The 4th of July–“Back in the Day”
Being raised in Arlington just across the Potomac River from our nation’s capital of Washington, DC made celebrating the 4th of July a family must. For our family during my elementary school years at Wilson it became a ritual which we very much looked forward to enjoying.
Reflecting on how carefree life was back in the late 1950’s and early 1960’s, celebrating the 4th of July, like most everything else in life, was all about timing, meaning you had to have a plan and my dad was the ultimate planner.
Living in an apartment in Colonial Village meant you had to, in person, visually witness the sky above the Washington Monument illuminate with the annual display of majestic fireworks on the 4th of July. This required planning which normally began a week prior to the 4th due to the significance of the event. Dad would go to our little People’s Drug Store at the corner of Wilson Boulevard and Rhodes Street and purchase a cheap small tabletop charcoal grill, a small bag of charcoal, a small can of charcoal lighter fluid, and a Styrofoam cooler. For some reason, which even I at my young age I found a bit odd, purchasing these same items was an annual event meaning they were used only once. I suppose that was one of the disadvantages of living in an apartment. I also remember the little charcoal grill was very thin and the grate where you cooked your hot dogs and hamburgers on could hardly withstand the weight of the food being grilled must’ve been why it always turned out to be a “one time use” grill.
“Back in the day”, there were no restrictions on where you could park your vehicle in order to get a view of the fireworks extravaganza knowing you would have to get to your chosen place early in the day to guarantee success. This, of course, meant your entire 4th of July would be spent waiting for the twenty-minute fireworks display which began promptly at 9PM. Dad would commit to having us safely parked in our spot no later than noon! All I knew is that he had better planned a slew of activities to fill in for all that time waiting which he always did.
Our “spot” was on the Virginia side of the Potomac River directly across from the Washington Monument on the GW Memorial Parkway where today the LBJ Memorial is located. Folks, I could never fathom the thousands upon thousands of vehicles that found themselves parked all along the GW Memorial Parkway in order to enjoy the fireworks–it was truly amazing!
During this era, my dad’s vehicle of choice was a large station wagon with a third “pop-up” seat in the very rear which actually faced to the rear. His favorite station wagon was the Mercury Colony Park with the fake woodgrain trim which became the perfect vehicle for the 4th of July.
The morning of the 4th was always filled with commotion and last-minute rushing around as my mother always seemed to run a bit late which completely flustered my dad always leading to an argument where the ride down to the parkway became a quiet one. Once parked perfectly in place, the station wagon was unloaded in preparation for the day’s festivities. First two large blankets were laid out flat for us to sit on and watch as my dad would then begin to get the grill started hoping he didn’t forget the matches. Once lit and going, he would then begin to grill the Briggs’ Hot Dogs for lunch which had to be a bit charred beyond recognition as my mom had to have all of her meat cooked extremely well done. Lunch consisted of the dogs with all the fixin’s, Mann’s Potato Chips, a bottle of Coke for my mom and me, and a cold Gunther Beer or two for my dad.
After lunch it was time for some activities which usually included some ball throwing or game playing followed by a futile attempt to take a nap in what was normally the blazing heat. Yes, the Colony Park was air-conditioned, but it really didn’t work that well with the vehicle being parked. We’d listen to some music on our GE portable transistor radio tuned onto WEAM 1390 and always some picture taking using the Kodak Instamatic camera.
Around 5PM it was time to fire up the grill once again as my dad would cook hamburgers this time around. Of course, the burgers for my mom had to be super well done, but my dad would take it a bit easier on ours so they were still a bit juicy. Dad and I had cheeseburgers with pickle and mustard while my mom’s charred nugget was capped off with mustard and a thick slice of onion. Mom’s homemade potato salad and deviled eggs finished off the evening’s offering along with a few Nabisco Fig Newtons for dessert.
After dinner it was now time to get ready to enjoy what would be a fabulous display of fireworks and to pack up the station wagon for a seamless getaway. By fireworks time as the skies darkened, the evening’s temperature was much more tolerable where my dad would place a blanket over the hood of the Colony Park for us to sit on in order to enjoy what we were about to see.
Of course, the fireworks always filled the sky above the Washington Monument in seemingly such a patriotic way where you were always so proud to be an American. Like every Christmas tree, my dad would declare that this year’s 4th of July fireworks display was the best yet. Knowing the end was coming soon, we’d always blurt out when we thought the “finale” was occurring and guess what?–we were always wrong!
Now, it was time to head home and although we didn’t live very far away, it always seemed to take forever to get home especially the way my dad complained about it. The Baby Boomer will admit he never saw so many cars, for during the fireworks display, those vehicles traveling the GW Parkway would come to a complete stop in order to enjoy the show which only made getting home that much more difficult.
Once we finally got home, while unloading the station wagon, it was inevitable that an argument would erupt between my dad and mom. Hey, the trip down started with an argument so why shouldn’t one occur to end the day. Yep, it was a very long day which guaranteed a long restful night of sleep, but it was always enjoyable and still memorable to this day.
During the week leading up to the 4th of July, my dad and I would normally head over to the McDonald’s on Lee Highway for some lunch. “Back in the day”, you’d walk up and order your food and while waiting I’d always peer around the corner to see firsthand the employees who were making the fresh-cut fries which was always captivating. Once my dad picked-up our order, we’d head back to the station wagon where we each enjoyed our two cheeseburgers, order of fries, and coke all for less than a buck each!
After lunch, we’d head to the fireworks stand which was located where the Lyon Village Shopping Center is today. Dad would hand select a large assortment of fireworks and felt he got a good deal as he would always haggle prices. Personally, I’m not so sure he really got the deal he thought he got!
The evening after the 4th of July, we, along with other family members, friends, and neighbors, would head over to the playground on Troy Street in Colonial Village for our own annual fireworks extravaganza. Dad would lay out the fireworks he had purchased and carefully light them one by one. Honestly, while some were really nice, others weren’t and, of course, there were always a few duds which made me know my dad never really got that good of a deal. After a nice applause from the crowd where my dad enjoyed taking a “bow”, he’d hand out sparklers to all the kids for them to enjoy as the festivities came to an end.
Our family really enjoyed and made the most out of celebrating our country’s birthday. Hopefully, you all can now reflect on how you celebrated the 4th of July from “back in the day” with fond memories.