Green plastic army men are seen piled in a container after being manufactured by J.K. Manufacturing Co. in Kalkaska, Michigan U.S., on Wednesday, Dec. 7, 2016.
Photographer: Luke Sharrett/BloombergThe Plastic Military-Industrial Complex
Plastic toy soldiers have been around since the late 1930s and soared in popularity during the 1950s plastics boom. Photographer Luke Sharrett visited J.K. Manufacturing Co. in Kalkaska, Mich., the only plant in the U.S., says its owner, Jody Keener, that manufactures the legendary Tim-Mee soldiers. Then Sharrett drove home to Shelbyville, Ky., where he got a little carried away.