Kyle LaMay

5/24/15
Per: 6
Historical Memories
When my father was in his early teens, the Vietnam War was in effect. He says that, At
the time of the Vietnam War, my liberal roots came out, as I opposed the war and the military
policies at that time. My father, who ultimately became a political science major and then a
lawyer, was very influenced by the Watergate hearings and the impeachment of Richard Nixon.
He indicated that, I was fascinated by all of the legal and social aspects of the Watergate
hearings and the eventual impeachment of President Nixon. He also said that, I read
transcripts of the Nixon tapes and many books and articles on Watergate. Another event that my
father lived through was the tragic Loma Prieta Earthquake in 1989. He stated that, I was in the
top story of an office building in Walnut Creek when this occurred and the shaking was so
forceful that all of the book cases fell off the walls and I had to walk downstairs in the dark to get
out of the building. He also mentioned that, I did not know of the full impact of the quake and
its destruction until I learned of the collapse of the Bay Bridge and other roadways.
My fathers dad was drafted to be in the Korean War in the 1950s. However, he never
saw combat, despite made up stories he would tell my father when he was young. My
grandfather stated that, I guess I was lucky because I was a dance instructor in Japan for officers
and their wives. He added that, Although I knew of people that fought in the war, I was never
even close to the battlefield. As for grandmother, a strong memory for her was the assassination
of President John F. Kennedy. She said that, We were living in New York City at the time and
the devastating news of President Kennedys death basically closed down the city for several
days. I was taking my sons for my walk when I learned that Jack Ruby shot and killed Lee
Oswalt. My grandmother added that, The Kennedy Era had a major impact on my life and my

familys life and we strongly believed in his idealism. Overall, my grandparents lived through
some major historical events in the 1950s and 1960s.