Replies

9 years old, almost 10. IIRC, I marched in the Fairborn, Ohio parade.

I was 9, almost 10 as well. 1976 started out as a tough year for me. My parents separated and later divorced that year. Mom told Dad, "do not tell him (me) about the divorce until he's out of school for the summer." Mom was worried my grades, I was in 3rd grade then, would suffer. Dad told me in March out in the driveway, I remember it was still cold. I remember crying and Mom holding me but my grades did suffer greatly. Thanks to my 3rd grade teacher and my mother, they worked wit me to get them back up to where they should be but I came close to flunking. That was the worst thing that ever happened to me until Mom's death in 2013 eclipsed that

Also my glasses were still new to me, I started to wear them in November of 1975, I was so nearsighted and still am.

Mom just got a new job to help support me. I remember going over to my aunts and walking over to a nearby golf course to watch fireworks while early that day we watched the Parade of Ships on TV coming into New York Harbor.

In school, we did a lot for the upcoming BiCentennial with history, activities and so on and because of my problems, it provided a good relief and respite as well as education on history. That is why 1976 is special to me.

Since then, my father remarried, they are all I have left famiywise. Since 2009 until her death in 2013, when Mom heard "God Bless America" she would cry and say, "Obama is hurting this country so much." She did not want to doe while he is in office, she told me that once but I lost her anyhow. Now I cry for her. If she was here now, she'd by even sadder and angrier.