the enemy. After the soldiers were in position, the battle would begin.
The first shot would be fired. This, in my case, would consist of one of my prone riflemen opening fire on an opposing infantryman. The reports of his machine gun fire would be provided courtesy of my sound effects, perfected by many hours of watching Rat Patrol and learning to imitate their jeep-mounted 50 cal. The hapless first victim would be proclaimed to be dispatched by me, as I turned him over on his back to symbolize his departure. I might throw in an "aaargh!" for further effect.
Then, it was the rival general's turn. One of my own would bite the dust.
We liked close battles, so even if one of us had a smaller army, the odds were evened by allowing things like bombers to take out several of the enemy at once. Of course, the bomber would immediately be shot down afterwards. After all, this battle belonged to the army men, not technology.
The skirmish would continue until it was down to two individuals. They would then blow each other away. In play, as in real life, war has no winners, only losers.
The army men were frozen in different battlefield poses, including the bazooka guy on one knee, the hand grenade thrower at full backswing, the guy talking on the radio, and several soldiers caught in the act of shooting rifles.
Like real soldiers, we generals considered the inexpensive army men to be expendable. I can remember blowing them up with firecrackers, launching them into space tied to a three bottle rockets at once, and melting them with a magnifying glass. The local ants preferred that I target the army men, as well.
I also remember turning them into paratroopers by tying a handkerchief to them with sewing thread, carefully rolling it into a parachute, then tossing it as high into the sky as I could. The chute usually opened, although it was still fun when it didn't, as I could accompany the unfortunate jumper with a death scream all the way to the ground.
Marx began manufacturing green army men in the early 50's. While the Vietnam War was going on as we played in the 60's, we never imitated its battles. World War II was fun. It was over. We won. But mention of the Vietnam War incited images of wailing neighborhood parents having been informed of the death of their son.
That wasn't fun at all.
Comments (5)
I loved my little army men.There were my major pastime.I also had an Alamo set I'd gotten for Christmas.It had the old mission and blue Mexican's and brown Texans.I fought many battles and almost always changed the couse of history when I would send in my little green army men to help the Texans.
Posted by Steve | October 14, 2007 10:55 PM
Posted on October 14, 2007 22:55
The green army men were the greatest! I don't remember ever buying them seperately? But I did get them in large bags. And it seemed the army men back then were a more durable well detailed plastic that was used! Unlike the ones today that you get. Some are really chesap looking that bend so badly. And also colors like red and blue. Of course blue and grey for Civil War soldiers! I remember the battles with other kids, however, dirt clods were often used as bombs and we also flew metal or plastic planes overhead that would crash into lines of men completw with great sound effects and death screams! How violent! But for some reason, we liked it! War in real life is terrible, but play war was a blast! I remember somewhere along the line getting a set that had jeeps, tanks and a exploding plastic bridge with a large ground mat with rivers and streams printed on it! Yeah, I liked the prone machine gunner and the flame thrower! The grenade thrower was cool too! And yes, they were expendeble! We would put ours on the top of our stove where the gas pilot light was and quickly watch a little man with the walkie Talkie melt into a bubbling mass of plastic! (There is those bubbles again) that was equivelent to the wicked witch of the north melting in Oz? Melting the men with a magnifying glass! M80s also did well to destroy an army men! I have a few red plastic men today that are in the shape of firemen! I am a firemen, so it's a fireman thing! But love those green army men! Oh yeah, never giot into the large 6 inch green army men! Too big for me, and they were expensive. Boomers will also remember the white and green space exploration men too! Classic fun!
Posted by Rivers End | June 9, 2009 10:18 PM
Posted on June 9, 2009 22:18
I want to point out something here. I remember army men everywhere as a kid. And guns were ever the play toy in the early and mid 60s. So how come we didn’t all turn out to be mindless killers? In fact, I turned out to be a peace freak. But I played with guns and army men and loved it all. I think it had something to do with common sense.
Just because you play with something or worse, have fun with it, does not mean you loose your good sense and end up not being able to distinguish right from wrong and fantasy from reality.
The problem is not the toys. It is the idiots who raise kids and the world that censors the meaningless while promoting the truly harmful.
Take a careful look at those 60s and their toys and everything else about that time. It flies in the face of today’s PC wisdom. And neither are names the great harm claimed or any other token BS. There was sanity and reason in the 60s and I hope that is not lost. If a kid ain’t right, it cause a few more things around him ain’t right, either.
Posted by Scott Irv | June 10, 2009 5:36 PM
Posted on June 10, 2009 17:36
I am 45years old. Resident of Malaysia...and you can bet your last dollar...that the little green plastic soldier gave me a childhood pleasure of war games...of which recently...I reintroduce to my boy of 9 & 7 yrs old respectively................and all three of us now...passionately go around Kuala Lumpur to buy packs of made in China soldier toys ( as compared to my collection of Hong Kong made green soldiers)...to appreciate and learn about them more through the internet!
Heres to the green plastic soldiers...attenshun!!!!!
Posted by Stephen Yin | November 8, 2009 7:33 AM
Posted on November 8, 2009 07:33
Great to hear from you, Stephen. I love knowing that I remember JFK has a fan over there!
Posted by Ron Enderland | November 8, 2009 10:44 AM
Posted on November 8, 2009 10:44