JFK at 49

[WildBill]

The date, November 22, is stuck in my memory.

November 22 marks the 49th anniversary of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in 1963. The memory of the tragedy in Dallas seems to be fading in America's collective consciousness. Few people younger than myself (I'm 54) have any memory of the day it actually happened. 9/11 has certainly replaced 11/22 as the time stamp of American catastrophic angst.

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[Oldgringo]

I was off work that day in 1963 recovering from an emergency appendectomy. My father and I had taken a drive and had entered Varallo's chili restaurant in west Nashville where we learned that the President had been killed in Dallas.

Where were you that day?

[G26ster]

I was off work that day in 1963 recovering from an emergency appendectomy. My father and I had taken a drive and had entered Varallo's chili restaurant in west Nashville where we learned that the President had been killed in Dallas.

Where were you that day?

Korea. Half asleep on the Orderly Room floor by the stove. I was CQ (Charge of Quarters) Runner that night. Heard it on AFKN Radio, then it went to static. Woke the CQ, who woke the company. No one knew for sure if it was true or a N. Korean hoax. We were close to the DMZ and were deployed to our alert positions in very short order. Sad day.

[Songbird]

In my classroom in the third grade. They announced that he had been killed over the PA system, and my teacher started crying hysterically.

[jimlongley]

A sophomore in high school, some kids laughed, a few because they thought it was a joke and others because they didn't like him, my favorite teacher broke down in tears and I shamelessly took advantage of the situation and hugged her, she was very pretty and single.

I was an active high power target shooter at the time, and pretty good if I do say so myself, and it wasn't long before our long range club (Forbes, http://www.forbesrifleandpistolclub.org/index.htm in Colonie NY) started to try to duplicate the shots, and it wasn't long after that that we decided that it wasn't possible. Despite the "research" and conclusion in the decades since, I still find it hard to believe that Oswald, a mediocre shot at best, could do it except by sheer luck.

[jocat54]

I was a junior in high school going to my most hated class...Algebra. There were a lot of emotions in school that day.
Sad day!

[fannypacker]

I was a young man working in Long beach, CA when we heard. Women were crying all over the office. We were released and my two roomies and I were glued to the TV all weekend. We all saw Ruby kill Oswald on live TV.

[Rex B]

In 6th grade class, Walker AFB Elementary School. My teacher was a tall, stern retired Army captain. He was pale and shaken as he told us. Then the entire school went to the gym to watch the newsfeed on a single TV. They let school out early. The base went on alert, Dad was gone for days

[WildBill]

I was in Jr. High shop class when the announcement came over the PA system. We went home early and watched TV for the next several days. I also remember seeing Oswald shot as he was leaving the basement of the police building.

[BigGuy]

Dad was stationed in Oberammergau, Germany. He and mom had gone out that night to their square dance club. I remember they got home early and mom was crying uncontrollably. Dad went back on base as soon as he got mom home, and we didn't see him for several days.
More at Memorial post on Texarkana Biker Blog

[WildBill]

Dad was stationed in Oberammergau, Germany. He and mom had gone out that night to their square dance club. I remember they got home early and mom was crying uncontrollably. Dad went back on base as soon as he got mom home, and we didn't see him for several days.
More at Memorial post on Texarkana Biker Blog

Nice post on the blog.

[Jaguar]

Although not yet born, my mom related a story.

Parents and the first two kids were in Germany a year after the assassination, when a German woman asked where they were from. Since Mineral Wells and Fort Walters wasn't (isn't) well known, my mom replied "Dallas", to which the lady pointed her finger and went "pow, pow". My mom thought she meant it as in "cowboys & indians" so she laughed. The lady had an odd look on her face and said, "JFK". My mom said she wanted to just crawl in a hole after that.

Two years before my time and yet I still feel old.