Oral+HIstory

=life during the 70s - My dad=

What did you have to sacrifice for the vietnam war? Did you know any one who was drafted, what was it like?
He really didn't have to sacrifice anything, but it was on the news all the time and his parents talked about it often. He had family friends who's older brother was at war. He remembers that when they came home that and when he went to family get togethers and things they went viewed or talked about as heros. Almost left to sit by them selves. He didn't really think anything of it back then, but now he realizes the challenges they faced.

Do you remember any protests against the vietnam war? Were you for or against the war?
He would always see in the News coverage was all about the protest and how many were against it and how passionately they were against the war. He felt like he was against the war, but it was because of the media and the way his parents talked about it seemed like it was a bad idea. He did remember his parents were conflicted about it. His dad was in the Korean war and his parents were very much of wanting to trust the government so if the government and president said we need to fight this war they felt an obligation to oblige.

do you remember the impeachment of president Nixon? what do you remember?
He remembers watergate being a big controversy in the news. Watergate was where he taped a hotel room to find out about another party and denied it. Later came out that he did it. He remembered the election of 1972 because he was in 7th grade and they had to run a mock election. The slogan he came up with was " Nixon's through in 72" because of the Vietnam war and watergate.

what was it like to experience the last man travel to the moon, Apollo 17?
He remembers how proud his parents were about the moon walks and how they would stop class to watch them on TV. How so many boys in class including him thought that being an astronaut would be the best thing to do in the world.

how did the oil shortage of '73 effect you? did you have to change your life style for a while?
It really effected their family. They didn't have a lot of money so the increase in gas prices had a very big impact on the way they he lived. It was the first time they really thought about the middle eastern countries. He remembers having to change his eating habits because gas was becoming too expensive.

What do you remember about the assassination attempt of President ford? How did you hear about it and what did you think?
It really hit his mom pretty hard because she had been so emotional over the assassination of JFK and the thought of having another president gone was terrible. He remembered the News on all the time because she wanted every bit of detail on it.

Did you go see star wars or watch happy days, what did you think? What was your favorite movie or show back then?
He was in high school and the time and he went to movies because thats what the did for fun. He remembered the special effects; he was in such awe from it. Everything then became about star wars, halloween costumes and teenage talk, it was all the rage. Nothing like that had even been done before like that. Happy days was what they watched al the times. Back then it was a cool show and the fact that it was taking place in Milwaukee made it even cooler.

What was the biggest thing you remember about the 70s?
Maybe its because of his age that he is thinking this way, but he remembers how potentially difficult things were, you had the watergate, the Vietnam war and the oil scare. It effected his thinking that there were all these big things out there that was effecting how he lived. It was weird to think how things beyond his control were effecting how he lived.