NOV. 22, 1963

Wow,

I was too small too remember much, except seeing the horses on TV during the funeral and my mother crying.
 
Yes it was . And I know right where I was. I was plowing with what was then a fairly new 770 Oliver gas and a 3 bottom semi mount plow. The farm owner came out and told me that Kennedy had been shot in Dallas Texas. I plowed back across the field and went in the neighbors barn and turned on the radio in the cow stable. Jim and Arnold came in to see what I needed and we sat there for a long time listening about it. Yep I do remember.
 
Like 911 if you are old enough, you never forget the moment you heard it. In 1963 it was my ninth birthday and we were at recess. I will always remember the girl that ran out to tell us the bad news and her words. She ended with "we will sure have war with Russia now !"
 
lenray I was only 13 at the time. It did not really effect me much. I have often wondered if JFKs legacy would have been that great if he had not been shot??? I am not running the man down he gave his life during service for this country just like soldiers in battle. I am just asking the question, did his actions really warrant the GOD like treatment he gets from many?????? He was one of the first handsome, cool presidents and had beautiful wife. He connected with the younger generation like no other president before him. Most of the presidents before him where all older men that connected with the older generations. He also was the first to really be able to exploit his appearance because of TV. Many of the presidents from the years past would never be elected in the TV age because of their appearance.

The same thing could be asked of Lincoln too. He was a smart man that lead the country during a terrible civil war but did his early death in office elevate his actions about what they actually where????
 
Greg I also think that to a degree. The one thing that makes me give him a little more credit is he was a honorable combat veteran. There are few in modern politics. HIs brother Teddy was sure not cut out of that cloth. LOL JFK was still rich playboy in his younger days so I have my doubts too.
 
JFK suffered from an illness my wife has, Addisons disease, no cure then and no cure now. The public wasn't aware --Paul Harvey said his days were numbered before Dallas. Steriods is what keeps Addisons patients alive today , but it is a dangerous answer.......................
 
JD Seller- Joe helped him all the way. John McCain should be at the top of the list of current congress for the Hero list.
 
Wow, I haven't seen anything on the news or in the paper about it...

I was in 3rd grade, remember the principal coming over the intercom saying he had been shot. Then later coming back to say he was dead. The teachers were going out on the sidewalk, meeting in small groups, whispering, hugging, crying. Some of the girls were crying, I knew this was bad, didn't really get the full grasp of it until I was home watching it on TV. Sad.
 
I was in the Navy, about 1,000 miles away from home on 11/22/63, but my wife was in a hometown hospital giving birth to our daughter. Today is her 52nd birthday and she is on her way to visit with us. We expect her to arrive within the hour.

She has been the delight of my life for all of these years.

Tom in TN
 
Gosh I must be the old one here; was 28 and a young engineer. Do remember I was in a steel mill putting strain gauges on the shell of a new BOF furnace. They were the new design/process then but obsolete today. The media loved him/spouse big time. If I remember correctly Cincinnati was the only major city that he did not win in the presidential election.
 
I was in class in college, didn't really hear the news until on the radio after classes. I always kind of wondered what JFK's legacy would have been otherwise--Bay of Pigs, Cuba missile crisis, start of Viet Nam, etc?
 
David and Greg: John McCain just never appealed to me for some reason. Nothing against him but he just does not connect to me. His main accomplishment is surviving a terrible time being a POW. For this I do applaud him but he did very little else in his military career before that. He then went on to become just another politician. Also he was a little too abundant for me. He just seemed to "fake" being a conservative during elections seasons. His siding with the nnalert on several laws sealed his electoral fate with a large number of nnalert, myself included. He was one fellow I voted for holding my nose. So I voted against external_link not for McCain.
 
I agree with you, not many are willing to say that. It takes a special kind of person to endure years of POW camp, but I've never liked his politics. I'll be glad when he moves on.
 
3rd grade, got told about it on the bus on the way home. They told the 4th and 5th grade kids but not us younger ones. Was worse hearing about it the way we did.

Would he have gone down as a good or great president had he not been assassinated? Who knows. Political historians are arguing that point now. I know he was well liked by a lot of folks. He was a WWII vet and hero but so were a lot of others. Lot of Korean war hero's too. And yes he did die while in service of this country. I've visited his grave when I was a young teen.

Rick
 
I was seventeen at the time and worked for the Ocala star Banner in Florida. (the local newspaper) when the news came over the associated press. The printing press had already printed a lot of newspapers but no carriers had left on their routs. The press was stopped and a new front page was laid out and the press started late with the news.
 
Freshman in high school. They announced it over the intercom. Rural school - as soon as they rounded up the bus drivers, they sent us home. I had an after school job, but when I showed up for work, the owner turned me away - said there would be no work for a few days. My folks didn't like JFK. I have never been into politics, so I don't know - someone disliked him enough to shoot him. I never thought about political polarization back in 1963. It seems a hundred times worse today, but maybe I wasn't paying attention back then.
 
I was in the 2nd Grade in Holy Cross Catholic School. There was a knock on the door and then Sister Edith announce to us that President Kennedy had been shot. We then knelt down and prayed for him.
 
I was being discharged from the Marine Corps on Sunday, November 24, 1963 at MCAS, Beaufort, SC. After lunch, the Colonel called me into his office to try to talk me out of leaving the Corps. When he realized he wasn't going to be successful, he leaned back in his chair and we began BSing about various things.

About then, the Sergeant Major stuck his head in the door and said President Kennedy had been shot.

All the way home on Sunday and Monday I listened to news events and the funeral on the car radio.
 
I was in college taking a test when the professor walked back in & announced it,
 
He was one of the first handsome, cool presidents and had beautiful wife.

His girlfriend or woman on the side wasn't bad looking either!
 
I was two months shy of turning 25, working in the shipping department of Sears Catalog Order plant in Greensboro, NC. I had stepped out on the loading dock for a moment when one of the afternoon part-timers was coming to work, and as he stepped up on the dock he said, "Just heard on the radio that the President got shot." I was a little surprised that they didn't announce it over the PA system.
 
I was in the horsepittel in USAF coming outta anesthesia from a procedure with the family jewels when the angels in white (nurses) started crying about the "prisoner" gittin' shot. Which didn't make enny sense to me. 2-days later, I'm standin' in formation in Dress Blues while the Commanding Ossifer reading sumptin' about JFK gittin' SHOT. Gotta admit, the parade down thru Washington DC, and boots in the saddle out to Arlington Cemetery was great T-V. Notta fan of Johnson, but somehow I didn't end up in Vietnam.........Dell
 
5th grade in a one room country school.
There was a telephone but I can't recall it ever ringing before.
One of the mothers called and told Mrs Gustufson our teacher that Kennedy was dead and she started to cry.
It was a big deal.
 
David G:
But how could you NOT agree with The Donald who sez that McCain is "not a hero because he was captured", when he is bar far the most favorite Presidential candidate?
 
(quoted from post at 22:25:32 11/22/15) lenray I was only 13 at the time. It did not really effect me much. I have often wondered if JFKs legacy would have been that great if he had not been shot??? I am not running the man down he gave his life during service for this country just like soldiers in battle. I am just asking the question, did his actions really warrant the GOD like treatment he gets from many?????? He was one of the first handsome, cool presidents and had beautiful wife. He connected with the younger generation like no other president before him. Most of the presidents before him where all older men that connected with the older generations. He also was the first to really be able to exploit his appearance because of TV. Many of the presidents from the years past would never be elected in the TV age because of their appearance.

The same thing could be asked of Lincoln too. He was a smart man that lead the country during a terrible civil war but did his early death in office elevate his actions about what they actually where????

I have to agree. His Naval career wasn't anything special. The book painted a picture that pretty much glosses over how JFK managed to skipper the only PT boat to ever be sunk in the manner it was. Yes, he did good work after the crash, but so did a lot of other men. His father was the driving force behind pretty much all of JFKs life into the WH. We complain about money in politics now, but Joe Kennedy bought the WH. As far as JFK in office, blunder after blunder. For some reason when Vietnam is mentioned people usually associate it with Nixon. That's so wrong. It was JFKs baby. The gaffs and blunders he made are numerous. But he was "cool" like Clinton was "cool". He was an inspiring speaker, he was photogenic, he had a lovely family at a time when that mattered to people. I never got it, the whole Kennedy myth. But his legacy has been written in stone by his admirers. No sense trying to speak the truth now. The communist might have killed him alone or with help or maybe it was a third party. At this point all that matters is that he will forever be a martyr.
 
TRUE Oh I remember it well. I was 15 and in High School and they marched us all up to the Church where they gave us the news.

John T
 
Yeah, the brother that died in WWll was old Joe's "chosen one" to be President. Jack was his second choice and if what I have read about Joe is true he had very little respect for Jack. If even half of what I have read about Joe is true, he was most definitely not a very nice person. I was 10 at the time Jack was elected and I can remember my parents and most of their friends not being very happy about it.
 
" His Navy career wasn't anything special" . I guess they just give out those Purple Hearts and Bronze Stars to anybody back then . Good thing your informed.
 
JFK was a rich kid and his daddy had a lot of clout in Washington. Got him a commission, got him a coveted job on PT boats. That was a coveted job in those times - next to being a flyboy.
His biggest worry when he got back to base after the sinking was how was he going to deal with the courts marshal that he knew was coming.
Somehow that courts marshal got overlooked and he got a bronze star out of it.
There is still a lot of controversy over the sinking. Yes he was a hero to his crew and his efforts after the sinking were admirable.
But there is enough doubt about sloppy seamanship and a consensus among the crew to do a lot of CYA since if one was accused they all could be charged.
Whether he was a good president or a bad one is a topic for another conversation. I believe there is enough to the PT109 incident that leaves room for doubt and some that does not pass a simple smell test to categorically give the man a pass - much less a medal.
 
(quoted from post at 16:28:11 11/23/15) " His Navy career wasn't anything special" . I guess they just give out those Purple Hearts and Bronze Stars to anybody back then . Good thing your informed.


They come easier when your daddy bankrolls the serving Presidents election and is the Chairman of the SEC, an Ambassador and filthy rich. But he wasn't awarded a Bronze Star. He was awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Medal which is a non-combat award, a notable award, but not a Bronze Star. His Purple Heart was related to his pre-existing back problems, (his father pulled strings to get him a Navy commission after the Army turned him down) which were aggravated by his managing to get his boat run down. As far as "how easy" they gave out awards, check out some of the citations and awards MacArthur handed out to his people.
 


If you actually want to find out about JFKs naval career, such as it was, it's not hard at all to search on the subject and find first hand accounts from those that were there that are a lot less flattering than Cliff Robertsons portrayal in "PT109" would lead you to believe. Does it really matter today? No. It's the martyr thing that gets some of us. It's not that the guy wasn't human and that he didn't make mistakes. It's that he's been granted sainthood based on political manipulation. So be it. He was a far, far, far better CIC than we've had in some time. He was perhaps the best of a bad lot IMO, certainly a far better choice than Teddy or Bobby.
 
I was in second grade at Holy Cross school,and announced it on the PA.My teacher was Mrs.McGetric (sp?). Latonia,Ky.Mark
 
Tom,

I was in the navy overseas aboard the USS Dixie (AD -14) in Japan on that day. We were awaken at the announcement of JFK death.

I kept the Stars & Stripes newspaper covering his death and the death of Oswald. Four front pages are framed and hanging in the guest house.
 
(quoted from post at 14:00:42 11/24/15) The boat got 'run down ' because the engines wouldn't start.

No sir, they were idling on one engine, out of three, and they just didn't see or hear the ship coming somehow.
 
(quoted from post at 14:00:42 11/24/15) The boat got 'run down ' because the engines wouldn't start.

No sir, they were idling on one engine, out of three, and they just didn't see or hear the ship coming somehow. Yes, it was an accident and yes, it was the only incident of it's kind in WW2, of a PT boat not being able to avoid a collision and yes Keendy did a fine job in the aftermath and yes, I wish he hadn't been killed. But let's not pretend that daddy didn't pull lots of strings since JFK never faced a court martial over the incident, which is beyond unbelievable.
 
(quoted from post at 12:07:16 11/25/15) I see the website where you are getting your info. Sort of explains alot/.

I doubt it.

http://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/bios/kennedy-john-f/report-on-loss-of-pt-109.html

http://www.navsource.org/archives/12/05109.htm

[b:49cdf8130c]"Lieutenant Kennedy started his patrol on one engine ahead at idling speed.[/b:49cdf8130c] The three boats were due east of Gizo Island and headed south with PT-109 leading a right echelon formation. Unknown to them, the Japanese destroyer Amagiri was returning north after completing a supply mission to Kolobangara and had spotted the torpedo boats at a range of about 1,000 yards. Rather than open fire--and give away their position--the destroyer captain, Lieutenant Comander Kohei Hanami, turned to intercept and closed in the darkness at 30-knots. Initially spotted by PT-109 at 200 to 300 yards, [b:49cdf8130c]Kennedy ordered the boat turned to starboard, preparatory to firing torpedoes. The turn was too slow, however, and the destroyer rammed, neither slowing or firing her guns as she split the boat apart. [/b:49cdf8130c]While the Japanese destroyer was slightly damaged in the collision, smashing in part of her bow and bending her screws, the warship still made 24-knots on the run home to Rabaul and arrived safely the following morning."
 

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