Where Were You When Kennedy Died?

[Lucky]

For years, once common thing has been that everyone knew where they were and what they were doing the moment they heard that the president had been assassinated. Now as the population ages, plenty of folk see his death as ancient history.

But I am one of those who remember distinctly where I was- in class in school. An announcement came over the PA, where a breathless priest announced that news had come over the wireless that the president was dead. He actually used the word wireless to describe the radio. We all headed to church.

The entire weekend was devoted to watching the television. Every minute we could get of news was not enough. Then Jack Ruby killed Lee Harvey Oswald as the nation watched in horror. Could things get any worse? What were the Soviets planning?

In my opinion, Jacqueline Kennedy kept the nation whole that weekend. Her grace under pressure and subdued grief was something we all admired. Time passed, and Johnson became entrenched in the office.

That it was 50 years ago seems stunning. Kennedy would now be 96 if he had lived.

[bertj]

It has only been 49 years ago - I was in the first grade, remember watching a lot of the coverage on TV, but not much else.

[Lucky]

I rounded off, as my point wasn't the passage of time since, but the memory that stays with me. By next year I could be in heaven with JFK, screwing women together. So I had best report my memory now!

[Guest EXPAT]

I was two months old. So I suspect I was in my Mother's arms.

[Guest lurkerspeaks]

I don't remember the exact moment of his death because I was just two years old. But I do remember the day before his death. I lived in Houston Texas at the time. Our house was on a cul de sac. The cul de sac backed up to the main street going to the Houston Hobby Airport. The day before his death, President Kennedy drove down that street (I don't remember if he was going to or coming from the Houston Airport) in a black car (I think it was a Lincoln towncar).

[Guest quietman]

I was in the fifth grade. I remember that the school janitor came to the classroom door and called the teacher into the hall to tell her...and to tell her that classes would be cancelled the rest of the day. It was a time when we still had national defense drills with all the trimmings. For those of us that age and younger, it was a time when I'm not really certain whether we new to be scared or just be kids. Yes, I remember.

[Guest lurkerspeaks]

That day is something our generation will always remember. The closest thing to it for the generation after us (IMHO) is where were you on 9/11 when The World Trade Centers and the hijackings occured.

[TampaYankee]

Gosh, you guys are young. I was in tenth grade English class when the announcement over the intercom was made that he had been shot. The teacher broke down, hearing the announcement. I can still see her tears today.

Having left school midday to get an early start on a hunting weekend, I was home to see Walter Cronkite announce his death at or about 1:30 pm, . Needless to say we got a late start. It was a very somber weekend hunting trip.

[Guest hitoallusa]

Aww how cute..

I was two months old. So I suspect I was in my Mother's arms.

[KYTOP]

I was in the Second Grade and my parents had taken me out of school early for a Doctor's Appointment. We were sitting in the waiting room when the receptionist started crying and leaned out the sign-in window, announcing to all in the office that the President had been shot. By the time we got to the car we heard on the radio that he was dead. We spent almost the whole weekend at my father's aunt's house (they had a color TV) watching everything on TV. I also remember being in front of the TV that weekend when Oswald was marched out in front of the TV camera's at the police station and then shot before our very eyes. The whole thing was such a shocking experience for a kid and I think everyone at that time. My family were Republicans and made it known they didn't vote for Kennedy but they respected anyone that was President and grieved with everyone else.

[Guest Hoover42]

It was later in the day, and I was sitting in my third grade classroom, when suddenly an announcement came over the loudspeaker, "Attention teachers and children. This is an important message," There was a long pause then the announcement continued, "We have very sad news to report. The President of the United States, John F. Kennedy, is dead." Another long pause, then, "No further information is available at this time. All students and teachers are dismissed for the remainder of the day."

The school buses had been dispatched early and were waiting for us when we filed out of the classroom.

I cried all the way home.

[Guest hitoallusa]

Aww you are so sweet..

I cried all the way home.

[BigK]

I was too young to remember where I was...but as I was growing up in the 60's I was facinated by a book my parents had named "Four Days". I'll bet many here remember that book. Was it published by Life?

[JKane]

For my generation it was the Challenger explosion.

[BigK]

For my generation it was the Challenger explosion.

Remember that one too.

[Buddy2]

In my opinion, Jacqueline Kennedy kept the nation whole that weekend. Her grace under pressure and subdued grief was something we all admired. Time passed, and Johnson became entrenched in the office.

I was coming out of a class at Boston College. There was some sad conversation, and I drove 30 minutes home. Living in Massachusetts, I had met all three Kennedy brothers, in a strange way that helped a lot. Also, I had just bought "Joan Baez, In Concert, Volumn II" I played the record constantly that weekend.

To be fair to Pres. Johnson, he passed many of Kennedy's bills that were hopelessly tied up in Congress.

--see Robert Caro, "The Passage of Power" (2012).

[xenophile]

I was 4 years old at the time and I lived in Dallas, so I was watching the Kennedy procession on TV as it happened while my mother was making a pie. I remember the narrator's tone of voice change suddenly, my mom started crying and trying to call my dad, who worked about 4 blocks away from Dealy Plaza & the grassy knoll where it all happened. A nightmarish realization that something historical and horrible had just happened before my eyes, and nothing would ever be quite the same. One of my strongest early childhood memories.

All this time and we still don't know what really went down, the "coincidental" deaths of the witnesses, the powers behind the scene. It's a sobering reminder of how little we know of the inner workings of our government's power structure.

[Guest Allessio77]

In Latin class.