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Steel Mill / Jackson Five / CA Dreamin

I saw the Jackson Five in Hammond, Indiana (VFW post) in 1969 (or 68) just before they signed with Motown and went to CA late 1969.  After high school I had worked in the same steel mill his dad did in 1967--68, Inland Steel Co, East Chicago, Indiana where his parents met and lived before they married in 1950 and bought the small home in nearby Gary, IN.

I'd like you to know something about what maybe his dad went through in the mill for a long time.  It felt over 100 degrees in the mill... heat, fire, white and red orange steel, lava, gas...danger everywhere it seemed. I more or less ate and spit dirt daily.  My department foreman had 1 lung (don't smoke).  There wasn't automation then. Michael had a hat, glove, shiny shoes, sunglasses, mask... his dad had a helmet, 2 gloves, steel protected boots, googles, and sometimes a respirator filter. His dad became a craneman, way up there alone in his tiny cabin where the smoke and heat went up. He lifted huge red hot chains etc, watching all the time not to kill anyone below him. During my 3 months probation period in the mill I counted about 25 kids like me who dropped out of the mill before their probation was up... scared, too hard, whatever, it wasn't for them.

Michael's dad had 9 kids so he took another part-time steel job in Gary, Indiana, for his family.  I don't believe he wanted to hurt his kids, its more like he didn't want his kids to get hurt, go to jail, or work in the mills (or refinerys).

I came to Santa Barbara in 2001 and heard about Michael in Neverland. I hoped to see and say to him sometime about back home, but all I did was make it to the Neverland gate after he died. I remember the Jackson 5, together, singing their hearts out.

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