Toy Soldiers Off to War

Timmy's father shipped out on active military duty the previous Christmas. Before he left, he gave Timmy a collection of little green army men; most of which were his favorite toys when he was younger.

Every day, Timmy would play with these toys out in the sandbox in the backyard. Plastic men would fight imaginary wars over the dunes. Sometimes small toy robots would get mixed into the battles as the green plastic men would defend Earth from the ravages of the robot army.

When asked what he wanted to be when he grew up, Timmy would smile a toothy grin and beam with pride and say, "I want to be just like Daddy. A army man." Sometimes he would pause before adding, "Or a fireman."

The only thing he wanted more than to grow up to be a soldier just like his father, was to have his Daddy come home. He didn't understand why Mommy always watched the news and seem so worried when they talked about different battles in the war.

On rainy days, he would play inside. The living room would transform in his mind, becoming a plethora of alien worlds, with the plastic army men fighting heroic battles across these planetscapes. Toy trucks and cars would be spaceships one minute and tanks another.

And it was a rainy, that 7th of June, when a little after lunch the doorbell rang. Timmy ran to the door and peaked through the letter slot. All he could see was part of a blue uniform, just like the kind his Daddy wore.

He ran into the kitchen, where his Mommy was cleaning up from lunch. On the way, he made a zigzag pattern and bursts of machine gun noises. "Army man! Army man!"

His mother was walking towards the door as he burst into the kitchen. "Army man! Army man!"

"Did you already peak?"

"Yes, Mommy. Army man!" He made some random gun noises, while pointing the little plastic army men he held in each hand towards each other.

She quickly walked to the door. Stopping in front of it, she took a deep breath, before opening it.

"Mrs. McNabb?"

"Yes?"

"The Army regrets to inform you that while on patrol on June 5th, Staff Sergeant Andrew McNabb died. Arrangements are being made to return the body to the United States where he will receive a military funeral with full honors." The man held out a sealed envelope. "If you wish, he may be interred at the national cemetery as befits his service."

With a trembling hand, Timmy's Mommy took the envelope. "You have the Army's deepest condolences, ma'am."

The man smartly turned around and walked away from the front door. Timmy tugged at his mother's sleeve. "Mommy? What's wrong?"

He could tell from her tears that something bad happened. He didn't know what exactly. He just knew that he should be crying too.

He threw his arms around his mother's leg, sobbing greatly--the little plastic army men he had been holding cascaded to the carpet.