It will always be known as the year I parted ways with the
United States Navy, amicably and honorably, though the latter hardly mattered
anymore. In fact, a personnel worker for Southwestern Bell in Pine Bluff had
suggested that I omit mention of my military record from any application form I
might submit to them. I told him to kiss my ass.
1970? Let’s see. The big news should have been, had we been
paying attention, that Richard Nixon ordered the United States military to
attack Cambodia, a sovereign nation that had committed no act of aggression
against us. Some worried at the time that it might set a precedent that could
lead to disasters in the future. Others claimed we were America, and we could
do as we damned well pleased. I just knew that as long as there was a Canada, I
wouldn’t be involved in such shenanigans again.
But, unfortunately, most people didn’t notice unprovoked
wars or the civilians being incinerated by our bombers. The real news was that The Beatles disbanded. We all figured
that it had been inevitable. Who could imagine a Rock and Roll band lasting into old-age?
But, we observed the first Earth Day that year and 100,000 people
gathered in Washington to protest the Vietnam War. It seemed that the nation’s
blood lust was beginning to wane. I joined a group called “Vietnam Veterans
Against the War,” and began taking my place among Americans who favored
romantic music over mortar rounds. We began seeking an alternative to making
war. Hmm. Making baskets? Making doll dresses? Making bird cages? Oh well … we
would think of something.
Since I was entering a field, urban planning, that relied on
socio-economic factors, I took time to take note of a few. Let’s see:
The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed at 838 that year. Some
thought that was getting dangerously high and recommended other investments. The
inflation rate, after all, was 5.84 percent.
How about a new house? The average cost was $23,450.00. That
seemed a fortune to me. Hell, the payments would be over $200 per month. Wow.
The average income that year was $9,400.00 I would enter the
civilian world at about half that. Oh well.
Cost of a gallon of gas was 36 cents. Periodic “gas wars”
would push that, in our vicinity, as low as 27 cents, proving that some wars
were more fruitful than others. Yeah.
Despite the demise of The
Beatles as a working band, music continued to be a major force. The largest
ever rock festival held occurred on the Isle of Wight with 600,000 people
attending. It featured some of the biggest names in music including Jimi
Hendrix and The Who. Things were looking
rosy from a musical standpoint. Who could have foreseen tragedies on the
horizon, such as the recording of Riding Through
the Desert on a Horse With No Name, or Having
My Baby?
The Apollo 13 moon mission nearly ended in disaster. The
Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty offered the view of a more peaceful future, going
into effect after ratification by 43 nations.
The Chicago Seven defendants
were found guilty of intent to incite a riot at the 1968 Democratic Convention.
A Court of Appeals later overturned their convictions, despite the fact that
they helped America elect Richard Nixon president. Americans seem to believe
that all is fair in presidential elections.
Oh well, it was a hell of a year I was leaving. Wriggling
their way into 1971 was a broad cross-section of babies ranging from Queen
Latifah to Ted Cruz to Shemar Moore to Tina Fey and, oh, way over the sea, a beautiful
baby who would later go by the immigrant name of Melania Trump.
A farmer's daughter from Lonoke, Arkansas was about to graduate from college in Conway.
Then there was me, all grown up, filled out and ready to kick
some free-world ass.
 |
| The Year 1970 set my course for the future. |
No comments:
Post a Comment