Take Me Back To The 60's

[Chuck Craven]

I'm with Ira on this one! When I think of the 60's, the ony thing that comes to mind is the year I spent in VietNam. I made it through that year but it's not something I'd like to relive!
TLC

I’m with you I don’t want them to take a way my name and send me back to Vietnam!

Chuck

[Keith B]

Regardless of good, bad, right or wrong, which era was best, the country getting worse, etc....the USA is STILL THE BEST PLACE TO LIVE. I don't know of to many Americans crossing borders or getting on rafts to go somewhere else via the seas. As far as what was good then and what is good now; well, I believe it's a matter of personal morals, values and ethics... yes, "people" will do some stupid things and they seem to have a different "courage" to stand up for it and say something about it...BUT, if you don't like it, or agree with it or have questions and problems about it, well, live according to your conscience. Yeah, the 60's had Vietnam, but you can't find ANY decade that didn't have something scary about it it... WWI, the Great Depression, WWII, Korean War, Vietnam, the A-bomb, gas shortages, riots, civial wars....these are not "times" but "people". Yes, I agree, we have some strange ducks in our waters now-a-days but none-the-less this is STILL THE BEST PLACE TO LIVE, regardless of the years; and instead of preaching about "can we say God in school" and all that jazz I wish they'd teach more of..."sincerity, responsibility, have respect, honor, morals, values, ethics and treat others how you want to be treated.".... BUT, I do feel sorry for some of our children, who don't get to ride their bikes through the neighborhoods and play soccer in the field as "friends" instead of as a team for fear of kidnappings and crap... yes, things are different; maybe in 30 years our kids will tell their children, "man, the 2000's were scary enough with email, now we're vulnerable and complicated with instant time travel." Everyone has the ability for good morals, values and ethics, it's just a personal choice whether or not they decide to use them.

[Rich S]

I did not mean to be all negative. I too had great times in the sixties. Running around in hot cars. Dating a hot girl( she is now my wife of 37 years). By far the music of the sixties was the best.
It is a shame that for some of us all that fun came to a big end. Anyone who served knows it is not something you can forget. I tried for over 35 years. But on the good side two years ago I went to a reunion and meet some of my buddies again. We are now in touch and several of us see each other or call often. Last winter I went to Alaska to visit my old buddie and had one of the best times of my life. So I guess good things can come out of bad times.
Rich

[AlaskaJack]

Rich... Yep, I guess it's all a matter of perspective for sure. Like you, I enjoyed the cars and the wonderful ladies of the '60's (*sigh*).... I also served early on in the "hostilities" of Viet Nam .... but I was on a submarine. On a sub you eat well and do your stuff... and do the best you can....or everyone dies. Not much inbetween. Fortunately for me and my buddies there was not much of a war at sea. I did lose some good friends who were on the ground over there.... and several buddys who were on the Thresher when she went down.
By the grace of God... I don't have those dreams and memories that you guys "on the ground" had/have.
Also (as I may have mentioned earlier...) I was not raised in the South where black people were (and still are?) treated unfairly.... So clearly, my perspective is different from that of others.
I do have some lingering problems with those who draw only upon experiences that they "didn't have" but only read about. In my opinion, that is not really a fair or reasonable position of argument or observation.
At any rate... I thank you for your service and am sorry for the horrible memories that you (and others) have to live with each and every day... and night.
Jack Smith EM2(SS) USS Salmon SS-573

[fatehunter1972]

times are what they are:

I'm young to you. Just 34.
roamed the seas, and dreamed dreams of yore.
Rolled my way through a North Sea Storm
Master of my ship, hardship the norm. (Merchant Marine)
Loved a woman, saw her leave
said goodbye to my mom and grieved.

Jumped out of planes, high in the sky
heard dad's stories of the French Foreign Legion,
Yet never asked why.
(though I think I know).
Love Classic Rock, but the Chilli Peppers are cool
screwed up bad and been called a fool.

cursed a man for his small mind
he disrespected my sister, her color not his kind.
Read history, did reminisce.
life flows fast, try not to miss.
Keep going when it hurts, what would mom say?
once more unto the breach, enter the fray.

Life is, was and always shall be
Good, bad and slightly fruity



written at 0048 GMT -7 after a full days work.

I'm off to bed.

Quit bitchin, life changes, all the time.

It's just different. Like a different culture.

OH, and by the way. the USA is not the only BEST PLACE TO LIVE IN THE WHOLE WIDE WORLD.

[retiredcamper]

One of the things that have changed for me is the name of the drugs I take.

Back then I had to face going to Vietnam. Now I face the fact I went to Vietnam.

In the sixties we could not trust anyone older than 30. Now I don't trust anyone younger than 40.

Then it was free love. Now I have to buy a pill to make love.

[fornesto]

The Babyboom generation sure seems to think everything they touched turned to gold. If the 60s were so great (Vietnam aside), what caused times to change so fast. Was it the "revolution" of the late 60s turning into the decade of decadence known as the 70s when this generation became adults? This generation might have put out some decent music, but it also created the drug war/abuse/crisis we see today, the porn industry, the collapse of the family and church, the greatest rise in incarceration of any generation, the acceptance of divorce as normal and "good" for children, single moms, lawsuits against anyone for everything, White collar crime, latchkey kids, welfare abuse, the most disparate distribution of wealth between generations, and the likely possibility that their kids will have a lower quality of life than they had (never before observed). I could go on. Yes, much of this existed before the Babyboomers, but nowhere near the rates as when the Babyboomers became adults.

My generation is the fall-out from this experiment.

[Kurt (Indiana)]

Danny, Great piece of work. I am in the planning stages of a movie of my own. From birth to current day. This will be done on Windows Movie Maker. I love gathering data, pictures, video clips, etc that highlights the decades that I have lived through. Maybe some day I'll post it for all to see.

All of these things are worth remembering and documenting for future generations. If I don't do it, no one will believe it.
Thanks for sharing that video, it was very well done.