Adventures of a 70’s Kid in an Army And Navy Store

Metallicman ^ | 25DEC18 | Editorial staff

[vannrox]

When I was a youth, in the 1960’s and 1970’s, one of the biggest treats that my father would give us would be a trip to one of the nearby “Army and Navy” stores.

We would hop in the car, and then ride for a spell (depending on the direction) from a half an hour to an hour and a half drive. We would stop along the way to get a soft-serve cone at Dairy Queen, and then spend an hour or so in the store.

They all looked pretty much the same no matter where you went. The nearest ones to us, at that time, were in other towns. We would actually have to cross the country line to get to them. At that time, I frequented a store in Butler, Pa., and another one further up North in Erie, Pa.

I guess that they are a fading American cultural fixture today. They can still be found. However, they are mere shadows of what they used to be. Today, surplus stores can be found in strip malls in the rough part of town or as stand-alone warehouse-style buildings. In the later case, they might be a metal pole building with a huge “Army and Navy” sign in huge letters (often black on yellow) with corrugated metal roofing and very few windows.



For a boy growing up, the world of the Army and Navy store was the first stop and a doorway to adventure. When we entered the building we encountered the world that we dreamed about. here were places with maps, treasures and tools. We loved going through the boxes and

[Kartographer]

AHH....the aroma of damp canvass!

[rlmorel]

Bfl

[Hot Tabasco]

There used to be a real army surplus store near me with real surplus stuff. It’s gone now but about a mile from that one another store opened up but that’s pretty much replica stuff with clothing made overseas.....

[USS Alaska]

I was discharged from the Army in 1962, and was wandering through an Army-Navy Store that same year.

I bought a few different things, one of which was an 'Army blanket' a brown, wool blanket that every GI had as his top cover for his bunk.

Today, 58 years later, that blanket is in my vehicle, in a plastic bag, to be used as an emergency blanket. Granted, it hasn't seen much use but it is still very usable.

[Doogle]

...a treasure fine now a days, is the British type pullover wool sweater,a must have if you live in cooler climate.

[CopperTop]

There's a joint here in Lexington that's called the "Army Navy Store". But it's just a clothing retailer.

But just down the road a lil ways t'wards Asheboro is Delk's. A real surplus Valhalla! Everything ya could think of and then some! The usual assortment plus heavy equipment and commercial "surplus" gear. Takes a full day to see it all if you're so inclined. d:^)

[HartleyMBaldwin]

My brothers and I used to love Andy and Bax in Portland. I’m sure it’s long gone now, but I still have at least one item from there (a knife).

[HANG THE EXPENSE]

Good times for sure.

[EvilCapitalist]

My Dad has one of those.

[Frank_Symptoms]

Hodge’s Army / Navy in Marietta, Ga. was my all-time favorite place to go when I was in my teens.

[Bull Snipe]

In Portland, OR. it was GI Joe’s. Most of by boy scout troop bought their back packs ponchos and canteens there.

[Candor7]

...a treasure fine now a days, is the British type pullover wool sweater,a must have if you live in cooler climate>

They are still available , made by the original contractor; “ Wooly Pully” I always have one in the old bolt hole kit.

https://www.outdoorknitwear.com/crew-neck/16-woolly-pully-nato-crew-neck-sweater.html#/size-xs/colour-olive

[Rockingham]

I still regularly use the heavy-duty black canvas duffel bag that I bought for $10 at a surplus store some thirty years ago. And somewhere, I still have the prism that I bought as a boy that was originally part of the eyepiece from a tank periscope. That small piece of glass made the light spectrum tangible for me in a way that drawings in a science text could not.

[HartleyMBaldwin]

I remember GI Joe’s, too. There was one out in Beaverton I used to go to, but for really cool surplus stuff it was always Andy and Bax over on SE Union (or Grand, I don’t remember which).

[Big Red Badger]

Hello,
My name is Kenbo,
I’m a Surplus Junkie.

[wally_bert]

Bookmarked.

Thank you.

[King Moonracer]

The “Old Navy” store doesn’t have anything good, and is packed with teenage punks.

[Robert A Cook PE]

Been in Hodges in Marietta on Hwy 41. A few miles, also in an industrial park between Hwy 5 and 41 and I75, is another. An actual “Army-Navy” stores, pretty much as descibed in the article.

Requisite “bomb” (fuel tank, rocket, float) out front.

Bought socks up there last week.

[Openurmind]

Loved these stores back then, canteens, backpacks, shovels, cool tools. And back then the prices were very reasonable unlike now. Later in life I got into going to the bulk military auctions and did pretty well reselling for awhile.

Then they started loading and banding up pallets hiding 3/4 of garbage under a 1/4 usable that had to go right in the trash after cutting the bands. They ruined it for most of us by doing this, very few pallets were worth what the bidding was getting up to anymore.