--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Twelve years ago, when I was 10, I played…" description: "\"“Twelve years ago, when I was 10, I played at being a soldier. I walked up the brook behind our house in Bronxville to a junglelike, overgrown field an..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fa8/david-kenyon-webster-56900_first-world-war_twelve-years-ago-when-i-was-10-i-played_509503.jpg" --- # Twelve years ago, when I was 10, I played at being a… ![“Twelve years ago, when I was 10, I played at being a soldier. I walked up the brook behind our house in Bronxville to a junglelike, overgrown field and dug trenches down to water level with my friends. Then, pretending that we were doughboys in France, we assaulted one another with clods of clay…” quote by David Kenyon Webster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fa8/david-kenyon-webster-56900_first-world-war_twelve-years-ago-when-i-was-10-i-played_509503.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fa8/david-kenyon-webster-56900_first-world-war_twelve-years-ago-when-i-was-10-i-played_509503.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fa8/david-kenyon-webster-56900_first-world-war_twelve-years-ago-when-i-was-10-i-played_509503.jpg) > ““Twelve years ago, when I was 10, I played at being a soldier. I walked up the brook behind our house in Bronxville to a junglelike, overgrown field and dug trenches down to water level with my friends. Then, pretending that we were doughboys in France, we assaulted one another with clods of clay and long, dry reeds. We went to the village hall and studied the rust rifles and machine guns that the Legion post had brought home from the First World War and imagined ourselves using them to fight Germans. But we never seriously thought that we would ever have to do it. The stories we heard later; the Depression veterans with their apple stands on sleety New York street corners; the horrible photographs of dead bodies and mutilated survivors; “Johnny Got His Gun” and the shrill college cries of the Veterans of Future Wars drove the small-boy craving for war so far from our minds that when it finally happened, it seemed absolutely unbelievable. If someone had told a small boy hurling mud balls that he would be throwing hand grenades twelve years later, he would probably have been laughed at. I have always been glad that I could not look into the future.”” [David Kenyon Webster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-kenyon-webster/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Childhood play imagined war, but reality of combat shattered those fantasies, highlighting the gap between naive expectations and harsh truths. **In simple terms:** Kids imagined war, but real war is terrible. Key Takeaway Recognize the difference between fantasy and reality. Themes war memory illusion history youth Mood reflective somber thoughtful Type personal narrative historical reflection When to use this quote - school lessons - military training - peace activism - mental health counseling Key Concepts psychology trauma historical perspective Questions to Reflect On - How do early experiences shape attitudes toward conflict? - Can we prevent war through education? A Different Perspective The quote romanticizes war, ignoring its complex causes and the agency of societies. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Craving War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/craving-war-4321662/) [First world war](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/first-world-war/) [Grenades Years](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grenades-years-4321661/) [Johnny Got His Gun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/johnny-got-his-gun-223047/) [Machine gun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/machine-gun/) [Played Soldier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/played-soldier-2969028/) [Soldiers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/soldiers/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) [War Imagined](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war-imagined-1111456/) [World war](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world-war/) [Years ago](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/years-ago/) ## Related quotes > [“Tess of the d’Urbervilles, Johnny Got His Gun, A Farewell to Arms, A Prayer for Owen Meany, some years Wuthering Heights, Silas Marner, Their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabrielle-zevin/tess-of-the-d-urbervilles-johnny-got-his-gun-a-farewell-to-arms-a/) [Gabrielle Zevin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabrielle-zevin/) > [You know — we've had to imagine the war here, and we have imagined that it was being fought by aging men like ourselves.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/you-know-we-ve-had-to-imagine-the-war-here-and-we-have-imagined-that/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [I played soldier, you played king; and struck me down when I kissed that ring; you lost that right, to hold that crown; I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linkin-park/i-played-soldier-you-played-king-and-struck-me-down-when-i-kissed/) [Linkin Park](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linkin-park/) > [The last three movies I've done, I played a cowboy, then I played a soldier, and now I play Han Solo. So the little…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alden-ehrenreich/the-last-three-movies-i-ve-done-i-played-a-cowboy-then-i-played-a/) [Alden Ehrenreich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alden-ehrenreich/) > [I always played a soldier, sailor, or policemen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ratzenberger/i-always-played-a-soldier-sailor-or-policemen/) [John Ratzenberger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ratzenberger/) > [I have the most utmost respect for the men and women overseas, and I only played a soldier on television. Again, I can only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/corey-hawkins/i-have-the-most-utmost-respect-for-the-men-and-women-overseas-and-i/) [Corey Hawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/corey-hawkins/) > [Once conscription was introduced during the First World War, and once Britain's wars ceased being confined to the empire or to continental Europe and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-colley/once-conscription-was-introduced-during-the-first-world-war-and-once/) [Linda Colley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-colley/) > [“In the mystifying world that was Victorian parenthood, obedience took precedence over all considerations of affection and happiness, and that odd, painful conviction remained…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bryson/in-the-mystifying-world-that-was-victorian-parenthood-obedience-took/) [Bill Bryson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bryson/) > [I wish we could see understanding the First World War as a European issue, or even a global one, and not a nationalistic one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-macmillan/i-wish-we-could-see-understanding-the-first-world-war-as-a-european/) [Margaret MacMillan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-macmillan/) > [“The meaning of sex is illustrated by two eponymous heroes of British history, King Edward VII (who flourished in the years before the First…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jones/the-meaning-of-sex-is-illustrated-by-two-eponymous-heroes-of-british/) [Steve Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jones/) > [Pesticides came about after the first world war. Some brainy petrochemical money maker said, 'Hey, that mustard gas worked great on people, maybe we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/woody-harrelson/pesticides-came-about-after-the-first-world-war-some-brainy/) [Woody Harrelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/woody-harrelson/) > [“Father was always getting into scrapes when he was a lad. But the worst scrape he ever hot hisself into was the war, First…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-morpurgo/father-was-always-getting-into-scrapes-when-he-was-a-lad-but-the/) [Michael Morpurgo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-morpurgo/) > [“the democracies that arose after the First World War (and the Second) often collapsed when a single party seized power in some combination of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-snyder/the-democracies-that-arose-after-the-first-world-war-and-the-second/) [Timothy Snyder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-snyder/) > [“I told him that if we doubted that we are demons in Hell, he should read The Mysterious Stranger, which Mark Twain wrote in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/i-told-him-that-if-we-doubted-that-we-are-demons-in-hell-he-should/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [I did not know that the planning for biological and chemical warfare was so widespread in England, and even in France before France fell.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholson-baker/i-did-not-know-that-the-planning-for-biological-and-chemical-warfare/) [Nicholson Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholson-baker/) ## More by David Kenyon Webster > [Well, I thought, climbing slowly out of the slit trench, the shells will catch us above ground now. But if you have to go,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-kenyon-webster/well-i-thought-climbing-slowly-out-of-the-slit-trench-the-shells-will/) [David Kenyon Webster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-kenyon-webster/) > [Was there any meaning to life or to war, that two men should sit together and jump within seconds of each other and yet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-kenyon-webster/was-there-any-meaning-to-life-or-to-war-that-two-men-should-sit/) [David Kenyon Webster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-kenyon-webster/) > [Those things which are precious are saved only by sacrifice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-kenyon-webster/those-things-which-are-precious-are-saved-only-by-sacrifice/) [David Kenyon Webster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-kenyon-webster/) > [“The shells had landed on the cobblestone road. "Sonsofbitches," Wiseman muttered. We looked up and grinned at each other. "Here they come again!" Sitting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-kenyon-webster/the-shells-had-landed-on-the-cobblestone-road-sonsofbitches-wiseman/) [David Kenyon Webster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-kenyon-webster/) > [Those things that are precious are saved only by sacrifice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-kenyon-webster/those-things-that-are-precious-are-saved-only-by-sacrifice/) [David Kenyon Webster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-kenyon-webster/) [Explore all 6 David Kenyon Webster quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-kenyon-webster/) ## More First world war quotes > [I did not know that the planning for biological and chemical warfare was so widespread in England, and even in France before France fell.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholson-baker/i-did-not-know-that-the-planning-for-biological-and-chemical-warfare/) [Nicholson Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholson-baker/) > [“I told him that if we doubted that we are demons in Hell, he should read The Mysterious Stranger, which Mark Twain wrote in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/i-told-him-that-if-we-doubted-that-we-are-demons-in-hell-he-should/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“the democracies that arose after the First World War (and the Second) often collapsed when a single party seized power in some combination of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-snyder/the-democracies-that-arose-after-the-first-world-war-and-the-second/) [Timothy Snyder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-snyder/) > [“Father was always getting into scrapes when he was a lad. But the worst scrape he ever hot hisself into was the war, First…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-morpurgo/father-was-always-getting-into-scrapes-when-he-was-a-lad-but-the/) [Michael Morpurgo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-morpurgo/) > [Pesticides came about after the first world war. Some brainy petrochemical money maker said, 'Hey, that mustard gas worked great on people, maybe we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/woody-harrelson/pesticides-came-about-after-the-first-world-war-some-brainy/) [Woody Harrelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/woody-harrelson/) > [“The meaning of sex is illustrated by two eponymous heroes of British history, King Edward VII (who flourished in the years before the First…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jones/the-meaning-of-sex-is-illustrated-by-two-eponymous-heroes-of-british/) [Steve Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jones/) > [I wish we could see understanding the First World War as a European issue, or even a global one, and not a nationalistic one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-macmillan/i-wish-we-could-see-understanding-the-first-world-war-as-a-european/) [Margaret MacMillan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-macmillan/) > [“In the mystifying world that was Victorian parenthood, obedience took precedence over all considerations of affection and happiness, and that odd, painful conviction remained…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bryson/in-the-mystifying-world-that-was-victorian-parenthood-obedience-took/) [Bill Bryson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bryson/) > [Once conscription was introduced during the First World War, and once Britain's wars ceased being confined to the empire or to continental Europe and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-colley/once-conscription-was-introduced-during-the-first-world-war-and-once/) [Linda Colley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-colley/) > [All the people of all the nations which had fought in the First World War were silent during the eleventh minute of the eleventh…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/all-the-people-of-all-the-nations-which-had-fought-in-the-first-world/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“When my father was a young man, during the years of the First World War and long before there was any inkling of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-r-r-tolkien/when-my-father-was-a-young-man-during-the-years-of-the-first-world/) [J.R.R. Tolkien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-r-r-tolkien/) > [As the First World War made painfully clear, when politicians and generals lead nations into war, they almost invariably assume swift victory, and have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-hochschild/as-the-first-world-war-made-painfully-clear-when-politicians-and/) [Adam Hochschild](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-hochschild/) > [American strategists have calculated the proportion of civilians killed in this century's major wars. In the First World War, 5 percent of those killed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-ward/american-strategists-have-calculated-the-proportion-of-civilians/) [Colin Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-ward/) > [...maybe I've just read too many novels. In novels, alcoholics are always attractive and fuuny and charming and complex, like Sebastian Flyte or ABe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-nicholls/maybe-i-ve-just-read-too-many-novels-in-novels-alcoholics-are-always/) [David Nicholls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-nicholls/) > [“In the history of warfare, a succession of bold ideas and weapons had promised to curb the tyranny of distance. The horse and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoffrey-blainey/in-the-history-of-warfare-a-succession-of-bold-ideas-and-weapons-had/) [Geoffrey Blainey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoffrey-blainey/) [Browse all 176 First world war quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/first-world-war/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Twelve years ago, when I was 10, I played at being a soldier. I walked up the brook behind our house in Bronxville to a junglelike, overgrown field and dug trenches down to water level with my friends. Then, pretending that we were doughboys in France, we assaulted one another with clods of clay and long, dry reeds. We went to the village hall and studied the rust rifles and machine guns that the Legion post had brought home from the First World War and imagined ourselves using them to fight Germans. But we never seriously thought that we would ever have to do it. The stories we heard later; the Depression veterans with their apple stands on sleety New York street corners; the horrible photographs of dead bodies and mutilated survivors; “Johnny Got His Gun” and the shrill college cries of the Veterans of Future Wars drove the small-boy craving for war so far from our minds that when it finally happened, it seemed absolutely unbelievable. If someone had told a small boy hurling mud balls that he would be throwing hand grenades twelve years later, he would probably have been laughed at. I have always been glad that I could not look into the future.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "David Kenyon Webster" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-kenyon-webster/twelve-years-ago-when-i-was-10-i-played-at-being-a-soldier-i-walked/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "First world war" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-kenyon-webster/twelve-years-ago-when-i-was-10-i-played-at-being-a-soldier-i-walked/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fa8/david-kenyon-webster-56900_first-world-war_twelve-years-ago-when-i-was-10-i-played_509503.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fa8/david-kenyon-webster-56900_first-world-war_twelve-years-ago-when-i-was-10-i-played_509503.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fa8/david-kenyon-webster-56900_first-world-war_twelve-years-ago-when-i-was-10-i-played_509503.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Twelve years ago, when I was 10, I played at being a soldier. I walked up the brook behind our house in…” — David Kenyon Webster", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "David Kenyon Webster", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-kenyon-webster/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Twelve years ago, when I was...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-kenyon-webster/twelve-years-ago-when-i-was-10-i-played-at-being-a-soldier-i-walked/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-kenyon-webster/twelve-years-ago-when-i-was-10-i-played-at-being-a-soldier-i-walked/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```