in the high school marching band. >> i think my most important contribution was following the base drum who was ahead of me. >> riding the ferry with his father, he watched the construction and 75 years later is still in awe. >> every day i go across i look at that bridge and say how smart those people were to engineer that thing. first proposed in 1921 by engineer joseph strauss it was opposed by rival ferry companies. in just four years a depression era crew created an engineering marvel. a 4200-foot long suspension span supported by cables held alost by two 746-foot tall high towers. a mix of art and efficiency and always moving people. >> you can walk on it and touch it and feel it move. you can watch the painters painting.