If you have gone to the http://www.ifish.net/ thread, "G.I. Joe's Sighting," that was posted on 1-21, I'll bet you have seen the photo of a former Postal Annex in Hillsboro, with the large banner, "G.I. Joe's Coming Soon!" (The photos are in Comment #70 of that thread.)
What a match-up of history and present day! Dad started the original G.I. Joe's in a G.I. hospital tent in North Portland. Prior to that, he had sold army surplus sleeping bags from a rented fruit stand in North Multnomah County, or even beside the road, from a car or back of a pickup truck. The deal is, Dad did not have a store at first, or a perfect store later, he just wanted to get the merchandise out to customers by whatever means he could.
Well, look at the Postal Annex, and the startup of G.I. Joe's again. It isn't the perfect store for a startup, but you work with what you've got, just like Dad did back in the late '40s and early '50s. It is sort of like history repeating itself, and I am so happy.
So, I say to my brother and his three partners (I call them the "good guys" in my mind), "You go, good guys!" As the G.I. Joe's slogan said in the '70s, "Go for it!"
Posted by Janna Orkney, January 24, 2010
G.I. Joe's Refuses to Just Fade Away
I am posting this on January 16, 2010, to tell you that, yes, there are negotations under way to start up G.I. Joe's stores again! My brother, David Orkney, and some original senior management folks, are working on opening one or more G.I. Joe's stores very soon.
I am thrilled! Of course, there is the family tie for me, but what it gets down to, is that I am happy because G.I. Joe's is good for Oregon. First of all, the old management of the stores understood what Oregonians want in an outdoor store because they lived in Oregon too. That will be coming back. And G.I. Joe's was good for Oregon in another way. The store policy was to support local businesses, both large and small, when choosing suppliers. That will be coming back too.
And, the "G.I." will be coming back as well. The removal of "G.I." by the previous management was a huge indication that they didn't get what it stood for. It is really simple...it stands for support of our troops and respect for our veterans and my brother and his partners want to make that store support very clear by using the old name. After all, it was my dad, Edward Orkney, who started G.I. Joe's as a World War II veteran, and many other vets worked in the
store over the years as well.
I am so hoping it all comes together again for an Oregon-based G.I. Joe's. That's in my prayers, and I hope in yours too.
I will keep you posted as things develop.
Posted by Janna Orkney, January 16, 2010
I am thrilled! Of course, there is the family tie for me, but what it gets down to, is that I am happy because G.I. Joe's is good for Oregon. First of all, the old management of the stores understood what Oregonians want in an outdoor store because they lived in Oregon too. That will be coming back. And G.I. Joe's was good for Oregon in another way. The store policy was to support local businesses, both large and small, when choosing suppliers. That will be coming back too.
And, the "G.I." will be coming back as well. The removal of "G.I." by the previous management was a huge indication that they didn't get what it stood for. It is really simple...it stands for support of our troops and respect for our veterans and my brother and his partners want to make that store support very clear by using the old name. After all, it was my dad, Edward Orkney, who started G.I. Joe's as a World War II veteran, and many other vets worked in the
store over the years as well.
I am so hoping it all comes together again for an Oregon-based G.I. Joe's. That's in my prayers, and I hope in yours too.
I will keep you posted as things develop.
Posted by Janna Orkney, January 16, 2010
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