Rest In Peace John F. Kennedy

[BigFitz]

Just wanted to post a reminder that it's been 48 years since the 35th President was assassinated. RIP.

 

[m0nk]

I remember thinking about this date a while back when adding items to my calendar for today. RIP Jack!

 

[LaMedicine]

I remember exactly where/what I was doing when I heard the news. To think that in two years, half a century will have passed. It seems like only yesterday.

 

[BigFitz]

I remember exactly where/what I was doing when I heard the news. To think that in two years, half a century will have passed. It seems like only yesterday.

I was born in '66 so obviously I wasn't around on November 22 '63, but when I was about 8 years old, I ran across two books at my Grandmother's house. "The Torch is Passed" and "Four Days" were two pictorial acounts of the assassination that were prnited in 1964. These books had quite an impact on me as I would pour over these books for hours, fascinated by the story that I had never heard before and I've been interested in ever since.

 

[HeyMoe]

My mom relates the story that she was in her senior social studies class and they were talking about the cold war. The teacher was saying that the first thing the soviets would do if they were to invade the US was to assassanate the president (something he explained to all students I guess). Within a few moments an announcement came over the PA that President Kennedy had been assassinated. I guess the student body all bolted for home based on this guy's theory and the teachers had a heck of a time getting everyone back for the day.

 

[Atticus Finch]

I was in the second grade. Ms. Willis was our teacher. Just after lunch, the intercom on the wall just above Ms. Willis' desk came alive with the confused sounds of television news reports. There was no explanation from our principal…just confused news reports. We all instantly knew something was wrong, but I don't think any of my classmates understood exactly what. After a few moments, Ms. Willis began to weep. She just sat at her desk, in front of us all, and openly wept. I’ll never forget it if I live to be a hundred. Of course many of the children started crying, too. Not even a year before, we had been told that Russia was going to invade Coastal North Carolina during the Cuban Missile Crisis and I think many kids thought it was finally happening.

A few minutes later, school was dismissed. I lived about ten blocks from school so I just walked home. I still remember walking and wondering what had happened that upset Ms. Willis so badly and whether she would still be my teacher when school opened again.

AF

 

[Bad Co]

RIP. Mr President

 

[dhermann1]

I was in Physics class. The teacher came into the room and said, "Well, they just shot the president.". Chaos and confusion in the corridors, and then Spanish class. The teacher, being this sort of person, had us go on with the lessons because Mrs Kennedy was so in favor of people learning foreign languages. I think it was her way of suppressing unwanted emotions. It was a little weird.
I'll never forget spending the entire weekend glued to the TV, watching the funeral. For me the most vivid image is of the cortege moving down Pennsylvania Ave., with the coffin on an army caisson, and that riderless white horse, with the boots backward in the stirrups, following behind it. And I will never hear the Navy Hymn again without getting chills and choking up.
The world has never been the same.

 

[C-dot]

I just finished reading Four Days in November last week. It is tragic to think what could have been, if only he had lived.

 

[HoosierDaddy]

I was a Junior in HighSchool...and just happened to be home sick with a cold lying on the couch watching TV that day. A news bulletin suddenly interrupted the show..that something had happened to the President's car in the motorcade. We followed the news bulletins throughout the day. A heavy feeling of tremendous loss and great sadness was everywhere. Everyone I knew..cried. It changed everything. I seriously don't think that any of us old enough to realise what was happening during those days weeks and years have ever fully recovered.
HD

 

[Atticus Finch]

Not to change the mood of this thread, but the History Channel recently aired a couple of excellent programs about the assassination. One was called the "Lost Tapes" or something like that. It was filled with enhanced amateur footage that I've never seen before. The other was called the "Lost Bullet" and was about Oswald's first shot, which has never been thoroughly accounted for. Of course, his second shot was the so called "magic bullet" (not much magic about it, actually) and the third shot is shown by the Zapruder footage. The program concluded that Oswald’s first shot hit a traffic light located below his sixth floor sniper pit and was deflected down Elm Street toward the Rail Road overpass.

And for hat lovers, both programs were an absolute orgy of Resistol San Antonios and other thin ribbon delights!

AF

 

[BigFitz]

It was a good program. It was also concluded that Oswald's first shot took place earlier than previously thought. The estimate is that there were 11-12 seconds between the first and third shot instead of the 6 seconds that was accepted for the past 48 years.

Apparntly there is going to be a new movie about the assassination that puts Carlos Marcello as the man behind the assassination. Marcello is to be played by Robert DeNiro and Leonardo DiCaprio is to play Jack Van Laningham, an FBI informant who allegedly overheard a confession to the assassination.

 

[V.C. Brunswick]

[video=youtube;ISbyT0Z6wM4]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ISbyT0Z6wM4&feature=related[/video]

The very first announcement of President Kennedy's death is at 3:26
[video=youtube;oZaGMnNJin4]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oZaGMnNJin4&feature=related[/video]

 

[Big Man]

On 22 November 1963 I was in the second grade. I was at home that day, as I had been sick and out of school for a couple days. My Dad was the Principal of the school and our house was on the school grounds, situated between the high school and elementary school buildings.

I remember like it was yesterday being in our living room with the curtains drawn and watching television with my Mother. I remember the news flashes coming on and that my Mother called my Dad in his office to come over to the house quickly. I remember my Dad making an announcement over the school intercom that the President had been shot.

I can still see our living room as it was that day, and I remember the look on my Mother's face as she told the news to my Dad. I can still hear my Dad's strong, but somber voice, making the announcement to the school.

The next few days were spent glued to the television. I was watching when Lee Harvey Oswald was shot. I think that image sticks in my mind more than even the news of the President being shot.

I do not remember being afraid. Looking back, I now know it was because my parents, especially my Dad, remained calm and reassuring to me. Also looking back, I now know that they must have been afraid themselves, but never allowed that fear to show through to me or any of the school children.

It's hard to believe it has been 48 years ago.

 

[DNO]

Like many posters, I remember hearing the news of the JFK shooting like it was yesterday. It's a testimony to the man's importance that so many people can say the same thing. He was young, dynamic, challenging, intelligent and optimistic. It was an exciting, promising time that was brought to a stunning stop on November 22nd, 1963. Regardless of his flaws, I still have enormous respect for the man.

Every once in a while, I still wonder what could have been.

 

[Edward]

Long before my time.Red Dwarf had it spot on, though: a Kennedy who died died a hero; a JFK who lived would have been..... exposed. I only wish they both could have livedclong enough for justice to have been done regarding their part in Marilyn's murder.

 

[Tomasso]

I still wonder what could have been.

I think of what may not have been.......namely, Vietnam. Ike and Jack were in the same camp re: escalation and had he lived........

 

[HadleyH]

Rest in Peace Mr President.

Because Lord Knows the conspiracy theories about his death will not! (and with reason)

 

[DNO]

I think of what may not have been.......namely, Vietnam. Ike and Jack were in the same camp re: escalation and had he lived........

Quite.

 

[Tomasso]

Marilyn's murder.

It's obvious that you've never had a crazy girlfriend......