Carroll 1

Nathan Carroll

Professor Frazier

English Comp 1

2 December 2019

The 1960s

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times (Dickens 3). This phrase can be

adequately used to describe the life in the 1960s. There was a new era in music, with great

artists such as Elvis Presley, The Beatles, Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix, and many more. This era

had not only great music, but great scientific discoveries - the landing on the moon, and heart to

heart transplant. But these exciting times were accompanied by difficult times. Many people

were going through hardships with the war, seeing loved ones be forced to fight. Protests of the

war were breaking out; some peaceful, others vehemently.

The war in Vietnam started when Vietnam fought France to have control over Vietnam

(for at that time Vietnam was part of Frances colonial Indochina empire). The Vietnamese

defeated France, but then split into North and South Vietnam. Ho Chi Minh was the leader of the

communists in the North, and Ngo Dinh Diem was the president in the South. The United States

President, Harry Truman, declared that the U.S. must help any country who is being threatened

by Communism; so the U.S. in 1965 sent troops over to fight for the South side. But while we

were helping, and while the North and South were fighting, the leader of South Vietnam, Ngo

Dinh Diem, started neglecting peoples rights.

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He was accused of discrimination against Buddhists. Diem was a Roman Catholic, and would

often favor those who shared in his religion. These acts, in addition to him neglecting to carry

out the Geneva Accords (which let the people have free elections), made the south divide. More

and more people disliked Diem and the way he was controlling the South, so a few soldiers

captured Diem, and executed him (History.com staff) ("Ngo Dinh Diem"). Many citizens

celebrated Diems death, but with his death also brought further political chaos. The U.S.

decided to become more heavily involved in Vietnam war, trying to stabilize the South, and to

eliminate the increasing power of communism (WorldBook).

The U.S. needed more soldiers to fight the war. Even though there was a good amount of

volunteers, there were not enough people enlisting. They reinstated the draft. They would take

the names of every eligible aged man, and if your name was drawn, you would have to report to

a draft board. This board was run by the community members, and they would asses you to see if

you were fit for service. Many men were forced from their homes, and within a couple nights,

would be in a training camp. After 3 to 6 months, they would be in Vietnam. Many of these men

didnt know what exactly they were fighting for. When I asked Purple Heart Vietnam veteran

Albert Quick, why the war started and why did the U.S. get involved, he replied I really didnt

know. I fought because I had too. Albert Quick was drafted, and later, while in Vietnam, was

wounded by shrapnel, thus ending his combat career (Quick, Albert). Many drafted and enlisted

soldiers did not receive a welcome home celebration. After talking with Vietnam veteran Richard

Opdyke, it became evident of how bad things were. When Opdyke returned from Vietnam, he

went into the airport bathroom and saw hundreds of military uniforms spread all over the place.
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These uniforms were left because people didnt want to be seen with them on. If these men

walked out of the airport wearing their uniform, they would be spit on and cursed.

This was due to the fact that so many people protested the war. People like Jane Fonda, and

many other campus organizations were against the U.S. fighting and would shame those who

did. The protests generally were peaceful but on October 21st, 1967 about 100,000 anti- war

protestors gathered at the Lincoln Memorial, and about a third of them later protested at the

Pentagon. Many of those protesters fought with cops, and vice-versa. The night ended with the

arrest of hundreds of protesters (History.com Staff) . Though things at home were heated, things

at overseas seemed to be calming down. After many attempted negotiations, the U.S. and North

and South Vietnam signed a peace agreement. This agreement allowed the U.S. to withdraw

from the war. However, North and South Vietnam did not honor the agreement, and kept on

fighting each other (history.state.gov). Even though we were out of the war, people were

ashamed at how it ended. When I asked Richard Opdyke how he felt about how the war ended,

he said one word, Pathetic. He believed if the politicians had not gotten involved, the war

would have been over much sooner (Opdyke). Sadly, on account of the protests, these soldiers

were not welcomed home. Even men who had no choice, who were taken from their families,

who were forced to fight in a war they that didnt know anything about, who risked their lives

everyday; yet when they returned home, they were shamed by the protesters.

Even today, the Vietnam War has a big influence on how people view war and fighting.

But that wasnt the only thing people remember from the 60s. One of the biggest influences

from the 60s, is the life and music career of Rock n Roll artist, Elvis Presley. Elvis Aron

Presley was born on January 8, 1935, in Tupelo, Mississippi. He was a twin while in the womb,
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but his sibling was stillborn. He was raised by his parents and his church. One major influence in

Presleys music was gospel music. When Presley was 11 years old, his mom bought him a guitar

("Elvis Presley receives his first guitar"). After several talent shows, he continued work on his

musical career. He signed a record deal with Sun Studio records. In 1954, Presley released his

first single Thats Alright (Mama). He started to get more and more popular, and soon he had a

fan base, hit album, and a number one single. He was a new kind of entertainer. With his

gyrating hips, and a different sound in music, he soon became a sensation. People could hear him

on the radio, in concerts, on TV, on talk shows, and on his albums; which were being sold

everywhere. Presley, like many of the men in America, was drafted into the army. Presley served

from 1957 to 1960. During his time in the army, his mother passed. He was granted a leave to go

back home for the funeral. Presley returned home in full swing with the soundtrack to his movie

Gi Blues. After a long career full of music and movies, he started to lose money, so Presley

needed to do something more to attract people. That was when he recorded his first TV special in

1968. This special is often referred to as the "'68 Comeback (Biography.com Editors). Even

though Elvis Presley had a good entertainment career, his personal life was in shambles. He

divorced his wife, and he lost custody of his daughter. He struggled with his weight, and fell to

drug addiction. He passed away at the age of 42 in 1977, by a heart attack. The death of Presley

was a sad tragedy, but his music legacy did not die with him. Presleys music influenced so

many artists, and paved the way for others. Paul McCartney was quoted as saying I doubt very

much if the Beatles would have happened if it was not for Elvis" ("What they have said about

Elvis").
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The uprise in music, however, was not the only new advancement. In the 1960s came

one of the biggest, and most memorable, scientific breakthroughs; the first man to walk on the

moon. Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin, made scientific and American history when they landed

the Eagle as part of the Apollo 11 mission. The words of Armstrong are still remembered

today. When he stepped off the space shuttle, the world heard him say, "That's one small step for

man, one giant leap for mankind. Years later, Steven Dick, NASA's chief historian, said, A

thousand years from now, that step may be considered the crowning achievement of the 20th

century (Moon Landing "Inspired World""). The Guardian.com states that As progress in

human space flight accelerated through the 60s, PhD intake at American universities, particularly

in the field of physics, increased almost threefold. Apollo was making America cleverer (Riley,

Christopher). This advancement in science gave the people of this world hope. Hope that there

are good things still happening in the world. Hope that better things will come.

The 1960s were a time full of joy, fighting, and hardship. Even though many lives were

lost during the war, many lives have been saved by the medical/technological advancements

from this time. It was a time of families gathering around the TV to watch CBS Evening News

for updates on the war, to hear Walter Cronkite say, Thats the way it is(NPR). It was a time

for people to gather around the TV to watch American Bandstand. To see acts like Bon Jovi,

Chuck Berry, and the Beach Boys. Amidst all of this, there was hope. It was the age of wisdom,

it was the age of foolishness (Dickens)

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Citations

"Apollo Anniversary: Moon Landing "Inspired World"" National Geographic. National

Geographic Society, n.d. Web. 02 Dec. 2016.

Biography.com Editors. "Elvis Presley." The Biography.com Website. A&E Television

Networks, n.d. Web. 2 Dec. 2016.

Dickens, Charles, and Charles Dickens. A Tale of Two Cities ; And, Great Expectations.
New York: Penguin, 2010. 1. Print.

: "Elvis Presley Receives His First Guitar." History.com. A&E Television Networks, n.d.
Web. 02 Dec. 2016.

History.com Staff. "Vietnam War Protests." History.com. A&E Television Networks,

2010. Web. 01 Dec. 2016.

"Milestones: 19691976 - Office of the Historian." U.S. Department of State. U.S.

Department of State, n.d. Web. 01 Dec. 2016.

"Ngo Dinh Diem Assassinated in South Vietnam." .history.com. Ed. History Staff. A E
Networks, 2009. Web. 30 Nov. 2016.

"Ngo Dinh Diem." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d. Web.
01 Dec. 2016.
NPR. NPR, n.d. Web. 02 Dec. 2016.

Opdyke, Richard. Personal interview. 28/11/16

Quick, Albert. Personal interview. 28/11/16

Riley, Christopher. "Apollo 40 Years On: How the Moon Missions Changed the World
for Ever." The Observer. Guardian News and Media, 2012. Web. 02 Dec. 2016.
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"World Book Student | Article Page." Worldbookonline.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 1 Dec.
2016.

"What They Have Said about Elvis." What They Have Said about Elvis. N.p., n.d. Web.
02 Dec. 2016.\