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Where Were You, November 22, 1963; Buckeye Version

cincibuck

You kids stay off my lawn!
My three morning classes over, I raced from Derby Hall back up to the apartment I shared on Dodridge and Neil. I quickly packed my suitcase and headed back down Neil. It was just before two and I was right in front of the Varsity Club when I stuck my thumb out.

What luck! The first car, a dark green 57 Plymouth coup with two fellow students in it, pulled over. The passenger jumped out, threw back the front seat and hollered, "Pile in." I no more than settled in the back seat when the driver spoke over his shoulder, "Someone took a shot at the President in Dallas. Just came on the news before we picked you up."

I don't know if my memory is playing tricks with me, but I recall having a great deal of concern over JFK's decision to go to Dallas. I believe that the apprehension was shared by other students and even by some reporters. Maybe that's why I wasn't shocked at the driver's words.

We motored along Lane Ave., through Upper Arlington, made the jump onto Olentangy River Road and then the quick right onto Rome-Hillard, passing the stone quarry and heading into open country. By now the news had taken over the regular programing. Walter Cronkrite was confirming that the President had been taken to a hospital and it was believed he had been shot. We slowed down for the traffic light in London as the Cronkrite confirmed that JFK had been shot, as had fellow passenger, Gov. John Connelly. Just outside Cedarville we learned that the Bishop of Dallas was on his way. We were in the middle of Xenia when Cronkite choked up, "It has now been confirmed that President Kennedy is dead."

That's when the shock finally set in on me. I was twenty, and though I had already lost some friends through car accidents and an undiagnosed heart condition, I believed I was immortal. By extension, Kennedy, who seemed to speak directly to us - the youth of America - seemed immortal too.

I don't know what we had for dinner. Mom, Dad and I sat silently watching as Air Force One touched down. Jackie, still wearing her blood-drenched pink suit, and President Johnson did an awkward dance as they stepped down the ramp and waited for the casket. Protocol had been thrown into a tin cup for the moment, the roles of Former First Lady and newly sworn-in President did not come naturally to either.

Protocol was the story for all of Saturday. The Buckeye game with Michigan was postponed, indeed all college games were pushed back. Pete Rozelle, the NFL commissioner, stutter-stepped all day, until finally deciding that Kennedy, being a great fan of football, would want the games to be played on Sunday. By noon Ohio State had cancelled classes for Monday. My roommate, who decided to drive home on Friday night, called to offer me a ride back late Monday afternoon giving both of us the chance to watch the funeral.

On Sunday morning I was watching the news, live coverage of Lee Harvey Oswald being transferred from the Dallas Police Station into custody of the county Sheriff. Suddenly a man in a flip brim hat and an overcoat pushed his way in front of guards and the unmistakable sound of a hand gun roared from the TV set.

By now my sense of invincibility was taking on a much more mature perspective.

Monday came. The sounds of muffled drums, death knells, footsteps and hoof beats filled the background. Black Jack, a magnificent, spirited black stallion, pranced and shook his head fiercely as he followed the caisson and the flag draped casket. The stirrups held the backward facing boots of the deceased Commander in Chief. It was as if Kennedy's spirit was stirring inside Black Jack's flanks.

It was about this point that I glanced over at my dad. He was a burly World War II veteran and solid Republican who firmly believed that to spare the rod - in this case his leather belt - was to spoil the child. In all my years of living with him I had never once heard the words, "I love you," pass his lips, Not to Mom. Not to my older sister and certainly not to me. But on this day tears began to slide down his cheeks, a sob or two escaped from his mouth.

I'd like to tell you of how reverently I went about the whole long weekend. How I sat and contemplated the end of JFK's life, the loss of a husband and a father, and tried to connect to the great sorrow of the nation and the Kennedy family.

In truth I was no better than Pete Rozelle. Life was for the living I decided as I snuggled up with my girlfriend in the basement of her home. Our only fear was that her mom might grow suspicious and suddenly throw the door open. The understanding of the events and the sorrow would come to me much later in life.
 
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It's not a matter of "getting over it;" it's a matter of remembering a moment in our lives that we'll never forget, and one of only two moments in my life (the other of course being 9/11/01) that I remember exactly where I was when I first got the news.

I remember the night before the Liston-Clay fight (the first one), too, but that's for entrepreneurial reasons rather than emotional ones.
 
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I was born in 71, so 11/22/63 was before my time. I have discussed that day with my mother and the heartbreak and vulnerability that people felt then was real. Very real.

The Challenger Disaster sticks out to me because I watched it live from the the school courtyard in Port Orange. It was real, not on tv. My wife remembers it because one of her teachers was a finalist for that flight. She was in that class when it happened. She said when the shuttle went from majestic launch to chaotic fireball, the whole class stopped breathing. The teacher, ran from the class and didn't come back for a few days.

Everyone over the age of 18 remembers where they were when 9/11 happened.
 
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Challenger
Berlin Wall
9/11

there are other more minor ones but those are the 3 that stick out to me still to this day.
This.

Challenger - was in elementary school, indoor recess due to weather, and they allowed some kids to go to the library and watch the launch.

Berlin Wall - Freshman in HS, remember talking about it in our history class for about 2 week straight.

9/11 - Columbus, Hilltop Complex - ODOT Building - 4th Floor. Working in my little cubicle (I do NOT miss those) listening to the radio when the news broke of one plane hitting the towers, then the report of the 2nd plane hitting the towers, within an hour or so of the 2nd plane hitting, we were being evacuated from all government buildings. It was a a surreal day for sure.
 
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Nov 22, 1963 - on the playground during recess; was watching live TV when Oswald got shot
Jan 28, 1986 - in my office with total disbelief.. later to find out my wife had bought a couple kids books at a garage sale.. owned and signed by Judy Resnick when she was a kid.. sale was at her parents house in Akron. pretty cool memorabilia
Sept 11 - sitting at my computer, then watching on TV.. and was extremely busy that day
 
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I was walking home from school (first grade) when word amongst the follow youngsters about Kennedy being shot started spreading. Even though we were just 6 and 7 years old, we all knew who President Kennedy was...
 
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