The guy’s embellishing the truth or he has a photographic memory. I was born in 1972, and I sure as Hell don’t remember Watergate.
He clearly states that he is recalling his MOTHER’S description of what happened.
There is a VERY old jeweler in Rockford, IL. On his wall he has papers relating to his grandfather, who was in the War of 1861. Obviously, the grandfather served young and (re)-married old, but as a youngster the jeweler may well have heard stories from those who lived through it.
He was repeating his mother’s memories.
Over some steaks and a glass of scotch, Del Monte recalled his mother’s memory of the moments after the 1906 quake, when he was just a baby.
What do you want to know? The press overplayed the whole damn thing.