I remember staying out all night at the Naval Air Station in Corpus Christi to celebrate the Bicentennial in 1976. I was 10. There was a carnival and air show. Dad’s squadron had a soft-drinks booth, and I worked serving Pepsis, iirc, until they shut down. I found a $20 on the ground, and my parents let me keep it because there was no chance of finding who dropped it, among the thousands.
After the official event closed, the pilots and wives walked over to the golf course and sat around and drank, and the kids ran around in the dark. We weren’t usually allowed out after dark, except for 4th of July fireworks (also on the golf course).
I don’t know how we got home, but Dad was always a great driver, even having drink taken, until he started having blackouts before he got his pacemaker.
wow