Woodstock

[Tobina+1]

David; I thought I saw a commercial on TV for either a new show or mini-series about the "farmer" and town where Woodstock took place.  One of the excerpts was "do you think anyone will come?"  Ha!  Little did they know!

OH... after a quick serch on the internet... a new movie coming out August 28th... Taking Woodstock.  Here's the website:
http://www.filminfocus.com/focusfeatures/film/taking_woodstock/

I can't find a rating, sorry.  I also have no idea how "fictional" this movie is.  Looks like it's from the point of veiw of the people putting it on and the people in the area who lived there.

[Mom70x7]

The emotions expressed here run the gamut - and that's also what I remember from the era.

You were either for it (Woodstock, hippies) or you were against it.
The middle-of-the roaders just didn't understand what was going on in either direction.

I grew up in small-town Iowa - very similar to small-town Kansas. Then I moved to Chicago and suburbs, a totally different world.
Even though I attended a small Methodist college, and felt very sheltered there, I was still in the big city, the VERY BIG city, and next to Northwestern. The hippies, the peace-niks, the Love Generation were more visible. I was entranced. This was NOT Iowa.

There were some days, and weeks, when the tension in the town (Evanston) was thick. What hippie rock star was going to give a concert at Northwestern, would all the long-hair freaks be there? Students took over the ROTC building - were they going to do it again, with another building? Was the National Guard really going to march onto the campus?

I was a spectator for a lot of it (got more involved in 1970), didin't comprehend what was really going on until years later.

And then I would go to Wrigley Field, watch the Cubs and the Mets, or the Cubs and anyone, and I'd be in a whole 'nother world. Life was safe, life was good, everyone got along. No age discrimination, no judging on looks. It was baseball.

And the moon landing. That was magical. Would they make it, did they have enough fuel, would the suits explode in no atmosphere, would they sink into the sand and dust? Woodstock wasn't considered that important at the time. Big festival, big mess, but it wasn't part of my world.

People were bewildered by all that was going on - or they had strong opinions.

[D Whetstone]

Mom 490 ,

You nailed it. A very emotional time, as I have been told. And that is why Tim will get to read this entire thread. It will help me illustrate to him just how emotional and divisive a time it was.  I will edit one or two words. Don't need that headache right now (explaining those words). The kid catches on to way too much as it is.

David

[Mom70x7]

David -

It's obvious I didn't do much of the Woodstock thing, but Tim can ask questions any time he wants.

[sixdogsmom]

Dave, I edited the posting with the objectionable word, now if Charlie wants to edit his, there should be no further problem. Too bad that the receivers must make the amends when it was a forward pass that did the damage. I expect that this thread will probably bore the kid to death anyway, but you never know. Good luck on explaining the times and what was the result of those times. I don't think anyone mentioned Dr. Martin Luther King and his movement. That most certainly had a large influence even though it started way before Woodstock. Civil disobedience was not new, and was copied from the movement started by Ghandi in India, looking for freedom from rule by the British. Sound familiar? I guess what goes around comes around. Now I am beginning to sound like Pam.

[flintauqua]

David,

I just deleted my response to your question, now if you delete the original question, I think you'll be good to go.

Charles

[Sarge]

Well, here I am at the end of quite a discussion. I feel kinda like Zsa Zsa Gabor's  5th husband on the eve of their wedding: I know what I want to do, but not sure how to keep it interesting.  
I was in VietNam during tet of '68 as a dog handler. It wasn't fun, but I had it much better than some others I know. I don't really think the people at Woodstock were just wanting a little peace and love, I think they just wanted a big party with a few joints and a few hits of acid. They got the big party! Our military leaders did the best job they could do under the circumstances. From Generals down to Sergeants bear the consequences of their decisions and some of those consequences haunt them to this day. I knew about the SDS and knew people who were in it. I felt it was communist inspired and based and so did a lot of students who refused to have anything to do with it.  If there had been embedded reporters with television cameras during WW II we would have lost. War is not for civilian eyes; it is to be fought by soldiers, marines, airman, seamen and coast guardsmen. It is to be fought to WIN!!!
Why did the "hippies" burn their draft cards? Because they were against the war? No, because the were afraid to fight, because they were afraid to be committed to anything, including a job, that would interfere with their "finding themselves".  No civilian has the knowledge or right to criticize a military leader, because a civilian is not privy to the information that is available to that military leader. Even myself and jarhead could not, in all honesty, criticize our leaders because we did not know what they knew. As troops always do, we bitched about whoever was in charge and about what we were ordered to do, but we did it even though we didn't like it and knew at the time that we may become a statistic.  Is there anyone who hates war more than those that are called to fight it? I don't think so, but without it we wouldn't be free now.  I won't write anymore or I'll just keep going. Semper fi  Jarhead!

[Jane]

Well said Sarge, it takes someone that was there to put it in words the way you have. I lost a very close friend in Nam and everytime I see news report with pictures of that time I always watch to see if I might catch him in the picture.
Jane

[jarhead]

Excellant post Sarge. You hit the nail on the head about the war protestors. When congress ended the draft in 1972, anti war protests almost ceased entirely so it seems as though it was never about "peace".
Semper Fidelis to you too Sarge and may Shep RIP.

[Jo McDonald]

Here I sit with tears in my eyes, remembering how we worried about you, so far away from all that loved you.  First and foremost I love you dearly, Sarge, and love you too JarHead.  I wondered when you were going to come on to this "confused out of control" thread and print words of truth that you two know so well.
  We worried about you and all the others that were there fighting to keep us safe.  Fred and his brother Donald both served in WW 11,
and you and your brother Bob served 20 and 30 years.  Ron I don't know how long you served, but will include you in this also.  We are VERY proud of you for your sacrifices and Thank you again.
  Much love,
Auntie