More than a decade after my first husband and I divorced, after Tom and I had already lived in Houston for several years, I unpacked my old Barbies for the first time. It wasn’t until then that I realized I still had First Husband’s childhood GI Joe doll. I wasn’t even sure of his address at that point, so I told Jess, who had GI Joe action figures, that he could take the doll if he’d put it away and take care of it. Recently when Lynne and I were going through her photo albums, she opened a box and found GI Joe again.
Joe in his fatigue cap. He’s got nothing on this guy:
Joe in his helmet.
This guy would not approve of Joe’s weapon, which is not regulation.
In fact, the gun isn’t even GI Joe’s. I guess it’s another toy I inadvertently stole with Joe, part of Hake’s Wanted Dead or Alive game.
This is my favorite part of Joe’s getup: backpack accessory!
Also packed away with him was what may be a flight suit, but I can’t find one like it online for any male doll of that era. The lining is all cracked and powdery, as if it might be the Flight Suit O’ Anthrax. Biological warfare!
Here’s my dad training his men at the DMZ in Korea in helicopter rope suspension. There’s not a white flight suit in sight.
Though I suppose I could use a Bedazzler on Joe’s outfit, and we could pretend my father was training Elvis impersonators for the Helicopter Rope Suspension Elvi, something like these guys:
Image taken from the Internet without permission and I expect a cease and desist email from the You Know Who estate any minute. Also, should the original owner of the GI Joe pictured stumble over this blog post sometime in the future and contact me, I will return the doll and his fashion. Though it’ll be hard to give up the backpack.
I wouldn’t give Joe up so fast; possession is 9/10th’s of the law, after all. (Perhaps the other 10th is inside the backpack?)
PS – Am I the only one who hears the M*A*S*H theme while looking at the helicopter photos?
Maybe I should start a new series on my blog: Guess What’s in Joe’s Backpack Today?
Random: I used to play the M*A*S*H theme on the piano ten thousand years ago.
Keep Joe, at least for Barbie. If H1 wants it back, tell him to grow up. Gee, I sound like Ann Landers or Dear Abby.
Oh, Barbie has so many Kens and Alans–and Legolas and Edward and Jacob and Rhett–she’d never miss Joe.
Seriously, I would never keep his GI Joe if he wants it back. His two sons might have missed out, but he could have grandsons. I really didn’t mean to steal it!
Fascinating to see the Korea photos.