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〃Mary and I left for Pasala in February of 1963；〃 he said。 〃I've since had occasion to supplement my own memories with references from The New York Times； and you may find some of them interesting。
〃On the day of our departure； for instance； there had been a total of thirty three Americans killed in Viet Nam since the start of U。S。 involvement。 Not that anyone was aware of it： it wasn't until a few days after we left that Senator Mansfield's study group issued a warning that the Viet Nam struggle was being an ‘American War； that cannot be justified by present U。S。 security interests in the area。' Why； the godforsaken place was costing us a whole four hundred million dollars a year！
〃Of course； General O'Donnell replied the next day that all those bat pilots among the ‘advisers' were there to train the Viet Namese； not to take part in the war themselves。
〃Lot happened since then； hasn't it？
〃How about another area； my friends？ In November of 1962； Dean Munro of Harvard University warned undergraduates against use of ‘the simulant L。S。D。 that depresses the mind；' and censured Professors Alpert and Leary for promoting its use。 Dr。 Leary replied that hysteria could only hamper research； and pointed to the absence of any evidence that the drug was harmful。
〃In California； meanwhile； authorities were sounding a similar warning note concerning a newly…discovered drug which was beginning to appear on the streets。 It was called Methedrine。
〃The New American Church was still fighting unsuccessfully for the right to continue using peyote in its religious ceremonies； a practice which predated white settlement of America。 Harry Anslinger had just retired as head of the Federal Narcotics Agency； and there was some talk of controlling the sale of airplane glue to those under eighteen。
〃Incidentally； while Leary and Alpert （who I understand calls himself Ram Dass lately） found little difficulty in preserving their academic autonomy； others were not so lucky。 Professor Koch was fired from Illinois University for daring to suggest in print that premarital sexual relations should in some cases be condoned。 By the time Mary and I got on the boat； the efforts of the American University Professors' Association to have him reinstated had been entirely fruitless。 A month after we left； the Illinois Supreme Court declined to intervene。 Whatever Masters and Johnson were doing； they weren't talking about it。 The sexual revolution was still being vigorously； and apparently successfully； ignored。
〃Hard to remember back ten years； isn't it？ How about the space race？ The latest news I've heard puts us quite a few moon landings and space probes ahead of the Russians； and most people I've spoken to seem to assume it was always that way。 America has felt pretty cocky about the Big Deep for quite a while now。 Did you know that by February of 1963； the Russian Vostok series had racked up 130 orbits； a total of 192 hours in space； while the U。S。 had a total of 12 orbits and 20 hours？ A couple of years earlier； President Kennedy … remember him？ … had publicly mitted us to putting a man on the moon in the next decade； and he was widely pronounced deranged。 Eight years later； Armstrong took the first lunar walk； and the nation yawned。 Oh； you people are so damned blasé about it all！
〃I could go on for hours。 When I dropped out； assassination had not yet bee monplace； J。F。K。 had not yet been canonized； and R。F。K。 was just arguing his first case in any court； as Attorney General of the United States。 Cinerama was just getting started； hailed as the wave of the future； and the New York World's Fair had not yet opened。 Two months after we left； Cleopatra premiered； and Twentieth Century Fox stock dropped two dollars a share … 〃
Hauptman broke off； began to laugh hysterically。 Callahan reached across the bar and gripped his shoulder with a hand like a steak； but the minister shook his head。
〃I'm all right；〃 he managed； choking with laughter。 〃It's just that I haven't told you the funniest joke of all。 Nearly killed me at the time； and I didn't dare break up。
〃You see； when I was finally released； they brought me directly to Washington； where some very cheerless men wanted to ask me a number of questions and help me memorize what had officially happened。 But first they decided to pensate me for my troubles with the thrill of a lifetime。 I was conveyed before the President of the United States for a hearty handclasp； and I thought I was going to faint from holding in the laughter。
〃I hadn't thought to ask who the President was； you see。 It didn't seem especially important； after all I'd been through； and I didn't expect I'd recognize the name。 But when Richard Nixon held out his hand； I thought I'd die。
〃You see； three months before I left； Nixon lost the race for governor of California； and assured the press with tears in his eyes that they wouldn't have Dick Nixon to kick around any more。。。〃
This time the whole place broke up； and Doc Webster almost lost his tonsils trying to whoop and swallow at the same time。 Fast Eddie tried to swing into 〃Don't Make Promises You Can't Keep；〃 but he was laughing so hard he couldn't find the keys； and a barrage of glasses hit the fireplace from all around the room。
Which was fine for catharsis。 But as the laughter trailed off we realized that this catharsis was not enough for Tom Hauptman。 As his impassioned words sank in it began to dawn on all of us that we had adapted to an awful lot in ten years； and in some crazy way this confrontation with a man who was forced to try and swallow a whole new world in one gulp seemed to drive home to all of us just how imperfectly we had adapted； ourselves。
〃You know；〃 Long…Drink drawled in the sudden silence； 〃the little man has a point。 Been a lot goin' on lately。〃
〃It occurs to me；〃 Tommy Janssen said softly； 〃that ten years ago I'd never heard the word heroin；〃 and he gulped at his beer。
〃Ten years ago；〃 Doc Webster mused； 〃I thought that heart transplants were the province of science…fiction writers。 〃
〃Ten years ago；〃 Slippery Joe breathed wistfully； 〃I was single。〃
I was thinking that ten years ago； I wore a crewcut and listened to Jerry Lee Lewis and Fats Domino。 〃Christ；〃 I said； as the impossible burst over me。 〃Nobody'd ever heard of the Beatles in 1963！〃 The whole electric sound； the respectability of rock and its permeation of all other forms of pop music； had taken place while Hauptman was rotting in a cell； listening to his fingernails growing。 What must the music of today sound like to him？ Jim McGuinn of the Byrds had pointed out in the late Sixties that the Beatles had signaled a change in the very sound of music。 He pared pre…Beatles music to the bass roar of a propellor plane； and the ensuing post … Beatles rock to the metallic whine of a jet engine。 From what I hear on the radio； it seems that we're already up to the transonic shrieking of a rocket exhaust； and Hauptman was getting it all at once。 From Paul Anka to Alice Cooper in one jump！ Why； the sartorial and tonsorial changes alone were enough to boggle the mind。
We all stared at him； thinking we understood。 But h