President John Kennedy moved through San Antonio like a mythical hero from a dream – young, handsome, vibrant, charismatic, powerful – and Catholic. The next day, the dream became a nightmare.
Deece, what an eloquent chronicle of an event that defined a generation. Like you, a baby boomer, the assassination for me was a defining fault line — what came before vs. what came after. Even at the young age of 6, I understood that this was a monumental event. I was also from a fervently Catholic household, and we held JFK in a heroic embrace. His death shattered us. All the other traumas that followed in the 60’s - the war, the other assassinations, the social upheavals - seemed to flow from this singular event.
Whatever happened that day - the work of a line madman or the product of conspiracy among a series of unsavory and evil characters - it shook our family, and I believe the entire nation to its core. In some ways, those events still have an affect on our country, its culture, and its politics.
Thanks again for your thoughts on such a profound event.
I think back to a small Baptist church in 1960 in south Dallas County. The preacher was warning against the Vatican taking over America. The deacons were in place in the front pew. One of the deacons, a local attorney over six feet tall with a commanding baritone voice, stood, turned his back to the pulpit, and in a stage whisper which interrupted the "sermon," said, "I don't have to listen to garbage." That preacher's tenure was cut short in the following months. That encapsulated for me the split in our suburban community.
Thank you Deece! I was a sophomore in high school (Alamo Heights) and the motorcade came down Broadway. We were pretty close to the street and they weren't driving as fast. I will never forget that or his asasination. Evil and violence are always with us, but we can't not keep trying our best. Keep operating from a position of peace, hope and love!
Cecelia! Turns out we were just a couple miles from each other. I imagined it would be one of the great thrills of my childhood, and it would have been but for what followed.
I will never forget, I was a freshman in HS in Austin, Tx.
We had a TV that was turned on in the cafeteria and Walter Cronkite came on to announce that President Kennedy had been shot and died, he then took off his glasses and wiped away his tears. It was one of the most profound monuments in my lifetime. I remember thinking that the World would never be the same. It made me very sad that it happened in Texas.
Governor John Connelly was also shot and wounded that day, but he survived, the rest of the day was spent listening to TV reporters discussing the events of the day including the swearing in of LBJ as the new President with Mrs Kennedy in her blood stained suit at his side. She wanted the world to see what they did! I was a very long sad day with many tears!
I had that thought — that the assassination of a President or other significant leader nowadays would less be a signal of foreign mischief than domestic rebellion.
I was 12 years old and I remember every single thing about the principal coming on the intercom and telling us the President had been shot and was dead. On that day my innocence left and cynicism took its place. Perhaps in reading your beautiful retelling, a tiny bit of innocence returned. Thank you.
Thanks for sharing that story. I was born 17 years later and I think only my dad was old enough to remember these events. My mom was only 3. My only connection to it all is that Oswald is buried about 50 feet away from my grandparents...if he’s really there or not who knows.
Deece, what an eloquent chronicle of an event that defined a generation. Like you, a baby boomer, the assassination for me was a defining fault line — what came before vs. what came after. Even at the young age of 6, I understood that this was a monumental event. I was also from a fervently Catholic household, and we held JFK in a heroic embrace. His death shattered us. All the other traumas that followed in the 60’s - the war, the other assassinations, the social upheavals - seemed to flow from this singular event.
Whatever happened that day - the work of a line madman or the product of conspiracy among a series of unsavory and evil characters - it shook our family, and I believe the entire nation to its core. In some ways, those events still have an affect on our country, its culture, and its politics.
Thanks again for your thoughts on such a profound event.
Thanks, John.
I think back to a small Baptist church in 1960 in south Dallas County. The preacher was warning against the Vatican taking over America. The deacons were in place in the front pew. One of the deacons, a local attorney over six feet tall with a commanding baritone voice, stood, turned his back to the pulpit, and in a stage whisper which interrupted the "sermon," said, "I don't have to listen to garbage." That preacher's tenure was cut short in the following months. That encapsulated for me the split in our suburban community.
What a great story, both of the culture of hate and the courage of those who stood up to it!
Beautifully stated. A very complete description of the historical and emotional moment. Thanks.
Thank you Deece! I was a sophomore in high school (Alamo Heights) and the motorcade came down Broadway. We were pretty close to the street and they weren't driving as fast. I will never forget that or his asasination. Evil and violence are always with us, but we can't not keep trying our best. Keep operating from a position of peace, hope and love!
Cecelia! Turns out we were just a couple miles from each other. I imagined it would be one of the great thrills of my childhood, and it would have been but for what followed.
I will never forget, I was a freshman in HS in Austin, Tx.
We had a TV that was turned on in the cafeteria and Walter Cronkite came on to announce that President Kennedy had been shot and died, he then took off his glasses and wiped away his tears. It was one of the most profound monuments in my lifetime. I remember thinking that the World would never be the same. It made me very sad that it happened in Texas.
Governor John Connelly was also shot and wounded that day, but he survived, the rest of the day was spent listening to TV reporters discussing the events of the day including the swearing in of LBJ as the new President with Mrs Kennedy in her blood stained suit at his side. She wanted the world to see what they did! I was a very long sad day with many tears!
Thank you for sharing this memory.
If a president (or former president) was assassinated today it might be the start of a civil war 😭
I had that thought — that the assassination of a President or other significant leader nowadays would less be a signal of foreign mischief than domestic rebellion.
Thanks, Holly.
I was 12 years old and I remember every single thing about the principal coming on the intercom and telling us the President had been shot and was dead. On that day my innocence left and cynicism took its place. Perhaps in reading your beautiful retelling, a tiny bit of innocence returned. Thank you.
Thanks for sharing that story. I was born 17 years later and I think only my dad was old enough to remember these events. My mom was only 3. My only connection to it all is that Oswald is buried about 50 feet away from my grandparents...if he’s really there or not who knows.