In Memory of "Apache" 10-11-08

Back in the 60's, while living in the Detroit Michigan area, a lot of things occurred that stuck with me over the years. There were the Detroit riots, where the city burned and the National Guard rolled down Michigan Ave in tanks. Idiots sniped at the tanks and were greeted with return fire from the .50 Cal's and they died in place. One of the deadliest run ins was at the Algiers Motel..Several snipers died there... There were the love-in's downtown in the hippie areas of Plum St & Cherry St and we went to some of the head shops there. But, while I was downloading some music for the blog, I remembered one major incident in 1968. My best friend, Louie, knew a guy in the Highwaymen M/C, named "Apache". We would go to Apache's house and sit around and watch him and others work on the Harley's and his wife would give us drinks. Apache & his wife both had black chopped Harley's. There is a park in the Detroit area called Edward Hines Park. While the hippies had their Love-In's, the bikers decided to counter them and have a Hate-In at the park. Now, Louie & I were only 17 yrs old then and didn't have bikes but apparently by hanging around Apache, we were accepted into their mist and were invited to go to the Hate-In. We went and there were A LOT of bikers and A LOT of different clubs..Back then, one of the mortal enemies of the Highwaymen M/C were the Outlaws M/C. Well, the Outlaws M/C arrived and the crap hit the fan. A fight ensued and as we were watching, Apache was shot & killed in front of us by an Outlaw M/C member. After the shooting, things just went crazy..I can't remember if they caught the guy and I called Louie a little while ago and he can't remember either. But, hearing some of the music made me think of Apache and some of the other guys in the Highwaymen M/C in 1968 and I dedicate the biker songs & 60's song to Apache, his wife and the guys still around that were members of the Highwaymen M/C back then, that treated us right and let us see what the biker family was all about. Forty years later, I still remember..Rest easy, Apache..........JOHN