Fifty years ago today an American President was killed. I remember it as if it was yesterday. I was working in the body shop of a Ford dealership in Newton, Massachusetts. A Puerto Rican Janitor named Jose ran down the stairs and said: "The President has been shot". I responded: "That's not funny, Jose". He said: "No no, the president has been shot". We gathered around an ancient RCA console TV in the English Ford parts department that had about a seven-inch B&W screen and watched the news. After a bit, John Cahill - the owner of the dealership, came down and said. "Let's go home". I was 19, and it was my Pearl Harbor.
I remember that as well. It came over the intercom while we were in class. Nobody spoke a word during and after the announcement. They continued breaking into class time, with updates. Sad day for sure
I was in first grade. There was an announcement over the loudspeaker. I was really too young to understand. I remember watching the funeral on tv (black and white of course). UticaGeoff
I was taking my Mother into Ft Lewis to renew her ID card. I was driving my Dads 61 Skylark with Base stickers on it. We could usually just drive up and be waved through. The MPs checked all our identification and searched the car before they would let us in. A sad day indeed. Bob H.
Poor guy got a bum deal for sure , I wonder how history would've played out if he hadn't been killed?
Today in 1963 , I was 25 months old. Much to young to understand. (But, who is OLD enough to understand?) Mom was getting me and brothers and sister ready to go to a Doctor's appointment. The TV was on and the show was preempted by the news. I remember that Mom was very upset. And when we got back home from the doctor some hours later, Mom had us sit very quietly as she watched the TV.
I was 1. I can only guess it was like hearing the news of the trade centers falling or when the Challenger exploded. I was in the service when Regan was shot. We went to Defcon 2 instantly.
As this happened not long after the Cuban missile crises, and during the cold war, it was big news even in Canada. I was in 3rd grade when the announcement was made over the intercom. Don't recall if we were sent home or not. It was indeed a sad day. I remember watching the funeral as well, since my grandmother sat stoically in the same chair for several hours slowly rocking back and forth, which cause it to squeak. I ended up with that same chair years later, but got rid of it when I moved to my current home. I also remember watching Oswald get shot by Jack Ruby.
I was in a classroom, grade 11, checking the marked results of a term exam when the principle announced over the intercom about the assassination.
I was in math class when the CBS feed came thru the speakers. He had a tough learning curve early as president and seemed to be moving along to doing better things-maybe a second term and who knows how things would have turned out as opposed to as they did. I spose the shock of th event and sympathy led in part to polling often showing him as the best president. Later I was selling sporting goods, ect when Bobby and MLK were killed, and the start of gun control. 45 years later, nuts still find a gun
I spoke to an older guy at a shop I visted about it. He said he was working at UPS and they just closed up and everyone went home. The entire country seemed to just grind to a halt. I often wondered if the same thing would happen today in this 24 hour news cycle where we're bombarded and desensitized with "breaking news" every 5 minutes? Would everyone would just close up shop and go home? ---------- Post added at 09:29 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:17 PM ---------- JFK was only in office 1000 days. A half century has passed and the debate still rages. Do you believe that Oswald acted alone? What if Jack Ruby didnt kill him? You have to wonder how that would of changed history.
This was in the one of the local papers today: http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/special/jfk50/shots-heard-around-the-world-232965571.html
Likewise...worked at Buick dealership in Bethesda, MD. Listened as much as possible to radios of cars in for service. That night, buddy and I part of small crowd outside Naval Medical. Also tried to go to Capitol viewing late Sunday night...didn't make it...line extended out E. Capitol St to Armory (about 2.5 miles). I was 21.
It is possible but improbable IMHO. I've read quite a few books (Jim Garrison & Mark Lane were amazing at unearthing evidence and raising awareness) on the subject and it's very difficult to buy into the Oswald acting alone theory once you've been exposed to their material. The establishment has allowed some public debate but I think that's mostly in an effort to pour out more disinformation, making things even less clear to the public, and leading to the general belief that we as a country will never know what happened on that fateful day.
I do believe that Oswald acted alone. People have real difficulty in keeping secrets. Hiding a conspiracy for decades is close to impossible. I am also a believer in Occam's Razor - if there are multiple possible explanations for an event, the simplest one is the most likely. The single-shooter explanation isn't as much fun, but is a lot more probable.
You only need 2 people for a conspiracy. Its seems hard to believe that he fired 3 shots in 6 seconds with that rifle. Bearing in mind that each time he reloaded, he had to re aquire the target. Plus he was 265 feet away, shooting at a moving target and getting a head shot to boot. I just dont think it can be done
It actually has been demonstrated that It can be done - fairly easily, by a good marksman. You have to bear in mind that the first round was already in the chamber - he only had to chamber another round twice. Despite all the hyperbole, forensics show that the rounds that struck Kennedy and Connolly came from the same direction.
I can believe it. He had a heavy scoped military surplus rifle, with a 6 round clip, shooting from a rest, and he had military experience. Add that to the fact that he was probably pumped full of adrenaline, and it's a difficult feat, but it can be done. With a rifle that heavy on a rest, keeping it on target wouldn't have been that hard, and it takes some practice to work the bolt that quickly, but I've seen it done before. And 265 feet is only 88 yards, which is only a bit outside of reasonable modern bow and arrow range (in fact, some people actually can accurately hit targets at almost 100 yards with bows, but they are very highly skilled). For a rifle with a scope, and a person with a moderate amount of practice, that's a fairly easy shot.
I took a bit of study on this back in the late 60's. Yes-a pretty doable shoot. Lots of incompetance-mistakes-strange happenings-coincidence made things less than clearcut. Also, the conspiracy world is an industry! I even recall a story of possible use of one or more duplex (two stacked bullets in the same cartridge case) bullets used to help account for conflicting ballistics-on and on and on ---------- Post added at 08:25 AM ---------- Previous post was at 08:23 AM ---------- I took a bit of study on this back in the late 60's. Yes-a pretty doable shoot. Lots of incompetance-mistakes-strange happenings-coincidence made things less than clearcut. Also, the conspiracy world is an industry! I even recall a story of possible use of one or more duplex (two stacked bullets in the same cartridge case) rounds used to help account for conflicting ballistics-on and on and on
