The Olympic Memorabilia Mexico '68

The memories of my experiences in Mexico City are priceless.  Actually, the government and the electric company of Mexico flew members of the press to Acapulco after the games were over.  So of course my memories of both cities are pleasant, to say the least.  The most popular type of memorabilia is, no doubt, pins.

During the Mexico games there were no sponsor pins but there were team pins.  Some of olympic team athletes who I dated gave me a few. I brought home a big "P" sign because it stood for PRESS, PRENSA..  Part of my job was to scout and look for those well-designed signs prior to the crew's arrival to the olympic venues so they would save time.  That sign means nothing to most people but I was thrilled to be able to bring that "part of my job"  home.

There was no famous Super Store as there is today at each Olympics.  I did receive a few presents.  Among them was set of drinking glasses with Olympic logo engraving.  The logo is similar to the designs and patterns used in the artwork of the Huichole Indians.  The design was a collaborative project of Pedro Ramirez Vazquez, architect and president of the Organizing Committee, Eduardo Terrazas, and Lance Wyman of USA.

The most interesting item was a gift that I presented to my parents as a wedding anniversary because I knew that my dad enjoyed very unique novelties.  This unique gift came to me in an unusual manner.  During those month is Mexico I visited and had dinner with the family of a famous bishop from Hong Kong.  I attended one of his last Masses in Hong Kong and his family in Mexico wanted me to have something from their home.  They felt a connection to him through me.  I certainly didn't think I should take anything, yet they insisted.  The maids had in the rear of the home some small beetles that were decorated with rhinestones.  A little chain and pin were attached.  I chose a red and green sparkling beetle!  The beetle lived in a small green plastic cage and had a small piece of balsa wood for food.  It made it, after almost freezing near Albaquerque, New Mexico in November.  When I arrived at the New Jersey shore just in time for the anniversary, my dad was thrilled.  He gave it a name, OLEY  took it around South Jersey for almost a year.

I took only a few photos. One of the ones I took at the opening ceremonies I used on one of my Christmas collage post cards. Bud Lamoureax, one of the main cameramen was in one of my few photos.  Also one of the broadcasters or press writers from Tunisia, Mustapha Majoul sent me a few.  No good photos of my boss, Bert Quint, Haywood Hale Broun  or our office on Avenida Reforma.  

One of the basketball players gave me a basketball.  I had it signed every time I went to the athlete's village.  Oh, that village was so much fun.  We could eat there and the meals were, as the Hawaiians say, ono!  Also brought home some of the cards we used to announce the medal recipients for CBS News.  Just small black cards with white letters pasted on them.  OH how things have changed, aye?