I recall the day still. I was in 3rd grade at an elementary school in Houston, Texas. It was shortly after we had returned from lunch to the classroom when Miss Johnson our teacher announced that we were all to gather in the school gymnasium where all large gatherings were held. Everyone was told to sit on the floor in class groups and than the school principal came in and announced that Kennedy had been shot. Then we were told that the school day was over and by the time everyone exited the school buses were lined up in front of the school.

I recall on the ride home there was one boy, older and probably in 6th grade, who somehow had gotten hold of a spent cartridge casing and was telling everyone that it was the same as what had been used to kill Kennedy. No one believed that it was one of the casings, we were young but not stupid, but that did have everyone vying to hold and look at it. When I got home my two older sisters were home from high school and my mother sat us all down in front of the television. We basically sat there watching the coverage until my father came home from work a few hours later. I even recall what we had for dinner that night, melted cheese sandwiches and canned cream of tomato soup.


I guess I was too young still to really understand the implications. As I recall it any emotions I felt were more just in reaction to my parents and older sisters. My mother took it especially hard. I do recall at the time that only a few weeks prior I had been very upset that one of my favorite evening television shows at the time had been replaced with live coverage of a speech or press conference by JFK.

That it all happened fifty years ago brings back many memories. It also makes me feel very old and leaves me feeling that was all from a different time, and a different America.