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You are here: Home / Uncategorized / Memories of JFK’s Assassination

Memories of JFK’s Assassination

“Our most basic common link is that we all inhabit this planet.  We all breathe the same air.  We all cherish our children’s future.  And we are all mortal.”
— John F. Kennedy

I remember exactly where I was when I heard that JFK had been shot.  I was in 2nd grade in St. Agnes Grammar School in Clark, New Jersey when the announcement came out over the school loudspeaker.  The entire school immediately went into mourning.  Kennedy was the first Catholic president and the nuns loved him; they closed the school and sent us all home after the announcement, and I saw many of the nuns crying in the hallways as we left.

I remember sitting on the couch (a terribly uncomfortable, unattractive plaid convertible couch) in our wood paneled family room (this was the 60’s after all), watching with my mom while she ironed my Dad’s shirts as we sat glued to the black and white TV (with the knob to turn the channels as there were no remotes back then) while the news unfolded.  I was really young and wasn’t really aware of politics but we were Catholic and back then my parents were Democrats and they loved the Kennedy’s.

I remember my mother watching TV while furiously ironing those white shirts (she used to do the whole deal with the starch and all) and I could tell she was terribly sad.  It was one of the first times I’d ever seen her this emotional over something that wasn’t related to the family, and it was a very intense and curious thing for me.  I would sneak glances to watch her as she watched the TV; trying not to let her know how curious I was about her reactions.  It gave me a glimpse into her as a woman outside of the family and home, as a woman reacting emotionally to events outside the insular world of our family as I saw a side of her I’d never imagined before.

I have vivid memories of Walter Cronkite, a dour and stoic newscaster, reading the bulletin that was passed to him on air with the confirmation of Kennedy’s death.  He read the announcement, “From Dallas Texas, a confirmation that President Kennedy has died at 1:00 PM Central Time, 2:00 PM EST, about 30 minutes ago.”  He then took off his glasses and looked down and paused for a few beats and I could tell he was holding back tears.  It was an astounding moment for me, I’d never seen a grown man cry.  I could hear the crack in his voice as he continued with the story, even at that young age I knew he was trying not to cry on air.

 

I remember Jackie’s pink suit and her little pillbox hat; I remember how she kept the same pink suit on during Johnson’s swearing in ceremony.  Her respect, dignity and poise throughout the entire ordeal was astounding, she did not miss a beat.  As a mother, I can’t imagine how she could express such grace throughout; she was only 33 years old and left with their two young children.  I recall the heartbreakingly poignant moment during the funeral procession through DC when she leaned down and whispered to tell John John, Jr. (that’s what we all called him) to salute his Dad’s coffin when it went by.  It was the saddest thing I’d ever seen at that age and still brings me to tears when I see footage of it now.

I had never seen such an outpouring of grief from adults before and the moment opened my 7 year old eyes up to human frailty in a way that nothing had before.  It was a very enlightening moment for me to realize that grown men and women could have such depth of emotion.

I wonder what the moment will be for my kids.  It might be 9/11, although we tried very hard to hide our fears from them when it was occurring because they were only 3 and 5 when it happened.  It might be the year I had breast cancer, which is probably the first time my kids ever saw me cry and realized my vulnerability.  I hope that whatever the moment is for them, it teaches them something about humankind and that they hold the lesson close, as I have for these 50 years.

November 22, 2013 | By Claudia | Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: assassination of john f kennedy, breast cancer, jackie kennedy, memories of my childhood, remembering the assassination of john f kennedy 10 Comments

Comments

  1. Kung Phoo says

    November 22, 2013 at 8:43 pm

    What an amazing recount.

    Reply
  2. Nancy's Point says

    November 22, 2013 at 10:12 pm

    Hi Claudia,
    My memories are very similar to yours. The whole ordeal has stayed with me all these years and even now, it’s incredibly sad to reflect upon that time. And by the way, my mom ironed furiously as well – not just that day of course, on every wash day.

    Reply
    • Claudia Schmidt says

      November 23, 2013 at 5:33 pm

      Hi Nancy,
      My mom was what we called “an awesome ironer.” She was ALWAYS ironing, it must have taken so much time. She also worked (school teacher) and raised 4 kids….I don’t know how she ever managed to do everything she did. Thanks for the comment. xo

      Reply
  3. Lissa says

    November 23, 2013 at 3:49 pm

    It wouldn’t be three years until I was born from when JFK tragically died, but I can only imagine what emotions our country went through. I really liked reading your post about your memory of this. And isn’t it interesting how, when something horrible like this happens, we can instantly take ourselves back into the moment and place we were when we heard the news?

    Reply
    • Claudia Schmidt says

      November 23, 2013 at 5:35 pm

      Thanks, Lissa. Yes, it’s amazing how your memories just kick in and you can remember all the details…..I also remember when Martin Luther King and Bobby Kennedy died….such an intense time for our country.

      Reply
  4. Artist says

    November 23, 2013 at 9:15 pm

    What a member you have. I was only 2 years old in sixty two. My mom said her and my grandma where watching As The World Turns and thought the news break was part of the show. I remember when Martin Luther King died.

    Reply
    • Claudia Schmidt says

      November 23, 2013 at 9:30 pm

      My memory isn’t as strong for everything, but this day was really vivid and had a big impact. Thanks for the note!

      Reply
  5. Pam says

    November 22, 2017 at 11:51 am

    Claudia
    This is my earliest memory. I was only 3 and remember sitting on my rocking horse in front of the TV for hours. Remember my mother crying.
    Always enjoy your posts – you have a gift.
    Pam

    Reply
    • Claudia says

      November 22, 2017 at 12:01 pm

      Thank you, Pam! Such a nice thing to say.

      Reply
    • Claudia says

      November 22, 2017 at 12:01 pm

      Thank you, Pam! Such a nice thing to say.

      Reply

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Claudia Schmidt, a working mom with two amazing college age kids, writes about life after her breast cancer experience in February of 2010. Claudia’s work has been featured on BlogHer, BA50 and Midlife Boulevard. She lives in bucolic Clinton, New Jersey with her husband, two teens, their dog (Tucker) and cat (Maverick). Follow her on Twitter @claudoo , Facebook or Pinterest

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