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What is GI Joe to you?
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09-15-2017, 05:30 PM
RolandofGilead
Gunslinger
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: MidWorld
Posts: 38,081
It's been a lot of things at a lot of different times. All of them intertwined into what I think of as GI Joe.
In 1982 when the figures first appeared at my local Gemco store I was instantly hooked. I had been heavily into little plastic army men at the time. My friends and I had dozens of them so for my first introduction to GI Joe, were little plastic army men that could actually move like Star Wars guys.
Rock 'N Roll and Flash were my first. I was soon out to collect all the figures on the back of the package. We didn't have much back then, but I was still able to pick up the RAM, the JUMP, and the VAMP. I was so excited about the VAMP that I took it along with me to school in Third Grade, hiding it in a paper lunch bag. I also picked up Grunt, Breaker, and Short Fuse. My step dad said that Grunt reminded him of himself in Vietnam, so Grunt became my dad when I played. My older cousin was just turning 13 when GI Joe came out. We played a lot at first, he got the MMS, the HAL, Scarlett, and Snake Eyes to complete our collection. (although at the time we didn't know what a Commando was and figured he was the Commander) but then he was too old and all his Joes became mine. That was the last time we really did anything together as children.
Joes were my Pokemon. I wanted to have them all, but, as I said, I didn't get a lot back in those days. But by mowing lawns, doing odd jobs, and even starving to save my lunch money, I could keep up with most of the figures.
When I turned 13, I asked for the WHALE for Christmas. I knew I was older, but I still loved GI Joe. My step dad said "no" but my mom secretly bought it for me anyway. He was actually pissed off when I opened it on Christmas morning. He felt toys were a useless waste of money.
Two days later, I was riding my new bike (also a Christmas present) and crashed into a brick wall when the brakes went out. I broke both arms in two places, cut my teeth through my lower lip and jammed my front teeth deep into my gums. I was a bloody mess and my step dad raced me to the hospital in a panicked, caring way I didn't often see with him. I ended up staying the night and when I woke up in the hospital, I found my WHALE sitting on the end of my bed filled with my figures. My step dad had gone home and brought it back for me. The kindest thing he ever did.
That's a lot of GI Joe history, and by far that's not everything. I can't even count the times battling on my friend's hill, or floating everything in the pool for days, or turning my bunk bed into the USS Flagg. Too many memories.
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Last edited by RolandofGilead; 09-15-2017 at
05:33 PM
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