Where were you on this day 59 years ago?

[Kismet]

I was in Mr. Beyer's last period 7th grade English class when they played Walter Cronkite's LIVE radio reporting on a shooting in Dallas TX over the PA.

As much as things today appear out of control - it all pales to what most of us felt this day way back then. For those of you who weren't around
"The President has been shot" still sends shivers up my spine to this very day.

Not a bad word was uttered by ANYONE that I can recall on that day.


"Let us not seek the Republican answer or the Democratic answer, but the right answer. Let us not seek to fix the blame for the past. Let us accept our own responsibility for the future." - President John F. Kennedy

P.S. =It is 59 years today since the assassination of US President, John F Kennedy in Dallas, Texas. Since that date, more Americans have died by gunfire within their own country than those killed in all foreign wars.
November 22, 1963.

[RedFromMI]

I was in Mr. Beyer's last period 7th grade English class when they played Walter Cronkite's LIVE reporting on a shooting in Dallas TX over the PA

As much as things today appear out of control - it all pales to what most of us felt this day way back then. For those of you who weren't around
"The President has been shot" still sends shivers up my spine to this very day.

Not a bad word was uttered by ANYONE that I can recall on that day.

I was in my elementary school classroom (I think 2nd grade), but no information filtered into the school classrooms as far as I know during the regular hours for the day. Because it was a Friday, we had afterschool movies that cost a dime to attend, and so I was staying later for that, and remembered going back to my classroom to get my coat to walk home and my teacher had tears in her eyes and told us what had happened.

It was a strange walk home...

[dislaxxic]

On the playground when we saw a clutch of teachers crying. That got our attention pretty quick...never seen such a thing. Walked home after school closed early, walked in the door to my mom's surprise and told her the news she hadn't heard yet.

Funny the images you carry in your mind much of your life.

..

[Brooklyn]

A day I'll never forget. I was too stunned for words.

[jhu72]

... middle school 8th grade English class, looking up Nancy Glaubs skirt.

[njbill]

I was in Mrs. Winston‘s fifth grade class. I think the school only had one radio which was in the principal’s office. Each class was allowed to send one student down to the office to listen to the radio. The school was K-6 so I imagine it was only the older grades.

I distinctly remember my classmate, Bob Rose, coming back into the class and announcing with as much solemnity as a 10-year-old could muster, “the president is dead.”

We got off school the following Monday for the funeral. I remember playing football in my front yard that day with my friend David Alleger. Back then it seemed that we had a full 100 yard field in my front yard. When I drove by the house about a month ago, strange, but now the yard is only maybe 75 feet wide.

[DMac]

Was in Mr. Meyers 7th grade science class. Abe was his nickname, super good wrestler (in the HS HOF there), was the HS wrestling coach and our 7th & 8th grade football coach, one of my all time favorite teachers....was NO screwing around in Abe's class.
Was a knock on the door, he went over and cracked it open and was delivered the news. The look on his face turned very serious, we knew something big had happened. Wasn't too long after that everyone was sent home.

[Seacoaster(1)]

I am the youngest of seven kids, and the only one of us who remembers nothing about this. I was three and a half and had four dogs forty chickens and a cat to deal with.

All of my sibs recall this as momentously as you guys describe. My Mom -- second generation American-Irish and Catholic -- could still tear up about it in the 2000s.

[CU88]

I love reading these recollections, thanks for sharing.

[DMac]

My Mom -- second generation American-Irish and Catholic -- could still tear up about it in the 2000s.

Whether he was a good President or not is for another discussion, but JFK, Jackie, and the kids were loved by the people of this country. Just like it was to your mom, this was devastating to most nationwide, my mom did an awful lot of crying too. It really was painful and people hurt for a long time. John Jr. saluting as the casket left the cathedral was absolutely heart wrenching (was watching, of course), was his birthday that day too. A day you just never forget if you were old enough to know what was going on. People loved that family, they looked like they belonged in the White House.

[Seacoaster(1)]

My Mom -- second generation American-Irish and Catholic -- could still tear up about it in the 2000s.

Whether he was a good President or not is for another discussion, but JFK, Jackie, and the kids were loved by the people of this country. Just like it was to your mom, this was devastating to most nationwide, my mom did an awful lot of crying too. It really was painful and people hurt for a long time. John Jr. saluting as the casket left the cathedral was absolutely heart wrenching (was watching, of course), was his birthday that day too. A day you just never forget if you were old enough to know what was going on. People loved that family, they looked like they belonged in the White House.

Our President was 46 years old in November 1963. Obama was 47 when elected, I think. Different right?

[Farfromgeneva]

JIm Carroll tells a story where he was in his bathroom with a piece of veal and his mom busted in wondering what he was doing with dinner before declaring the president was shot.

[ggait]

I am the youngest of seven kids, and the only one of us who remembers nothing about this. I was three and a half and had four dogs forty chickens and a cat to deal with.

All of my sibs recall this as momentously as you guys describe. My Mom -- second generation American-Irish and Catholic -- could still tear up about it in the 2000s.

I was 3+ too. Youngest of six. IRC family.

I have very vague fuzzy memories of it -- mostly likely false constructed memories inherited from my siblings.

In my uncle's house, there was always a little shrine with a candle -- Jesus and JFK. For IRCs, JFK was royalty, movie star and deity all rolled together.