What do you remember most about the 70's?

[pinboy3niner]

90. After Vietnam and 18 months in the hospital, I got out of the Army in '71

With 4 1/2 years of service, they retired me as a Captain for partial disability. Promptly grew my hair long, and added a moustache. Marriage and baby during college. Nobody ever spit on me, but I remember being called "baby-killer" and some other things.

Cut classes at USC to watch Watergate hearings. Later, heard President Ford speak on campus. That gave my new baby a huge diaper load. True story.

After that, in '75 watching the fall of Saigon on TV was the double whammy--when we knew the war was all for nothing. And too many of us knew too many who died. I don't know if many people understand what a blow that was for vets. Our grief was deep.

In '77 did an internship with a Dem congressman where, among other things, I wrote his press releases, including one explaining President Carter's amnesty order for draft evaders. That was no big deal because I agreed with it, but it still stirred my Vietnam stuff.

After my D.C. semester/internship I was ready to return home to CA when I learned I would have to relocate to the D.C. area to have my Army surgery re-done by the Navy at Bethesda. Despite my conscious and psychological subconscious efforts to suppress Vietnam, it just kept coming back. They did three operations, including rebuilding my jaw two more times.

And we had a lot of great music.