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Where were you 45 years ago today when you heard?

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This is the 45th anniversary of the day I realized the darker side of things, when President John F. Kennedy was assassinated. At the time I was in 8th grade and when we arrived in American History class, or teacher, who was very creative and clever and entertaining, was in a very somber mood and made us sit and be quiet. It was quite out of character for Mr. Lutz. We soon found out why as he had us listening to the TV that the teacher across the hall had in his room. I ran most of the mile home after school and spent most of the weekend in front of the black and white TV, trying to understand how my world had changed?

I have visited the Museum in the School Book Depository in Dallas since then, and found it to be very emotional and effective. If you are in Dallas, I would suggest you visit to watch the videos and walk the neighborhood.
 
5th grade. The Principal, over the intercom, asked all teachers to come to her office immediatlely. When the teacher returned, she was sobbing. That, of course, made most of the class very upset and I think ALL of the girls started crying. There was going to be a lot more crying all over the country in the days to come . . .

The President was dead.

The Principal sent everyone home. I was on the Safety Patrol, so we had to man our posts as the other kids walked by. Many seemed like zombies, scared and silent. Very wierd.

I didn't really know what was going on 'til I got home. My mom and her friend from next door were sitting in the TV room, tears in their eyes. She told me the whole story. I couldn't understand why someone would want to shoot President Kennedy. Very sad. Even Walter Cronkite choked up on the newscast!

The next few days were like a huge bomb had dropped on everything. Literally everyone was sad, or angry, or both. When discussion began, people would break down and cry in church, in the grocery store, etc.

And to make matters worse, the whole Jack Ruby thing where he shot Oswald made it all seem like a big coverup of some kind.

I hope it never happens again. Just the worst. Kennedy was born to lead, and a great man with a great vision for our country.

RIP, President Kennedy.
 
Re: Where were you 45 years ago today when you hea

I was in high school.

Last night on PBS, a show on the assassination brought back incredible memories and surges of emotion for me. As a high school sophomore in Fort Worth TX, I had gone downtown with some friends (Young Republicans!) the morning of the 22nd and had heard JFK speak after his breakfast at the Texas Hotel - before he was to leave for Dallas. After the speech, we went back to our schools.

At about 12:30 that afternoon, during Ms Wilkerson's World History class, our Latin teacher raced down the hallway yelling "Dallas should be kicked out of Texas, or Texas will have to secede from the Union". We all thought she was nuts, but just then the principal came on the PA system, and said "I think you should all hear this". He then patched in the CBS radio coverage of the horror taking place just 30 miles east of us.

At the same time, my mother was visiting a friend in the hospital, and some idiot in the hall yelled "they shot the president; hooray for Dallas". My mother immediately jumped up and screamed "don't you realize that man was a father, and now his wife and children are alone?"

For the next three days, we were all alone.

Many sad memories.
 
Re: Where were you 45 years ago today when you hea

Freshman year of high school. Algebra class. We listened to the radio coverage for about a half hour and then the school was let out early.
 
Re: Where were you 45 years ago today when you hea

Grade 8 (ironically) History class.

Our teacher, one of the best I ever had, was crying. He announced that JFK had been shot.
I'll never forget that day, as we were glued to our TVs.
He was such a good President, that even Canada mourned as if he was ours.

Dave
 
Re: Where were you 45 years ago today when you hea

I remember seeing Kennedy and his wife when his motorcade stopped briefly in front of our high school. He stood up in the convertible and waved, other hand in coat pocket.

I was in the eleventh grade, English Lit., when informed of the assassination. The teacher immediately said, "Finally someone got that SOB!". While I did not agree with her, it still reminds me that President Kennedy was not universally liked and a controversial figure, more so then then now.
 
Re: Where were you 45 years ago today when you hea

I remember this being a big deal in the UK, though I was seven at the time and not really in tune to the fallout from the event. JFK had a very good reputation over there, and the sense of shock was not confined to the States.

I remember wondering why someone would want to kill a person who was trying to do good. Even to this day, I still can't figure that one out...... :frown:
 
Re: Where were you 45 years ago today when you hea

I'm 34. President who? (I am kidding about that last bit, of course)
 
Re: Where were you 45 years ago today when you hea

I was 6 and on the main street of a sleepy little town called Eagle River in northern Wisconsin with my grand dad. Heard it on the radio of his car just as we were getting in. That memory is still crystal clear.

Also remember watching the followup news on the grainy b&w tv (I think we had 2 stations that we could get back then), from the beginning all the way to the cortege and John John saluting. I don't ever want to see history repeat itself.

Randy
 
Re: Where were you 45 years ago today when you hea

for all the "who shot Kennedy" shows I've seen I might as well have been there... It was 13 years before I was born, but My generation still knows the story as much as those who were there. It was that significant of an event.
But regardless of wether I agree with him or not, I hope that our incoming president does not become the next "Kennedy". He is controversial enough to be a prime target. and social and global tensions are as high now as they were in the early 60s.... Scary.
The big stories I can recall in my lifetime have been,
The Challenger explosion, the Exxon Valdeese, the Berlin wall falling, the shots at President Regan (and wounding of Brady), the San Fransisco earthquake, the Colombia explosion, Mars rover, 9-11, the Tsunami,
and there's probably a few others I missed.
 
Re: Where were you 45 years ago today when you hea

I have had the same worries, Ben.

I was just starting to have lunch with friends when the TV in the bar told us what had just happened. I was 27 and could not believe what was being shown could happen. Much the same again on 9/11.
 
I was in my High School Junior History class when the principle made the announcement over the PA system about 3:30pm. I shall always remember that moment.

I was so shocked that I don't remember the remainder of the day at all.
 
11th grade - home sick with the flu watching TV on the sofa....called my mom at work to tell her President Kennedy had been shot.
 
Everyone who I have ever met that was there when this happened can relate exactly what they were doing when they heard the news. That's an incredible impact. There are few defining moments in anyone's life that has such an impact.

Myself, I was a freshman at Northeastern University in Boston. I was walking across the quad going to math class when I heard someone say that the President has been shot. Classes were pretty much cancelled after that, but I didn't hear about his death until I got back to the fraternity house. I also vividly remember watching Jack Ruby kill Oswald on live TV in the den of the frat house. All it takes is one madman...
 
I (Donn) was 5. My mother told me when I came home from school. I didn't realize the importance of it at the time. After all, other presidents had been shot before. That realization first came later, along with the associated contraversies like the Hite report itself.
 
I was in 8th grade at Gila Vista Jr. High School, Yuma Arizona. We saw the School lowering the Flag to half mast during recess or was it lunch. Knew something was wrong. Found out what upon returning to class. Pretty somber day after that!
 
I was 5 in my Grandmother's livingroom with my Great Grandmother. She cried for the rest of the day. I had no idea of the significance of what had just occurred.
 
Like Tony, I was in 11th grade and had just come home from school (we had half-day split sessions at the Jr. High Bldg. while the HS was being renovated). The family and I were riveted to the TV watching in disbelief. Saw Oswald get shot by Ruby live too!
 
I was born Dec 6 of 63. Just new to this world. For me I had to wait many years later to have a Where were you moment - when the space shuttle exploded. And of course more recently the attacks of 9-11. Let's hope that several years from now we can all say "Where were you when President OBama was elected?" because it led to many good and beneficial things for the world....
 
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