TFW2005
Hisstank
Thundercats
TokuNation
Toyark
Home
News
G.I. Joe Movie
G.I. Joe Classified
G.I. Joe Vintage
Compatible Military Toys
G.I. Joe Comics
G.I. Joe Conventions
All News Categories
Photo Shoots
Database
G.I. Joe Database Index
G.I. Joe Classified
G.I. Joe 25th Anniversary
G.I. Joe Resolute
G.I. Joe Movie
G.I. Joe Pursuit of Cobra
G.I. Joe Renegades
G.I. Joe 30th Anniversary
G.I. Joe Retaliation
G.I. Joe Basic
G.I. Joe 50th Anniversary
G.I. Joe Con & Club
G.I. Joe FSS
Forum
Recent Posts Page
Characters
Snake Eyes
Cobra Commander
Destro
Baroness
Storm Shadow
Roadblock
Companies
Fun Pub
IDW
DeNA
Sideshow
Gentle Giant
Boss Fight
Ori Toy
Marauder
HissTank.com
>
HissTank.com - G.I. Joe
Integration
User Name
Remember Me?
Password
Rules
Register
Community
Today's Posts
Search
Community Links
Social Groups
Pictures & Albums
Members List
Search Forums
Show Threads
Show Posts
Advanced Search
Go to Page...
Thread
:
The Secret History of GI JOE: The Joe Colton Story
View Single Post
09-23-2017, 08:49 PM
DerStahlhelm
Crimson Guard
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: Val Verde
Posts: 2,345
September 25, 1947, Pawtucket, Rhode Island
Joe Colton inhaled deeply as he stepped off the train. He hadn't been what you'd call widely travelled, before he enlisted the furthest he'd been from Pawtucket had been to a cousin's wedding up near Boston, and one of the things that he was surprised by was how different places smelled. Pawtucket was a mill town, but it smelled like home.
He had about a five mile walk to home from here, he figured, so he threw his duffle bag over his shoulder and started off.
As he turned off the appropriately named Railroad street onto Broad, pace slackened a little as he realized that, for the first time in a long time, he had nowhere he had to be and no one telling him what to do. He also had a pocket full of money.
He was in no real hurry to get home anyway, his parents had been less than pleased when they learned of his enlistment. They'd written a few times, of course, but he could tell by the terse tone of the letters that Dad was still sore about it.
He'd gone a few blocks down Broad, and was coming up on the corner of Exchange street when he saw the sign for the Leroy Theater. He didn't feel like going to a picture, but Whelan's drug store was right next door. Whelan's had a soda fountain, and Joe hadn't had a Dr Pepper in three years.
He unconsciously fingered the scar that ran along his right cheekbone. If Red Wilks still worked the counter at Whelan's, this would be the first person from home he'd talked too since he enlisted.
The bell rang as he pushed open the door and walked in. Not much had changed he decided, save for the fact that instead of the familiar negro, Red's place was filled by a older man Joe didn't recognize.
"Good afternoon", Joe said to him as he came up to the soda fountain's counter.
The man looked up from the glass he was cleaning.
"What'll it be, Mac?" The older man asked gruffly.
"Just a Dr. Pepper." Joe replied.
He noticed a teenage girl sitting at the other end of the counter. She was blonde, with a dusting of freckles, red lips, and just about the cutest, upturned button nose Joe had ever seen. Said nose was currently stuck in a book, and she paid Joe no notice at all.
"Here you go, pal." The soda jerk said, placing the glass on the counter, "Five cents."
The sound of Joe's nickel hitting the counter had been loud enough to pull the girl out of whatever literary world she was in. She gave him a gorgeous smile and went back to her book. He returned a smile of his own.
Her attention, Joe noticed, was not entirely on the book anymore, though.
"Say, what happened to Red who used to work here?" He asked the man.
"That colored kid?" The man replied, not looking up from his cleaning, "He was gone before I started here. I heard he went and got himself killed in Italy."
"Gosh, that's terrible!" Joe said. Red was a decent sort.
"Yeah, sure." The man said, still not prying his eyes from the glasses.
Joe was suddenly aware of eyes focused on him. He turned towards the source, which turned out to be the blonde girl.
"Joe Colton!" She exclaimed, "I knew that was you!"
Her smile was now bright enough he wished he still had some of those atomic goggles he'd had in Antarctica. He was sure he'd remember if he knew a gorgeous girl like this.
His confusion apparently showed on his face.
"You don't recognize me, Joe? Jane Hassenfield, we've only lived across the street from each other our whole lives!" She said.
"Little Janey?" Joe said in disbelief. Janey Hassenfield had been a precocious nuisance, not a beautiful girl.
"Oh, boy! Do you know how much I hated when you called me that?" Jane laughed. "I suppose it has been a while. I'll be seventeen in January."
"You've certainly, uh, grown." Joe managed to stammer, certain he was blushing now.
"Well, you're not so scrawny anymore either, Joe. Army life suits you." She said, sitting down on the stool closest to him.
"Did you just get back?" She asked, eyeing Colton's khaki uniform.
"Yep. I got off the train about twenty minutes ago." He answered. "How have you been? Have you seen my folks lately?"
"Great!", She answered. "I graduate in the spring, and I'm going to Pembroke for nursing next year."
"That's great!" Joe said. College didn't surprise him, Jane had always been a smart cookie.
"Your dad was cross about you leaving for a long time." Jane continued. "But I'm sure they'll be happy to have you home. We've all missed you!"
Joe was a little relieved to hear that. Tiger tanks and MG-42s were infinitely preferable to his father when he was mad.
"Anyway, I've got to get home." Jane said, looking at the watch on her delicate wrist. "But that new Gary Cooper picture, Unconquered, just opened next door at the Leroy, you know. If a fella was to ask me to go see it this weekend, I'd probably say yes..." She said, her voice trailing off coyly.
"I think that could be arranged.", Joe said.
Jane's A-bomb smile returned.
"It's a date, then." Jane said matter of factly.
"Oh! But I just got back and I don't have a car!" Joe remembered.
"It's okay, Joe" Jane said with a laugh. "That '39 Plymouth outside is mine. If your lucky, maybe I'll let you drive, soldier!"
And with a whirl of skirt and ponytail, Jane Hassenfield disappeared out of the drugstore.
Maybe civilian life will be interesting after all, Colton thought, looking down at the empty Dr. Pepper he didn't even remember drinking.
Joe Colton nodded to soda jerk and head out of the store himself. He'd need to hoof it over to Woolworth's before he went home now, as he was sure none of his civilian clothes fit him anymore.
__________________
Needs : AOCI Lamprey Vests, (or similar), ROC Flash helmets, ROC Shipwreck flippers, 25th Dusty Torsos (or similar), BBTS Bull (Taurus) head, Snake Eyes V.52 forearms.
Last edited by DerStahlhelm; 09-23-2017 at
08:56 PM
..
DerStahlhelm
View Public Profile
Send a private message to DerStahlhelm
Find More Posts by DerStahlhelm
Sponsors
Recent Threads
Whose waist is this?
Super7 Ultimates (Could-be the Official) Thread
Pick the next VAMP-level vehicle
Classified Scarlett (Retro)
Classified Night Force Jodie "Shooter"...
New Classified Firefly: Did yours have tight joints or...
O-Ring Returns to G.I. Joe
G.I. Joe Classified Series Official Thread 2024!
Top 5 LEAST liked characters or figures from GI Joe
Boss Fight Studio Action Figure Line
I WANT TO ARGUE! Part XXI, About the 2024 HasLab
Marauder Task Force Super Thread
Customizer's Water Cooler
Movies Unlimited updates
Every Classified Figure Ranked / Classified Figure...
Best of the 80s Custom Project
G.I.Joe Classified Picture thread
Cobra Desert Razorback RC
Bazooka upgrade! (Thanks Metal-head)
G.I. Joe: Wrath of Cobra New Video Game
Delta-17 o-ring line
Black Out
Duke #5 (Spoilers)
Operation Mosterforce - New 1/12 Line of Figures from...
Super7 x G.I. Joe REACTION and O-RING!
Recent Off Topic Threads
What song are you listening to?
Hisstank Late Night thread...
G.I. Joe March Madness 2024 Round 3 Dreadnok...
G.I. Joe March Madness 2024 Championship Battle Armor...
Joy Toy's Dark Source Line
Recent B/S/T Threads
looking for weapons and assorted pieces 25th Ann -50...
80s GI Joe Vehicles & Aircraft
Hellion42's BST list
Wtb 82-83 file cards or?.
Closet Cleanout...
Vintage Tomahawk for sale, 99% complete
FOR SALE: "Master of Disguise" Zartan, Pulse...
MagicWazard's B/S/T thread