Looking Back at March 1967

March 1967, 46 years ago, can you imagine that much time has gone by but many events from that time seemed like the other day?  Circleville, Ohio, not a very large town but it was the entire world to me at the age of 18. I was still undecided what I wanted to do after graduating from high school the previous year. College, work or military service remained my choices as do today's young people. 

The evening news with Walter Cronkite was announcing that President Johnson was beginning the lottery draft as we were building up our involvement in Vietnam.  Additionally the Jimmy Hoffa story continues as he was sentenced to an eight year prison sentence as the Beatles song "Penny Lane" hit the #1 position.

I still remained convinced that I will find what I am suppose to do with my life. At that time I was working at Big Bear Supermarkets in Circleville.  I was the full time frozen food/produce guy, responsible for stocking, ordering, rotating stock and assisting customers.  I also doubled as a carry-out service as needed.  A great job with decent pay for 1967.  I was paid $2.25 an hour.  The minimum wage at that time was $1.25 which I was received at J.C. Penney's before I took this job.  I definitely was going to be a store manager one day as I started ruling out college as the war in Vietnam continued to escalate. For those of you who do not anything about Big Bear Stores,  Big Bear was a regional supermarket chain operating in Ohio and West Virginia. The company was founded in Columbus, Ohio in 1934, and was headquartered there until its acquisition by Syracuse, New York-based Penn Traffic in 1989. For nearly 75 years, the chain was a Central Ohio institution. A few years later it went under as a result of poor management and competition.

I worked hard and was paid well but as more and more of acquaintances from my hometown felt the twang of the draft, I was convinced by my manager to try to join the Reserve but it was difficult as everybody else had the same idea and none of the units close to home had any open positions.


On March 25 The Turtles hit #1 with "Happy Together" as  I was getting more and more apprehensive and in September 1967 I enlisted in the United States Army.  I guess I found my destiny.

You can listen to the hits of March 1967 this month only on Soundtrack of the 60s with Neal Stevens to relive those times that was to me just the other day.

Recalling November 1966

I had just graduated from high school in June and still not sure what path to take.  I was torn between college, working and the military but in November 1966 I made a road trip to a Kansas college with a friend who wanted to see his girlfriend whom I had graduated with.  I did not seek permission from home and my parents reported me missing after a couple of days.

My friend and I stayed in the dorm room of one student we met while there.  I immediately got a taste of college life without attending a class at that time of my life.  I do recall waiting outside a building for my friend's girlfriend to come out and an attractive girl came by and kissed me passionately and said "Hello Adam, awww, you are not Adam." Shockingly but with a smile I could only say "I can be." 

At any rate we made it home through a snow storm with the Ohio Highway Patrol looking for us.  On the way home Big Bear Supermarkets called my home and wanted me to start work the next day. Which I  began my job a couple of days late as the frozen foods manager.  I left JC Penneys for Big Bear Supermarkets for more money.  Less than a year later I will be in Vietnam.

November 1966 events were going all around me without notice but I do remember that actor Ronald Reagan was elected Governor of California and the big news was  Edward Brooks of Massachusetts becoming the first African-American elected to the Senate since Reconstruction.  Being from Ohio the re-trial of the Sam Sheppard case was the big news.  He was acquitted this time around.  It was also the basis for TV series of "The Fugitive."  Similarity was the fact Sam Sheppard's wife, Marilyn had been murdered and he had been convicted the first time in 1954.  The second time around he was defended by F. Lee Bailey.

Music was great that month as was the entire year of 1966.   Great songs like 96 Tears by ? & The Mysterians, Poor Side of Town with Johnny Rivers, Jimmy Ruffin's What Becomes of the Brokenhearted and Reach Out I'll Be There by The Four Tops just to name a few.

This month on Soundtrack of the 60s on The 60s Official Site, DJ Neal Stevens plays the songs we listened to in November 1966.  A great year and a great month of memories.