What an amazing thing to remember a time when “political correctness ” did not rule our lives.
I was very fortunate to have wonderful parents and be born at a time when it seemed the whole country consisted of young children and middle age parents. The people who served in WW2 and Korea were in their late thirties and early forties. Many had vivid memories of their past service and many did not want to talk about it. Like my friend “Charlie’s” father who did 25 missions as a ball gunner on a B-24 who saw other planes go down in flames. was shot down himself bailed out behind the lines and was rescued by the French underground. We were told of this by his oldest son, not him.
Vietnam was still on the horizon.
Kennedy was our President, we were proud of our military and our country.
Playing army was our summer pastime. Usually 8-10 of us would chose sides, one side (US) One side (Krauts). We would play in a small overgrown field behind a neighbors house across the street. It had a big patch of poison sumac and several nests of fire ants, (I know, I sat in one, I ran fast).
My arsenal consisted of a battery operated 30cal. machine gun , a bolt action M-1, hand grenades, a spring action mortar with rockets. My friends had similar equipment. “Charlie” even had a German Lugar. We would go through rolls and rolls of caps. (Remember caps).
We would play for hours. Boys being boys.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KPpQTxXDURU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sP1F5m7EBpw
Today kids would have to be careful that the kind policemen and women don’t make Swiss cheese out of you. Times have changed.