How many of you played "soldier" growing up? Has it become a thing of the past due to the "anti-gun" frenzy and other factors?

We did, with plastic miniature soldiers and tanks. No toys, we'd find a stick and practice SERE in the woods. Introducing lighter fluid to the soldiers simulated napalm. They melt. Early 60s.

COL Jean (John) F. B. Back in the day when I was growing up almost every boy had a cap gun or rifle and played Army (then I joined the Marines!). It was sort of a rites of passage. My brothers and I had a whole slew of plastic Army men. Most kids when I was living in Southern Illinois had a rife, .22, shotgun or something around their twelfth birthday. It was the accepted thing of the time. These days I'm not sure kids even know what a cap gun is or if they even make them any longer. My wife didn't want my son to have a rifle but I put my foot down and said, "He's going to be a man one day and he needs to be able to protect his family. He is getting it, period." She didn't like it but she never said a word about it again.

Interesting article, and rather sad. This kind of stuff always make me think of the lean and hungry Mongol hoards over running the fat and lazy Roman empire. Those who will play (train) at war will win at war.