A Soldier Frozen in Time

Metal toy soldier – 2022-05-27

There’s no telling what might pop up when you start digging through boxes of Steinhoff heirlooms.

It’s appropriate that this metal toy soldier came to light in time to commemorate Memorial Day. It looks like he might be dressed in a World War I uniform. I don’t ever recall seeing him before, so I have no idea of his history.

Now that he’s had a chance to see the light, I’m going to have him march over to the Cape Girardeau County History Center in Jackson so he can be enjoyed by others.

One Tin Soldier

While working on this guy, One Tim Soldier, the 1971 hit song in the movie Billy Jack, came to mind.

The song told the story of two neighboring tribes, the warlike Valley People and the peaceful Mountain Kingdom which possesses a great treasure buried under a stone. The Valley People demand the treasure. The Mountain People respond that they will share it with “their brothers,” but the Valley People invade and slaughter the Mountain People. On overturning the stone, they find nothing except the words “Peace On Earth” inscribed beneath it.

The song ends

Go ahead and hate your neighbor
Go ahead and cheat a friend
Do it in the name of heaven
You can justify it in the end
There won’t be any trumpets blowing
Come the judgment day
On the bloody morning after
One tin soldier rides away

Previous stories about veterans and memorials

 

One Reply to “A Soldier Frozen in Time”

  1. Nicely done… I haven’t heard One Tin Soldier in years, but I can in my head now. Have a thoughtful Memorial Day.

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