Sandust Soldiers

Having been born May 31, 1940, I grew up with war being a prominent part of my early life. During World War II, Time and Life magazines were full of battlefield scenes and stories. Fox Movietone News, shown as a “short” before every feature at the Lyric Theatre, also had military themes. Gasoline and food rationing were daily topics at our house.

Like many young boys I developed a healthy interest in military things and this included toy soldiers, tanks and airplanes. I noticed that some of the toy soldiers I bought at Hested’s store were different than some of the tine and lead soldiers I had...