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Yes,its Friday, BUT, Dallas Nov 22 ,1963 ,

A

Anonymous-0

Well-known Member
exactly 50 yrs ago ,The USA was on extreme Military ALERT ,,I was in the 1st grade, Lanesville Ind ,St Marys Grade school built in 1899, had 4 classroom...the big windows along the wall where I sat were showing the beginning of raindrops , and the winds of change could be felt thru the panes ,after a longer than normal recess .we had just settled in for arithmetic ,,,.when our normally happy jovial priest , Father Knight came into the clas room and told us in near tears ,,. he had good news and sad news . the good news was that the bus will arrive soon to take us all home early .. the sad news ... the president was dead !,,.,,.I recall my little sister asking me who will be our next kennedy president?,.she was thinkin it was a 2 word title ,,and I explained the difference between the 2 words, Funny how one remembers stuff .she mentioned that 50 yr old conversation a few days ago to me , ... WOW ,, You remember that talk! ,,... another tidbit was on the local news last nite ,.the brand new I-65 bridge over the Ohio was due to be opened in early December,.. No One had bothered to name the Bridge ,,. Seems like the Greatest Generation of GIt -r done folx was still in the WW2 mentality of "never mind the mules ,,JUST Load the wagon"... fate handily gave us the name of the bridge that rainy day ..
 
I was a third grader and I don't know if the teacher told us why we were getting out early but on the walk home from school all the kids were passing the word to each other. I'll never forget that. My family had just moved from Canada in '61 and we had a picture of JFK that said his famous quote " Ask not what your country can do for you ,ask what you can do for your country" .
 
I was not quite ten years old when the president was shot and I remembering my mother talk about how the black people were going to riot and take over the country,That same day we seen a car going up the road and there were black people in it and we thought for sure they were going to come and get us,This world has come a long ways as you look back 50 years

jimmy
 
I was out on the playground of the elementary school. One of the teachers apparently had gotten the news and one of the kids,darned if I remember who,Glenn Schroeder maybe,said he'd just overheard the teachers talking about it. I remember the talk among us kids being that if it was a Cuban who shot him,it would mean the end of the world.
 
I was in Tech School writing a calculus exam when the news came over the intercom. Hard a$$ instructor made us finish the exam. Everybody failed it. He eventually had a shred of humanity and threw out the results. All the students, nnalert, nnalert, Libertarian, even a communist or two were terribly upset. There was no joy on campus that day.
 
Have to remember this, about 65% of the US population wasn't even born when this took place.

Telling today's children about Kennedy being shot as president is like people telling you about William McKinley being shot or Warren Harding dieing in office.
 
I was in third grade then. I can still remember sitting in class when the principal came on the PA and asked the janitor (we call them custodians now...) to lower the US flag in front of the school to half mast...
 
I remember that sad day very well. It was a very cold nasty , misty drizzly day in northern Ill. I had been picking corn for a neighbor and we decided not to pick that day due to the nasty weather.
I was eating dinner when the TV noon news got interrupted with a " bulletin" from Dallas about the shooting. The neighbor showed up , but had not heard the news, so we watched it most of the afternoon. A very poor way to see history being made. clint
 
i was 7 my folks getting to go somewhere church i think it was there wedding aniversery standing in kitchen listing to the radio on a stand in the corner compares to this generation and 911 a moment that you wont forget. i talked to a guy who just entered the army was on a train with others going to basic he said never seen so many scared people. take care and god bless
 
4th grade --I remember the principal asked all teachers , over the pa,to meet in the front hallway, then I remember that Mrs. Pemberton was crying wwhen she came back to the room and told us about the shooting and that school was being dismissed early.
 
I was a freshman at Marysville, Ohio High school. I had just got caught talking in study hall and was sent to the principals office. When i got there the secretary told me to go find the principal, the president had just been shot. Saved me from the board. Very sad time for our country no matter what party you were. Keith
 
I was a 4th grader at the old Corydon Grade School on Mulberry and High Streets in Corydon, Indiana [the school, built in 1914, has since been demolished; the Corydon Church of Christ now stands on that spot]. We were on the playground at recess after lunch, when a friend who'd gone inside the building to use the rest room came out and told us that President Kennedy had been shot. Being 9-year-olds, we all called him a liar. After we went inside, our teacher, Loran Shields, told us that it was true. A short time later, we heard the voice of our principal, Arthur Crowley, on the intercom: "May I have your attention please? The President is dead; I repeat, the President is dead...", his voice trailing off. Shortly afterwards classes were dismissed, and as my school bus drove through downtown Corydon, I saw Civil Defense trucks on a couple of the main street corners. Just over a year before, we'd gone through the Cuban Missile Crisis, so we didn't know if there was a larger plot, or if nukes would soon be headed our way. For a 9-year-old kid, that was some scary stuff.
 
7th grade. Teacher came in and told us her husband had heard president Kennedy was shot but not sure about the outcome. Later she told us he had passed. My sis saw Oswald be shot live on TV. Jim
 
Okay, so I'm the old guy on here. My daughter was born on that very day in Ravenna, OH. I was in the Navy at the time stationed in Winter Harbor, ME, but my wife had gone home to have the baby.

We were standing inspection when the CO told us about Kennedy.

My little girl has been the joy of my life ever since the day she was born.

Tom in TN
 
I was in the Army, stationed at Ft. Campbell.
I was cleaning up a storage room at the air base and had a pocket transistor radio on me listing to WSM station. It was announced about Kennedys killing. I went down to the office and told the Caption and Luetenant what I heard, they called base command and they hadn't heard the news yet.
In aboot 5 minutes they got the call from base comander and that Ft. Campbell was on high alert.
The Caption made the remark that if you want to know what is going on ask a private they know everything, I guess he was wright cause I knew before the base command did.
 
After going to church that Sunday morning, we turned on the TV when we got home. We were having round steak and mashed potatoes for Sunday dinner, and we had all just sat down in the living room to eat--not a common practice at our house. Dad told us kids, "You should watch this; it's history unfolding right in front of our eyes." And a couple of minutes later, Jack Ruby stepped out of the crowd and shot Oswald.
 
It is a bit ironic that the 50th anniversary also falls on a Friday.

I was a senior in college, waiting in a classroom for the start of a journalism class. Another student came in and reported that the president had been shot. The professor soon arrived and confirmed the report and dismissed class.

I strolled over at the campus social center, where a crowd of students was gathered in front of the TV. When it was announced that Kennedy was dead, some students impulsively cheered. I'm sure they came to regret that response, but this was Deep South and a different time, and the passions aroused by forced integration were raw and unreasoning. The Kennedy brothers were to many the visible face of this unwanted social change, and emotions were still fresh and volatile when Kennedy came to Dallas.
 
It was in the middle of the day I was working in one of the large warehouses at McClellan AFB and it came over the load speaker that he had been shot. We didn't do a y more work that day just sat around listening to the radio. I think we went home early but can't remember. I was 25 at the time and just wanted to get away from the TV it was all we heard for 4 days, the weather was wet drippy fog and cold I went over to where a friend was working in a small garage just to get away. I think the worst part was I was not a Kennedy fan having been in the Navy under him and spending weeks in the South China Sea waiting to invade Laos. We were call Ed out several times to go some place by Kennedy and we were always disappointed when we went whimpering back home. I guess that's why I was not a fan. But he was a great President I guess.
My mothers maiden name was Rose Kennedy same as his and I was always asked if we were related. I had to say no. When grandmother was asked she replied " oh my gosh no why they are nothing but a bunch of Johnny Come Latelies. " my side of the Kennedy's fought in the revolutionary war.
As I said it was 4 miserable days for me. Now I have to relive it all over this week. I hope the younger generation reads our notes and try to understand what we went though 50 years ago.
Walt Davies
Son of Rose R Kennedy.
 
I was a sophomore at Tenino High School. Was home sick that day- and I actually was sick. Finally got out of bed about 11 AM, came down and turned on the TV. Kennedy had already been shot, and about 5 minutes later they announced he was dead. So I was by myself, watching it all, until sister got home from school. I don't recall that they dismissed school early.

My folks were nnalert, but couldn't bring themselves to vote for Kennedy because he was Catholic. That was a big deal at the time- protestants thought that the Pope would be running the country. I remember arguing about it with my Catholic friend on the bus during the campaign. By the time of his death, that theory had gone by the wayside, and they were happy with his presidency. And I do remember my mother at the time, that they didn't call Nixon "Tricky Dick" because it rhymed. A little clairvoyant, perhaps?
 
I remember that plain as day too. We were sitting at the kitchen table with the television on in the living room. All of a sudden Dad said "What the H#ll? Somebody just shot Oswald!".
 
freshman in high school industrial arts class Lanark Il
Concord Aschenbrenner teacher it was the first class after lunch when our principal E K Graham came over the pa system and told us the President had just been shot and died.
I was 15
Mrs 730 was also 15 in Latin class at Batavia Il.
She was watching tv with her dad when Ruby shot Oswald. Her dad said "OH MY G Ruby just shot Oswald".
 
I was a 6th. grader at John Strange Elementary school in Indianapolis. The principal turned on the PA system real loud which startled us. Then he turned on the radio so we could hear the news he was shot. It wasn't until I got home that the news reported he died.
 
Remember it real well , I was Stationed at Whiteman A.F.B. in Missouri , With in the Hr. we were on Alert Status . No one could call off or on Base . Wife was worried because she didn t know what was happing until I came in later that night .


John in Az.
 
I was at my first real factory job when I heard the news. I joined the Navy a few months later. His administration started a physical fitness program, and even after his death were were doing our JFK's (exercises) in the mornings. Stan
 
I well remember that day
I was driving A grocrey deliver truck. I was at lake striker,Henderson, Tx. delivering groceries at A store. The people had just got A phone call, that JFK had been shot in Dallas, Tx.It happen on my oldest Son s Birthday, 11/22/63. He was 9 yr. old that day. He is 59 yr. old today. That makes me feel old.

Hammer Man
 
I remember that exorcize program we alway mustered on the helicopter deck at the stern of the ship. So we just did our 10 or 15 minutes of exorcize no one was exempt not even the Capt.
Walt
 
IO was in a college physics class when we got the news. Everyone was told to just go home.
 
Guys, I was a 1st grader at Bertram Elementary, Bertram I.S.D.....since consolidated into the Burnet I.S.D. Here in South Central Texas.
The Plan for the day was Early release. So Folks could go to Austin to see the President in the big Parade, Come up Congress Avenue and the procession would stop at the front door of our State Capital for speeches and the like. from him and our Governor John Connolly.
Note being a Teachers Kid, Mom taught 6th, my Aunt taught 1st (my grade) was was always on the inside of *Rules, Regs, Dos and Don'ts.
We were just getting back to our school room from Lunch. *Cars were never pulled up by the front door. But he 5th grade Teacher had her big car pulled up by the front door a bunch of the trachers were listening to the radio. and what the announcer had to say.
The announcement was made that the President had been killed in a tragic set of events,The President was dead, the Parade was cancelled, and early release was all that was going to happen!
Upper Classmen were Crying, Sobbing, Distraught.
Classes was let out till the buses ran. Mom and my Aunt were Crying so. We weren't going to Austin to see the President!
As a First grader, I am still not sure if I was more upset about the president being shot and killed or that we weren't going to Austin where I would get to see my Grandmother and other Cousins! and that Parade thing!
Later,
John A.
 
Not the best time for a joke here but.......

What will JFK junior miss most about Martha's Vineyard...................The Runway.
 
I had just gotten shipped to Korea a week and a half before it happened. I had just gotten rousted up (17 hour time difference) when I heard it on the radio. Needless to say it really has an impact on you in that situation.

Areo
 
I was outside the mess hall pealing potatoes at Ft Riley, KS. Was going to see the move PT109 that night. Needless to say it was cancelled.
 
I was a Sophomore in college in Michigan. Heard it in the student lounge between classes. Seems like yesterday. We were all Americans that day, regardless of personal ideology. Saw Oswald killed by Ruby..live. Too graphic to describe. Times before murder on the nightly news was an everyday item.
The whole ordeal still brings up emotion 50 years later. Wish we could regain the sense of a united country we felt after that tragedy.
 
I was undergoing Naval Flight training in Milton Florida, T-28's. I had a new Corvette roadster so I was asked to drive the homecoming Queen sitting on the back, top down, in the parade. About half way through the parade I heard the President was dead and I knew there would be Def Con upgrade. I stopped the Vette,, told the "queen" to get the hell off my car, and when her feet hit the pavement I laid rubber all the way up to the Pom Pom girls at the front of the parade and hit 100 mph by the time I got to the highway.
We were restricted to the base until Monday noon.
 
I was a baby so I don't remember it but I am fascinated by it.. I am curious about this though. Several people commented they saw Ruby kill Oswald live on TV. Did they replay that or if you missed it , you missed it? Now they would of course have it on every channel. Was curious how they handled that 50 years ago. I was born early that year. Always noted JFK assassination as biggest thing that happened the year I was born.
 
Instant replay hadn't been invented just yet.

From Wikipedia: "CBS Sports Director Tony Verna invented a system to enable a standard videotape machine to instantly replay on 7 December 1963, for the network's coverage of the Army–Navy Game."

So instant replay didn't exist until about 2 weeks AFTER the JFK assassination.
 
I was in seventh grade at the time. When we went to the cafeteria for lunch there were rumors of the President being shot but no one really new anything for sure. When we returned to class after lunch the intercom started playing the reports from the radio. By that time it was confirmed that JFK was indeed dead.

A bit of trivia. Starting with President Lincoln who was elected in 1860, every president elected in each of the following 20 year spans (1880-Garfield, 1900-McKinley, 1920-Harding, 1940-Roosevelt, and 1960-Kennedy) was assassinated or died in office. Following Kennedy the next one elected in that pattern was Reagan and he came very close to being assassinated. Much closer than the news reports of the time reported.
 
It's too bad we never knew who hired Oswald. Jack Kennedy did a lot in the short time he was president. The Green Beret Special Forces was a favorite of his. They built a facility at Aberdeen Proving Ground in MD where I was employed
known as the Limited War Lab. They built a lot of vehicles for use in Viet Nam. They hired all master craftsman from all over the Proving Ground.
Lots of money was available for their use. In 1974 they did away with the Limited War Lab.

All the employees they hired couldn't be bumped during a RIF, but that sort of backfired when they were in a RIF and couldn't bump back. Most had to take a lower grade. Hal
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I just turned 6 months old that day, of course don't remember anything about it, but can understand the emotion from experiencing 9-11, I still get teary eyed talking about that.
 
I was 4 years old, don't remember exactly when I heard the president was dead, I suppose my mom told me. I remember all the coverage on TV and was a little torqued off that that all the normal TV programs I watched weren't on because of the president being shot. So I guess I wasn't old enough to really understand what happened or the ramifications of the event. Don't remember much about when MLK or Bobby was shot but do remember when Teddy drove the Oldsmobile off the bridge.
 
I was 5 years old and was at the feed store with Dad when the news came over the radio. Our area is yellow dog nnalert but Kennedy wasn't very well liked. I was still a shock and a turning point in our nation.

It's interesting to me how many people on here saw the news on TV. We didn't have a TV and the closest TV station was 150 miles away. We didn't get a local TV station that we could watch until 1964 and we didn't get a TV until 1968.
 
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