Exploring Early L.A. Surf Culture & the Grit of Tigerland Grunt

Super And Cheaper02 May, 2025Other

California’s beaches in the post-war 1950s and early 1960s became the birthplace of a youth movement defined by sun, surf, and soul. Simultaneously, another story was unfolding far from the coast—one grounded in the mud and blood of Southeast Asia. Exploring the contrast between the laid-back freedom of Early L.A. Surf Culture and the harsh realities faced by soldiers in Vietnam, particularly the “Tigerland Grunt,” offers a compelling lens through which to view American identity, resilience, and transformation.