1968.What a year it was

1968-50 years ago

What a year it was!

I was a 17-year-old senior in high school at Viewmont HS in Bountiful, Utah in 1968. Bountiful was a peaceful, predominately contented and settled population, the majority of whom were members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (referred to by some as the "Mormon" church) as well as other pleasant folks. 

Yearbook picture

I started my senior year in 1967 and I got my driver's license several months before when I finally turned 16, a year behind most of my classmates. I was a year a head of my age group in school. My mother started me in a Lutheran kindergarten, when I was four. I argued with the teachers that angels did not, in fact, have wings, as they presented them in pictures there. Mom started me early in school- assuredly not because of my brilliance or precocity, but maybe, only half jokingly as I later accused my mother, because she of wanted to get me out of the house for a few hours. 

I played football,  for the VHS Vikings team- line backer and running back, and had my first concussion at our intra-squad game (the second concussion was this year, 2018, while mountain biking). One really does see stars, at least I did, like the cartoon character Roadrunner saw every time he got bonked. When I got my head bashed by a couple of heavy weights, after recovering a fumble-there were definitely stars whirling. We had a good team, but no postseason. I also had my first date in the fall of that senior year-a “Girls Ask” prom. I was a little girl shy, but got a little more confident as the year passed. 

At the beginning of the year 1968, I was well into skiing, competitive debate, and preparing for the VHS musical. My debate partner was Steve Sperry and we had a great time. The topic of debate was “Should congress establish uniform regulations to control the investigation of crime.” We did well, but ended up not making the state debate championship, but both of us did go to the state legislative forum (acting like congressman and senators). I preferred straight ahead debating. 

My Fair Lady was the musical chosen for VHS to be performed in March of ‘68. I was hoping it would be West Side Story, and I had my eyes on playing Jet’s leader Riff or maybe Tony, but happily settled for Professor Henry Higgins. It was a wonderful experience with great drama and musical leadership. During the preparation for the musical, I was asked by the drama and musical faculty leaders, Mr. Bangerter and Mr. Christensen, if I thought that we should change Prof. Higgins’ famous statement of “Damn, Damn, Damn” just before the rendition of “I’ve grown accustomed to her face,” at the end of the play. They suggested either dropping it or using other words (“Dang or Darn”). I refused- so Damn, Damn, Damn remained-- dang it!  

My two Eliza Doolittle's were the talented Carol Gray and Diana Davies. Other lead characters included  Frank Taylor-Colonel Pickering, Robert "Bob" Ellis- Alfred P. Doolittle, Jeff Child and Rick Huish- Freddy Eynsford-Hill, Raelynne Beattie-Mrs. Pearce and Jorjean Bleckert- Mrs. "Mother" Higgins.

Carol Gray and Diana Davies-Eliza Doolittle

Frank "Pickering" Taylor

Late into the school year, I co-directed with my good friend Brent Cleverly, a melodrama-“Desperate Desmond’s Dastardly Deed,” which we performed with our debate group as actors, to raise money for a charity.

My schoolwork was heavy in the sciences (physics, chemistry, math), but also enjoyed greatly the contrast of my debate and acting classes (I was the school’s Sterling Scholar in Speech and Drama). I also was into folk (my favorite), rock and folk rock music and got my first guitar a Martin- 6 string acoustic guitar, that I still have today. 

I mentioned that the cultural environment in the community and high school was largely peaceful, but we were more and more exposed to the worldly turmoil and close to the end of the school year, we had a reported bomb threat to our school, causing a total evacuation. Nothing happened, gratefully. 

I was aware of the protracted war in Viet Nam and had a strong feeling of support for the U.S. in thwarting communism in the world--but my thoughts began to have doubts and concerns regarding the war, towards the end of my senior year. My tolerance and support for the war effort gradually, but ultimately and dramatically changed during the summer of 68’ and fall of that year and forward to the coming years. 1968 was the year of the North Vietnam "Tet offensive,"  a turning point for NV in the war. It was also the year of the My Lai tragedy were 346 civilians were killed by American soldiers.

I was still U.S. supportive, but became somewhat disenchanted with how the  government handled the war and our soldiers and I felt that the military effort should be changed by having better tactics to combat guerrilla warfare and plans to de-escalate and to bring our boys home. Some of this may have been linked to my fears for my friends who were drafted and sent to “Indo China”, and maybe a little of my own fears as the drafting of many young men continued. 

Ultimately, I was in the draft process after returning to the U.S. following my 2 year mission in Thailand in 1972. But my draft number, based on randomizations of birthdates, 1 through 365, was in the 300s and the draft stopped in the high 100s-as I remember.  I also felt ashamed of how the vets were treated when they did come home. Passively ignored by the populous, more aggressively hounded by the protesters, as they made their way back to a “normal” society.

1968 was an election year and what turned out to be an assassination year as well. “LBJ”, Lyndon B. Johnson, the sitting president, declared that he would not run for another term as president. As VP to John “Jack” Kennedy, when the president was assassinated in November of 1963, LBJ took over as president. It was a contentious political lead-up in 1968 to the presidential election with militant, sometimes violent protests, particularly at the Democratic Convention in Chicago. 

Martin Luther King Jr. (“I have a dream”) was a minister, a lover of peace and forgiveness and a (or The) prominent civil rights leader of the time, He was  was killed April 4^thin Memphis Tennessee. I was saddened by the assassination, but did not know Dr. King, as I know him now. I am still awed, by the power of his speech, facing the Washington monument in Washington D. C., and rendering “I have a dream.” One of my favorite quotes of MLK-"Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that. Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into a friend" Oh, how we need that now in this torn about country of ours.

"I have a dream"-presentation 

A true hero of mine was Robert Kennedy Jr. and I loved his passion for what he believed in and I imitated his speaking style-walking around the front of the room instead of remaining at the lectern-and using abundant hand expressions, when debating or speaking in high school and college. “Bobby” Kennedy was the brother to President J. F. Kennedy and managed his election. He was the U.S. Attorney General during JFK's term- advocating civil rights and prosecuting organized crime. He was also a true advocate for the poor. After JFK’s death, Robert became a US Senator, who voiced opposition to the Vietnam War. He had declared his candidacy and was the leading Democratic Party contender for the presidential election when he was assassinated on June 5^th, 1968. 

I was devastated by his death, more even than with his brother’s assasinaton, five years before when I was in 8^thgrade in Richfield, Minnesota. I was, at the time Bobby Kennedy's death, working in Jackson Hole Wyoming. My father, who was a physician-a radiologist, had an x-ray technician, whose teenage kids had worked at Jackson Lake Lodge in J’hole. They told my dad about the great experience it had been for them. When I heard about it, I thought it was a great idea and convinced my best friend Frank Taylor (who was Colonel Pickering in the VHS-My Fair Lady) to go with me. I had never before seen the Teton Mountains. I was illuminated by the area and its influence became a  “game changer” for me. I fell in love with the Tetons and it became the first place where I seriously hiked, backpacked and climbed mountain peaks. 

Jenny Lake and the "Teton Cathedral" Grand Teton, Teewinot and Owens. I took this picture when I was 17 years old as I feel in love with these mountains.

View from Jenny Lake Lodge road- '68

Frank and I held the illustrious position at Jackson Lake Lodge of being “house boys”- assisting the lodge’s hotel-room maids by stripping bedding, vacuuming, cleaning and getting supplies for them. We lived in a dormitory room. We actually got bored with not much to do-in to the evenings and asked if we could do some work for extra pay-cleaning and setting up chairs in the Lodge’s conference rooms. I guess we did an OK job, as I was soon asked to take a new job at the beautiful and historic Jenny Lake Lodge (knowing none of this information about JLL at that time) as a “bus-boy”/server. I gladly took the job, which paid me a lot more, with the addition of tips that we got and it allowed me to work with a great group of people. My cabin mate, Bill Tate, from Arizona, was the restaurant manager/maître-de and a great guy. We listened to pop tunes (tape cassettes) as we ran errands for the lodge in his Mustang car. 

 When a position as a front desk manager opened up at Jenny a few weeks later, I lobbied for my friend Frank with the lodge manager Phil Breedlove-and Frank got the job there.

Server "Bus Boy" at the Jenny Lake Lodge restaurant.
The ice sculptures were done weekly by one of
the chefs at the weekly buffet diners

Part of the Jenny Lake Crew (Bill Tate, 2nd from the right, back row
was my cabin mate). I'm the clown on the left with the "horns" on the co-worker in front of me.

Jenny Lake Lodge, Individual guest cabins surrounded the area

With co-worker and friend Karen (later engaged to Bill Tate) at Jenny Lake boat dock

On the trail to Leigh Lake

There were a number of good Latter-Day Saint
 kids working at Jenny Lake Lodge, including a recently returned missionary, Ralph, who was a great influence on me (us). We were able to get to our church meetings, held weekly, back at Jackson Lake Lodge. My bus boy partner, John, a great guy from California, was converted to the church and baptized in String Lake. He was someone who introduced the practice of helping the less advantaged to me (he was focused on Native Americans) through work and donations. All this was happening in the presence of the turmoil of the time with the assassinations, violent presidential conventions, the pawl of Viet Nam war and a sometimes-finicky lodge manager. It gave us a lot to talk about together as we ate, cleaned up or juiced oranges for the guest’s breakfast orange juice for the next day. We also had a lot of interaction with our guests, some of whom were well known and wealthy (politicians, store owners and one that I knew of before- the creator and host of the TV series “Candid Camera”-Allen Funt).

Fall colors in late August

My dad, mom and aunt Marion visiting me and hiking to String Lake

Snow fall in late August- Symmetry Spire (Left ) St John's Mountain (Right)

Frank Taylor, uncle Doug, aunt Marion,  myself and mom

Colors at Dusk in the Tetons

A couple of many memories in going out in the woods hiking and loving the trees, flowers and streams, was seeing one of many “hippie” groups who came through the park, often in their “time-typical” for the late 60’s- VW vans. However, I had never seen any publically nude folks until coming across them (male and female) at String Lake creek, close to Jenny Lake, bathing.

Surprise cake from my Jenny Lake friends as I was preparing to return to Utah

Another memorable experience was a hike to Lake of the Crags, where I was climbing down from a cliff with Frank. I turned around to see Frank climbing back up the trail and wondering why he was doing that, only to see that I was close to a moose fawn in front of me and its mother was 10 feet behind me. I sprinted behind a tree, which did not give me much protection and she feigned a charge at me, enough to scare the daylights out of me, and then took off with her fawn. 

I happily ended a great summer and came back to Utah, just in time to enter the University of Utah as a freshman in pre-med. I had a political science class taught by Dr. J.K. Williams, a renowned professor who had, or would, run for a U.S. senator position from Utah, unsuccessfully. With one of my first tests in his class, in which I thought that I should have had a higher grade than was given to me, he had a number of us in his office to render our appeals. He turned to me and said, “Bernhisel, do you know how your great-great grandfather (John Milton Bernhisel) got ‘elected’ to be the first US congressman from Utah?” I indicated that I did not. He said, “Brigham Young (then president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) got up in General Conference (a church conference for all members) and said, “all those in favor of Dr. Bernhisel representing us in congress, raise your right hand." All did-it was unanimous. For those not of my church reading this blog, this is the way we sustain/support anyone in the church who has been asked to do a particular responsibility within the church (not for political or other reasons), and obviously, this was not the standard vote casting way that we normally do for elected officials. I am pretty confident that JM Bernhisel got re-elected in his subsequent terms in congress, the traditional way. 

The year 1968 ended with the election of Richard M. Nixon, the later villain of the Watergate scandal, defeating Hubert Humphrey, the Democratic nominee, and George Wallace-a former Alabama governor and a distinctly anti-civil rights leader, running as an independent. 

Nixon

Humphrey

Wallace

The Vietnam War would end in 1973, a year and one-half after returning from my Church Mission in Thailand, where we also saw the effects of the war and where we knew many American church members, who lived in Bangkok as dependents of their US military spouses stationed in Thailand or Vietnam, during my missionary years from January of 1970-December of 1971. The end of the war came one year before marrying Julee Kirkham in 1974 and two years before entering medical school in 1975.

1968 Economics

Cost of gas/gallon-34 cents

First class stamp-5 cents

Median household income- $7,743

Cost of a new home $27,000

1968 Entertainment

60 Minutes starts to air on CBS (longest prime time news/TV show)

Motion picture designations of G, PG, R and X started
The rock musical "Hair" opens on broadway

Movies in 1968 (My selections)

·     The Graduate (my selection for the great songs written by Simon and Garfunkel: Mrs. Robinson, The Sounds of Silence, Scarborough Fair, April- Come She Will-certainly not for the content of the movie)

·     Bonnie and Clyde (song: Ballad of B and C)

·     Camelot (songs: Camelot, How to handle a woman, If ever I would  leave you)

·     The Good the Bad and the Ugly (The G,B, and U)

·     Guess who is coming to dinner

·     Planet of the Apes. 
   Others: 2001:A Space Odyssey; Romeo and Juliet, Funny Girl (Barbara Streisand), The Lion in the Winter and  Oliver

Top Rock, Folk and Pop songs in 1968 (My selections)

Paul

·     Hey Jude  (The Beatles-primarily Paul)

The Beatles 

·     I heard it through the Grape Vine (Marvin Gaye)

·     Love is Blue(Paul Mauriat)

·     Leaving on a Jet Plane (John Denver and Peter, Paul and Mary)

John Denver

Paul, Mary and Peter of Peter Paul and Mary

·     (Sittin’ on) The Dock of the Bay (Otis Reading)

·     Hello I love you  (The Doors)

The Doors

·     This Guy’s in love with you (Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass)

·     I Wish It Would Rain (The Temptations)

·     Turn Around, Look at me (The Vogues)

·     Classical Gas (Mason Williams)

·     Light My Fire (The Doors in ’67-Jose Felicano’s version ’68)

·     Goin’ Out of My Head/Can’t Take My Eyes off You (The Lettermen)

·     Wedding Song(Paul Stookey of Peter, Paul and Mary)

·     MacArthur Park (Richard Harris)

·     The Look of Love (Sergio Mendes and Brazil 66)

Smother's brothers-comic/musicians 

1968-Birth of Some Famous or “Infamous” People

·     Will Smith

·     Celine Dion

·     Hugh Jackman

1968-Passing of Well Known People

·     Martin Luther King, Jr

·     Robert Kennedy

·     Helen Keller 

1968-What a special, diverse, tragic and interesting year! 

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A brief post script.

 1969 was also an eventful year for me and the world. The goal of President John F. Kennedy to have the U.S. have a man on the Moon was accomplished with Apollo 11 on 7/16/69. Neil Armstrong (first man to walk on the Moon), Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins. I watched the event on television, coming back home in Bountiful,  from my physics class where we were taking about the equations of speed and gravity (see below)

I was planning to do another year working in the Tetons, but the University of Utah offered a class to get a full year of physics done in one summer, which was needed for medical school requirements. My professor was Dr. Thomas J Parmley. He was a hoot with his multiple demonstrations of physics problems. Students not taking the class or  boy/girl friends of those taking the class, would often join in just to see his "show". The best was a rocket launch demonstration of gravity and  acceleration.  My father  and Russell M Nelson, were also pre-med students of his, the generation before mine . I still went up for a week to be in the Tetons after the physics classes ended.  I also joined the Sigma Chai fraternity in 1969 ( a family tradition of my dad and younger brother Paul).

At the end of 1969, just before leaving on my mission, I had a date to see my last movie for awhile and it is still one of my all time favorites.

 Probably the most important event for me was the calling I got for me to be a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. My mission was the South East Asian Mission, presided upon by President G Carlos Smith, with the mission home (headquarters) in Singapore . 

Elders Anan, Teichart, Sowards, Bernhisel, Malo and Hansen.

Elder Dearden, Sister Smith and President Smith in front of the Chiangmai Thailand home

My original call was to Singapore (nice for me, I thought, as it was a foreign mission in which English was the spoken language), but when I was in the old Mission Home (now part of the Conference Center area) on Main Street in SLC (now they are termed the "Missionary Training Centers") I was informed that I would be going to Thailand ( I pronounced it "Thigh Land", at first ) and would not be going to a  language training center, but would learn the language on the spot while in Thailand. Well, it all worked out for a wonderful two years in Thailand.