Casualties of War

[birdguy 3,943]

Casualties of War

For kids who grew up in the forties, World War II had a great influence on our games.  We seldom played cops and robbers or cowboys and Indians.  We were all soldiers or Marines storming the beaches of Guadalcanal or Anzio.

The empty lot at the end of Larkin street was our battleground of choice.  It sloped steeply down to Polk street, and it was brushy, steep, and had lots of hiding places.

Another advantage the end of Larkin Street had was it's view of the bay.  Many times we would interrupt our games to watch Navy warships, mostly destroyers or cruisers, but sometimes carriers or even a battleship, sail under the Golden Gate Bridge and make their way to Treasure Island or the Navy Yard at Hunter's Point.

But the end of Larkin Street was not the only place we played our war games.  Sometimes we would go to one of the neighborhood parks, or one of the schoolyards or playgrounds, or even the streets and alleys and doorways of houses and apartment buildings.

One day we discovered a location that no young boy could resist.  They were building a house on a lot on a hill on Jackson Street.  It was a two story, wood frame structure to which most, but not all, of the siding had been installed.  The stairs and sub-floor had also been installed.

Five of us decided to meet there after school with all of our combat gear.  We were going to practice house-to-house combat.

The workmen were gone when we arrived.  Lee, Bob, and I  were going to be the attackers.  Rich and Ron would be the defenders.

The war started.  Lee, Bob and I slowly started prowling around the corners of main floor, pointing our 'stick' guns this way and that.  We poked the sticks into cracks and openings and mouthed the 'kach-kach-kach' gunfire sounds that kids make.

We found nothing on the main floor, so we slowly started up the stairs, covering each other like we had seen real soldiers do in newsreels and in the movies.

As soon as we reached the top of the stairs, a stick gun emerged from behind a wall accompanied by the 'kach-kach-kach' sound of Rich's voice.  We dashed for cover.

Lee ran into what was probably going to be an upstairs closet.  Then we heard the scream.

This was not part of the game!  Rich and Ron came out of their hiding places and we all ran toward Lee.  The scream had stopped, but he was sobbing.
We looked into the closet.  Lee was sitting down holding his leg.  Underneath his tennis shoe was a small board.  Whenever Lee lifted his foot, the board came up with it.  Lee had stepped on a large nail that protruded through the board.  It pierced the sole of his tennis shoe, and into his foot.
We didn't know how far the nail went in.  We couldn't see any blood.  So we decided to carry him home.  Rich and Ron were the biggest of us, so they grasped each others wrists to make a seat like we had been taught in the Cub Scouts.  Bob and I helped Lee into the seat and he put an arm around each of their necks.

Slowly they carried him down the stairs and out to the street.  They put Lee down so he could stand on his good foot and rested.  Then they picked him up again and we took him home.

I opened the door.  Mom was in the kitchen making supper.  Bob and I went in first.      Mom look around and said, "Hello boys," as she came into the living room.

Then  Rich and Ron came in with Lee cradled in their arms.  Right there, in the middle of the living room floor,  Mom fainted.

Rich and Ron put Lee down and he hopped on his good foot to Dad's chair and sat down.

It took the rest of us to pick Mom up and lay her down on the couch.  
Like I had learned in the Cub Scouts, I put a pillow under Mom's feet while Rich went to the kitchen and soaked a dish towel in cold water.  He brought it out and I put it Mom's forehead.  She came to almost immediately.

Her face was pale.  "What happened?" she asked.  I told her the story and our attention turn to Lee.

He'd stopped sobbing and didn't appear to be in much pain.  There was no blood on the board or on his shoe.  Mom decided we should try to pull the board and nail out of Lee's foot.  Rich held his foot while Bob and I pulled on the board.  The rubber sole of Lee's tennis shoe held the nail tightly and we couldn't pull it loose on the first try.  Then Ron grabbed the board too, and we gave it one more try.  It came free.

Mom hurriedly untied Lee's shoe, took it off, and removed his sock.  There was a very small puncture wound on the bottom of Lee's foot.  It wasn't bleeding very much.  Mom put some antiseptic and a band-aid on it and politely told our friends to go home.

As soon as they were out of the door the scolding started.  What were we doing?  How could something like this happen?  We were going to worry her to death.  She sent us to our rooms until Dad came home.

We heard the front door open.  It was Dad.  Before he had his coat off, Mom yelled, "Boys, come into the living room right now."  Dutifully we obeyed.  I led the way.  Lee followed with a slight limp.  Mom told us to sit on the couch.

Mom told Dad what had happened.  She wanted him to do something about the games we played.   She was tired of our wild ways and something had to be done before would worry her to death.

Dad look at us and said, "Be careful next time boys and stop worrying your mother."  

"Yes Dad," I replied.

 "Yes Dad," said Lee.

He didn't even look at Lee's sore foot.

Noel

Edited May 21, 2021 by birdguy

[Chock 17,769]

You forgot to yell Medic! or possibly Corpsman! if you were being Marines. 🤣

[birdguy 3,943]

When you're 9 years old you yell MOM!

Noel

Edited May 21, 2021 by birdguy

[Penzoil3 480]

Thanks Noel.

[Fielder 3,663]

In the 1950's it all changed and the toy guns played within the yards around American houses were no longer modeled after the modern hardware. Davy Crockett toys and hats was the biggest fad ever, before or sense.

"Some 3,000 Davy Crockett products ranging from lunch boxes to wristwatches, were released"

"Most of these hats were made from real raccoon fur, which subsequently rocketed from 25 cents to $8 per pound."

https://priceonomics.com/when-coonskin-caps-were-cool/

Edited May 21, 2021 by Fielder

[Mike A 338]

When I was a little kid playing war with the rest of the neighborhood kids, it was the early 1960s, which coincided with the 100 year anniversary of the US Civil War.  I remember lots of stuff like flags, caps, etc. (US & Confederate) being available at five & dime stores (another thing that doesn't exist anymore).  

One of my friends had a Johnny Reb Civil War Canon.  As you can see in the commercial below, the cannon had a metal rod in the middle of its barrel.  The cannon ball itself was extremely hard solid plastic with a hole drilled in the middle.  To load it, you would place the ball on the rod. What you can't see is that there was a humongous spring surrounding the rod. You then used the rammer to push the ball down the rod to compress the spring & lock it in place.

As it has always been, the kid with the ball controls the game, so this friend controlled the cannon, relegating the rest of us, literally, as cannon fodder.  Actually, it was a lot more thrilling for us to be on the receiving end.  We played in a narrow alley, forming a human wave, over & over again, charging his position. When we heard the cannon go off, we all zigzagged, crashing into each other, diving, etc, because we didn't want to be struck in the head.  Man, that ball would sting if it did.  It's amazing what kids of my age could play with back then that wouldn't be allowed to be sold nowadays.  Check the end of the commercial that shows the "casualty".  That's truth in advertising 🤣

Mike A.

 

[Ron Attwood 3,464]

2 hours ago, Fielder said:

wristwatches,

Davy Crockett wrist watches?

[steve310002 1,198]

5 hours ago, birdguy said:

Casualties of War

What a great story, Noel. As an Irishman who has traversed much of your great country on many an eventful road trip, these types of stories make me smile. It makes me of Stephen King's 'Stand By Me'.

[W2DR 1,860]

Another good one Noel. Thanks.........

[Fielder 3,663]

7 hours ago, Ron Attwood said:

Davy Crockett wrist watches?

 

 

 

 

 

 

[birdguy 3,943]

Don't forget Orphan Annie decoder badges and Red Ryder BB guns.  

I recall Ralphie and his Orphan Annie decoder badge the 'A Christmas Story' TV Show by Jean Shepherd.  Although A Christmas Story was a collection of stories from 'In God We Trust, All Others Pay Cash'.

The punch line of the decoder badge episode was, "Drink More Ovaltine."

If you are a Jean Shepherd fan check out his Army experience stories.  'Shep's Army'.  Anyone who has served in the military will especially enjoy it.

Noel 

Edited May 22, 2021 by birdguy

[Mike A 338]

3 hours ago, birdguy said:

If you are a Jean Shepherd fan check out his Army experience stories.

"I CAN TEACH CODE TO A DOG!!!" 😄

Mike A.

[regis9 4,013]

I have many fond memories of playing army in the woods behind my house in the late 80s/early 90s.  We’d dress up in the military cadet clothes, and grab the canteens and other gear we bought at our local army surplus store and go wandering around the woods with our plastic guns that would probably result in a police response nowadays.  I had a toy M16 that I particular loved.  Toy uzi or pistol as a sidearm.

I don’t remember a lot of what we did other than exploring the woods like we were troops marching somewhere on a mission.  Great fun!

[n4gix 4,947]

Back in the late sixties, my (then) Best Friend Forever, Jonathan Merzel and I began making night mission sorties into the woods near our apartments in Arlington, VA.

Since these were Top Secret missions, we of course exited our bedrooms via the windows around 0100 hours as quietly as possible and would rendezvous as per our OPS plan for the night, I would then drive the two of us in my command vehicle (1962 Plymouth Valiant) close to the insertion point, and then carefully infiltrate our targeted enemy territory.

One fateful early morning mission however went seriously sideways after only a few short minutes! We spotted an enormous house and carefully crept up to one of the windows for a quick look. OMG! There was a gigantic Nazi flag hanging over the fireplace in that room! We quickly de-camped from our position and began what we hoped would be a successful exfiltration of the enemy area, but alas we soon found ourselves surrounded by a very scary group in Nazi uniforms carrying real weapons, as well as a half-dozen really agitated guard dogs...

We were escorted back towards the house while we waited for the Arlington PD to arrive. Thankfully they had called for them to handle the situation and didn't take any action against us themselves. Needless to say we were by that time truly terrified, and hugely relieved when the police showed up!

The police "arrested" us and drove us to where I'd parked my car, at which time they found some empty bottles and a five-gallon gas can in the trunk. We were then taken to the police station and our parents called, which by that time was around 0330. Jonathan's dad deputized my father to act on his behalf. My dad was not amused when he arrived, but after speaking with the Chief of Police calmed down considerably and even began laughing!!! What was going on?

It seems that Jon and I had actually stumbled across the residence of George Lincoln Rockwell, the then head of the American Nazi Party, and someone had attempted to fire-bomb the house several weeks earlier. Oh! No wonder the bottles and gas can had caused so much consternation!

The Chief was very sympathetic and frankly appeared disappointed that Jon and I actually had no intentions for mischief, otherwise we'd have brought several Molotov cocktails along with us. As both Jon and I were only sixteen at the time and still considered juveniles, no charges were brought and we were released after a stern "talking to" by the Police Chief. The only stipulation made was that within three days I personally had to call Mr. Rockwell and apologize for having violated his property.

I made the required call and apology, and Mr. Rockwell accepted both my apology and explanation of the circumstances. Before ending the call however, he demanded to know why a "white Christian boy" was hanging around with a WNA "Jew boy!" Well, this seriously annoyed me and I somewhat nastily replied, "As it happens, Jon is Episcopalian! I'm the real "Jew boy!" The first part was true, the second false, me being a WASP at the time. I just wanted to yank that WNA's chain before hanging up on him.

All of this took place just a few short weeks before G.L. Rockwell was assassinated at the Dominion Hills Shopping Center while trying to do his laundry, by one of his ex-Lieutenants on August 25, 1967.

Edited May 23, 2021 by n4gix
Correct minor speeling arrors... ;)

[Camsdad13 64]

Great story. Brought back great memories as a kid but in the 70’s and 80’s. My dad was a Vietnam vet. I was in with multiple deployments and my son is entering his Jr year at a Military college and in the Army. Loved getting out in the bush with my buddies as a kid.