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Where were you...

Posted By: William Brainard <wbrainard@juno.com>
Date: Tuesday, 8 April 2003, at 4:11 a.m.

Thinking of President Kennedy's murder and the fact that President Roosevelt died this week in 1945, where were you when these momentous events occured? I wasn't born when FDR died but was 9 years old when President Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas. I was sick home from school that day watching WJAR channel 10. "Make Room For Daddy" was on and my brother John had just returned from a class at Uconn. I had just gotten a new red goosedown coat at Grants the night before and was disappointed that I couldn't wear it to school. Then Chet Huntley and David Brinkley came on and said a shot had been fired at President Kennedy's motorcade. Minutes later he was dead. My mother had me wear Vicks that day and the aroma of vaporub always reminds me of that sad day in 1963; a turning point in American history. Though a young child at the time, that night when Johnson spoke to the nation at the Washington airport I knew I didn't like him; he tried too hard and he just wasn't John Kennedy. 

Posted By: Pat
Date: Tuesday, 8 April 2003, at 8:49 a.m.

In Response To: Where were you... (William Brainard)

I was in my first year of teaching HS in Texas when, without introduction, the speaker came on and announced that President Kennedy had been shot. I then broke a few laws and led a prayer for him, his family and our country. Posted By: rd <artattic@crosslink.net>
Date: Tuesday, 8 April 2003, at 10:58 a.m.

In Response To: Re: Where were you... (Pat)

When Kennedy was shot I was working at Smith-Winchester Mfg Co located in South Windham. They manufactured custom designed machinery for paper mills. They had customers in Canada, New England, Scotland and England as well several mills in the South. I don't remember Roosevelt's death but I do remember the day the war ended in Germany. I was 6 yrs old playing in the backyard of where we lived on Oak St. 

Posted By: SHEMP
Date: Saturday, 12 April 2003, at 9:48 a.m.

In Response To: Where were you... (William Brainard)

I recall that day in Willmamntic alright.....I was in Benny's Auto Store at Main and Widnham Sts., buying some nails....I walked out of the place and down Main Street to Mac's Cigar Store, which was located next to Windham Pharmacy and Todd's. We all stood in front of Mac's in shock.

There was a local character named Russell Rogers who pulled a wagon up and down Main St., and he was crying and howling very loudly -- as he pulled that wagon full of papers across the cross walk at Main and Bridge sts, saying "they kllled John Kennedy"....over and over.

We all then over to Hallocks across the street and sat in a booth and listened to a transistor radio whcih I still have.

Shemp 

Posted By: Ada Kerachsky Albright <aa19@cornell.edu>
Date: Monday, 14 April 2003, at 12:51 p.m.

In Response To: Where were you... (William Brainard)

I can't believe that I am old enough to admit this, but I have a preschool memory of walking on Union Street (in Willimantic) with an aunt and asking her why all the church bells were ringing. She answered, "The president (FDR) has died." As everyone else, I vividly remember when JFK was shot. I was a young grad wife working in this very same library in which I work again (Ithaca, NY). A co-worker who went to lunch a bit later than I came in and said, "The president has been shot." I called my now ex-husband who was home studying. He put the phone receiver next to the radio and people here at work picked up phone extensions to listen. A couple of people ran out to Mass. Later my husband and I went out to buy an old, used TV for $25 so that we could watch the proceedings along with the rest of America. 

Posted By: Robert Thompson <thompson.robert@tucson.va.gov>
Date: Thursday, 24 April 2003, at 3:40 p.m.

In Response To: Re: Where were you... (Ada Kerachsky Albright)

I was a young lad when Roosevelt died. I was sitting on the lawn next to Lindy's. For some reason my mother was confused & also told me by birthday was April 12th. I thought gee a president died on my birthday. It was until years later that my exactual birthday ws the day before. When Kennedy was shot, I was stationed on Okiniwa & we didn't get the word until Saturday morning becuase of the time difference. I was still in bed when a knock came on the door & when I opened it was told the president had been shot & we all had to report to our duty stations. Will never dforget that day.