Where were you?

[katipug]

Just wondering where all of you over 55 were 50 yrs ago today when President Kennedy was killed. I was 12 and in junior high, but was home sick with a cold. My dad was getting ready to go to work on the night shift when the news came on the tv. Both my parents cried, first time I'd ever seen my dad cry. It was horrible seeing people just sobbing on the streets. It was like the whole world just stopped. My husband was a young Army soldier stationed in France, and everyone was put on high alert, thinking war was going to break out, and the Russians were behind it. For 3 days it was the only thing on tv, stores closed, people stayed home, school was canceled. It is truly one of those days in history that you will always remember where you were and what you were doing, same with 9/11. Anyway, just wanted to share and thought maybe some of you would also like to share your memories. No matter what, we still live in the greatest nation in the world, God Bless America and All of You. Hopes for a wonderful Thanksgiving for you and all your families,   Kati

[olds442jetaway]

Just getting on the school bus Freshman year in high school to go home for the day when the announcement came. At the time we just thought he was shot and didn't know he was gone until sometime later. I did see Oswald get shot though on TV. Black and white of course. Everyone was pretty much glued to the tv and news for the next week.

[speaks]

I was 23 years old and living in Dallas. I was working at a Dept. store (Rich's) when an announcement came on that the President had been shot and for the customers to please leave, the store was closing. As everyone left it was very quite, except some people were softly crying. My husband worked just down the street from Love field on Lemmon Ave and had seen the President and his motorcade as they passed by. That evening we drove through downtown Dallas to visit some friends and it was totally dark, only the street lights working and almost no one on the streets. It was a very sad and frightening time. It really affected my husband and I, and our friends--young adults just starting our lives. We still live in the Dallas area and I was impressed with the Memorial service today, even though the weather was not very pleasant. Wishing each of you, and your families a very Happy Thanksgiving.     

[JIMDUECE`SWILD]

I was 8 yrs old. I came home from school where my mother and my aunt were in the livingroom.  Idon`t remember if they were crying. I also remember we came home from church and watch oswald get shot on TV.

[DaBurglar]

i was still just a twinkle in my parents eyes in 1963....but i am old enough to remember two other such events, where people remember exactly where and what they were doing.  In 1986 I was a freshman at harvard waking up one cold january morning and watching the shuttle challenger LIVE on TV.....I bent down to tie my shoes as the shuttle began its roll to clear the atmoshphere, and when I looked back up it was totally gone, only smoke and debris visible, very sad and sickening. and of course, 9-11, I was in glendale california, just waking up to go to work (its 3 hours behind east coast time so it was about 5:30am) and i turned on the news when the first reports came in....then I am watching the first tower burn on live TV when the second plane hits the south tower LIVE and thats when we all knew things had changed forever.  Similarly, a lot of people have the same feelings on the day Elvis died and the day John Lennon was assasinated in NYC.   It all depends on when you were born I guess.....

[BOOPSAHOY]

I was 7 and in the 2nd grade;. they sent us all home. First time I ever walked home form school alone. My teacher couldn't stop crying!

I remember perfectly when Lennon got shot-my brother called me and we both cried.

For the Challenger I was at work and we were watching the launch. It was heart-rending.

9/11 I was at work in Manhattan. They stopped all the trains. My husband walked to my office and my boss bought everyone lunch. As soon as the trains to Brooklyn started running we grabbed one, even though it didn't go to our neighborhood. As we are trying to figure out what stop to get off I see an ex-colleague. He knew it wasn't my train and drove us home. I still remember the inch of ash on all the cars.

And here we all are-safe and sound. Happy Thanksgiving!

[Galeygoo]

Okay, I'll take this trip, too.





















I remember sitting in Sr. Gertrude's class when suddenly the P.A. came on with Sr.Principal's trembling voice stating the President had been shot.  Being 9, I could only sense intense sorrow and fear in her quiverring voice, knew something awful was going on but didn't really understand too many details, of course.  What surprised and shocked/frightened me the most  was seeing the "meanest" nun on earth starting to cry.   THAT, I still remember well.

 
Remember hearing about the Challenger Disaster and was afraid to see the news that night.  Like everyone else I believe, watched the taping in horror.  Still get sick to my stomache remembering it.
 
Don't remember where I was when I heard about John Lennon, but I STILL feel like I lost someone close to me.  How could we not...We seemed to know him so well from his beautiful and sometimes haunting lyrics....
 
Finally, and most ironic, I was working at a call center on 9-11. I HATED THAT JOB.  Months before that horrible nightmare I remember thinking to myself "how can we get these people to STOP CALLING, they're driving me nuts".  Well, that was how.....Most haunting to this day..
 
Great idea for forum, Kati.  Lots of memories, good and bad.

[chattycattty]

Although I will not turn 55 until next Tuesday, the 26th, please allow me to participate anyway. I do not have quite as good of recollection as most of you as it was just before my 5th birthday. I was in kindergarten at Kaneohe Elementary on the island of Oahu, Hawaii. My family was stationed there during the time my father was going back and forth between the USS Ajax and Vietnam.

Other than that, because of my age I do not recall much else. I feel that I should remember more as I have read extensively about the Kennedy assassination over the years. I remember 9/11 much more clearly. Hard to believe it has already been over 12 years since it happened.

On Sept. 11, 2001 we were at work, getting our employees lined out for the week as we were leaving to go to a business convention at the Anatole in Dallas, Texas. I remember Katy Couric and others initially describing a small plane hitting one of the towers and over the next 30 or 40 minutes it turning in to the horrific act that it became.

We lived and still live two and a half hours east of Dallas. We arrived in Dallas later that day. We were not that far from DFW and it was eerie looking into the skies and not seeing any airplanes. Without going into a dissertation, everything happened so fast, and everything changed, and in many ways will never be the same.

[BillyJoe]

At 13, I was in 7th grade at Our Lady of Hungary Catholic School in Chicago, at a friends house who lived near the school, to have lunch and play pool in his basement. When we heard the news on TV, we all raced back to the school to tell everyone what we just heard, but someone had already brought in a small, B/W TV with rabbit ears to the school. We all just sat there in silence the rest of the afternoon with the nuns.

[opalineopaline]

I remember the day JFK was assassinated very well.  I was a sop****re in high school (upstate NY) - just getting on the bus to go home when the bus driver announced the President had been shot.  After I got home, we all watched tv - glued to it.  We all cried, my parents and my older sister and brother.  It was a horrific week for everyone. I also remember 9/11.  I was home having a new furnace installed in my house, expecting to go work as soon as the install was finished.  I had the tv on (I don't know why) when the program was interrupted by the announcement of the first plane hitting.  From then on I watched and yelled to the installer downstairs to come watch.  I called my office and was told not to come to work.  At that time I was working for Mallinckrodt (makes medical supplies and also nuclear medicine).  As the company has a nuclear reactor and we were located right next to the Boeing plant in St Louis, we were considered (and probably still are) a secondary target.  There were concerns that we would get bombed or targeted by a plane.  I have a brother Scarsdale, NY (just north of NYC) and immediately called my brother to make sure he was OK.  Fortunately, he had not gone into the city that day.  It was a horrible time.One more remembrance:  The day the hostages were released in Iran in January, 1981 after a year of imprisonment.  One of my employees got on the intercom and announced it to all of us in the office.  That was a great day so I am glad to say that for all the bad things occurring in the world (and there are many), some good things do happen.  Someone said:  it just takes one person to make a difference; I believe that.  Everyone,Have a wonderful and safe Thanksgiving.