By: Milt Montague

When Milt was very young his parents would, on special occasions, allow him to dress up in playsuits. In the period between the two world wars, playsuits and play acting for young children, especially boys, became popular. These suits were designed to look like young Cowboys, Indians, Policemen, Firemen, and Doctors. Girls were more restricted and could only participate as Indian Maidens or Nurses. Milt, like most boys, loved wearing these ensembles and enacting the various roles while in costume. He has studio photographs celebrating his birthday, while wearing a sailor suit and also very old snapshots wearing an indian suit with a feathered headdress. His favorite was the traditional cowboy suit, complete with a ten gallon hat [child size], a pair of cap pistols that made loud noises when fired, and a red checkered neckerchief.

One of his fondest old memories goes back to when he was no more than five or six….. at the most, 8 years old……

It was a lovely summer day in Old Brooklyn, USA way back in the peaceful between- the-wars period circa 1930, just at the onset of The Great Depression. He doesn’t remember where they were going, but he does clearly remember that he was walking, with his father, along Blake Avenue, somewhere near where they lived. He was dressed in dark blue, proudly wearing his new policeman’s suit complete with whistle, hat, shiny silver badge, and swinging his nightstick [just as he had seen the real policeman do] as he patrolled the neighborhood.

As they were walking down the street, Milt noticed a woman approaching them half-walking, half-dragging a sniveling young child. She noticed Milt and pulled the child’s arm a couple of times as she pointed to Milt, and announced in a firm voice,

“If you don’t stop whimpering, this instant, I’m going to report you to that policeman, over there!”

It worked.

The child stopped crying instantly.

Milt tried to look stern as he passed the child. He stood at least six feet tall as he continued patrolling his beat.