My family had just moved to New York and I got a summer job working in a car parts dealer. I was 19. My new friend Ron asked me if I wanted to go to a rock concert upstate. I asked "who's playing? ", and after about 8 names, I said "sure, how much are the tickets?" He said "well, it's 3 days, and it's $6 a day, so $18.00." I said "where the hell am I going to get THAT KIND OF MONEY !!!" You have to understand that back in 1969, you could get tickets to Madison Square Garden or Nassau Coliseum, for only 5 bucks! Anyway, we got our tickets and planned our adventure.

Ron's parents had a Volkswagon Camper Bus and we packed it full of steaks, beer, ice and supplies. I decided to decorate it with flowers, peace signs and our names painted over the cab with tempra paints (which by the way, don't fully wash off later!) We got up there fairly early Friday and got pretty close before the traffic stopped. On the way, kids were yelling to us saying, "Hi Ron, hey George !" I kept asking Ron if he knew those people, and it took us a while before we realized we had painted our names over the cab! Got a good spot in a field, next to the road and followed the road to the site.

When we came up over a hill and I first saw the site, it stopped me in my tracks. Before us was a natural bowl shaped field, that was covered with kids, as far as the eyes could see. I got scared and knew that if there were any riots, (remember, this was 1969.) or any problems, these kids could do anything they wanted. There were almost no police, (or ticket takers) and we went up to the left side and worked our way in to the crowd. I had never been in a group this large, but it wasn't long before I sensed the "vibe" and knew things were going to work out.

Beside the overwhelming positive feelings we shared, there were some moments that stand out. One was while laying in the field Saturday night, the National Guard Helicopters were constantly flying in overhead, ferrying in performers, doctors and flying out medical cases or personnel. When the choppers got over the crowd, they'd turn on these huge spotlights. In a giant circle of silver, you could see maybe a couple thousand kids, illuminated, all flashing the Peace sign skyward. We knew these were our friends, brothers and neighbors, just trying to help, and recognized, we'd rather have them home, than in Vietnam.

The film covers the concert pretty well with the exception of one thing. The SMELL !! Imagine a cow pasture being trampled after torrential rains. Yet despite all the hardships and the weather, the overwhelming atmosphere was one of solidarity and peace. We were afraid it could be canceled any time and knew we were part of something bigger than us. We behaved great. Imagine putting 500,000 ADULTS together in the mud, give them any thing they wanted, to smoke or drink, for 3 days, and TELL ME you won't have more than 2 accidental deaths!

The magic of Woodstock was not the music,it was the kids. It restored my faith in my generation, and I knew those 500,000 plus kids would grow up as peaceful citizens with compassion and understanding of community.

When I got home I grew my beard, and haven't shaved it off in 40 years. When I read the letters of people who "wished they were there" and kids who want to know, "what was it like", I tell them, when you are in a dire situation, and you care more about the well being, safety and happiness of OTHERS, than you do YOURSELF, That's what it felt like to be at Woodstock.

Went back to the original site for the 2009 Heroes of Woodstock, (with my original tickets in hand) and saw those same feelings of love and peace, trying to be shared with grandchildren of the Woodstock generation. I hope they can feel it. I'll never forget it. Thanks for listening. And oh yeah.......Peace.