Woodstock

[Rudy Taylor]

Diane, that was a wonderful report!  Thank you.

[dnalexander]

Rudy and Diane thanks for your posts. I was Tim Whetstone's age during Woodstock and like him I would like to hear the stories from that time.  I have a post for Tim about Woodstock and that era that I will post later. I just wanted to let you know that the  8\9 year old boy in me appreciates your posts. Diane were you an English teacher? Your short post covered 3 books worth of information on Woodstock.

David

[larryJ]

I have been trying very hard to recall those days or, I should say, that time of my life.  I know I was working at the Hollywood branch of Wallichs Music City as an assistant manager then.  Music City sold anything and everything that had to do with music with the obvious records on through musical instruments, theater tickets, and a large television/stereo department.  As you see in electronic stores these days, there was a TV or several TVs on all the time.  I can remember watching the news and seeing what was happening in Woodstock.  Of course, TV coverage wasn't what it is today.  There was no 24 hour news coverage then. 

I think the real effect it had on us West Coast people was that there was a big concert going on back East, 3000 miles away, so whoop-de-doo.  I do remember that the store tried to capitalize on Woodstock by displaying, prominently, albums of the artists who were playing at the concert. 

I recall that my favorite memory was that of Jimi Hendrix and his rendition of the Star Spangled Banner.  There was a big controversy at the time about that.  Many thought it bordered on sacreligious and others (me incliuded) thought it was a great interpretation of the music.  Of course, since I have aged, I can't stand it when some rap star tries to sing the Star Spangled Banner at a game and makes it sound disgusting.  But, when Jimi did it, it was too cool.

Diane covered this very well.  Her memory of this event is much better than mine.  Thanks, Diane.

Larryj

[larryJ]

Second note:  I was surfing and looked at a website about Woodstock.  There are a lot of pictures taken and posted on many sites.  Somewhere on another thread, perhaps, Swimming pools and Movie Stars, I had mentioned the two puedo-army officers walking around Hollywood in the late sixties.  I knew one was General "Wastemoreland", but at that time I couldn't remember the name of the other.  It was General "Hershey Bar". 

The site I was looking at:

www.woodstock69.com

Larryj

[jarhead]

Diane,
I'd like to hear why you "hate" both Gen. Westmoreland and  Gen.Hershey. I presume you knew them both personally.

[frawin]

Gen Westmoreland and Gen Lewis Hershey. hated 'em both!!!

Diane,General Hershey served his country through 62 years of service and through 5 Wars, General Westmoreland served his country through 3 wars and 36 years and was highly decorated, how do you hate someone that is that dedicated.

[W. Gray]

What did you have against General Hershey?

And, what did you think his role was in the Viet Nam War?

[mayflower]

I am so impressed with Dianne's account of Woodstock and the sad times surrounding the war in Vietnam. It was one of the best accounts I have ever heard.  I was a 20 year old Mom at the time.  I heard many stories and watched TV as everyone did; but being a midwestern young mother, it did not occur to me at the time that history was being made. I loved all the musicians and remember most all the songs, but my life was so different at that time.

Only a short time later, when my husband graduated from college and had to wait for the draft lottery in our county, did the war become real and personal to me.   Richard's number was 182, and the last number drawn that year was 181. We were so lucky...some were not.  By that time, we had friends going to Vietnam.....some did not return.

Thinking back to those times brings tears to my eyes and a lump in my throat.  The people at Woodstock started out wanting to just have a little love and peace in the world.  Who would have guessed how it turned out!  Amazing...........

[Mom70x7]

I was living in Evanston, Illinois the summer of 1969. Didn't pay much attention to Woodstock, it was some big hippie music event happening out East.

I was more involved with the Mets beating the Chicago Cubs for the division title - went to Wrigley Field to watch some games - then the Mets winning the World Series. (I know, that happened after Woodstock, but as all baseball fans know, everything in the news is colored by what your team is doing at the moment. ) Tom Seaver: God is living in New York and he's a Mets fan.

Landing on the moon was big news. Watched the live coverage and as much news as I could about it. Exciting times.

Northwestern University students were talking about organizing a march on Washington - that became the Peace Moratorium and the My Lai massacre and the bombing of Cambodia were major discussions. I was attending Kendall College, but the entire college (administration, classrooms and dorms ) were on a single city block near Northwestern. Northwestern students had a sit-in at the ROTC building, the National Guard had been called - all that tension was more important than a rock concert.

I knew some people that went; but those aren't my memories. I remember more the anti-war protests, the moon landing and the Mets than Woodstock.

[Jane]

Diane,
How can you say that Westmoreland and Hersey made bad decisions.Were you in the room at the time they decided what to do or did they call an let you know what they were doing? Do really believe they sent those young men to their deaths with out having bad feelings? I am sure they were haunted  for the rest of their lives.
Jane