While Toy Soldier Day is typically the annual day of celebration for all Toy Soldiers, the soldiers of Division 118 TSU-UK took it upon them selves to use this day of unity as a solemn occasion of remembrance for late soldier Colonel Necro. The 31-year-old gothic maverick lovingly regarded as Necro amongst his fellow soldiers passed away on February 11, 2011. The news of this untimely loss brought TSU to a halt. Though we have lost soldiers before, none were as close with his or her comrades as this British gentleman. Tales of his fun times rang throughout the international Toy Soldier community as friends and acquaintances across the world bore symbols of mourning from a white ribbon to a symbolic untouched beer, celebrating the beloved Necro’s life instead of his passing. At the British event, a 21 Nerf gun salute and many heartfelt and teary-eyed speeches chauffeured the spirit of the dear departed to the next realm. A friend fallen, but never forgotten.
Following the memorial service, British soldiers marched on to a science museum to wreak havoc through its hallowed halls, as the lovely Apothecary ChrysAlice depicts. Various gadgets and gizmos caught the eyes of the merry men and women as the celebrated science and the pursuit of knowledge in the most exciting (and affordable) ways possible. One of these days we’ll get a Toy Soldier space station, right?
As in accordance with every British invasion, a long day of tomfoolery concluded at a local pub at which a beer and chair were set-aside for Col Necro. The soldiers were welcomed at the bar with a private area upstairs that was either an appreciation for the gleeful gang or an effort to stash away such silly soldiers where the somewhat saner shouldn’t see. We’ll go with the former and air on the side of fun times.
By all accounts, this Toy Soldier Day will live in the hearts of these brave Brits for the rest of their lives as they have shown an incredible side of humanity that those outside of TSU often do not see. A bunch of strangers, and I mean that in every sense of the word, came together through TSU, becoming friends and even family, forming bonds of love that one can only hope for in his or her lifetime. And these once-strangers grew with each other over the days, months and years under one simple idea: a utopian playland. The concept that we should live for fun; nothing more complicated than this. This is what brought a strong headcount together on this seemingly insignificant day to honor someone who shared this notion, this not-so-insane idea, of cooperation, knowledge, and simple pleasures. Even those who barely knew Col Necro shed tears for this occasion because of the powerful fraternal bond we all share as Toy Soldiers, yet they were resilient enough to honor him through fun afterwards, refusing to let go of the underlying message. Let us learn from this event and realize that we as soldiers are so much more than fans or friends. We are family. We may fight, we may do dress funny, we may streak across conventions, but in the end, we are all Toy Soldiers united, brothers and sisters with immeasurable spirits that will continue to inspire generations to come as we march forth to a utopian playland.
For more information on this event, please view the video here
