The first hour after JFK was shot in Dallas, visual timeline and amazing quality WTIC aircheck

I was 5 years old, and since Dad was blind, it was the radio that was on that day, not the TV. My memory of playing on the floor in front of the console stereo my parents owned, is still crystal clear. Mom came home early from work, they were both crying, and then our Chicago neighborhood began to close, as what seemed like everyone, began to grieve.

 

Fascinating.

 

Several years ago on a Nov. 22, the PBS station (that is local to me) played back, at the exact minutes as they occurred on 11/22/63, the NBC network feed from when they broke in until some point after the death was announced.

I remember from watching that feed, that immediately before Kennedy's death was announced, the NBC broadcasters (Chet Huntley and two others --- one I think was Frank McGee, and I don't remember who the other one was) were talking about learning of the death of Franklin Roosevelt, which at that time had occurred about 18 1/2 years previously.

I was not around in 1963 (didn't arrive until Feb. 1967), so I have no personal memories. My older siblings and my mother have said things to me about that day. My (late) father did not say anything to me about Nov. 22 (as that was a Friday, I think he was at work), but he did tell me about watching Ruby shooting Oswald on live TV on Nov. 24, and being so angry about that, that he called our congressional representative and asked "what the h*** is going on down there?".

 

Made it through the first 30 minutes....will finish later.

 

I was 13 and in the 7th grade. I was in school at the time (Catholic school), I remember all of the classes being ordered to the auditorium where a small tv was set up to watch (none of the students knew what had just happened). we all just sat there stunned watching the events unfold. Many of the nuns and teachers were crying. I will never forget that day.

 

I just listened to the video. Riveting stuff. Even after all these years, you just never get used to hearing it.

 

On 11/22/2013 CBS streamed on its website in real time, starting with the soap opera all through the funeral, as the news broke in 1963. I made it through the Cronkite announcement, and even though you know what is coming seeing it unfold in real time like they did in 1963 was emotionally draining. I had to stop watching because it made me cry. Literally seeing the precise moment everything changed in its real time was just overwhelming. On Sunday (I believe) I watched Oswald getting shot. So surreal to hear Dan Rather talking about what will happen, the pending charges, booking, etc. and then immediately as he is talking .....

 

This really is fascinating. Thanks for sharing

 

What a gift to history thank you

 

I was 11 years old. I remember all the adults being in shock, crying. I seem to recall school let out early that day.

 

That's both fascinating and heartbreaking. Even all these years later.

 

I consider the Kennedy assasination, the first moon landing and 9-11 the 3 major new events in my lifetime.

 

I was 3 years old at that time. I asked my father what I was doing when it was all being broadcast in our living room on our television. He said " you were mostly sitting on the floor playing with your toys , oblivious to it all. "

 

I remember going home early from first grade, my father picked me up- he left work early. All the adults were crying and it felt like the end of the world.

 

JFK was the first politician I ever cared about; and this was 25 years after he was killed, in 1988 when I was 13. That tells you how powerful of a presence he was.

 

I don't know about you guys, but watching this was a pretty intense experience for me. I am 45, so I wasn't around then. But JFK was a huge movie for me and the Nova episode about the assassination gave me nightmares as a kid. So maybe this brought up that past trauma, I don't now, but I was crying as I was reading about Jackie's experiences in the car and at the hospital. What an amazing person. I cannot believe what she had to endure. I always assumed she was there but not as the priest was giving last rites and certainly not as he expired. Jesus.

 

This was a pretty riveting presentation.

Besides all the mis-information hitting the airwaves, I think the most interesting think was that Mr. Johnson was officially the President for a good 20 minutes before anyone told him (or that it sank in!)

Oh and leaving the officer with the launch codes behind at the hospital was a bit of a bumbling move.

 

Here's the WGN aircheck from Chicago from that time from the Bradley Place Radio/tv studios. The first announcement from the wire goes off at 12:42. It seems everyone was out to lunch so the radio show has to go on until a union "record turner" got back to the studio sometime after 12:50.

One of the comments was a girl from the noontime WGN TV Bozo Circus (same building) when the first bulletin came through.

 

I too was in Catholic school, but gradeschool. The entire school was having a carnival in the gymnasium on that day. Lots of booths set up with small prizes (like the fishing pond booth, etc.) The gym also had a stage at one end. One of the nuns got onstage and made an announcement through the microphone. But what floored me was that she then said we should continue having fun at the carnival. Even as a gradeschooler, I thought that was pretty cold.

 

I once spoke with Lou Reed briefly in 1969 in Dallas about my personal experience with the Kennedy assassination.

I was approximately 100 ft. south of the book depository on Houston St. when the gunfire errupted.

I was 13 at the time schools in Dallas were closed so folk could view the President and the 1st Lady up close.

It was horrendous.

I wish now that I had never gone.

 

Please share more if you're so inclined - you were actually there and that's utterly mind-blowing.

 

The most recent LBJ book details the assassination pretty completely. there were security concerns aplenty (was this a Russian conspiracy?) and Johnson wanted to wait and take the oath when he was safely on the plane plus he wanted Jackie present so it wouldn't look like he was eager to usurp power. he also thought it would be rude not to include her. he was kept isolated at the hospital waiting for word on JFK, and there were delays getting word to him for a variety of reasons.