Where were you 50 years ago when JFK was shot

[Dan Allen]

was sitting in Mrs June "bug" Frawleys English lit class in high school.

 

[Edward]

Not born until 1974, so Kennedy was already history by the time I became aware of it. THe first president I remember being shot was Reagan. My parents would remember JFK being killed, but I doubt it would have had quite the same emotional resonance for most on this side of the Atlantic.

 

[2jakes]

Compared to most of you...I feel like a dinosaur, but here goes.

The place:

Burbank H.S. San Antonio, Texas , 1963...

I was in my lunch period 12:30 central time when the bell rang

to go back to class. Most of the teachers were in tears.

When I found out what happened in Dallas I was too stunned to
react. The rest of the afternoon was very sad. Back then , there were only
3 stations broadcasting. The drum cadence at the funeral procession , I
can still remember vividly.

The day before, I skipped class & went downtown to see the President.
Mrs. Kennedy was so beautiful & I recall that Mr. Kennedy was very
handsome in person more so than in pictures.

The motorcade is turning left @ corner of Houston St. & St. Mary's
downtown San Antonio, to the right is the old Texas theater .

 

[Widebrim]

^^Great photos, 2jakes, and what an opportunity to see JFK and the First Lady.

 

[Renault]

I was in Mrs. Boynton's class, 2nd grade. Waverly Park elem. school in Ft. Worth Tx. I remember seeing JFK's arrival pic at Carswell AFB in the Ft. Worth Star-Telegram the day before. I remember an announcement came across the intercom, like the staff was trying to tie in with a radio broadcast. When they finally got tied in all we heard was "Ladies and Gentlemen, the President of the United States is dead." I remember it clear as a bell! We all looked puzzled. Teacher got up and went to the office. Upon her return she was crying.

What made a bigger impression on me wassetting on the sofa watching the TV with my dad of the live coverage of them transporting Lee Harvey Oswald out of the basement of the Dallas county courthouse. Jack Ruby walking up and busting some caps on him!!! I remember my dad saying "huh!!! Some SOB just shot him!!!!" Talk about a Ford Theatre moment!!! All on live TV!

 

[2jakes]

I was in Mrs. Boynton's class, 2nd grade. Waverly Park elem. school in Ft. Worth Tx. I remember seeing JFK's arrival pic at Carswell AFB in the Ft. Worth Star-Telegram the day before. I remember an announcement came across the intercom, like the staff was trying to tie in with a radio broadcast. When they finally got tied in all we heard was "Ladies and Gentlemen, the President of the United States is dead." I remember it clear as a bell! We all looked puzzled. Teacher got up and went to the office. Upon her return she was crying.

What made a bigger impression on me wassetting on the sofa watching the TV with my dad of the live coverage of them transporting Lee Harvey Oswald out of the basement of the Dallas county courthouse. Jack Ruby walking up and busting some caps on him!!! I remember my dad saying "huh!!! Some SOB just shot him!!!!" Talk about a Ford Theatre moment!!! All on live TV!

I was sitting closer to the tv ( no remotes back then ) in case I wanted to change channels ( only 3 channels )

First thing that went through my mind was utter disbelief.
I yelled to my mom in the kitchen, " mom, this guy just got shot ! "....
At first she didn't believed me & told me to go outside & play instead of
watching violent shows...:eusa_doh:

 

[cchgn]

I was 4 yrs old in Hamilton, Ohio. Seems like that was all that was on TV and it lasted 'til Thanksgiving.

 

[Stearmen]

How close to JFK were you?

I Notice that there are two of us that actually saw JFK in person. Did any other Lounge members see him? As the photo shows, it was unbelievable in hind sight, how close the crowds were. I was only about 5 feet from the President when the limo stopped in front of us.

 

[2jakes]

I Notice that there are two of us that actually saw JFK in person. Did any other Lounge members see him? As the photo shows, it was unbelievable in hind sight, how close the crowds were. I was only about 5 feet from the President when the limo stopped in front of us.

That's what went through my mind, looking at the photo where the motorcade is about to turn, and the people
standing at the very top of the building looking down.

For me the JFK assassination was the beginning of lost innocence in America.... 911 sealed it .

 

[Edward]

Jack Ruby was either a nut or very, vrry well compensated. Or both. First -and, I believe, only - real murder to be broadcast on live television. Must have knwn he had no chance of getting away.

 

[bburtner@moran]

Sitting next to this cute little girl in 6th grade.

 

[Atticus Finch]

first -and, i believe, only - real murder to be broadcast on live television.

911.

Af

 

[LaMedicine]

9th grade, Jr.High, in Chevy Chase MD. The actual shots were fired during lunch break, but we didn't know then. 5th period after lunch was Science class by Miss Simmons. She was strict about us in our seats five mins before chime, and would enter the classroom on the first stroke of the chime. That day, she didn't come in. Silence. 5 minutes went by. Still no Miss Simmons. 10 mins. The teacher of the next classroom came in to announce to us, "Miss Simmons will be here soon. Stay seated." She came in a few minutes later, eyes red, and announced that the President had been shot. We just sat there in shocked silence for a while.

My parents, brother and I went to see the funeral cortage that carried the coffin from the White House to the Capitol. I remember well there was a movement of light blue against the car window that the widow and children rode. It must have been one of the children, as they wore light blue colored coats that day.

I never saw JFK in person, but I did meet and shake hands with Jackie Kennedy, in June before the assassination, at a White House party hosted by the First Lady for the children of the diplomatic corp posted in Washington D.C.

Today, the newly appointed Ambassador of the United States to Japan, Ambassador Caroline Kennedy met and had lunch with our Prime Minister.
Who would have thought, 50 years ago.

 

[stevew443]

I was sitting in my 6th grade class room in Elkins, WV when the principal came in to make the announcement. I remember that she tried to give us this horrible news as gently as possible. The rest of the afternoon was spent discussing what had happened and how the country would go on. Since all of us youngsters had already gone through the Cuban Missile Crisis which made us realize that the world could end at any time, we saw that the world was not a perfect place.

Now a funny story that my father-in-law loved to tell. My father-in-law was known to put his foot in his mouth and say the wrong things at the wrong time. He was a salesman and was at a convention on that day, and his clients were known to be fairly liberal Democrats (unlike my father-in-law). My father-in-law left the rowdy convention floor to go to the rest room, and the announcement was made when he was indisposed. He came back to a very quiet and depressed convention floor and the first thing out of my father-in-law's mouth was, "Ok, did someone shoot Kennedy?"

 

[CaramelSmoothie]

I feel old, why, the year Kennedy was shot I was waiting for my first grandchild to be born.

 

[Widebrim]

^^Even though you were born in 1975?

 

[HoosierDaddy]

^^Even though you were born in 1975?

Yeah...I noticed that too. [huh]

 

[CaramelSmoothie]

^^Even though you were born in 1975?

LOL, I wanted to see who would be the first person to catch that outrageous untruth

 

[CaramelSmoothie]

Yeah...I noticed that too. [huh]

LOL, it's just that as I was reading the thread, I noticed that either people weren't born yet or they were kids or in high school. Thought it would be fun to make a joke and see who would catch on! LOL. If that were true, that would put me at about 90-100 right about now, hahahaha!

 

[HoosierDaddy]

Give this woman another drink on me with a dash of caramel,Bartender...