November 22, 1963....where were you?

[big john]

I know I'm a day early, but tomorrow is the 50th anniversity of a day
that shocked the nation and is still controversial with unanswered questions
and accusations of conspiracies and coverups.
I asking those of you who were around when this happened to share their
memories and thoughts.
I was in Sister Thomasanne's 2nd grade class at St Margarat Mary School in
Harrisburg. They announcement came over the p.a. system that president Kennedy
had been shot. Other nuns came running into the classroom. They huddled together
and cried. We sat at our desks, a bunch of 7 and 8 year olds, trying to understand
why someone would shoot the president.

[LIPH]

I was in 6th grade at Alden Terrace School in Valley Stream on Long Island. I don't remember my teacher's name but I do remember I was in class and they made the announcement over the p.a. letting us know what had happened.

[dnw]

Was also in school. I remember all my teachers were crying. Such a sad day. And so sad watching little John Kennedy salute his father's casket.

[Snowparrot]

I was in high school (grade 13) in London, Ontario, Canada. I remember the first announcement, followed shortly by the announcement JFK had died. We were all shocked.
(A much better thing happened to me on November 22, 1983, when my fourth child was born.)

[Dr.Corona]

Had just turned 4 the month before. Don't remember where I was when he was shot, but I do remember watching the funeral procession at my grandmothers house lying on her sofa.

[Carri66]

I have not been born yet

[LiveandletLiver]

In 4th grade. The teacher came in and told us he was dead then released us to the playground. I lived in Calif under a Nike base. The big antenna was rotating scanning the sky as the possibility that the assassination was a Soviet plot was still there. That was the only time I ever saw it rotating.

[CaptainP]

I was nowhere. My parents had been married for 3 months.

[surfpirate]

I was only 4 1/2 years old.
I have much stronger memories
of the assassinations of Bobby Kennedy and MLK, jr.

I remember watching TV early that 1968 summer morning when Bobby Kennedy was killed.
Instead of cartoons and Captain Kangaroo, all three channels were covering
"the breaking news of Kennedy assassination".

My mother, who was very much involved in the civil rights movement in Virginia,
was confused .... she thought it was a news story about John Kennedy's assassination in 1963
and wanted to know "why are they showing this?"

She watched with me a few moments when she realized that it was Bobby Kennedy,
dead just 2 months after MLK, jr. was shot and less than 5 years after his brother had been killed.

It was the first time I ever saw my mother cry.

[Rabbitz]

I wasn't anywhere...

Geez you lot are old!



*Runs for cover*

[SMLCHNG]

I was just a few months away from turning 4. Was home, and have vague memories of my mother running out of the house in tears, and headed over to our neighbors house. That's about it.

[springparrot]

Gosh, I am so much older than the rest of you.
We lived in AZ and my Daddy called the school with the news that the President had been shot. The Principal went from room to room telling us what happened. We went to lunch and on the way back to class, friend named Dewey stopped us and told us the President had died. The buses were called and everyone went home. School was closed for at least a week. We only had 1 TV station but the only thing on that one station was news coverage. The radio also.

[ejr]

I was home for lunch, and it was on the way back to school that we learned that he had been shot. A little later, while we were in class, the janitor came around, looked into the room, and signaled with a thumbs down. I remember the shock, and the incredible sadness as the tv stations went nonstop on the story. My parents and I were watching when Jack Ruby shot Lee Harvey Oswald on that Sunday, and we all watched the funeral together.

[Tiki Torches]

I have not been born yet

The miracles of the innerweb never cease. Wi-fi in the womb?

[Wino you know]

I was a month shy of my 12th birthday. I was in my math class at Rutherford Hayes Elementary School. The principal walked into the classroom, whispered something into the teacher's ear and we saw her get a frozen look on her face. The principal then left the room and Mrs. Benda (the teacher) told us the news. I felt a bit dizzy for about 10 seconds.
A couple days later my mother and I watched on TV as Jack Ruby shot Oswald.
The following day I was at my grandparent's house at watched the funeral with them.
Seeing "John-John" salute his father's casket on his 3rd birthday was extremely chilling and surreal.

[sistergoldenhair]

I was in kindergarten. I clearly remember sitting on the floor in front of our black and white TV, watching the funeral procession.

[Bicycle Bill]

I was eight and in third grade at a Catholic school.  All I can remember for certain was that the announcement was made right after we returned to classes after lunch (we were in the same time zone as Dallas) and we all immediately hit our knees to pray for the President (remember, he was one of us), and for some morbid reason I had the thought that "this could end up being an assassination!".  We tried to hold classes as usual until the announcement was made about an hour later that Kennedy was dead; again, down on our knees to pray for the president's soul.  Can't recall much about the rest of the afternoon — we didn't have televisions or a lot of radios available in school so it's not like we spent the rest of the day glued to the boob tube — nor do I recall being let out before regular dismissal at 3:30.

-"BB"-

[Crazy Navy Flyer]

I was a junior in high school at the time, the announcement came over the PA. Everyone seemed to be in shock. I lived just a few miles outside DC in northern Virginia and I remember going into DC a few days later and seeing the flags around the Washington Monument at half staff, I still have the picture I took.

[catsway]

I was in third grade. We were playing during recess. I remember our teacher gathering us up on the patio steps, telling us that the President had been shot. She hugged us all and we returned to class. It was all very confusing to us.

[Rabbitz]

I suppose I grew up in a different era, a different culture and I am naturally quite cynical, but I don't see how the death of a politician could cause so much grieving.

I just simply don't get it.

Politicians are no more (or less) than just another person.

(Sadly, my opinion of the character of all politicians actually make me lean toward thinking it wouldn't be such a great loss)

Given the shenanigans in the US Congress and Senate over the last few years, I wonder if there would be the same outpouring these days?

Oh and don't take this as a dig at your country's gubbernmint - The amateurs, sleazeballs, morons, handwringers, and dregs of society that populate the parliaments in Australia would make your skin crawl.

Our current Prime Minister, while negotiating with the minor party's for their support once told them "I would give you anything except my arse to be Prime Minister" so the bar is set pretty low here.