Woodstock: Tom Carmichael

Tom Carmichael, 59, Hampton Bays. Maintenance worker at nursing home.

I had just graduated from Locust Valley High School and had already had my Army pre-

induction physical. I was sure this would be the last summer of my youth before I went to Vietnam. Six of us . . . walked over the flattened chain-link fence and looked down the hill. The view revealed a massive bowl-shaped farm field covered with more people than I have ever seen in my life, all facing a huge stage that was so far away that it appeared to be miniature. We watched Country Joe sing the "Fish Cheer" and Joe Cocker sing "With a Little Help from My Friends." I was most amazed by the patience the audience had. Wait for the band to set up, then tune, then rain delays. When things got boring there were mudslide contests and rain-dance songs sung by a huge chorus.

When it was over, we were picked up by an old hearse filled with hippies returning to California. There was no room inside so we rode on the roof, waving to people and flashing the peace sign. Nobody knew we were being watched by the world or that this event would be famous 40 years later. . . . The closest thing to the unity I experienced at Woodstock was the unity I felt when President Obama was elected.