Topic: What were you doing on November 22, 1963 ?

[72 yellow]

I was in Junior High school in Mr. Feryok's class when we heard a commotion in the hallway.  Someone said the president had been shot.  One of us had a pocket transistor radio and he allowed us to put it on his desk and listen.  When we heard that the president was dead, some people started to cry.  We were concerned about what would happen next.  Since we still had air raid drills and we lived only about 3 miles from a Nike missile base, we were wondering if the Russians would start a war.  When my mother picked us up from school a little while later, we could see she was also shaken by what had happened.

[Damfino]

Why, I wasn't even a twinkle in me old man's eye yet....

[BruceDeuce]

I was 2 yrs 17 day old, dont remember.

[Rocker]

My parents were 13..not even thinking of me yet

[burmashave]

I have to admit that I wept inconsolably. Then again, it didn't take much to get me all up in a cry. At that stage in my life, I was only a month old. It was either the news our national tragedy or my wet diaper. I'm not sure.

[Anti-Johnny]

My father wouldnt be born for three more years.

[wardenerd]

I was in the 6th grade and we thought it was some kind of test.  They let us out of school early and we went home and stuck by the TV for the next 24 hours. Rumors were rampant that the Russians killed him so they could attack a confused US.  Later watched Oswald get gunned down on TV and the conspiracy theories started to run wild.The NFL played on that Sunday but no games were on TV.  I do not think we went back to school the next week as the nation was in mourning.

[MoMo]

I was supposed to be in Mr. Hamilton's history class but had been sneaking out in the hallway when he found me and told me about the President.  Everyone was in shock, me because of being found as well as the loss of an  idealistic dream. I think everyone was sent home early but that was way too long ago.

[74cb750]

I was trying to figure out what everyone was so upset about.
The nuns wouldn't tell us. 

[bwaller]

Even here people felt grief. I remember getting home from school and mother had the tube on, eyes red from crying.

It was a bad deal.

[HondanutRider]

I was in a grade 12 history class at high school when we heard the news.  Our teacher, Miss Fuller, was really upset and started mumbling in front of us all, stunned and bewildered, wondering out loud what the ramifications would be.  I went that evening to the local arena where I had a job as as the announcer for the local senior amateur hockey games.  On my own, after just before playing the national (Canadian) anthem, I announced that we would observe a minute's silence in respect for the fallen President.  The arena crowd fell totally silent for the duration, and no one ever criticized my initiative.

[tom8Toe]

It was 6 years, 1 month and 3 days before I was born. 

[cookindaddy]

I heard the news riding home from school on my bike. Another kid stopped me and told me.

[Grnrngr]

I was 9, living in Okinawa...I remember hearing it on my transistor radio, and riding my bicycle up and down the street yelling "they killed the president...."  Didn't understand the "politicalness" of it all back then, but..from an even earlier time, I was in love with boats. My grandad had been taking me out on his cabin cruiser from a very early age and he died shortly after we went to Okinawa. Broke my heart. I had seen PT 109 just a short time before, first movie I ever went to by myself, and JFK had become a big hero to me, so it kinda shook me. Even tho I was an Army brat, my dad had been in the Navy, my Uncle was still in the Navy, both WW2 vets, and it was my childhood ambition to join the Navy back then, so JFK was "one of us.." I still think of him more as a sailor who became president than just the president...

[mrbreeze]

I was in  first grade and we just got back from lunch. We got sent home early and everyone was really freakin' out. My mom also was crying when I got home.Sad day indeed!!

[bill440cars]

  I was in the 10th grade in High school (a Technical High and had Autoshop for half of the day) I was in heaven for half a day every day at school. I had NO idea what I would do when I graduated. All I could think about was getting out of School for good!
 

        Yep, that was about it.

[TwoTired]

I was in Algebra class at Lake Park HS in Roselle, Il.
I recall hearing the radio broadcasts after the announcement over the school PA system, I think they patched it through.  They brought in TVs to the classrooms, too.   I think they bussed us all home early that day.

With the parents splitting up at home during that time, the assassination was an event too far outside my little world to really effect me much.  Although it did confuse matters even more, I had many more immediate issues at home to contend with.
Dad wasn't there and my opinions were always way secondary to my mom's.  So, it really didn't mater what thoughts/feelings I was having.  No one really cared what I thought.  So, suppression was the best approach.  Anyway, mom didn't like the Kennedy's (may have had something to do with the womanizing), and I think she was pretty indifferent about the death (perhaps even inwardly gratified at the "reward" for infidelity).  But, by that time, I was likely the only male left on the planet that mom liked.  (And she was suspicious of that falling apart, too.)  

How's that for perspective?
 

[cookindaddy]

Wow

[Damfino]

Anyway, mom didn't like the Kennedy's (may have had something to do with the womanizing), and I think she was pretty indifferent about the death (perhaps even inwardly gratified at the "reward" for infidelity).  

Was the infidelity widely known about then? (meaning, at that time) I always thought that most of that stuff didn't surface until long after the assassination.   

[Cuts Crooked]

I was on a work detail at Juvenile Hall, scrubbing concrete floors. The Super let us stop scrubbing long enough to listen to one radio broadcast.

[TwoTired]

Anyway, mom didn't like the Kennedy's (may have had something to do with the womanizing), and I think she was pretty indifferent about the death (perhaps even inwardly gratified at the "reward" for infidelity).  

Was the infidelity widely known about then? (meaning, at that time) I always thought that most of that stuff didn't surface until long after the assassination.   

Oh yeah.  Marilyn Monroe in 1962 was probably the most prominent.
Fooling around became "normal", almost expected, for many of those returning from WWII.  And these were the same people that elected Kennedy.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1209783/Madness-Marilyn-Monroe-The-affair-JFK-drug-crazed-paranoia.html

[mattcoff1]

I was either in kindergarten or first grade they sent us home,one block walk
my Mom was watching the tv sitting on the floor crying...I didnt get it...

Matt

[myhondas]

8th grade math class....principal came over the pa system to announce the news. Girls screamed and cried and most of us were in complete shock. No school for the next few days. spent a lot of time watching the news on tv especially the funeral. SAD SAD time.

[BobbyR]

I was 13 years old and in Jr High now called Middle School. I was walking to the Library when I ran into a kid named Matt who came fro a political family, he looked really bent out of shape, he told me the President had been shot.  We were all herded into the Auditorium to listen to the Radio. They did not announce Kennedy's death for a while, when they did, the Teachers began to weep. My Mother was crying when I got home.

The US and the World took a turn that day, probably a bad turn.    

[Stev-o]

I was a very young boy and do not remember.

I have visited the site of the assassination in Dallas, sad place.