Hard to believe it's been 50 years . . . today.

[Danno]

I was in shop class, just back from the cafeteria (lunch), when our teacher rolled out a large TV to the front of the classroom and turned it on. Unbelieveable.

It was gut-wrenching to hear Walter Cronkite announce that the President had died. Part of all of us died that day. Part of America died.

President Kennedy had so energized the country. It was just so hard to believe anyone wanted him dead.

Where were you?

[Harry P.]

First grade. I vaguely remember Mrs. McElroy telling us what happened, but don't remember much else about that day.

[Harry P.]

I've been watching a lot of Kennedy specials, there have been quite a few lately... NOVA, American Experience, etc. Still not sure if I believe the Warren Commission. It's possible Oswald acted alone, but there are so many plausible "conspiracy theories" out there...

BTW, the new movie "Killing Kennedy," with Rob Lowe as JFK, was on NatGeo a week or two ago. Very good movie. Obviously the movie concentrated on Oswald much more than Kennedy, but fascinating stuff, especially if you're not familiar with Oswald and what he was doing back in those days.

[bbowser]

3rd grade, they sent us home from school early. I got home to find my mom on the couch crying in front of the TV. Wasn't fully aware of what was happening but I knew it was big. Later I did a scrapbook (which I still have) of all the newspaper articles for the next few weeks. Got a Cub Scout badge for it. Everything changed that day.

[Agent G]

I was home with a case of strep throat. Grandma was watching me, I was 8 at the time. She received a telephone call from my father and turned the TV on just in time for us to hear Cronkite recite those infamous words.

I sometimes think about what would life be like now if that had never happened.

G

[Mercman]

I too ws in the 3rd grade. Announcement came over the PA during lunch. 1/2 hour later school was dismissed.

[Ramfins59]

I was a Sophomore in High School, in History class, and when the announcement came over the school's PA system, we were all shocked and the teacher, Mr. Newman, was visibly shaken and started to cry. When I got home from school I told my stepfather who didn't believe that the President was shot until I turned on the TV. For almost a week there was nothing else on TV but the assassination story. I was lucky to have seen JFK live when he was campaigning in The Bronx, NY.

[Tom Geiger]

^{I was five years old and living in Dayton, Ohio. All I remember was that the coverage was on all the TV channels and I was upset that there were no cartoons to watch. A lot of people my age will tell you they remember all about it, but I believe they actually remember seeing the news reels that have been played extensively in the last 50 years.}

[Kris Morgan]

It was 10 tears before I was born. I wonder how things would be had he not been killed.

[Harry P.]

^{A lot of people my age will tell you they remember all about it, but I believe they actually remember seeing the news reels that have been played extensively in the last 50 years.}

I think you're right. So many of us have seen so much video after the fact that we think we remember it from the day it happened. All I can specifically remember from that day is sitting in class when the teacher told us what happened. For some very odd reason, I distinctly remember that the sun was shining very brightly into our classroom and making shadows on the wooden floor. I have no idea why I remember that little snippet so vividly, but other than that, I can't remember anything from that day. I don't even remember if school let out early or not.

[Joe Handley]

I'm only 37, so I'm way too young to have been around then, My folks on the other hand.......

Dad had been drafted into the Army and was being sworn in at the time it happened.

Mom was a high school senior who was at her doctor's office getting a polio vaccine shot.

While I've watched a whole bunch of the shows about the event over the years, and found out some of the audio and film from then is now on line, Mom has no interest what so ever in watching any of it, and it was bothering her that this was just about all she could find on tv no matter where she looked.

[southpier]

.....no interest what so ever in watching any of it, and it was bothering her that this was just about all she could find on tv no matter where she looked.

that's how my father felt about WW II movies. he lived through it once, and had no desire to go back.

[Joe Handley]

that's how my father felt about WW II movies. he lived through it once, and had no desire to go back.

Could be the same with her on this, kinda wondering if it will be like that with 9/11 for those of us that were old enough to remember it as well as the children that have been and will be born in the following years since the attacks.

[Guest]

I wasn't quite 3 yet when he was killed.

[Foxer]

I was a senior in HS and they waited until the end of classes for the day to announce it! Try that today!

[Agent G]

On 9-11 my middle child, a son, was sitting in his HS library. He told me everyone began running to the TV. When he looked he saw a cop running away from something.

The boy told me later he just instinctively knew that whatever he was seeing (it was the first tower coming down) was very, very bad as he never knew a cop to run from anything. Remember, at that time his dad (me), mom, older brother, uncle and great uncle were all cops. The boy called it right.

He will never forget that day.

G

[Craig Irwin]

President Kennedy had so energized the country. It was just so hard to believe anyone wanted him dead.

History through rose colored glasses, like any political figure 50% loved him, 50% not so much.

Where were you?

I was in the third grade, and home sick from school. I was watching TV and saw the live footage.

Edited November 23, 2013 by Craig Irwin

[charlie8575]

No, I wasn't there, but Dad was.

He and his friend were just leaving Concord-Carlisle High School for the day when they heard it on the radio in Bob's car. They immediately went the quarter mile or so to the State Gaurd armory in Concord and met Corporal Dee. Apparently, they hadn't received word yet, and as soon as Dad and Bob told him what happened, they went across the street to the flag.

The corporal lowered it while Dad and Bob stood at attention.

As Dad said to me last night, "given the situation, we felt it was only fitting to do so."

Charlie Larkin

[PappyD340]

I remember watching the funeral prosession with the casket on the horse drawn wagon. My mother's brother lived in Dallas and took us on a couple occasions in later years while visiting on the very route that the motorcade traveled, down by the book depository and the grassy nole, all very interesting to actually be and see where history happened even though tragic, and it's amazing that with all the advancements in forensic technology and the recreation of crime scenes they still don't have a difinitive answer as to what really took place that day other than a dead President, I guess we will never know??