22 Nov. 1963 ~ Where were you?

[rr01]

There have been few events in American history as momentous as that shooting in Dallas 49 years ago. Each day if not every hour it seemed as if a new drama unfolded after the news coarsed across the nation and around the world that the young, vigorous, charismatic JFK had been brutally slain. In the days following eerie comparisons began to emerge about how often assasinations or attempts occurred. The Civil War centennial was in full swing and it was immediately noted that another Johnson had succeeded Lincoln almost 100 years previous.

Yes, this a couple days late but I personally waited until late Thur afternoon before I heard any public mention of this dark anniversary and then only as part of the Dallas/Washington football game. Of course the celebration of the day was paramount but it's unfortunate that such a signifigant date in our history was relegated to being a footnote in the lull of a football game.

To answer my question, we were in the last moments of the school day when a Mother came down the hallway announcing that "he was dead". Of course we had no idea of whom she spoke and didn't learn much more until we got home. The churches were full that weekend and all I remember is how close people stayed to their TVs. In Dallas it seemed as though nothing could go right as we learned of the death of the officer, the manhunt and then the assassin himself being gunned down on live TV.

Ironically, the new movie "PT~109" had been recently released and was scheduled to play on base the next day. It was quite some time before I ever got to see that movie. I still have the Landmark series book about Kennedy in WWII that I got soon after he was elected. I also have stacks of newspapers from that whole week since I also had a newspaper route. And what interests people the most about those old papers? The cost of a new car.

[1canpara]

I was 6 weeks old, lying in a crib in my parents room according to my parents. There was much shock and sadness that day, even in our town in the Canadian prairies. My middle name is Fitzgerald (my Moms maiden name) and our Fitzgeralds are reportedly related to JFK's grandfather John "Honey-Fitz" Fitzgerald. Our families came to N. America from Limerick, Ireland on the same boat during the Irish potato famine.

 

I have always had a very strong interest in the Kennedy family and their amazing history and legacy.

 

49 years ago the world changed with JFK's assassination. RIP.

 

Rick

 

 

[USMCR79]

Kindergarten at 16 Acres School inn Springfield Massachusetts - The teachers sent us home early that day

 

Bill

[Third Herd]

I was in a classroom at Dawes Junior High and some mentioned that they heard the President had been shot. Schools didn't have TVs like today, so the mean old teacher I had showed she had a heart and sent a boy who lived close home to get a radio. The rest of the school day we listened to radios brought into school that day. Kids didn't ride buses like today they walked or they got a ride. When school let out there were cars all over, I had to walk home in a hurry to see the news. The only time I saw worse traffic around a school I was in Grade School and the Police announced that there had been several murders in town and the murder Charlie Starkweather was on the loose. I got a ride until he was captured.

The only thing on TV was the news and it was the only thing people talked about. People were in shock like after 911.

[1SG_1st_Cav]

I was in an NCO Club in Germany after just completing a Pistol Instructors Course with ten other guys from my unit. The Club Manager came in and shut the music off, and told us what happened. We had all been drinking to celebrate completing this one week course. But we called our unit and they told us to get our asses back as soon as possible because our unit was on ALERT. As we started leaving, the German Air Force bases next to this Kasserne was sending every plane they had into the sky. We drove our bus all night long, and got in just in time to jump on a truck and head out to our alert firing locations, where we stayed for three days. It was a crazy trime as everyone expected the Russians to attack.

 

Danny

[vostoktrading]

It was 11 days before my 4th birthday and I was living in Tahiti.

I don't remember anything about it but I do remember when Robert was shot, by then I was older and living in the Bay Area California.

Jon.

[patches]

Yeah 2 years old I was, but do I remember RFK in 68, I was six, in the 1st grade, it was a school day, a wednsday, RFK was shot several hours before West Coast time, I had no idea, my parents I guess new early in the morning but, I didn't hear it from them, why would they tell a 6 year old this first thing in the morning anyway, my older sisters too. The principle at school, a Nun broke in on the PA system for the whole school later in the late morning with the news and for a moment of silence. it was a Catholic parocial School so, well you know.

[BEAR]

I was in the sixth grade and I had just climbed on the school bus at Adair Elementry School in Atlanta, Georgia. I noticed that the bus driver was crying so I asked him if he was OK. He told me that President Kennedy had been shot and killed. I was shocked because I thought "Who'd kill our President?". Being an Army brat I immediately figured it was the Russians.

I was also watching TV when Lee Harvey Oswald was shot and killed by Jack Ruby.

Just like rr01s post, "PT-109" was scheduled to play at Ft. McPherson that night but was cancelled. Interestingly enough the Saturday night movie was "Mein Kampf" and that was not cancelled.

[devildog34]

I was 15 years from existence but have been intrigued by that day since a child. I have been to the scene many times and drive by it often. Still a stunning event.

[Jack's Son]

Every year we have this thread, and every year I'm sitting in a 6th grade class trying to understand. All weekend there was nothing else on television.

[Sabrejet]

I was 10 years old and in my final year at Primary School in the UK. I do recall the small black and white tv we had in those days being tuned in to the BBC news coverage of the event, which my parents were following avidly.

[trenchbuff]

JFK visited my hometown of Great Falls, MT in September 1963. We all lined the streets as his motorcade drove slowly down 15th street. Even though I was only 4 years old at the time, I remember my mother holding me up to his huge black convertible and he shook my hand. 2 months later we were watching the news of his assasination in our living room. It was a tragic time for our Country, but one that has stayed in my mind.

[Bluehawk]

That's the day I left high school, age 17, having enlisted in the USAF.

 

The news came over the public address system.

 

12 days later I was a rainbow at Lackland.

[outlook6]

I was a 20 year old E-3 on the ramp at Kelly AFB when I heard the news. The previous day a couple of us walked down the ramp to base ops to see JFK and Jacqueline as they arrived in Air Force One for an event in San Antonio prior to the trip to Dallas. I still remember who told me the news and what my response was.

Jim

[pmanton]

MCRD San Diego. I was an instructor in the C&E Battalion.

 

Paul Salome, AZ

[COOKIEMAN]

I was lying under my Pink 1958 Olds 98 trying to fix it, when my wife came out and told me President Kennedy had been shot. What impacted us the most, our neighbor and friend was a TSgt Air Police assigned to AF 1 and in Dallas when it happened. It turned out he was OK, but we were woriried about him for a while. At the time, I was an A1C (E-4) assigned to the Armed Forces Police Detachment and the Washington Navy Yard.