He remembers "going on the road" in the 60's as a well to do young man. I went on the road at age 17 in 1965 as a working class kid..After dropping out of high school along with my best friend who was 16. We thumbed around sleeping along the highway back to back with newspaper for blankets. Slept in cemeteries,no one bothers you there. Went hungry, stole cheese ,milk and bought a loaf of bread in Baltimore ,the best "meal" I ever had. Got a ride with a guy who was with the Clyde Beatty Cole Brothers Circus,he offered us a job. You had to be 18 to work there but he didn't ask and we didn't tell. Met some crazy people but eventually had to leave when my friend got in a fight and beat up his boss.. (My friend had boxed golden gloves) We went back to Pittsburgh,my friend forged the age on his birth certificate and joined the Navy. By the time the Navy found out he had turned 17 so he was able to stay in. I worked construction ,drank a lot of beer, got in fights, went to dances. Found out about a "Great Society " program that allowed a drop out to earn a high school diploma, not a GED if you went to school 4 hours a night for a solid year ,no summer break, only major holidays off. Met a whole lot of other really crazy people there, one I'm still friends with one to this day. Went to a graduation party at apartment of a guy I was about to graduate with. I took a case of Iron City Beer and was trying to drink my share when a gorgeous red head with legs , what legs walked in, an x girl friend of my host. (He was hoping to get back together with her !) Like most working class men in 1967 I ended up in the service.. Came out, spent a career working as a Railroad Signalman, dug a lot of ditches, climbed a lot of poles with belt and spurs. Had a family,2 kids,5 grand kids retired. The red head and I will be married 47 years in December and she still has those legs !

I could binge watch these all day , I agree these videos are important. It's preserving history of the everyday man.

Mr. Hoffman, I don’t know if you will read this comment, but as a 16 year old high schooler, I’d just like you to know that I watch your videos everyday and I’ve learned more from them than I ever have in any history class. They provide me with a truly valuable insight into the past, a retelling of history through the eyes of ordinary people with extraordinary stories, so thank you.

Wow, I didn't know that Ian McCollum from Forgotten Weapons has been around for so long, no wonder he knows so much about history, he's actually an old man who's lived through it.

This is an actual American Man, show this to anyone not from the states and this is the good old fashioned American Man. Good dude.

As a boomer, I am always thankful that I grew up in the Analog-Mechanical Age and then slowly slipped into the Digital Age. There were (and are) great things about both ages of course but it is amazing to have lived through both. I was 35 years old before I even TOUCHED a computer let alone operate one, and now I use them everyday ... if only to watch KZfaq videos. LOL

I am 69 and spent the sixty's in LA down at the beach what a great time to live the best time of my life

This ordinary man is as deep as an ocean.

My earliest recollection of the 60s is being about 3 years old in the back of my grandparents 65 impala listening to the radio talking about khe sahn and my grandmother crying because my dad was there. It was early 1968.

Man, this guy reminds me of an old hippie I knew in ‘93-‘94, named Wild Bill Johnston. What a guy, I was a 20 year old kid who looked up to him so much, he was a cook and me and my buddy Mike were dishwashers. We smoked so much pot back then. Wild Bill got the idea to spike the sausage cheese balls with pot at the company’s Christmas party. He didn’t tell anyone except us. Jeezus, everyone was so stoned, and me and Mike kept shoving those awesome sausage balls in our mouths the entire night. The management was laughing hysterically and had no idea why. We all watched the Super Bowl, and me and Mike didn’t even give a rats ass about football. Damn, Wild Bill is the reason I have a mustache and no beard now, always thought this look this guys has looked just bad ass and cool. RIP Wild Bill Johnston. You were a hell of a guy. We’ll always remember you.

The 50’s and 60’s were extraordinary, can’t say it any other way. Of course we can describe our experiences but for me it is difficult to explain the sense of social trust and innocence that prevailed during that era given the back drop and social upheaval of the big city riots, the tragic violent deaths of the Kennedy brothers and Rev King, the Vietnam War, and the spectre of communism. The music, movies and the arts were sensational, even magical. I came from a working class family, but the sense of family was strong, and we didn’t know we were poor. The quality of schools and education was...better. In our youth we all had the same sense of adventure. We spent much time playing sports, bicycling, fishing, camping, and hunting. But, we also spent hours in libraries and museums. Many of us were voracious readers too, because it fed our imaginations. As children we walked or ventured anywhere anytime in the neighborhood and community unaccompanied without fear. Because, I think we all had the same sense of what was right and wrong. To be clear, I knew everything was NOT perfect. I was aware that not all was right in the world. And, that not everyone were having the same quality and kinds of experiences as me. The Vietnam war changed my life (I became a man?). I won’t say much to avoid the cliche’s. I survived my combat tour in part to the therapy music of the Moody Blues and the support of a small Christian prayer group led by an Army Captain, a surgeon in our base camp. The GI Bill got me a college education. Over the next 40 years I retired from active duty in the US Army and from the Boeing Airplane Company. I’m now 68 years old and I had front row seat to the changes in my country and in the world. It’s been one heck of a ride.

I often feel like I’m not actually living life. I’m just observing it. That it’s just not something I’m destined to have. Like I’m watching reality from the other side of a pane of glass. I crave that I could be able to talk about my life like these kinds of people can.

I can totally relate to everything this guy is talking about. The 60s and even the early 70s was a magical time to be a young man with a little freedom. Yeah, my Dad was anything but my friend, but I learned responsibility from his example. I tried to be a friend to my kids...it just didn't feel right. It was in fact, a mistake. Kids will find friends. You need to be their base camp operator, their mechanic, their bank, their back up.

Ahhh, the good old days!!! No computers, no social media... I'm a 64 yr old Texan and I miss the summer of love!

I was born (1950), and raised in Dayton Ohio. I was there that day when you guys rolled into town in that beat up bug. People round here are still talking about the 2 stoners in the 65 Beetle.

I love the way this dude talks. Just a genuine fellow.

'I got dancing shoes when it comes to going. ' what a soulful line

It's crazy how far away the 60's seemed in 1989 when I was 14 compared to how close 1999 seems to now. I guess that's a part of getting old, but the changed that happened between 1969 and 1989 verses 1999 and 2019 was much greater in nearly every comparable way.

This dude seems like a fun guy.

I was born in '74, and always wonder what it would have been like to live through a year like 1968. After 2020, I no longer wonder that.

so youthful and positive, an endearing character

Talking about 1969 in 1989 and I'm watching in 2019. That's the ultimate in time traveling.

I could listen to this guy talk all day. IDK what it is about his voice.

Sad, how if we met this guy in our ordinary lives, most of us would want this conversation to end quick. Yet, it’s fascinating we when we watch it on our computer, or phone.

The summer right after high school graduation, the summer of 1969, a friend and classmate of mine got a part time job at a super market. There he and another guy met several young female coworkers who had just graduated from another suburban high school. I became a member of the group and together the six of us spent the summer days going to the local swimming hole, an amusement park, an evening watching live professional wrestling, and various pizza parties. It did not take long for me to have desires for one of the girls. Gently, but leaving no doubt, she made it clear that was not interested. That fall she went off to college. I recently did an internet search in an attempt to find that gang of long ago. The member of the group who was my high school friend, he still remains my friend to this day. Sadly, two of the three girls are deceased as is the other guy of the group. The one girl still alive today was the one I had a particular longing for. She is on Facebook, is a grandmother and actually doesn't live far away. Sometimes I wonder if she remembers that summer of 1969, or that goofy kid who tried to get a little too serious with her, those days of long past. I figure I'm best off not knowing and just _assuming_ the answer to both of those questions is yes.

"I played a basketball game this morning and I feel like I'm dead" Haha

I wasted a lot of time watching TV back then. This man sounds like he spent more of his life out in the world actually doing things. I admire that in him.

Omg I love this! He reminds me of my Dad. Who took us to Hawaii to grow weed and live in coffee shacks÷

Plenty of interesting jobs on the go in Australia back then. Oil rigs, gold mines, croc shooting, fly in..... fly out small planes ..... lots of heat, cold beer, good money and music....73 and still working ...good times back then. do it all again

Really liking these snipits into peoples lives.

This guy's a character. Lots of great insights and anectdotes.

If you can remember the 60s, you weren't there: Ringo Starr

Thank you David Hoffman for having the foresight to record these people for what is now the present but at the time of recording the distant future. Incredible work.

Yea, me too, I am 70 now, was in LA Cal, in 67. Drafted in 69.

My favorite experience (and I don't recommend doing this today) was the night a friend and I took acid (LSD) and went to the Beacham theater (in downtown Orlando) to see Walt Disney's animated film "Fantasia". The theater is still there but I think its a night club now. We did this in the early 70s I believe. We both grew up in pre-attraction Orlando. Anyway, I drove and he directed me on where to turn. He was what you would call a "guide" when it came to recreational drug use, a lot more experienced than me. Somehow we made it there from Pine Hills ( a suburb of Orlando) and found a couple of seats. I got thirsty and went for refreshment . My seat felt like it was about 15 ft. high and walking up the incline toward the concession stand was like climbing a mountain. I couldn't look at the lady behind the counter but ordered a coke which was so sweet I couldn't drink it. I found my way back to my seat We finished the movie and I drove us back to "the hills". On the way home the car started to melt. I was a little worried (not alarmed) so I told my buddy that the steering wheel was melting. He reached over and grabbed the bottom of it and said: "grab it and you will know its there. It will stop melting." I did and he was right. Anyway, we made it home and I was so impressed with the movie that I thought Walt Disney had been the second coming of Christ for several months afterward. I'm really glad I experienced that but would not take that chance today. It taught me 2 things about dabbling with hallucinogens: 1) Always take half a hit to see where it will take you before committing to a full dose and 2) Do it in a controlled environment. Don't try to drive anywhere. Not smart.

This reminds me of when I was working in a nursing home and assisted living community. You could dive deep into history and watch all the documentaries about the 50s and 60s you want but nothing beats hearing how they were from everyday normal folks.

As somebody who was born in the 90’s I see the importance of all of these films. Love your work here, David.

David, as an Eastern European man I never thought I'd ever be interested in 50s/60s Americana, but having just contracted Covid, I'm stuck at home and basically binge watching your wonderful videos - also learning a lot in the process. Thank you for all this amazing content!

I am 57 and I even remember most of this observing those young teenagers. We all wish we were 10 years older so we could hang out eith them. They were always pleasant, happy and mostly non violent too. What a great bunch of people!

I identified with this guy within the first minute, maximum respect from a similar type of human being

I love that Ned Flanders sweater/shirt combo lol

The best years of your lives are when your young and broke.

Mr. Hoffman's interviews are great. For some reason I can never get tired of them.

I can't imagine not talking to my son for years. It's amazing the way parents from back then thought. No wonder these kids took the hell off after highschool.

Thank you for this, Mr. Hoffman. In fact I was just today thinking of that song "Pleasant Valley Sunday" by The Monkees. It was meant to be a put-down of the middle class culture of the time, but I grew up with green lawns and back yard weekend grilling and neighborhood parties and I thought to myself, what was so wrong about all of that? It was a nice life for a kid. I realized it was the opening salvo in the war on the middle class in America.

Great memories I'm a 60's child

These Vietnam drafted kids are all well spoken. I could listen to their stories and perspective of their time for days.

I was a teen in 60s & watch vids from that era and my perspective is so different. We were lost as geese, but no more than kids are these days.

In the Sixties we were idealists and dreamers. We had great, spontaneous fun, and broke the rules. There's nothing to regret.

If he cut his hair he would literally be Ned Flanders

I love this guy. Listening to him is so refreshing. He just seems to embody freedom.

I love these videos. Makes me remember my days of growing up in the 60's and 70's. This guy is dead on.

This is amazing! I would love to talk to this man now.

Clear uncluttered insight...thank you! needed to hear this, and feel his delivery

In 1968 at the age of 15 I was taught to drive by a 13-year-old in his father's Landrover ... off road. I also toured Britain alone on a bicycle before that. It all seemed quite normal. By 69 I was in art school but managed to avoid drugs. I feel lucky to have experienced that freedom, which seems to have been lacking for later generations. The music was amazing and I was car crazy. Britain had the mods & rockers, scooters and motorbikes, the Beatles, Stones, Carnaby street, Twiggy ...

Brilliant content David...so glad I found your work...very inspiring.

"I played a basketball game this morning and I feel like I'm dead." Same

Mr. Hoffman, you are the man. I'm turning everybody who'd be into your channel on to these interviews. Wow...just wow.

Great glimpses, it's awesome you share these.

I appreciate these videos so much. Thank you.

Fascinating story. I wonder if he's still knocking around 30 years later?

These little time capsules in video are fascinating to me. The older the better. Seen one of an old man in the early 20th century recalling the Civil War. Unreal. Such a treasure trove for future historians and film makers. Nothing ticks me off more than seeing period piece movies where people don't speak and act correctly for the era. They usually get the women wrong for sure.

Thanks for uploading these interviews! This guy is like my dad was, 100%

Im a 90s kid and enjoy watching for videos of different generations

This mans hairstyle and mustache resembles Tom Cruise post vietnam in Born on the 4th of July

god bless this informative channel

Unbelievable content. Thank you for making it freely available and easily accessed

This man is a great story teller. I enjoy this a lot. I wish this guy can live forever.

Just the fact that he mentioned Arlington Park Racetrack made me giddy because I live across the street from it and I admire his storytelling abilities to the point where I'm starting to view him as a sort of demigod haha. Really hoping you do a follow up with this guy or track down his son if he's no longer with us

Judging by this dude's stories, I'm just impressed he can remember half of it.

This channel is absolutely brimming with such good story and educational content, honestly my favourite channel right now

These videos are incredible! So glad I found this channel.

Some things never change! I remember an assembly in 1959 when ministers from the three faiths spoke to us. I don't remember what the protestant or catholic ministers said, but I remember the Jewish rabbi told about going to see a girl, he took her something and got a kiss, then did something else and got to hug her. He finished by saying I'm going to take her something else tonight, I can't remember what it was, and see what I get. We all broke up in laughter.

Around 1960 - 61, we were introduced to a 1930s film called Reefer Madness while in 3rd grade. We had no idea what they were even talking about in this film as we were very young and innocent as can be. We just laughed at the silly faces the actors were making with not a clue as to why we were watching the film. When the teachers tried to explain what was happening, we still couldn't grasp why people would do this. But, it had an effect as I never became an "follower" and quickly broke ranks from certain groups as I got older. Many times I was a loner but never regretted it.

Thank you for making these videos.

What a beautiful man. I love this interview.

I wish we had had smart phones and pc s in the 60s. Im 65. I love tech. I was born into rural mid Wales . I miss that.

What a legend!!

This was 35 years ago; I wonder if this man is still alive on a beach somewhere with his metal detector? Really interesting interview!

these are really great interviews

I, too, have slowed down, my good man.

Ground zero here. Born in 1949. Raised up so to speak in Palo Alto...weekend hippie Avalon Ballroom and so on. Cynical from the get-go, felt sorry for the desperate flower children coming in from the boonies.

Subscribed. These really are a treasure. Thanks for posting !

These videos are so good! a snapshot and insight into a time and generation. thanks for your work.

03:19 - "I've got dancin' shoes when it comes to goin'" Pure poetry. I don't know who this guy is but he's got somethin'! He's alright, man!!

I was a kid in the 60s. I remember it seemed like just about anybody that worked better than a gas station job could afford a house, good cars and support 6 kids. I lived in Michigan and it seemed people that had better jobs like auto plant worker could afford nice house, new cars, and land up north that they went to every opportunity. In 70s things changed, a lot of recession , people were selling their vacation properties. I started working right in the middle of major recession and couldn’t hardly get any job. I spent most of my life working jobs that would have been good money in my dads time but I could hardly make it. I used to get upset when old timers would tell about how hard they had it working their car plant job. I would tell them to shut up, at least they actually had a car plant job.

Great personal documentaries, like gold, learning from the experiences of generations by video word of mouth, plus awesome story telling !

thank you for sharing all this insight into the past! your channel has a lot of historical value!

I remember a mix of sex, careers and a fear of the draft. In about that order.

I miss the optimism of the '60s. This guy could have been one of my friends had I known him.

I love this channel. Wonderful, interesting... thought provoking content. Thanks

I can love these. Nostalgic flashback . It’s time travel !

Absolute respect.

Those times need to be remembered

Love this guy. Culd listen to him all day. Thank you for your work. From🇸🇪 By the ticket. Take the ride ✊

I could hear this guy talk for a long time. I love these retro interviews

7:10 “we drove east to Rockingham Park in Salem, New Hampshire” I’m listening to this video as I just got home from work and was like wait what? I now work as a server waiting tables across the street from what was Rockingham Park. Used to be be an old horse racing track up until about a decade or so and then it just remained abandoned for the most part. Now it’s currently being turned into a massive shopping center and condos starting at half a million bucks. Wow how times have changed!

"On The Road". Recommend reading for every young man.

Today's kids are smothered by technology. Back in the 60's and 70's life was simple and carefree.

Would've loved to have a beer with this guy lol. love seeing the looks on his face as he relives some of his fond memories. What an awesome time to be alive.