Where were you the day JFK was shot?

[Pam]

In light of the upcoming 40th anniversary of the death of JFK I was just wondering how many Pet Talkers remember him and also remember what they were doing when they heard the news. I know this will be a thread of *showing our age* as many of you were probably not even alive.

I was a senior in high school in the last period of the day. Class was just starting and an announcement came over the PA system. When I tell you that you could hear a pin drop I am not exaggerating. After class there was just sobbing in the hallways and not the usual boisterous noise that high school kids are known for at the end of the day. I remember being totally numb and scared at the same time.

How about you? If you were alive at the time how about posting where you were and your first thoughts.

[dukedogsmom]

I was a twinkle in my daddy's eye

[babolaypo65]

Originally posted by dukedogsmom
I was a twinkle in my daddy's eye

DITTO

[Pam]

[Kfamr]

I was a little baby doll owned by my mother that she had dreams of coming to life.

[Amber]

I wasnt alive, but I asked my mom and she was 6months old at the time! lol prolly drooling somewhere....

[catland]

I was seven years old and in second grade. I just remember everyone being very sad and school was let out early that day.

I didn't know much of Kennedy at that time other than he was out to see the Seattle Worlds Fair a couple of years before and that was really exciting because I had been to the world's fair (we lived a couple of hours west of Seattle)

[lizbud]

Pam,

I remember that sad day very well. I was young woman
working in my first real job at a General Electric Finance
office in Indy. JFK was my idol & the first President that I had
the pleasure of voting for. I was young & very idealistic. Kennedy
gave me the idea that each person mattered in this country &
young people could effect real positive change for the good in
this country. I was talking to our Cincinnati office about shipping
an electrical transformer to Indy for a local contracter. All of a
sudden the person I was talking to started shouting & crying
Oh No, Oh No over and over. She then told me that they were
publicly announcing that the President had been shot & killed in
Dallas, Texas. I was just devastated. I felt like I had lost the
Father that I never had. I'll never forget it.

[Prairie Purrs]

I was six years old. Things were a little wacky at school (I had just been moved from first grade to second grade), so although I must have heard at school that JFK had been shot, I don't remember it. But I do remember when Oswald was killed a couple days later. My parents and I were in the car, on the way back from a shopping trip, when we heard about it on the radio. And I remember watching the TV coverage of JFK's funeral. I felt sad for Caroline, who was about the same age as I was.

[joycenalex]

my family had taken me and my one year younger sister to the labor day rally in detroit in 1959, right after mr kennedy had got the democratic party nomination for the presidency. i have very fuzzy memories of JFK shaking my fathers and my hand along the rope line after his speech.
on that dark day, it was sunny and cold in michigan. the first grade class had just started the after lunch session when the teacher was summoned to the office by the principal via the school speaker. she left the room and stayed away for some time. she returned in tears. we were sent home. i remember watching walter cronkite, in his shirtsleeves reading the news. (no news person EVER spoke on the news without being in a proper suit then) i remember going to mass that night to pray for his soul and for the country. i remember the stillness in the neighborhood during the funeral. i remember seeing the pictures in the detroit free press the next days.

[popcornbird]

I didn't exist...............actually..............I was 20-something years away from existence! My mom was a little kid back then.......probably playing with dolls and stuff.

[Cincy'sMom]

That was 13 years before I was born, which I guess means my parents were in junior high...

[Freckles]

I was in my early 30's working at a small 2 employee print shop (plus owners). We had our radio on only for breaks and lunch time. My co-worker's daughter called with the news and we immediately put on the radio and heard the report from Dallas. I remembered they played the Star Spangled Banner. We were both numb, often looking at each other and shaking our heads. Shop was closed on Monday, no pay. No pay was ok, we didn't feel like working.

At home TV was on constantly and we saw what happened to Oswald. On Monday, we saw most of the early services on TV, then left for a local church service. Then back home for the rest of the day, watching TV. Worst part for me, always in tears, was watching people go by the casket at the white house and rotunda.

Every year I reread my copy of The Torch is Passed, an Associated Press book rushed into publication.

Last night on my Public TV channel, there was an excellent documentary "JFK: Breaking the News" which explained how broadcast journalism was changed forever by this event. Hopefully it will be rerun, so watch it, if you can.
I don't watch the "conspiracy theory" shows.

Pam, thanks for starting this thread.

[mugsy]

I had just turned 2 the month before, so I don't have any working memory of the event. My parents and both my sisters remember what they were doing though. I can't even imagine the horror, even if you didn't like him.

[Logan]

Pam, I don't know where I was. I was truly too young to know as I guess I was about 14 months old. I am NOT trying to age you!!! But Scott and I watched a documentary on JFK and the Kennedy family, night before last, on PBS. It was very sobering to see all that built up to that day in 1963, and also the death of Bobby Kennedy in 1968.