I thank God I got to experience California as a young Marine, back in ‘73 before it went to Hell...................
You and me both! I grew up in California when it truly was The Golden State.
I was in San Francisco for a month starting active duty in the Navy. I saw the Haight-Ashbury drug scene in person for a few hours and thought, “If this spreads, our country is screwed”.
Same here. At MCRD from Feb 2 - May 9, 1973 and then to 29 Palms after my 10 days leave, until December 1973. I was also there from May 1983 to September 1986 going to college. It was still livable then. Last time I spent any time there was in San Francisco for six weeks in November-December 1989. Even back then Frisco was a nice place. But now, it's just a hellhole. I go there occasionally for a day or two to visit my daughter and her family, but it's changed for the worse in ways unimaginable just a decade or two ago. Semper Fi.