The Toy Soldier was a vintage balloon that had appeared in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.
History with the Macy's Parade[]
The Soldier first appeared in the 1950 Parade, Although the balloon debuted in 1950, it is a common misinterpretation that it debuted when the balloons were introduced in 1928, as mentioned in various claims by Macy's, such as virtual history simulators. The Toy Soldier became an instant staple of the Parade, having made on-and-off-again appearances until it was finally retired after the 1958 Parade.
After almost nearly 40 years of absence, the Toy Soldier returned to the line of march in The 75th Annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, this time as an all-new novelty balloon to help celebrate the Parade's 75th anniversary. This balloon is different than the previous balloon, in that it has a redder color scheme and a different design to the hat. The recreation was retired after the 2006 Parade and has yet to make a comeback.
This re-creation also made appearances at the Macy's Holiday Parade at Universal Orlando Resort, and despite it's retirement from the main parade after 2006, it continued to appear at Universal until 2013.