[KJL]

Was in first grade. Really did not understand what happened until I got home. Spent the weekend watching TV with Kennedy lying in state and my birthday watching the funeral.

[straycat]

I was in English class when the news came over the PA. There was a stunned silence in the room.

[GT182]

I was in my 8th grade history class when the new broke about JFK. I can't remember our teacher's name but he sat at his desk and cried while we all sat in silence and listened to the news over the school's pa system.

[salem1912]

Was in 2nd grade, were told to pray by the nuns. Didn't tell us what happen(maybe the older kids) just sent us home.

[Jerry H.]

I was in June Parks' 3rd grade class at Cleveland Elementary. I remember it in detail. Sad day indeed.

[Greg Reid]

Originally Posted by george kujanski

I was in high school.

History tells us that Kennedy was a jerk, got us deeper into Vietnam, then LBJ...... what a pair. They got over 50,000 of our guys killed for nothing.

Seems he pissed off the Soviets, the Cubans, the Mob........

The media still adores anything to do with the Kennedys...When JFK jr came to town, they rolled out the red carpet, bowing down to him on the way.

Not a lot of love for the Kennedys here but he shouldn't have been killed.

The one thing to his credit is the space program during the 60's.

That's my view.

Perhaps I should have posted this in the clubhouse........

george

I think a lot of people feel that way actually. History tends to view Kennedy through rose colored glasses because of his tragic fate. He really never had time to establish a real legacy, good or bad. His fate has become his legacy in a way.
I think what galvanized MOST Americans at that time though was just the thought that someone KILLED OUR President. Americans did not get to elect someone they liked better or re-elect him. Even if he'd turned out to be a terrible president, people were just shocked that this could happen and the entire country felt violated in a way.
I still feel that way, that is, that the office is (or should be) bigger than the man.
We've had a couple of Presidents in my adulthood that I nearly despised but I would still be horrified if someone killed 'The President of the United States'. Just not the way we transfer power in this country.

[AGTO8U]

I was a 4th grader riding home on the school bus for lunch that day when I heard President Kennedy was shot (wounded, not pronounced dead until an hour later). That set up for a long weekend with nothing on TV except news coverage. When I saw on TV Oswald getting shot I thought..........ouch that musta hurt.

[tigergto]

I was in the 6th grade and I remember hearing that he had been shot and my initial reaction like it was yesterday. My feelings for the Kenndy clan can only be expressed in the Clubhouse.

[sdbob]

I was a sophomore in high school study hall. Remembering Mr. Franks crying.

[Old Goat Racer]

I was exactly 30 days into my 30 year job with GM. It was on a Friday.

[Stuart]

Originally Posted by KJL

Was in first grade. Really did not understand what happened until I got home. Spent the weekend watching TV with Kennedy lying in state and my birthday watching the funeral.

Same here. Being seven years old I didn't really understand the whole thing at the time. I remember being sent home from school early, and then the continuous TV coverage.

[north]

Depending on who you vote for I was or wasn't around for that event (I was born 7 months later).

I have mixed feelings about him, not crazy about his politics but he had some admirable leadership qualities. Apart from the shock of one person overruling the will of the entire nation the other impression I got from family members at the time was fear. Fear that the assassination could trigger a war, a big war.

[stags]

3rd grade Catholic school kid. There was a knock on the door; Sister (forget which one) went out to the hallway and shut the door. Came back a minute later in tears and gave the news. Later, walking the hall to early dismissal, was the first time I can remember having that "unreal" feeling - like everything was happening around you but you weren't really there. All the nuns and girls were crying, guys seemed shocked. I suppose kids who witnessed 911 have similar memories.

[north]

I was in a board meeting on 9-11, my secretary (am I still allowed to use that term?) came into the room and mentioned that a plane hit the WTC, my first thought was remembering the WWII incident where a bomber plane flew into the Empire State Building in heavy fog. We talked about what a coincidence it was that it happened again 60 years later and then we went back to our meeting.

She returned about an hour later and her face was gray as she told us about the second plane. It probably only lasted a second but it seemed as if my brain froze up, how could it happen twice? Two accidental collisions an hour apart?!?!". I found a news website on the computer in the board room and we saw what happened.

To this day I feel a rage thinking about it. Even a bit of begrudging respect for the sick genius, that evil but brilliant idea that the plane itself was the bomb. It's not fair to armchair quarterback especially with the advantage of hindsight but I feel we went about this wrong, seems it's the saudi's not the Iraqis we should have set our bombsights on.

Sorry for the diversion from the subject of the thread.

[brut4s]

I was 8 months old at the time.But in my senor year of High school I remember the attempt on Reagan and was pissed off. I imagine that's how I would've felt during the Kennedy assassination.

[fiedlerh]

I was in 3rd grade and the school had the radio broadcast on the PA system. I remember they announced "the President is dead" and the girls started crying. We were all stunned.

[Jack Gifford]

Originally Posted by Greg Reid

... History tends to view Kennedy through rose colored glasses...
... He really never had time to establish a real legacy...

I was in tech school at Chanute AFB. The base immediately went on full alert with all troops restricted to base for about a week, with all trainees detailed to augment the Air Police.

I see it a little differently than Greg described (I believe that many others do also). Although JFK didn't get my vote in '59 (I had written a paper for a college Poli-Sci class that summer detailing my preference for candidate Nixon), I respected JFK's credentials (including his distinguished military service). When I enlisted in '63 I had no problem with him being my commander-in-chief. I do remember not knowing what to expect from Johnson- I hadn't paid much attention to his qualifications during the '59 campaign.

[dennis kirban]

Here is my story....I turned 16 that September had a brand new 63 Ford with 3 years of car payments.

By that November with working for my Dad my grades dropped badly....two days prior to Kennedys assasination my Dad wanted my car keys...that following I took the car anyhow with a second set of keys...

My parents thought I went to school....I dind't I took off...time Kennedy was killed I was dricing through down town St Louis, MO and the newspaper drivers were spreading the news....shocking....

that Saturday am I was picked up by the New Mexico state police 4 miles out of Gallup New Mexico...

So yes, that was a well remembered week for me....

made lie easier for my 3 sisters and younger brother as none of them were as difficult to raise...

Teachers gave me zeros for the classes I missed ended up going to summer school that following summer....

[email protected]

[lust4speed]

Also turned 16 that September. Half day because of Thanksgiving holiday starting and had just got in the car with my three riders and heard the radio announcement about Kennedy when the car was started. I remember the attitude in the car was anger about anyone assaulting our president, and not sadness. Also remember that it was only after the shooting that the feelings for Kennedy shifted to the better - things like the Cuban Missile Crisis a year before and the Bay of Pigs incident two years had a lot of people upset about the leadership.