Sex, drugs and rock n' roll. The mantra of our generation. Truth was, for me anyway, no sex, some drugs-mainly alcohol, and plenty of rock n' roll. This party John Marcone was putting together might mean I'd experience some of the sex I'd been missing. Wishful thinking, but one must always have a positive attitude, musn't one?
John Marcone, Chuck Zeller and I were going to live together in an apartment while attending this new Stockton State College somewhere down in the Pine Barrens in Atlantic County. We would be working all summer in order to save money for school. The war in Vietnam was still a possibility for all of us, and no one wanted to end up face down in some rice paddy. A big bash before the long haul of summer seemed like the right thing to do, just in case one of us had their draft number come up.
John and I went to check the place out. It was just as he had said. An abandoned sand quarry dotted with deep ponds and surrounded by woods. Bushes and other vegetation provided secluded areas for "private interludes".
"We'll pick a day in June and get down here for a real blast!" John exclaimed.
"Yeah, you're right," I said, " It's the perfect place for it."
"All we've got to do is get everybody together, and we'll have ourselves a time."
So we went about finishing our plans for our party in the woods and the sands of Millville in June.
Another young man had finished his plans, and in a few weeks his actions would have a profound effect on all of us.