Posted by HisHughness on 6/7/06 5:09pm
Msg #124619

Interesting closing

Had one of the most interesting closings of my career yesterday. Remember that after JFK was assassinated, Lee Harvey Oswald was nabbed in the Texas Theater? On the way to the theater, he shot and killed police officer J.D. Tippett, then tried to lose himself in the theater. A shoe store manager saw him go in, though, and thought he looked suspicious; I guess everybody looked suspicious in Dallas that day. He told the assistant manager of the theater, who called the police, who in turn arrested Oswald without a struggle.

The borrower was the shoe store manager. He had a bit of a shrine in one corner of the living room. Made arrangements to have a beer with him soon, just to hear his story.

Lincoln was assassinated just 37 years before my father was born. President William McKinley was assassinated in 1901, just 36 years before I was born. The Kennedy assassination remains quite vivid in my mind; Kennedy visited San Antonio, the city where I was a newspaper reporter at the time, the day before he was shot. It's startling to realize that a my oldest grandson, born in 2000, bears the same chronological relationship to John F. Kennedy's assassination that I bear to the McKinley assassination, and that my father bore to Lincoln's assassination.

Reply by GenB_CA on 6/7/06 5:44pm
Msg #124630

What a great opportunity to get a first hand perspective of such a major historical event! Enjoy the conversation and the beer.

PS
I love making those connections like you have with the chronilogical events. Life is full of things that make you go "hmmm"!

Reply by Terri/Fl on 6/7/06 6:24pm
Msg #124638

Love to hear more!

Keep us informed. I vividly remember the day, even tho I was a child. These memories will stay with us the rest of our lives.

Reply by cmd_NH on 6/7/06 6:32pm
Msg #124641

Re: Love to hear more!

It's nice to talk to the people who have actually been witness to history. I was very close with a gentleman who fought in the with Mexico and Pancho Villa. He was 103 years old at the time and remembered it like it was yesterday. I could listen to this man for hours. He had loads of information that was much more interesting than what you read in the history books. He is no longer with us, but I will cherish him and the memories with him forever.

Reply by cmd_NH on 6/7/06 6:33pm
Msg #124643

oops! make that "war" with Mexico... n/m

Reply by Lynn Gidlow on 6/7/06 6:50pm
Msg #124648

What a fantastic experience. I, too, vividly remember the JFK assassination and where I was. My daughter was in her stroller while I was standing at the vegetable stand in the Farmer's Market in Los Angeles shopping for our Thanksgiving dinner. I remember everything about that moment (although I can't remember what I had for lunch today!). BTW, my daughter is now 45 years old.

Reply by BrendaTx on 6/7/06 7:42pm
Msg #124659

I was sitting in my jammies watching Captain Kangaroo when things started going haywire with the television. News on every darn channel. I was completely disgusted. Not to downplay the tragedy, just through the eyes of a child.

Reply by LkArrowhd/CA on 6/7/06 9:56pm
Msg #124672

Re: Interesting closing-Well I saw the magic Loogy...... n/m

Reply by BrendaTx on 6/8/06 11:08am
Msg #124750

Re: Interesting closing-Well I saw the magic Loogy - LkA

Keith Hernandez did it.

Reply by TitleGalCA on 6/7/06 11:21pm
Msg #124700

JFK, the moment

I was sitting just behind Stuart in my second grade class in Southern California. He was my hero, and object of my obsession/love interest at that age.

Our teacher, Miss Something-or-Other (they were "Miss" in those days) was in tears. She announced to our class of 5/6 year olds that it was time to Pray. We did so...prayed hard for several things as we all knew how crucial it was, in spite of our young age. We prayed for our Country, prayed for our leaders and prayed for our families. The clear message was Prayer is the most effective thing any single individual can do during a terrible time in our lives.

And I still believe it. Just the view from a child a year older. Funny how those years sort of unite us later!

Reply by Sher_AZ on 6/8/06 12:58am
Msg #124713

Re: JFK, the moment

There are only two people in this world whose sudden demise impacted so many as did JFK and Elvis Presley. Whether you liked them or not, their death's had a tremendous effect on the entire world. I have a younger brother whose birthday happened to be on the same day as when JFK was shot. My brother was only 9 at the time, but he will never forget that our president was assassinated on his birthday. Everyone remembers the exact moment where they were, what they were doing, who they were with, etc. when both of these "icons" were taken from us . I can't recall any others (before or after) that have left such an impression or legacy on this universe.

Reply by Marlene/USNA on 6/8/06 9:31am
Msg #124736

Moon Walk

You're probably too young to remember this one in 1969, the first moon walk. I was almost 21, watching it on TV (black and white) and went outside to look at the moon, listening to the TV conversation from the house behind me, as it was happening on the moon. I remember having an overwhelming sense of being on the verge of exciting possibilities and challenges (we'd been drilled all through school to get math and science education to "Beat the Russians!".

And here we are 37 years later still just abusing poor ol' Planet Earth.

Reply by ColleenCA on 6/8/06 9:38am
Msg #124738

Re: Sher AZ

While I wasn't born when JFK was shot and I don't remember what I was doing when Elvis died, I do remember what I was doing when John Lennon was killed.

Reply by JR_AZ on 6/8/06 11:17am
Msg #124753

Re: Elvis

I remember being annoyed that the Price is Right was pre-empted to tell us Elvis had died. But, hey, at 8 years old what do we know?

Reply by GenB_CA on 6/8/06 12:07pm
Msg #124762

Re: JFK, Elvis, Lennon, Princess Di....

I wasn't here for JFK, only 3 yrs old for Elvis, still too young to care about Lennon. But when Princess Diana died it's the only time I ever saw a bar full of rowdy drinkers go completely silent. I think that's one I will always remember.

Reply by BrendaTx on 6/8/06 2:36pm
Msg #124787

Re: JFK, Elvis, Lennon, Princess Di....

JFK - Watching the Captain

Elvis - Working in a pharmacy / high school

Princess Di's Wedding - Just brought the baby home from the hospital.

Princess Di's death - the most recent! I cannot remember.

Reply by Sylvia_FL on 6/8/06 4:52pm
Msg #124826

Re: JFK, Elvis, Lennon, Princess Di....

Princess Di - it was my birthday and we were on our way home from Home Depot when we heard she was in an "accident", I did not go to bed that night.
Then when they confirmed she had died I called my mother in England, getting her out of bed!
It was tragic.

Reply by Signing_Doc on 6/8/06 6:17pm
Msg #124838

Re: JFK, the moment

Hey TitleGalCa...for a moment...I thought it was YOU sitting behind me in Southern CA that day, but then I got to thinking...I was born in 51...therefore I probably WASN'T in the 2nd grade that day (ok...insert your comments here!!)....I was raised in Claremont CA (by Upland) until 1970...but enuff about that....(now back to your regularly scheduled posts)....

"Doc" Stuart

Reply by TitleGalCA on 6/8/06 6:56pm
Msg #124845

Re: JFK, the moment

Doc, you're a few years older, probably in sixth grade or so!

I can get pretty specific on this memory, on that day - the kids first and last name (I still remember it), the name of the elementry school in Garden Grove, CA, and the window I used to stare out of waiting for the bell to ring. I even remember it was about 1:10 in the afternoon because I looked at the clock, wondering if my Mom would come pick me up early since the teacher was crying.

Claremont/Upland was still orange groves but so was most of So Ca.

Wow, amazing what we remember. I just realized I can't remember what I ate last night but I remember a kid in the second grade.