"the Age of Innocence"
November 27th, 2008 | by admin |Dr. Reinaldo Irizarry, Sr., Ph.D asked:
The sixties was an era of great distress and confusions. Yet despite all the bad events, taking place it was the age of innocence. There was an unpopular War waging across a large ocean, in a Country, which few people new little about. A country, which had been at war with France and had known war for generations; a country, which the United States in trying to help bring democracy became in tangle with its internal affairs, having unpleasant results.
It was a time, when there were demonstrations all across our Nation, dividing the country. Still it was an era rich with charm and grace, a time of innocence when hippies, flower people held hands while protesting the war. I was the era for giving, an era of caring, an era for forgiving. The hippie’s philosophy was to love your next-door neighbor, not meddle in other countries affairs and smoke grass.
A time when there was a War, which caused the US thousands of lives with nothing to show for but a black marble wall in Washington DC with over fifty-eight thousands names on it. A time family members would gather on weekend BBQ’s to discus the War that was unpopular, and gather their thoughts about the doubts that lay ahead.
We had the youngest president ever elected, John Fitzgerald Kennedy. A man with dreams cut short by lunatics’ bullet whose ideology and twisted agenda we will never know. It was suppose to have been the age of “Camelot” for this country. It was a period in our country’s history when it was going through a transition and everyone was full of uncertainties. A time when democracy was at it highest and peoples rights tested. The war was having grave negative impact to the economy and was causing great disparity among our younger generation.
It was the age of the Supremes, Otis Redding’s, the Impressions and many other groups, which kept our young people and our nation regardless of the war, dancing and happy. An era of warm love when every one cared for one another. It was the age of innocence.
During the war, I was still in High School. I was working part-time as a stockroom boy, in a Mama, and Papa Pharmacy earning ten dollars a week. Out of my salary, I was able to pay two dollars a week for my Mothers washing machine she had bought, and still have enough to take my girlfriend to the movies in the weekends.
However, when I saw my best friends come home in body bags I decided to do my part in sharing the responsibility for going to Vietnam. I attended many funerals of friend with whom I had gone to school with, hang out and gone to parties. That is when I realized I could not seat by idle while my friends were being kill in a foreign land.
I pulled my Father and Mother; aside and I told them I needed to make a difference that I was not going to standing by while watching my friends die. Both my parents did not like the idea however, after explaining to them the importance in helping my country they understood.
It was a hot period during that summer school vacation in July 1962. Most fire hydrants throughout the city were open by young kids trying to keep cool. I was desperate; it was hot and nothing to do. Most of my friends had already left and joined the army. Most had already left for Vietnam. On July 11, 1962, I decided to go downtown to the Army recruiting station in lower Manhattan, Whitehall Street.
After a series of academics and psychological test, I took my oath. I was proud that day because I new days, I was on my way to the Army training base at Fort Dix, New Jersey. When the day finally arrived, I was full of gratitude knowing I was going to contribute my share in the fight alongside my bodies.
I spend sixteen weeks in training. The first eight weeks was basic Infantry training, the second eight weeks was in Advance Infantry training. I graduated and I went to Fort Benning Georgia where I received training as a Paratrooper.
After graduating from paratrooper school I went to the elite 101st. Airborne Division, “C” company 327 Infantry First Battalion First Brigade the “Screaming Eagles” at Fort Campbell, Kentucky.
To continue:
MARICELA
The sixties was an era of great distress and confusions. Yet despite all the bad events, taking place it was the age of innocence. There was an unpopular War waging across a large ocean, in a Country, which few people new little about. A country, which had been at war with France and had known war for generations; a country, which the United States in trying to help bring democracy became in tangle with its internal affairs, having unpleasant results.
It was a time, when there were demonstrations all across our Nation, dividing the country. Still it was an era rich with charm and grace, a time of innocence when hippies, flower people held hands while protesting the war. I was the era for giving, an era of caring, an era for forgiving. The hippie’s philosophy was to love your next-door neighbor, not meddle in other countries affairs and smoke grass.
A time when there was a War, which caused the US thousands of lives with nothing to show for but a black marble wall in Washington DC with over fifty-eight thousands names on it. A time family members would gather on weekend BBQ’s to discus the War that was unpopular, and gather their thoughts about the doubts that lay ahead.
We had the youngest president ever elected, John Fitzgerald Kennedy. A man with dreams cut short by lunatics’ bullet whose ideology and twisted agenda we will never know. It was suppose to have been the age of “Camelot” for this country. It was a period in our country’s history when it was going through a transition and everyone was full of uncertainties. A time when democracy was at it highest and peoples rights tested. The war was having grave negative impact to the economy and was causing great disparity among our younger generation.
It was the age of the Supremes, Otis Redding’s, the Impressions and many other groups, which kept our young people and our nation regardless of the war, dancing and happy. An era of warm love when every one cared for one another. It was the age of innocence.
During the war, I was still in High School. I was working part-time as a stockroom boy, in a Mama, and Papa Pharmacy earning ten dollars a week. Out of my salary, I was able to pay two dollars a week for my Mothers washing machine she had bought, and still have enough to take my girlfriend to the movies in the weekends.
However, when I saw my best friends come home in body bags I decided to do my part in sharing the responsibility for going to Vietnam. I attended many funerals of friend with whom I had gone to school with, hang out and gone to parties. That is when I realized I could not seat by idle while my friends were being kill in a foreign land.
I pulled my Father and Mother; aside and I told them I needed to make a difference that I was not going to standing by while watching my friends die. Both my parents did not like the idea however, after explaining to them the importance in helping my country they understood.
It was a hot period during that summer school vacation in July 1962. Most fire hydrants throughout the city were open by young kids trying to keep cool. I was desperate; it was hot and nothing to do. Most of my friends had already left and joined the army. Most had already left for Vietnam. On July 11, 1962, I decided to go downtown to the Army recruiting station in lower Manhattan, Whitehall Street.
After a series of academics and psychological test, I took my oath. I was proud that day because I new days, I was on my way to the Army training base at Fort Dix, New Jersey. When the day finally arrived, I was full of gratitude knowing I was going to contribute my share in the fight alongside my bodies.
I spend sixteen weeks in training. The first eight weeks was basic Infantry training, the second eight weeks was in Advance Infantry training. I graduated and I went to Fort Benning Georgia where I received training as a Paratrooper.
After graduating from paratrooper school I went to the elite 101st. Airborne Division, “C” company 327 Infantry First Battalion First Brigade the “Screaming Eagles” at Fort Campbell, Kentucky.
To continue:
MARICELA
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