War Toys, a nonprofit organization, has partnered with the estate of legendary combat photojournalist Dickey Chapelle to create a remarkably detailed 1:32 scale figure of the pioneering photographer. The meticulously crafted figure features Chapelle's trademark harlequin glasses, pearl earrings, and her iconic Leica and Nikon cameras, joining a collection of noncombatant figures designed for an educational board game that highlights peacemakers working in war zones.
The initiative stems from the work of acclaimed photographer Brian McCarty, who serves as executive director of War Toys, a nonprofit founded in 2019. McCarty's organization focuses on gathering and sharing children's firsthand accounts of war through art-therapy collaborations. His unique approach combines toy photography with therapeutic intervention, helping children process trauma by recreating their drawings of war experiences using toys, often photographed in active conflict zones.
McCarty's deep connection to photography and play therapy originated from a traumatic childhood experience. In 1984, just days before his 10th birthday, he became fixated on news photos from the San Ysidro McDonald's massacre, where 11-year-olds David Delgado and Omarr Hernández were among 21 people killed in one of America's first modern mass shootings. "I couldn't stop looking at the photos, trying to understand not just the massacre but also who took these pictures and why," McCarty explained to American Journal of Play. "Imagining being there with a camera made the event more accessible and therefore less scary."
Using his new Kodak 110 camera birthday present, young McCarty began pretending to be a photojournalist, unknowingly processing trauma through play. "To most outside observers, I was just playing with my toys," he recalled. "In reality, I was filtering the world around me into smaller, safer bites and using the camera to reenact and explore everyday life with a degree of separation." This childhood experience shaped his understanding of play's therapeutic power and influenced his later professional work.
The War Toys project has evolved from a simple concept into a comprehensive educational program. "War Toys' entire toy industry program began with a seemingly simple idea: we should add a photojournalist to bags of little green army men," McCarty explained. "That tiny change can create huge ripple effects – giving kids more play options than 'us versus them' while subtly promoting more peaceful ideals like freedom of the press." Through collaboration with mental health professionals in war zones and other artists, McCarty's War Toys series depicts tragic events through children's perspectives, creating powerful narratives that showcase victim experiences in unprecedented ways.
Dickey Chapelle, the subject of the latest figure, was a groundbreaking combat photojournalist whose career spanned from World War II until her tragic death in Vietnam in 1965. Born in 1919, she began her war correspondence career covering the Battle of Iwo Jima during World War II. Over two decades, always wearing her signature pearl earrings and harlequin glasses, Chapelle documented conflicts worldwide, including the Korean War and the Hungarian Revolution. During the Hungarian Revolution, she was arrested by the Red Army on espionage charges, demonstrating the dangerous nature of her work.
Chapelle's career came to a tragic end in 1965 while she was on patrol with U.S. Marines in Vietnam. She was killed by shrapnel from a booby trap, earning the sad distinction of being the first female correspondent killed during the Vietnam War and the first American woman photojournalist ever killed in action. The Marines honored her sacrifice, stating, "She was an incredible photographer and a remarkable pioneer. She was buried with full military honors. She was one of us, and we will miss her." In 2017, Chapelle was posthumously made an honorary Marine, cementing her legacy in military history.
The Dickey Chapelle figure represents exceptional attention to historical detail. Sculpted by David Lea with support from Chapelle's estate and the Wisconsin Historical Society, the 1:32 scale figure includes her trademark pearl earrings and harlequin glasses. Additional authentic details include the K-bar knife given to her by a Marine at Iwo Jima, her Leica M3 and Leica IIIc cameras, and a Nikonos-I underwater camera she used for her "Water War in Vietnam" assignment for National Geographic magazine.
The Chapelle figure joins eleven other noncombatant figures in the War Toys collection, which will be available worldwide as part of a reimagined set of plastic Army men soldiers. War Toys plans to share the designs and molds with global toy-producing partners, ensuring accessibility for children around the world. "We will impact millions of children through established markets and distribution streams, fostering more positive play patterns and a better understanding of war and the people who work for peace," the organization stated.
Accompanying the figure collection is "Evac Ops," a cooperative board game designed for three players in collaboration with socially conscious game designer Nashra Balagamwala. Each player assumes one of three noncombat roles: photojournalist, rescuer, or aid worker, working together to save civilians in war zones. The game encourages continued role-playing long after completion, reinforcing the message that war involves many people working for peace rather than destruction.
McCarty's work addresses a harsh reality for millions of children worldwide who experience war firsthand. Through War Toys, the organization ensures that children can process their trauma through healthy play and artistic expression. "What began as a photojournalist project has grown into a proof of concept for the program," McCarty noted. "Instead of one figure, there are now twelve. We've created a series of noncombatant army men – combat photojournalists, frontline rescuers, and aid workers based on actual women and men known for their frontline work."
The initiative represents a significant shift in how children's toys can address serious global issues. By introducing figures like Dickey Chapelle into traditional military toy sets, War Toys creates opportunities for children to explore different perspectives on conflict, emphasizing the roles of journalists, aid workers, and peacekeepers. This approach allows children to process difficult realities while learning about courageous individuals who risk their lives to document truth and help others in the world's most dangerous places.
