Anybody here, see my old friend John ?
 

I was outside playing in the front yard in 1963. I had not yet started school. Its amazing that this is my earliest childhood memory. When I walked into the house my mother was crying...I had no idea what had happened....That was the day I met Walter Cronkite...where were you ??

Re: Anybody here, see my old friend John ?
 

I was in 10th grade..The announcement came over the PA..They let us all go home..

" I just looked around..and he was gone.."

Re: Anybody here, see my old friend John ?
 

I was in 2nd grade and it seemed like it changed everything.
Now look where we are.
MJ

Re: Anybody here, see my old friend John ?
 

The whole school gathered into the gym and principal told us the news. Pretty much glued to the little black and white TV for the next three days. That day changed everything and the following decade (Nam for whippersnappers) sealed the deal for the loss of innocence for my generation.

Re: Anybody here, see my old friend John ?
 

Riding around in a 55 Plymouth with 3 other high school pals. Have no idea why we were in the car. Radio announcement said Kennedy was shot. On Saturday or Sunday I was watching TV and my father was shaving in the bathroom in the next room and Oswald was shot on live TV. I was 16

Re: Anybody here, see my old friend John ?
 

Freshman year of High School in Wayne, NJ, Latin class with Sister Ann Michelle when the first announcement came over the PA that JFK was shot. About 20 minutes later, it was announced that he died. School was let out for the day. Very sad. A few days later I was watching TV and actually saw Jack Ruby shoot Oswald.

Ken Kopecky
E/SA 1454

Re: Anybody here, see my old friend John ?
 

When I was a young boy our home had so many pictures of JFK hanging on the walls,....I thought we were related to him ......

Re: Anybody here, see my old friend John ?
 

I was cruising E st. in San Bernardino and in front of the first McDonalds when it came across the radio. I had just gotten out of the navy and months earlier I had gotten a formal introduction to him on the carrier Kitty Hawk by the Admiral in charge of the 7th fleet. I was sent over to represent my ship during his inspection of the fleet. What a great man he was...
Later on, when his brother Bobby ran for President, I went to E st. again to hear him speak in the afternoon before his engagement in L.A. I wanted to see if I could shake his hand and tell him I met his brother. (as if he'd care). I couldn't get close enough. Later that night I was watching t.v. and saw that he had been shot also...The Kennedys had more than their share of sorrow...

Re: Anybody here, see my old friend John ?
 

I went to the janitors room to clean erasers. The radio was on and they were listening to the news annoucment.

Re: Anybody here, see my old friend John ?
 

.... https://youtu.be/a5hFMy4pTrs

Re: Anybody here, see my old friend John ?
 

Yeah,I was in 6th grade on a Friday and on Sunday morning I saw Oswald shot-a whole lot for a 11 year old to take in.

Re: Anybody here, see my old friend John ?
 

I was in high school and a member of the staff came into the room and made the announcement. It was surreal. The world changed from that point on.

Re: Anybody here, see my old friend John ?
 

I was in 9th Grade. I don't remember exactly how the news was presented to us, but it stunned us all. Some cried, some just couldn't believe it and others just had a shocked look on their faces.

Everybody watched a lot of T.V. for the next 3 days. Yes, even saw Jack Ruby shoot Lee Harvey Oswald live. The world, as we knew it, definitely changed during those few days.

Look at the world we have now - WOW!!!!!!!!!!

Re: Anybody here, see my old friend John ?
 

4th grade. Announcement came over the PA system. Teacher started crying and everyone got sent home.

Re: Anybody here, see my old friend John ?
 

I was in fourth grade as well. Teachers left us alone in classrooms and then came back and dismissed classes 1 hour early.
On walk home from school I heard from older kids what had happened.

It was my parents anniversary and they canceled their night out.

Re: Anybody here, see my old friend John ?
 

What a different Country we were back then. We were all on the same side. Patriotic Americans!! Country first. Sad where we are now. Todays politicians are ruining our America. BP

Re: Anybody here, see my old friend John ?
 

3rd grade….and my birthday!! That one sucked...mom cried all day, couldn't even light the candles on my cake.

Re: Anybody here, see my old friend John ?
 

I was a senior in high school in a political science class, teacher told us what happened, most of us stunned, some cried. We had a basketball scrimmage at Wheaton High School that afternoon. Both teams so bad in just a few minutes the coaches got together and sent us all home. What a sad day for all Americans. I've seen nothing on the news this morning about this, hard to believe.

Re: Anybody here, see my old friend John ?
 

8TH grade basketball practice around 1 pm, our coach told us. We saw the Sunday shooting as well.

Re: Anybody here, see my old friend John ?
 

I was a junior in high school in 6th period study hall when the announcement came over the PA. All you could hear afterwards was some of the girls crying. The guys were tough...no crying but the ride home on the bus had an eerie silence I had never witnessed. Even the hell raisers who usually kept the bus in an uproar were quiet that day. My family stayed glued to the TV for the next few days. And yes we saw Jack Ruby shoot Oswald. That was real life reality TV!

Re: Anybody here, see my old friend John ?
 

I was attending the University of Illinois my 2nd year. they closed the university and I hitch-hiked home.

Re: Anybody here, see my old friend John ?
 

Nice talking to you 2 days ago, Travis.:)

Re: Anybody here, see my old friend John ?
 

LOL
My Irish Catholic aunt had the same thing. It was a shrine, complete with a bust.
MJ

Re: Anybody here, see my old friend John ?
 

And that’s the way it is, Friday November 22, 1963 .......

Re: Anybody here, see my old friend John ?
 

I was in the fourth grade at Elk Trail School in Trail, Oregon. Two students came running back into class from their reading lesson and kept saying that the President had been shot. The teacher nearly lost it. She went to the supply room and came back with an AM radio and we tuned it to a Medford news station. All they did was talk at first because they didn't know anything yet, either. The story unfolded, and it was a real different time from then on. Seems that America lost its innocence that day. The rest of the 1960's seemed to be in a downward spiral after that.

Re: Anybody here, see my old friend John ?
 

Attending machine shop class @ Liberty High school .......Saw the Ruby deal live .

Re: Anybody here, see my old friend John ?
 

I wrote on Facebook yesterday that it was probably my parents generations version of what 9-11 was for mine (I just turned forty) and what 🍐 Harbor was for my grandparents. It had to be a sad day, for each generation

Re: Anybody here, see my old friend John ?
 

I was a sophmore at CBA in Lincroft, and one of the brothers came into the room and told us.Since the school is run by The Christan Brothers it was a shocking event. Watched Jack Ruby shoot Oswald on live t.v..

Re: Anybody here, see my old friend John ?
 

I was at work, they closed up and told us to go home

Re: Anybody here, see my old friend John ?
 

I worked at the Brooklyn Navy Yard and was donating blood when I heard the announcement on a transistor radio that the President had been assassinated.

I was in a Navy Reserve Squadron of P2V's, so I was able to report to the Naval Air Station New York in full uniform and got a hop on an R3D (DC-5) to Washington DC.

I rendered my final salute to President John F. Kennedy in the Rotunda as he was lying in state.

Still makes my eyes wet to this day.

Re: Anybody here, see my old friend John ?
 

I went to the JFK Library in Boston once nearly 30 years ago and was totally overcome with emotions just looking at the displays and pictures.

It was a devastating event and years following had many more difficult days...

Re: Anybody here, see my old friend John ?
 

I was in 2nd grade in Illinois they sent us home early I did really not understand till later what had happened :(

Re: Anybody here, see my old friend John ?
 

I was in Keflavik, Iceland packing to leave the next day after a YEAR there...
I live about 50 miles from the library building and have never been there and avoid going by there......RIP JFK

Re: Anybody here, see my old friend John ?
 

I was in 2nd or 3rd grade at Martha B. Day Elementary in Bloomingdale, NJ when Principal Mr. Spreen came on the 'Loud Speaker' with the news. We all just looked at each other wondering what would happen next. We were sent home didn't really speak about it, different times! Funny how you remember some things perfectly. And yes, it did change everything. We were in the midst of the Cold War which included air raid drills/hiding under our desks. I'm sure most of you remember this.

Re: Anybody here, see my old friend John ?
 

You sure got that right MJ

Re: Anybody here, see my old friend John ?
 

I was in High School General Business class at Lowell High (Long Gone) in
Whittier California. John F. Kennedy was a great man = With like all of us.........
Our share of Faults and Feet of Clay. I truly long for the days when we could disagree
with each other and yet not hate each other AND not call each other terrible names.
We all stood together as Americans no matter our vast differences.

The last Decade breaks my Heart!

John Irving



"Son of David" have Mercy on your pitiful Servants!

Re: Anybody here, see my old friend John ?
 

I was in 5th grade and coming back to class from the lavatory when another class mate told me about President Kennedy being shot. I walked into my class and spoke quietly to a kid named Craig Rifle( really) where upon he called me a liar real loud disrupting the class. The teacher asked what was going on and when Craig told her what I'd said, she took me by the ear out into the hall to square away my lying. After a trip to the principals office and her discovery that I was in fact telling the truth, we returned to the class room where she told my class mates what had happened. We spent the rest of the day watching the closed circuit T.V. in the room. The teacher never apologized to me for dragging me out into the hall by my ear. I'll never forget that day or the events following.
there wasn't a kid in the neighborhood that was outside playing for days afterwards.
Life did change.
Walt

Re: Anybody here, see my old friend John ?
 

Wow, I was in 10th grade. We had an assembly and they made the announcement,
everyone was in shock.

Re: Anybody here, see my old friend John ?
 

10th grade study hall. Some girls cried hysterically.

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I was at Maxson Jr high school Plainfield, NJ 7th grade social studies class, our teacher came in crying told us what had happened everyone was sent home. Guess that's one of days you'll never forget. Unfortunately there's been a lot more of those days sense than.