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Birth
On this date, Ruth Copeland gave birth to a baby boy, Robert Copeland. -
Bob began school
This was the beginning of his schooling. It was also historically significant because there were only 48 stars on the flag. -
Vietnam War
Personal friends' lives were altered by the war effort. This war tore the country apart. -
Won the Punt, Pass, and Kick Competition
Winning this competition gave Bob a huge sense of accomplishment. He got his picture in the newspaper and a plaque made just for him. It made him feel special. -
President Kennedy assassinated
Kennedy represented hope and the prospects of a "new generation" it was devastating. It was as if a big symbol of hope had been struck down and I don't think we ever recovered from that. -
Got his first job as a paper boy
Bob got his first job as a paperboy at age 12. He wanted to buy a guitar and his family didn't have very much money, so the only way to buy a guitar was to earn the money himself. -
Purchased his first guitar
When The Beatles came to the US, Bob was one of many kids who aspired to be like them. Buying this Sears and Roebuck silvertone acoustic guitar helped bring this dream closer to him. It began a lifelong passion for making music. This purchase also helped get him into a rock band. -
Martin Luther King Jr. Assassinated
Shock and distress over the news of King's death sparked rioting in more than 100 cities around the country, including burning. President Lyndon B. Johnson urged Americans to "reject the blind violence" that had killed him. -
First man lands on the moon
The space age brought on the advancements of computers, telephone, communication satilights that give us direction, TV, Weather, protection. -
Bob married Cindy
On this date, Bob made a lifelong commitment to Cindy and her daughter, Aimee. It changed his life completely. -
Challenger blew up
This tragic event ended all American manned space launches for 2.5 years. NASA had set up communications links in classrooms all over the country and schoolchildren got to watch the teacher, Christa McAuliffe, and others, die. In some ways the space program never recovered. -
First daughter, Allison Copeland, was born
Becoming a father and experiencing a birth was a life-changing experience. -
Aimee graduated from college
He never graduated from college, so seeing his daughter graduate was very significant. It also occurred on fathers day which was very exciting to him. -
First granddaughters, Jacey and Skye, born
On February 27, 1997 and February 19, 2002, Jacey Hutchinson and Skye Hutchinson were born as daughters to Aimee Hutchinson and granddaughters to Bob. For Bob, there's no greater joy than becoming a dad and a grandpa. -
Columbine Massacre
This was the first large scale maccacre of children against children. Occured in a small town. This affected my grandpa on a personal level because he had kids of his own. -
9/11
One of the biggest changes was all of this heightened sense of a need for security, which allowed the Patriot Act to become law. This national tragedy killed many people, and it was the first act of war in a war we will have to fight for a very long time to come. -
Mother passed away
His mom meant a great deal to him. He got his love for music and his sense of humor from her. He considered her the involved parent and cared deeply for her. He still misses her every day. -
Allison graduated from college
It was important to fin to see his daughter graduate from college. It was never "if" she went to college, it was always "when". -
Aimee got married
Family means a lot to Bob and seeing his step daughter happy means a lot to him. -
Allison married
Watching Allison grow up and become a woman brings tears to his eyes. He's glad to see her have her dream wedding and begin her life with Geoff.
