Where were You & What do you Remember about Pres. Kennedy (Pierce: home, school)

[Mtn. States Resident]

Joining many other state forums with this one.

Where were you and/or what do you remember when President Kennedy was assassinated? Anything special or unusual you've not told previously?

Was that day truly the "end of the innocence," as some state.

Looking forward to your posts.

MSR

[mistyriver]

I wasn't invented yet.

[pimit2]

Like most Americans who lived then, I recall the day of President Kennedy's assassination vividly.

I was a Deputy Sheriff in Pierce County, Washington, off-duty on that fateful day. I also played softball for Heidelberg Brewing Company and six of us ball players had been hired to help unload a railroad flat car of pipe at the brewing plant in Tacoma. Deputy wages were small in those days, so extra dollars from work on the side was important to supplement the needs of my growing family.

A warehouse worker appeared on the loading dock and shouted, "The President has been shot!".

I remember that we seemed to "not believe" what we heard and continued with our pipe unloading. Then, a pickup truck came to stop next to us on the railroad siding. The driver yelled through an open window, confirming what the warehouseman had told us only minutes before....the President had been shot!

Then, only minutes later, the warehouse worker reappeared on the dock. "The President is dead!", he yelled to us. It was beginning to sink in, and it made me sick to my stomach.

My wife, a bank teller, was at work just a few blocks from the brewing plant. She was fond of President Kennedy, his politics and his ideals. Knowing she would have heard of the shooting, as soon as my work was done, I drove to her bank. When I walked in, she looked up from her teller window, saw me, and began to cry. I understood and I felt the tears running down my cheeks. Now, I knew it was true. Our President had been murdered.

The young United States of America lost what remained of its innocence that day.


pimit2 (Bob)

[juneaubound]

Originally Posted by Mtn. States Resident

Joining many other state forums with this one.

Where were you and/or what do you remember when President Kennedy was assassinated? Anything special or unusual you've not told previously?

Was that day truly the "end of the innocence," as some state.

Looking forward to your posts.

MSR

I don't remember the assassination because I was only three years old and living in England at the time.

But when you ask the question about the end of innocence, I think back only a few short years to a time when a young, charismatic candidate with a beautiful wife and two beautiful young daughters declared that this was the time when the oceans would cease to rise and the planet would begin to heal. Innocence? Pie-in-the-sky dreaming? Americans propensity for self-deception seems boundless. It was back then and it is now.

I just had a long conversation with someone today about the assassination, that included communist Russia, communist Cuba, the CIA, the presidents' resolve (or lack of resolve) at the Bay of Pigs, the Mafia and more. Conspiracy theories fascinate me. Mainly because Americans have many reasons through our short history to find fact in conspiracy theories. I don't think that the whole story has been told.

[brokencrayola]

I was 10 years old and was home sick from school. My father was also home from work sick with pneumonia and my mom was there. My dad and I were watching tv when they interrupted and said President Kennedy had been assassinated. My mom came running in and we watched what they had to say on tv. It was so very sad and changed so many things in this country. President Kennedy was such a loved president and it really shocked everyone. I remember feeling so sorry for Jackie and the kids. I remember little John saluting as the casket went by because he been taught to do that, so sad. I have been watching some of the tv shows about it the past few days and it really brings back a lot of memories.

[cushla]

I was just a young Mother in England, when the announcement was made of JFK death, we were all stunned and crying, we watched the proceedings into the night, it was so hard to believe this dreadful thing had happened. I remember when during the 1962 Cuban crisis he would give a news conference on the old black and white TV set, a nuclear attack seemed imminent, i thought at the time, he will get us through this and he did. He was young and had charisma no matter whatever has been written about him since, he was a great President of the United States of America

[banjomike]

I was attending the University of Idaho as a sophomore.
I can't remember just how I heard the first news, but I remember going down to the Student Union building's basement and watching a TV there for some time.
I also remember hearing how Texans pronounced sirens as well. Until then, I had never heard them pronounced Sy-reens. Neither had a lot of the other students watching the TV; we all spent some time deciphering Texas accented English.

I had watched the Cuba crisis unfold at the U of I a year earlier. Now I can't remember one without the other event as well. They are linked together in my mind. When I think of Kennedy's death I always think about the terror I felt when I listened to his Cuba announcement the year before first.

[cleosmom]

Originally Posted by mistyriver

I wasn't invented yet.

Likewise

[Mtn. States Resident]

I have also watched a lot of the features made for the 50 yr. anniversary. Let's just say Political Science wasn't my major in college.

I was reading about LBJ taking office aboard Air Force One with Jackie by his side, while Air Force One was on the tarmac at Love Field.


Is there a specific reason this happened on the tarmac instead of during the flight?
Also, was this when the policy of the Pres. and V. P. not traveling together got changed? Or was it later? Probably a lot of firsts for D.C. to address.

I hope more will post so we all can learn a bit more of what it was like for various people.

Misty, check for a PM. Cleosmom, check for a PM or other depending on whether I can find the other thing you told me about.

Thanks to all who posted so far!

MSR

[chevpu1967]

Originally Posted by mistyriver

I wasn't invented yet.

Same here.