DaGOOSExyz
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I was in my 11th grade English class when a boy who had gone to the rest room came back saying " The President has been shot."
Where were you when you heard?
- Thread starter PALADIN85020
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ACORN
Member
Third grade St Joseph's Catholic in Duquesne Pa. at recess. I can take you to the spot in the school yard. The nuns herded us all to the adjacent church to pray for the President.
It's funny now but all I new about Texas was from westerns. When we heard he was shot I visualized him wounded, huddled behind a cactus like your usual western shoot out. I figured they'd send in the Army in to mop up the bad guy(s) the doctors would patch Kennedy up and life would go back to normal. Then we got the news he had passed and were dismissed early.
On the walk home my buddy theorized that Johnson did it to become President. Sad to say I didn't know who the heck Johnson even was.
It's funny now but all I new about Texas was from westerns. When we heard he was shot I visualized him wounded, huddled behind a cactus like your usual western shoot out. I figured they'd send in the Army in to mop up the bad guy(s) the doctors would patch Kennedy up and life would go back to normal. Then we got the news he had passed and were dismissed early.
On the walk home my buddy theorized that Johnson did it to become President. Sad to say I didn't know who the heck Johnson even was.
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OFT II
US Veteran
I was ten months into a thirteen month tour of Korea. It was about four in the morning when the First Shirt came through raising hell and telling us we were going on full alert. I will always remember the date being November 23rd since I was west of the date line.
mafuta54
Member
4th grade class. We were watching it on the TV!!
The Last Standing Knight
Member
I was Stationed at Camp Hansen on the island of Okinawa with the 3rd Marine Division. I can remember that everyone seemed to be walking around in shock. There was none of the usual light hearted banter and joking around. Everyone was very silent, lost, no doubt, in their own thoughts, fears and disbelief.
All the base facilities such as the Movie theater, Hobby shop, EM club and even the O club was shut down for two weeks. It surprise me no end that the people of Okinawa loved JFK so much they observed a full 30 day mourning period. You couldn't by a drink, a beer or.....anything else.
I was in tight with the old mamasan that owned the Club Blue Moon (but that's another story for another time and place.) and even though the bar was closed I could go around the back and knock on the door and they would let me in. We sat around a many a afternoon just me and mamasan and papasan and a few of the girls drinking sake and crying. Old papasan spoke not one word of English but he yammered on relentlessly. Boo-hooing and big tears streaming down his face.
It's where I discovered that I get very emotional when I drink sake.
"The shame is that 50 years later, there is still doubt about the circumstances of the assassination."
The awful shame and sadness is that the coverup commenced immediately. Within the first 24 hours evidence, forensic and medical and and clerical was destroyed. Not just hidden but destroyed. By now many of the people that know/knew the truth are dead.
I've heard that there are accurate accounts somewhere that will all be revealed some day but I don't believe it. It's a darn shame too. There were people involved that got away with it. What a huge loss of innocence for America.
Not to hijack the thread. I was two days old when this tragedy occurred so I remember nothing. I have seen the historical news reports and found them moving and emotional.
As far as "the truth" goes, there is probably a very good reason for a lot of the actions taken in that time. Something I would've never thought even ten years ago. Sometimes it is best to leave Pandora's Box closed. I take comfort in the knowledge that a higher form of justice handled this matter.
Not attempting to violate any rules here, merely my take on JFK.
I mainly recall how it upset my Mother. She was a very gentle-natured lady and I remember thinking it odd that she was so upset because she did not seem politically oriented to me. Looking back now, it seems like kind of an odd recollection about such a momentous event...
We were released from school early. There was no drama there. I don't recall an announcement - just the early dismissal. I believe the duty to inform was left to the parents, but of course by the time we had walked home we were well aware of what had happened.
I was 8-years old and did not grasp the magnitude of the event, nor the need for the depth of the sadness many people seemed to feel. I do remember seeing the pic of JFK Jr and feeling sorry for him that he had lost his Dad.
We were released from school early. There was no drama there. I don't recall an announcement - just the early dismissal. I believe the duty to inform was left to the parents, but of course by the time we had walked home we were well aware of what had happened.
I was 8-years old and did not grasp the magnitude of the event, nor the need for the depth of the sadness many people seemed to feel. I do remember seeing the pic of JFK Jr and feeling sorry for him that he had lost his Dad.
Captain O
US Veteran
I was 8 years old and remember my 3rd grade teacher walking into class telling us the President had been shot.
Dad had always said that America wasn't ready for a President of the Roman Catholic faith.
Dad had always said that America wasn't ready for a President of the Roman Catholic faith.
cmort666
Member
If I remember correctly, I'd just gotten home from grade school in Chicago.
Roadtrash
US Veteran
Building an oil barge in Savannah, GA.
Out at sea in the north Atlantic some ware on DD734.
CO, Commander A A Stinbeck made the announcement over the 1MC.
No sailors crying that I can remember, just worried if this would start a war.
CO, Commander A A Stinbeck made the announcement over the 1MC.
No sailors crying that I can remember, just worried if this would start a war.
I was in 8th grade. They let school out early, and the Guard base bus (we went to school off base) was there. I was at home to see the bad news. My Dad was immediately activated.
I most remember my teacher (what subject? too many years ago) in tears as we ran to the bus, and once home, prepping my Dad for plan B (firearm loaded and loaded mags in the belt, the only time I had ever done that for him was Cuban Crisis). Plan A was tornadoes, floods, riots.
I most remember my teacher (what subject? too many years ago) in tears as we ran to the bus, and once home, prepping my Dad for plan B (firearm loaded and loaded mags in the belt, the only time I had ever done that for him was Cuban Crisis). Plan A was tornadoes, floods, riots.
I just realized...
I was in the third grade. The same class I was in when they announced that the USS Thresher was lost in April, and one of the crew was the father of a girl in our class. Bad feeling.
Fast forward, same class, November 22nd. Announcement over the PA. The President had been shot in Dallas. The principal said that he would try to keep up to day, but some old equipment he was using as a radio was starting to smoke some. A while later he came back on the PA and announced "He is dead" and told us school was out. As 3rd graders in 1963 it was more than just a shock and I think some of us cried as we were walking home. The next days were spent on the floor in front of our B & W tv watching the preparation and the funeral. We'd had Sputnik, bomb shelters, almost a war in Cuba that we didn't really understand but that was it. The end of the world as we knew it. It made such an impact that here we are over 50 years later talking about it.
I was in the third grade. The same class I was in when they announced that the USS Thresher was lost in April, and one of the crew was the father of a girl in our class. Bad feeling.
Fast forward, same class, November 22nd. Announcement over the PA. The President had been shot in Dallas. The principal said that he would try to keep up to day, but some old equipment he was using as a radio was starting to smoke some. A while later he came back on the PA and announced "He is dead" and told us school was out. As 3rd graders in 1963 it was more than just a shock and I think some of us cried as we were walking home. The next days were spent on the floor in front of our B & W tv watching the preparation and the funeral. We'd had Sputnik, bomb shelters, almost a war in Cuba that we didn't really understand but that was it. The end of the world as we knew it. It made such an impact that here we are over 50 years later talking about it.
cowart
US Veteran
Senior in high school, in typing class. They stopped classes for the rest of the day, but the buses didn't show up til hours later.
Frank46
US Veteran
Junior in Thomas A Edison vocational and Technical high school in Jamaica New York. They announced it over the school's pa system and that school for the day would be dismissed. Got home and mom had the old emerson on and showed Walter Cronkite with the sad news. Think all tv programs were prempted until after the funeral. Frank
Third grade classroom. It came over the loudspeakers.
One boy started crying, which at the time I thought was odd for a third grader, but in hindsight, it put the exclamation point on the seriousness of that announcement.
One boy started crying, which at the time I thought was odd for a third grader, but in hindsight, it put the exclamation point on the seriousness of that announcement.
I was on Patrol
Calaveras Slim
US Veteran
Sitting on a mtn. Top in a mideastern country, where there currently is shooting going on. Can't remember time, 2 or 3 in the morning?
Grayfox
US Veteran
I was in the 4th grade in Memphis. I didn't know much about politics, but was aware that JFK wasn't the most popular president around here. However, there was respect for the office in those days. So it wasn't so much the man being killed, but the concept of the President being killed that boggled our minds. I don't remember much crying. It was more like a state of shock and disbelief that something like this could happen.
Our school had maybe four TV sets on tall stands that were shared by many classes. One just happened to be in my classroom at the time. I remember that they crammed as many of us as they could into the room and we watched the news coverage.
I don't think we went home early, but we did take the next couple of days off.
Our school had maybe four TV sets on tall stands that were shared by many classes. One just happened to be in my classroom at the time. I remember that they crammed as many of us as they could into the room and we watched the news coverage.
I don't think we went home early, but we did take the next couple of days off.
Comrad
Member
I was in school and we were all brought into the auditorium to look at one very small black and white TV with rabbit ears. Then we were sent home for 4 days of total TV coverage.
I can remember clearly even though I was only 4 1/2 years old. I was on the floor playing in front of the TV and my mom was folding towels on the sofa when the news broke. She started crying and it upset me that she was crying. I asked her why and she told me the president was shot and killed and gave me a big hug and a kiss and told me not to worry.
High school senior, government class right after open lunch hour. My then boy friend who was out of school, came into the classroom and told us, he had heard it on the car radio. School was dismissed within an hour or so.
My parents didn't have TV so spent a lot of time at boyfriend's parents glued to the TV. I will always remember the fiesty riderless horse in the funeral procession.
My parents didn't have TV so spent a lot of time at boyfriend's parents glued to the TV. I will always remember the fiesty riderless horse in the funeral procession.
hoosierone
Member
Downtown Chicago working for Household Finance. Came back from lunch and they were talking about how Kennedy was shot but no word on his condition. A little later the boss came out of his office and somberly announced JFK was dead. Still had customers in the lobby waiting to apply for loans so had to get right to work. Saw Oswald get shot on TV. At the time I knew nothing about politics, just thought JFK was an OK guy.
MOONDAWG
US Veteran
I was too busy hugging the dirt in front of the grassy knoll.
bamacisa
Member
I was working at the Kresge store in Towson Md. The whole shopping center quickly got empty as if no stores were open.(no cars on the parking lot) We turned the radio on and they were playing funeral music. It was a day to remember.
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I was glad, but.....
Being a kid, I was glad somebody shot and killed LHO. But then my Dad explained about standing trial.
Being a kid, I was glad somebody shot and killed LHO. But then my Dad explained about standing trial.
Actually it happened...
It happened 12:30 pm Central Time and the death was announced at 1:33.
I saw a pretty good documentary on the events from the point of view of the press people and how frantic they were to get the CONFIRMED word that he was dead. To say it was a madhouse would be a big understatement.
Oh, and like 9/11, it was the feeling the nothing would be the same again in the US that stood out in the immediate shock and sadness.
It happened 12:30 pm Central Time and the death was announced at 1:33.
I saw a pretty good documentary on the events from the point of view of the press people and how frantic they were to get the CONFIRMED word that he was dead. To say it was a madhouse would be a big understatement.
Oh, and like 9/11, it was the feeling the nothing would be the same again in the US that stood out in the immediate shock and sadness.
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