You might think it strange a Brit would post this message but the assassination of John F Kennedy 50 years ago tomorrow was an event that has stayed in my memory since I first heard about it as a 12 year-old living in Australia.

 

When I told a friend's mother on the Saturday morning (they're 10 hours ahead of the UK and 16 ahead of Dallas time) I can still recall her shock and ending up in tears. I didn't know of his achievements at the time but became aware of them as I grew up. I think it's fair to say he was probably your most charismatic president and was widely but not universally admired.

 

I'm sure all the truth never came out at the Warren Commission and still believe rightly or wrongly a second gunman was involved. I don't suppose we'll ever know the truth after all this time. All those involved in those dreadful events have probably long passed away.

 

So tomorrow evening, at 6.30pm UK time I will pause and remember a great man who was cruelly taken far too soon. I'm sure I won't be alone.

It is already the 22-November where I live in New Zealand. I was born in 1971 so like many today I learned this in History Class. Amazing to me that after all this time we still don't know what really happened. I guess as long as those involved are still living it will remain a mystery. Maybe someday but I doubt it really.

The "magic bullet" (or, more probably, more than just one) killed a flamboyant personality and the hopes of more than just one nation ...

One of the biggest tragedies in history. It is still hard to believe that so many people, young and old and rich and poor, and so many nations, big and small, could have their hopes and dreams suddenly snatched from thin air with the death of one man. 

Without Kennedy's ambition to "put a man on the moon before the decade is out" we would never had the Apollo programme. That must have made a lot of Americans very proud. As an 18 year-old when Armstrong stepped on the moon it remains a vivid memory.

Without Kennedy's ambition to "put a man on the moon before the decade is out" we would never had the Apollo programme. That must have made a lot of Americans very proud. As an 18 year-old when Armstrong stepped on the moon it remains a vivid memory.

 

Also he had tabled the idea of public health care at that time like the rest of the western world did......sorry about that

 

For the record, Kiefer Sutherland's Grandfather was the guy who did public health care in Canada at that time........USA lost Kennedy and lost Health Care, now has Obama Care.

I remember that day vividly. I was sitting in a U.S. History class with my fellow cadets at Kentucky Military Institute when an announcement was made over the public address by the duty Officer of the Day from the guard house.

 

We sat in stunned silence for a few moments, then were directed back to our dorm rooms on the double in order to change into full parade dress uniform. We then proceeded to have formal parade and pass in review. Our chaplain then led the entire Cadet Corps in solemn prayer for our late President and his family.

 

I've long considered that as the day the "music died" in so many ways...

A tragic loss for the United States and much of the world.  I will pause today at 12:30pm (the time of the shots) and 1:00pm (the time of his announced passing) Dallas time to remember the man, his vision, and his legacy.

11/22/2013 12:30 CST

Rest in Peace President Kennedy. We have your back.

One of the biggest unsolved crimes in US history.

Looking at the weather in Dallas today had it been like that 50 years ago he probably would have survived since the bubble top would have been raised.

I also remember that day vividly. The stunned world,  people everywhere crying. I am one of those who have never been satisfied with the so called official investigation. There are holes in the story big enough to sail a aircraft carrier through. Seems to me that every shred of evidence was tampered with or destroyed. My opinion is that it was a second class cover up and propaganda from the start.

President Kennedy and the First Lady both had a kind of charisma and class that others can only wish for. I wasn't much into politics at the time so I don't know where that was headed. The cold war worried me, . . I knew diving under my desk and covering my head wouldn't do any good. The Cuba thing made me wonder whose side the CIA and others were really on. The space program was for pride and glory and supplied both abundantly. The 'Right Stuff' was lost in Dallas that day.

 

Regards,

Mel

One of the biggest unsolved crimes in US history.

 

Marc,

I couldn't agree more, except I would have omitted "One of".

 

Mel

“We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things. Not because they are easy, but because they are hard.” ― John F. Kennedy

 

I was 5 yr old Irish Catholic at the time of JFK's death. I vividly recall my parents loading us up and going to Mass that evening. Everyone was in tears.

Having watched Oliver Stone's JFK it's difficult not to accept his very plausible explanation that there was a conspiracy. "Back and to the left" repeated by Costner after showing the Zapruder film is the proof to me at least that the fatal shot came from the front right. I just don't see how it can be attributed to Oswald.

 

But we'll never know the truth as earlier poster suggest.

Please keep this on-topic.  When we start talking about the current Administration, some get upset about what is being said.  I will remove any that are off-topic.

 

Me? I was on-board a troop carrier enroute to Korea on the day of JFK's death so remember it well.  The carrier had just docked in Honolulu and we were all preparing to depart for a short 4 hour pass to walk on Waikiki Beach in our winter dress US Army greens (temps were in the 80's).  The death was announced over the ships loud speakers and many of us thought we would be diverted to Vietnam as a result.  Still, we boarded buses for the shuttle over to the beach to see the hula girls (okay, that was what I was planning on seeing).  Lots of people on the beaches and they did not appear to know the President was shot.  I was really too young to realize the magnitude of the assassination (17) and heard nothing about it after departing Honolulu for Korea.  We all had to board landing crafts to get to the shore as the tide in the Yellow Sea was too low for large ships to port.  A sad day in America's History.

 

Best regards,