Remembering Events of November 22nd

Doing a recollection of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy on November 22, 1963, is important, not because one’s experience was in any way special, but because that life experience was in many ways typical, and because most Americans alive today have no memory of that terrible event.

Many people do remember the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, which were equally shocking, tragic, and totally unexpected. But in some ways, the Kennedy assassination was even more deeply painful for those who lived it than 9/11. Most individuals who lived in 1963 felt some level of personal relationship with President Kennedy and his attractive family. The assassination of President Kennedy was not just a national tragedy, it was for millions of Americans a deeply personal tragedy, like the unexpected loss of a very close and beloved family member.

American families watched television continuously for four days, including the murder of the assassin Lee Harvey Oswald broadcast live as it happened and Kennedy’s funeral. 

Those who lived it … you never forget where you were and what your family did. This is the type of memories that need to be written down or at least video to be preserved for present and future generations. Reflect on your own memories and do the same with siblings, cousins or your parents, if living.

Photos: Kennedy in Dallas before the shooting and the Kennedy funeral.

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