John F. Kennedy -- In Memoriam

It was 50 years ago today that US President John F. Kennedy was murdered ...allegedly, by Lee Harvey Oswald.

US Scott No. 1246



-IBFS

I remember that day well. I was in grade 10.
There were some rumors at lunch time. In class
after 1 pm the news came over the PA system.
The school was shut down and we were all sent home.
And that was in New Westminster B.C.

I was playing snooker in a Temperance Billiard Hall in Brixton in London. Working on my mis-spent youth. This was not a quiet place, quite the opposite, and full of local villains and toughs. Then this guy comes in and shouts some b*****d has shot President Kennedy. I could barely believe this, and looking around at all the hardcases in the place, I could see even they were all shocked. And now the whole place was quiet. A man with universal appeal indeed.

Terry

I also remember that day well too. I was working with the Department of Highways and it was a rainy day and we were caught up on our paper work, so, the crew went for a drive. We had the radio on and we first heard there was a shooting in Dallas, then it progressed as the minutes passed by. In short time, we realized that President Kennedy had been shot.

Definitely not one of the world's finest hours.

Chimo

Bujutsu

Yes, I to remember. I was a junior in highschool, setting in of all things, an american government class. My teacher was the President of the Woman's League of Voters for the state. She was sobbing as she told us. It was also my girl friend's birthday. I still tear up when I think about it. The insanity with violance for solving problems or percieved grievances is still here today. Tragic losses for no reason.

I was in kindergarden. I don't remember. If I was aware I doubt I would have fully understood, however it was a truly tragic day for the world.

A 1961 postcard of President Kennedy:

Here's an interesting read on the background about the photograph used in Scott #1246 posted at the beginning of this thread and how it came to be used on the 5c Kennedy postage stamp:

http://www.latimes.com/local/la-me-...xzz2lQVxeBT0

My parents wrote a letter to Jacqueline Kennedy after the Presidents assassination and received a letter back from her, which my family has framed and hanging on the wall. The letter my parents sent is one of the letters in the Kennedy Presidential Library & Museum.

It's worth updating this thread again today -- November 22, 2014 -- 51 years ago since the Assassination of President John F. Kennedy:

And, let's not forget, 51 years of mostly delusional conspiracy theories, and the many millions of words wasted in thousands of conspiracy theory books, with the most outrageous drivel being put forward, i.e., the secret service guy in the front seat shot him, a secret service guy in the follow-up car shot him, LBJ did it, Nixon did it, the guy in the sewer drain, aliens, etc. etc. etc. It's a good thing USPS doesn't do a stamp series on stupid conspiracy theories - there would be about 500 varieties...
John

I was 7 years old and at my grandmother's place and I recall my dad saying "I couldn't eat when I heard the news". He was obviously upset. This was in Australia.

Laughable, disi123. He's about the 15th or 20th person to "confess"...

The bottom line, the thing that fuels all of this conspiracy nonsense,
is that people have a hard time believing that a nobody could have killed
a great and powerful man like our President by himself...

It actually could have been no one else but Oswald, as anyone who would care
to do some serious research will immediately discover. Most of the rest is
just nonsense. Having said that, all this conspiracy stuff is fascinating
and fun, if not a tremendous time waster. My personal favorite conspiracy is the
moon landing hoax.

John

I was in the Netherlands working for my father, who had sort of a "town crier" service. A big Ford station wagon with a PA system built in. I was getting ready to prepare for Saint Nicholas festivities the next day when on German TV the news program was interrupted with a special announcement that President Kennedy had been shot and killed. The station immediately broke off all planned programming and played solemn music the rest of the night! A moment I will never forget!

Peter

I was in the car with my father, coming back from my first EKG. His pre-teen strep infection had progressed to rheumatic fever & heart disease, so my pre-teen strep infection had set-off a few bells. The traffic light had turned green, and we had just crossed Jamaica Avenue (Queens NYC), and the first bulletin was coming over the car radio. I remember looking towards him, and hearing him muttering curses about living in a banana republic; in those days, it seemed like hardly a month went by without a government being overthrown somewhere to the south of us, and now we were just like them.

One of the things that happened that day - that I cannot see happening today, with either the same credibility or the same gravitas - was Walter Cronkite assuring us that the government was safe, that all departments were carrying out their duties, that the military was still strong, etc. These remarks were received with warmth & gratitude, and solemnly repeated. Just couldn't happen the same way today.

PS: I thought about saving the Triple Underpass postcard for this week, but figured that I'd probably miss the date, and end-up posting it after the anniversary ...

Cheers,

/s/ ikeyPikey