1970s

 

THE 1970s

World News

Vietnam

The Vietnam War started in the 50s, escalated in the 70s, finally ending in 1975.

The Vietnam War left deep scars on both the Vietnamese people and American society, influencing public views on military intervention and foreign policy for years to come.

Almost 50 years later and our Vietnam Vets are still under-served and under-represented. Suffering from homelessness, mental and physical illness, and addiction. I’m including a list of organizations where you can donate to help our vets.

While I have checked these charities you should always thoroughly investigate any charity yourself before donating.

  Vietnam Veterans of America (VVA): vva.org

  Disabled American Veterans (DAV): dav.org

  Wounded Warrior Project: woundedwarriorproject.org

  American Legion: legion.org

  Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW): vfw.org

Watergate

Watergate began with a break-in at the Democratic National Committee headquarters, located in the Watergate office complex in Washington, D.C., on June 17, 1972. The break-in was linked to members of President Richard Nixon's administration, who were trying to wiretap and gather intelligence on political opponents.

Nixon faced increasing pressure and ultimately resigned on August 8, 1974. He became the first U.S. president to do so.

Apollo 13

The Apollo 13 mission, launched on April 11, 1970, was the third crewed mission aimed at landing on the Moon. However, just two days into the flight, the mission faced a life-threatening crisis when an oxygen tank exploded. The crew, which included Commander James Lovell, Command Module Pilot John Swigert, and Lunar Module Pilot Fred Haise, had to work closely with NASA's ground control to navigate their damaged spacecraft back to Earth.

Despite the numerous challenges—like limited resources and the need to use the Lunar Module as a "lifeboat"—the crew's teamwork and ingenuity shone through. They successfully splashed down in the Pacific Ocean on April 17, 1970. This mission is often referred to as a "successful failure," highlighting the incredible resilience and problem-solving skills of everyone involved.

If you like movies, Apollo 13, starring Tom Hanks, Bill Paxton, and Kevin Bacon is a great one to watch!

We were able to see this on a visit last year to the
Space Center Houston.
It depicts (Left to Right) Fred Haise, Jim Lovell, and Jack Swigert
at the moment of their recovery.

The Beatles

The Beatles disbanded in 1970 after a decade of groundbreaking music and cultural influence. Tensions among the members had been rising due to creative differences and personal conflicts, especially following the death of their manager, Brian Epstein. In April 1970, Paul McCartney officially announced his departure from the group, expressing his desire to pursue solo projects. This announcement effectively marked the end of The Beatles.

Energy Crisis

In 1973 the Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries (OAPEC) imposed an oil embargo in response to U.S. support for Israel during the Yom Kippur War. This led to skyrocketing oil prices, fuel shortages, and long lines at gas stations. A second crisis followed in 1979 due to the Iranian Revolution, further disrupting oil supply and causing prices to soar.

During this tumultuous time, gas stations implemented various measures to manage fuel purchases and supply. One notable system was Odd-Even Rationing: many stations allowed customers to buy gas only on certain days based on the last digit of their license plates. For example, cars with odd-numbered plates could fill up on odd days, while even-numbered plates could do so on even days.

Elvis

Elvis Presley, the "King of Rock and Roll," shot to fame in the 1950s with his distinctive blend of rock, blues, and country music. Elvis starred in numerous films and produced countless hit songs, including classics like "Heartbreak Hotel" and "Jailhouse Rock."

However, his personal life was tumultuous, marked by struggles with fame, substance abuse, and health issues. Elvis passed away on August 16, 1977, at the age of 42 from a heart attack linked to prescription drug use. Despite his challenges, his legacy endures, and he remains one of the most celebrated musicians in history.

A fun tidbit: one of my aunts once told me that she was with a group of Elvis fans when he entered a hotel lobby, and they all mobbed him! In the excitement, she even managed to tear a piece of his clothing off. While she adored him, I can’t imagine what it must have been like for him to be swarmed by crazy fans everywhere he went!

My Life in the 70s

Our super groovy clothes!
Tam and me.

Meanwhile, in 1970 I was a naïve 8-year-old who was falling out of love with Bobby Sherman and head over heels for David Cassidy! That year, The Partridge Family burst onto our TV screens, and I spent hours playing my 45 of "I Think I Love You" on repeat, wearing headphones and belting it out at the top of my lungs. My poor family!

I had a Bobby Sherman lunchbox 
just like this one.

In the 70s I finally got my iconic go-go boots, bell-bottoms, and eventually, Ditto saddle-seat jeans. Meanwhile, the guys were rocking Angel Flight suits and shiny, wide-collared button-up shirts.

The Honda N600

In 1970, Honda's first car to hit the U.S. shores, the adorable little Honda N600, made its debut on the West Coast—and guess what? My 6'2½" dad came home with one! I remember it vividly because there was quite a loud and lively discussion when Mom discovered that Dad had his mom co-sign the loan without telling her. Spoiler alert: she was not very happy about it! The car cost around $1,395. Can you imagine needing a co-signer for that amount today? What a different time!

Our Tiny Car Adventure

We were now the proud owners of the tiniest little car I had ever seen—all 122 inches of it! Even the Volkswagen Beetle was longer at 158.3 inches! Somehow, all four of us managed to fit inside. Shortly after buying the Honda, we took a vacation to Oregon in our little car.

Our little Honda in San Diego.
(Left to Right) Cousins John and Christie,
and my sister Tammi

Instead of getting a hotel room for us on the drive up, Daddy, being thrifty, parked us by the Denny’s Restaurant near Salinas Airport in Salinas, California. The Honda N600 had a backseat that folded forward, allowing for more cargo space. Here’s where it gets interesting: Daddy folded the backseat down and laid the passenger seat forward. Mom slept with her feet on the back of the passenger seat and her head towards the trunk. My sister and I curled up in the trunk and backseat area, while Daddy reclined and snoozed in the driver’s seat. We actually slept the entire night parked there! Looking back, I honestly have no idea how we managed it! It can be wild times when you make do with what you have.

The Salinas City Limit sign and
behind the sign is the Denny's we slept by.

Big Move

I don’t remember all the details about Daddy’s work life, but I know that shortly after our trip to Oregon, he was having trouble finding a job in San Diego. Luckily, my aunt helped him land a position in Salinas. He moved there ahead of us, working as a cable TV installer for a local company while staying in a motorhome in my aunt’s backyard. We flew up to visit him a few times.

During one visit, I recall Mama and Daddy getting into a heated argument. Mama had a bit of a temper, while Daddy was always calm and rarely raised his voice. In the heat of the moment, Mama threw her wedding rings at Daddy and declared that we were leaving. She made flight reservations and called my Grandma Hill to tell her we were coming back early. Grandma would sometimes get what the family calls “feelings,” and that day she was adamant that Mama not to take the flight she had scheduled for us. So, Mama changed the reservations.

It turned out that the flight she had originally booked ended up being hijacked to Cuba! After that, I became a true believer in Grandma’s “feelings”!

Sometime in 1971, we made the big move to Salinas to join Daddy, relocating from our nice three-bedroom home in San Diego to a tiny two-bedroom duplex in East Salinas. It was very hard leaving our grandparents and cousins.

Our home in San Diego

Our duplex in East Salinas.

A Second Major Head Injury

My second major head injury happened while we were living in the duplex. I was playing outside at the house in front of ours when I had the brilliant idea to jump off a fence, grab the top of a swing set, do a flip over the bar, and land on my feet. Well, I made it as far as jumping off the fence and grabbing the swing set... and then it all gets fuzzy. Apparently, I slipped off the swing set and slammed into the ground on my back, hitting my head hard enough to knock myself out.

I vaguely remember waking up to my sister screaming for our mom and struggling to sit up against the house. I blacked out again and came to when my mom reached me. Back then, seeing a doctor wasn’t really our go-to unless it was a real emergency, especially since we didn’t have a lot of money. Mama called Daddy at work, and he told her to take me to the hospital if I felt nauseous.

Mama decided to take us to Roy’s Drive-In for a frosty, but before I could get mine, I told her I was going to be sick. She quickly rushed me over to the old Natividad Hospital, and somehow, Daddy was already there. He grabbed me out of the car and rushed me to the emergency room, where I ended up getting sick all over the entry doors!

I was diagnosed with a mild concussion and sent home with instructions to keep an eye on me. That was about it! I was on my way to becoming a pro at head injuries!

Roy’s Drive-In

Roy’s Drive-In was the local hangout for delicious burgers and fries, and my personal favorite—a half & half frosty! It was a delicious blend of vanilla and chocolate soft serve ice cream in a cone. Yum! Since 1961, Roy’s was a beloved spot, and in the '70s, Roger Patterson bought the business from his father-in-law. It was always a treat to stop by or drive past on a Tuesday night when the hot rod club would park in the lot, filling the lot with gorgeous classic cars and creating a lively atmosphere.

Sadly, things took a turn when a man named Jarek Molski decided to drive up and down California filing ADA claims against over 400 small businesses, including Roy’s, for alleged violations. Molski was paralyzed in a motorcycle accident in 1985, and while I empathize with his situation, he turned the ADA law into a way to make a profit, raking in thousands of dollars. Unfortunately, Mr. Patterson didn’t have the resources to fight back, and in 2006, he closed Roy’s after more than 40 years of serving the community—a community that Molski didn’t even live in.

Roy’s wasn’t the only small business affected by Molski’s lawsuits, and in 2004, a federal judge accused him of extortion, labeling him a “hit and run plaintiff,” and barred him from filing more lawsuits. Molski appealed the decision to the United States Supreme Court, but they refused to hear his case. As for Roy’s it was a sad ending for a cherished local spot!

The last night Roy's was open.
Photo by Dan Green

Rough Neighborhood

Our time in the duplex was short-lived, and it was a challenging neighborhood, to say the least—not something we were used to at all. My sister was 5, and I was 9 when we lived there. One day, the two of us walked to Gin’s Market, just a block away, and two teenage boys robbed us! They shoved us to the ground and took the little bit of candy money we had.

In another incident, a girl from the duplex next door had a boy shove a stick into her eye socket. There was an older man down the street who liked to stand naked in front of his picture window, but the final straw came one morning when Daddy was having breakfast, and a bullet came through the sliding glass door right next to him. All of this happened within just six months of moving to Salinas!

A New Home in Prunedale

After the bullet came through the sliding glass door, Daddy decided it was time to move us out of Salinas. Finding a new place to live wasn’t easy, especially without much money, but he managed to connect with a wonderful man named Fred Teichman. Mr. Teichman was willing to rent us a home in Prunedale, just north of Salinas, and best of all, it was in the country!

Mr. Teichman accepted a piano that my Grandma Apple had given me as a deposit on the home. Unbeknownst to me he kept it covered in his garage for many years and returned it to me when I was an adult—a truly sweet gesture. Our new house was on 15 acres, with our home on one side of the property and the Teichmans’ on the other. Mr. Teichman was an egg farmer and there were several rows of long buildings behind their home that housed his chickens.

It was a wonderful place to grow up and run around.

Sadly, years after we’d moved away, Mr. Teichman sold the property to a housing development. While he kept his house on a small portion of the land, the remaining 15 acres transformed into multiple roads and homes. He later told my dad that he really hated that he had sold the land and watching all those houses go up.

Another Head Injury

My next major head injury, number three if you’re counting, happened at the Prunedale house. Daddy had been cutting down a large pine tree in the field between our home and Mr. Teichman’s. He had a rope tied high up on a limb to haul the chainsaw up and down the tree. My sister and I would sit on the knot at the end of the rope and swing out as far as we could around the tree.

One day, while I was on the rope, I swung out and it snapped, sending me flying backward several feet where I hit my head on a rock—knocked out again! I woke up to my sister lightly kicking me in the ribs and repeatedly saying, “You’re faking it, you’re faking it.” To be honest, I had pretended to be near death before to mess with her, so I could forgive her for that one…I guess. Didn’t make a hospital visit for this one. My parents knew to just keep an eye on me and save on a hospital bill.

Star Trek

Star Trek became a significant part of my life for several reasons. The most important was the special time I shared with my Daddy. After dinner and watching the news, we would sit on the floor, leaning against the couch, and enjoy Star Trek together. My mom and sister weren’t fans, but I loved this bonding time with him.

To understand the other reason why Star Trek meant so much to me, you need to know that I wasn’t one of the popular girls in school. I wasn’t the prettiest or the smartest; I felt awkward and often faced bullying. Being a Jehovah’s Witness at the time made me even more different, as I didn’t celebrate holidays and stood for the flag salute without saying the pledge.

Despite these challenges, I had a small group of friends, all a grade ahead of me, who were also Star Trek fans. We each had our roles, and mine was Captain Kirk. Back then, the terms “nerd” or “geek” weren’t widely used, but that’s exactly what we were. I’m proud of that and that little group of friends helped me navigate grade school.

Interesting Side Note #1: I went on to become a police officer, while one of the girls who bullied me became a drug addicted hooker in Salinas. Go figure!

Interesting Side Note #2: The futuristic technology depicted in Star Trek has become reality. Think about it: communicators are now cellphones, the crew used personal access display devices, now we have tablets, video communications resemble Zoom and Skype, the Holodeck parallels today’s virtual reality tech, tricorders are akin to modern portable medical devices, and the ship's computer foreshadowed artificial intelligence like Siri and Alexa. It’s fascinating how much of the futuristic devices on Star Trek are now common place in 2024.

PRUNEDALE SCHOOL

Before we moved to Prunedale, my sister and I had attended Sanborn Elementary School in Salinas for half a year—Kindergarten for Tam and 4th grade for me. I had a wonderful teacher named Mr. Hoffman, who gifted me a small, beaded coin purse from Japan with a Japanese coin in it when I left. Like so many things we gather throughout life, I have no idea what happened to it, but I still remember it fondly.

Tam and I then moved to Prunedale School for the rest of the school year, which served grades K-8. I graduated from there in 1976, and my sister followed a few years later.

Grandma and Papa Hill didn't get to attend my 8th grade
graduation...so, I brought my graduation dress and
diploma down to San Diego and wore it for them.

MR. ALLEN

Sometimes in life you’re lucky enough to have a teacher that truly inspires you. Fortunately for me that happened in 6^th grade when Mr. Jack Allen was one of my teachers. He had a way about him that made you want to do your best, to get that smile from him, and feel like you’d made him proud.

He had a different way of teaching. He didn’t just preach to you from a book, or make you quietly read assignments, or move ahead without you understanding. What he did was to teach us by actually doing things. He wanted to teach us about the world economy and how countries interacted with one another, so he broke us up into groups that represented different countries and assigned leaders to each country. We learned about the economy, imports, exports, alliances, and sadly, I learned that if you’re home sick one day you can lose your entire country!

Another time he broke us up into groups and gave us all newspapers (likely the Salinas Californian). Each group divided the newspaper by sections with each person in the group receiving a section. We had to go home that night and read the entire section we were given. The next day he broke us back up into our groups and we participated in a quiz. He threw out questions about each section of the paper and whichever group answered correctly they received a point. The questions weren’t about the big headliner things either, you really had to have read the paper, commit it to memory, and be able to recall the article he was referring to. The best part is, as I remember it, I answered the final question correctly and my group won! The next day Mr. Allen brought in McDonalds, and we got to eat it in front of the rest of the class!

The most impactful thing for me was when Mr. Allen put us into reading groups…and he assigned me to his highest reading level group. I was shocked and honestly thought he must have made a mistake. Then he assigned my group these horrible books that I didn’t want to read…but I did, and my world literally opened up! He had assigned us to read White Fang and Call of the Wild. I thought I was going to hate them, but I loved every page. Because of Mr. Allen I became an avid book reader and to this day, at 62, I read daily!

I wish I could have told him how much he did for my confidence and how he made me realize I wasn’t as slow as I thought. He’s the kind of teacher every student should have the opportunity to have.

Thank you, Mr. Allen!

"He was mastered by the sheer surging of life, the tidal wave of being, the perfect joy of each separate muscle, joint, and sinew in that it was everything that was not death, that it was aglow and rampant, expressing itself in movement, flying exultantly under the stars." - Jack London, The Call of the Wild