JFK

[pawtucket]

I was watching an episode of MadMen today, the episode took place from Nov 22 - 24th 1963. It was impacting seeing Chet Huntley, David Brinkley and Walter Cronkite reporting the events of those days. To this day, I remember the events. I was in school and the principal came over the loudspeaker. She informed us that the President had been shot. She then put the microphone next to a radio and we all listened with great intensity. The class was silent and focused. Many were crying. All of us helpless.

Then we were told that he was dead. Camelot had ended. The principal then called me to the office. I had never been called to the office. I went down terrified. When I got to the office, my sister was standing there sobbing. My cousin had called the school to have us come home, my mother went into labor after hearing the news. We had to help take care of my other brother and sister while my Dad brought my Mom to the hospital.

The next day, my Brother Joe was born. The news of the day overshadowed his birth. My father made us lunch, cream of tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches. We were riveted to the TV and saw Oswald killed as we ate. My siblings didn't really get it. I knew that there was much talk about Oswald and Russia and Communism and Marxism.

I remember riding my bike that weekend and everything was closed, the nation was mourning.

I think of it often, One of three tragic assassinations in the 60's

[year2027]

God first

hi pawtucket

i was 3 and can tell a story like you have given us

because it meant nothing to me because was too young

but I been watching history channel lately

it makes me sad

thank you

with love and a holy kiss Roy

[RumRunner]

I think of it often, One of three tragic assassinations in the 60's

The Kennedy's were simply politicians - i.e. scum. I mourn no loss of them. The one tragic assassination of the 60's was MLK Jr.

[HAPe4me]

The Kennedy's were simply politicians - i.e. scum. I mourn no loss of them. The one tragic assassination of the 60's was MLK Jr.

you're a poopyhead, Rum :B)

We lived in VA at the time, and were busy getting ready for a rotation to AK the next month. The talk of it possibly being a communist thing made our move a little more intimidating. All I knew about Alaska was that some part of it was 20 miles from Russia. A few months after we got there, the big Alaska earthquake hit. My first thought as the ground shook and rolled on that army base, was that we were under attack by the guys that shot Kennedy.

Thanks Paw for the thread.

[krys]

I admit I was naive - - but it was a sign of the times for us college seniors. I was in my dorm room changing into "work" clothes for my work in the lab. I started walking over to the bio building and everybody was coming back from there as most of the professors canceled classes. I decided that all the animals would live a while if I didn't show up....and the worst of my lot would be one or 2 autoclave loads....and I really wanted my friends around me, so I walked back with them.

The college, now university was small and new. Undergoing constant construction meant there were building materials nearly all over and it also means mud, mud, mud. The engineering students found a huge pole and rigged a pulley system for a flag. [almost 1 1/2 years and no flag!!]...3 really sturdy tent stays and three strong wires connecting the pole to them....voila....flagpole! Somebody remembered his boy scout training and raised the flag all the way up and then slowly down to half staff. There were 2 large battery operated lights shining on it.

Word of mouth got all the students to the flagpole at 7:30 and the crowd grew as the evening wore on. Students read certain poems and other writings, a few professors did too. It was a quiet time but also fear started sinking in...."how dare they execute the President of the USA". There was some singing...somebody actually had the cojones to pray and then somebody played taps and that's when I lost it.[and so did plenty of others]

I think it hit us very hard and I think that was because it was the first time the "bubble" we thought was around us was pierced.

[T-Bone]

I will always remember that day from the unusual way of announcement at my grammar school. The teacher was called out of our class and after being gone for a little bit she came back and with heavy sobs told us the president had been shot. I don't remember much else except for feeling absolutely stunned - and a little afraid. Perhaps kids can sort of process natural or accidental deaths - but a murder.. .an assassination of the president even! My little world just became a whole lot scarier.

~~

Couple of side notes on the assassination itself - I've visited the 6 floor museum twice - the second time was to take my brother-in-law who was into all the conspiracy theories stuff. Very interesting museum and well worth the trip.

http://www.jfk.org/

and a few months ago I caught part of a special - think it was by these guys in Australia maybe ? - not sure - anyway - they went through all the technical details of JFK's assassination. They used the same model bolt action rifle - even had ammo from the same lot number/brand allegedly found on the sixth floor - and using boom lift for the shooter, specially made ballistic gel with pig bone upper body figures mounted on moving track, duplicated the shots of the sixth floor shooter. I've never gotten into all the theories or anything - but it sure was a fascinating show.

[GeorgeStGeorge]

I was watching an episode of MadMen today, the episode took place from Nov 22 - 24th 1963. It was impacting seeing Chet Huntley, David Brinkley and Walter Cronkite reporting the events of those days. To this day, I remember the events. I was in school and the principal came over the loudspeaker. She informed us that the President had been shot. She then put the microphone next to a radio and we all listened with great intensity. The class was silent and focused. Many were crying. All of us helpless.

Then we were told that he was dead. Camelot had ended. The principal then called me to the office. I had never been called to the office. I went down terrified. When I got to the office, my sister was standing there sobbing. My cousin had called the school to have us come home, my mother went into labor after hearing the news. We had to help take care of my other brother and sister while my Dad brought my Mom to the hospital.

The next day, my Brother Joe was born. The news of the day overshadowed his birth. My father made us lunch, cream of tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches. We were riveted to the TV and saw Oswald killed as we ate. My siblings didn't really get it. I knew that there was much talk about Oswald and Russia and Communism and Marxism.

I remember riding my bike that weekend and everything was closed, the nation was mourning.

I think of it often, One of three tragic assassinations in the 60's

I saw that Mad Men episode, too. Interesting that Sterling's daughter's wedding befell the same fate as your brother's birth.

I remember hearing the news of JFK's assassination while in gym class (third grade). I also remember watching some of the funeral stuff on TV, but I don't remember everything being shut down. I don't even remember my parents' responses to the news. They were staunch Republicans, but also devout Catholics.

George

[Rejoice]

wow...I was in Jr High; we were let out of school...many of us went to church before going home. I remember everyone in our house being kind of numb. My dad was a staunch Republican and my mom was a Democrat, but on that day it wasn't about politics. It was about the murder of a young President with very young children.

Even my dad cried for him...