Growing Up Freeport: A 60s kid in small town Ohio

Growing up in the turbulent and exciting 1960s, the author contrasts his small-town childhood against the news events of the day: the cold war, JFK's assassination, Beatlemania, Vietnam, the space race, and campus unrest. In his early life, he was surrounded by true blue American heroes. Gary was the son of a World War II airman, imprisoned in the notorious Stalag 17, he was also mentored by a "Bataan Death March" survivor and was treated for normal childhood illnesses by a decorated Army battlefield surgeon.
The tiny hamlet's colorful inhabitants included a hardworking blacksmith, the real Charlie Brown, a half-blind moose hunter, Tot and Gravy, and a Hollywood star's housekeeper. In grade school he joined the scout troop and played guitar in a teenage rock band. These activities forged the friendships that would define his earl life. Along with his three best pals, they became "The Freeport Four" and their common love of the music of the era including The Beatles, Iron Butterfly, and Led Zeppelin, led them on many exciting adventures and escapades.