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LisaM

(28,755 posts)
27. I was little. I mostly remember my father's being upset.
Fri Nov 22, 2024, 05:50 AM
Nov 22

After that he kept a photo of JFK on his desk until the day he died (I have it now, it's very aged, it was clipped out of a magazine). My dad had heard JFK speak in Ann Arbor when he announced the idea of the Peace Corps, and since my father was Irish Catholic, that added to the devastation.

After that, JFK was essentially worshipped in our house for years. We all have pictures of him still up, and my sister has a whole Kennedy section on her bookshelf. When I went to college orientation many years later in the 1970s, I took along a JFK bio for the three days.

All that is to say that it had a profound effect on our family. I don't know that our young family was ever the same; some bitterness had set in. It took me until the 1990s not to tear up on the anniversary.

Recommendations

2 members have recommended this reply (displayed in chronological order):

;-( elleng Nov 21 #1
Everything, madamesilverspurs Nov 21 #2
Ditto. flor-de-jasmim Nov 21 #5
Saw my Dad cry Figarosmom Nov 21 #3
Sent home from school endless summer Nov 21 #4
Friday afternoon BOSSHOG Nov 21 #6
I was a junior in high school and people were crying n I had no idea why..then I heard the news Deuxcents Nov 21 #7
Incredible sadness and fear. It was my senior year in highschool. Arkansas Granny Nov 21 #8
Memory MoonlightHillFarm Nov 21 #9
Sitting in HS class and the announcement came over the PA system. lynintenn Nov 21 #10
Probably most, if not every, thing. LoisB Nov 21 #11
Look Beck2 Nov 21 #12
Ohhh...woah. So focused on the approaching democracy crisis with drumphf that *today's* date *didn't* trigger the electric_blue68 Nov 21 #13
I remember like it was yesterday. KitFox Nov 21 #14
The school day kind of devolved into chaos, with everyone being sent home. Sogo Nov 21 #15
Heard it from my mom. It took her forever to get the first word out. hunter Nov 21 #16
I was working at JLHudsons in Northland Center, just outside Detroit, Michigan. Srkdqltr Nov 21 #17
Too much. 2naSalit Nov 21 #18
Being told the president had been killed, MacKasey Nov 21 #19
I was in 9 1/2, in 4th grade. We had an hour for lunch and I had walked home, ate, and walked back to school. rsdsharp Nov 21 #20
My sister says the same thing. She was also not quite 3 yellowdogintexas Nov 21 #22
Everything. I was 15 and in 5th period Biology Class yellowdogintexas Nov 21 #21
I was in an eighth grade study hall. Jeebo Nov 21 #23
Likewise, our second grade class heard an abrupt radio feed over the PA system. n/t John1956PA Nov 22 #35
What don't I remember? wryter2000 Nov 22 #24
I was in Junior High School. They sent us home early. I Emile Nov 22 #25
Fascinated by the answers. Kicking. Mike 03 Nov 22 #26
On NBC, newsman Bill Ryan interrupted Chet Huntley to read the newsflash a/b Kennedys' death irisblue Nov 22 #31
About radio in the Detroit area, where I grew up. the Canadian & American news sites over lapped irisblue Nov 22 #32
Chet Huntley anchored the all-day reporting on NBC. John1956PA Nov 22 #37
I was little. I mostly remember my father's being upset. LisaM Nov 22 #27
I don't remember anything nitpicked Nov 22 #28
Like many of us here I was in junior high school, and heard the news between classes standing by my locker. At first, I Walleye Nov 22 #29
I was 8. catbyte Nov 22 #30
Sitting in study hall when the announcement came over the intercom. Classes dismissed one period early ... marble falls Nov 22 #33
The whole weekend Jilly_in_VA Nov 22 #34
Some JFK Day Sentiment Music- MrWowWow Nov 22 #36
I was 11 Escape Nov 22 #38
At school lunchroom, I screamed this is a Republican lie! GreenWave Nov 22 #39
I was in class in 2nd grade 10 Turtle Day Nov 22 #40
Was Five and In First Grade RobinA Nov 22 #41
Wow, dismissed early w/o knowing why. I'm glad.. electric_blue68 Nov 23 #45
I was in elementary school. mike_c Nov 22 #42
From Bluesky & Beschloss, President & Mrs Kennedy at the Dallas airpoet irisblue Nov 22 #43
I wqas 5 and watching TV when the announcement came on ThoughtCriminal Nov 22 #44
I was in 3rd grade in Lexington, MA Nittersing Nov 23 #46
Like it was yesterday. Paladin Nov 23 #47
Home Sick ProfessorGAC Nov 23 #48
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