This is blog about my blessed honour and pleasure as a University Student in attending the Opening Ceremony of the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. I paid US$200 (see ticket) for the best seating segment at the opening ceremony, booked a year ahead via Sears Roebucks.
To the opposite side of the stadium was the bullet-proof section where the incumbent US President was watching the event – President Ronald Reagan.
I am writing this in the midst of the Winter Olympics in Milan and the Superbowl celebrations in the USA.
Even as a wide-eyed young lad, I already gravitated towards visiting and attending historic and auspicious places and events at an early age.
The official name of the event is – “Games of the XXIIIrd Olympiad Los Angeles 1984”, as printed in the ticket stub below.
My Treasured Historical Olympics Games Opening Ceremony Ticket Stub (above image).
Me at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum (above image). While John Lennon dreamt and wrote songs about global peace, I actually experienced global peace, albeit for one evening.
“Imagine all the people
living life in peace”
“You may say I’m a dreamer
But I’m not the only one
I hope someday you’ll join us
And the world will live as one”.
When the songs were sung, we held hands with our fellow neighbours from around the world. Which in effect, all the ceremony attendees were united peacefully and lovingly as “One”.
There was not a dry eye in the stadium that evening.
Framed Fond Memento Print of the Opening Ceremony with the Goodyear Blimp (red circle) above the Coliseum Steeple (above image).
It took me forty minutes of patience to get the shot, including walking to the photo spot as well as waiting for the Goodyear Blimp to be aligned with the Coliseum Steeple. It was so uplifting and memorable to walk past happy, smiling people from diverse ethnic and international backgrounds.
A proud moment when the Singapore flag was shown on the giant screen (above image).
The music conductor for the event was the legendary music maestro John Williams.
A proud moment for me when the Singapore contingent marched by my section of the stadium (above image).
Me With The Friendly LAPD Lads (above image). Bigger smiles and lesser weapons then.
