The Moment that changed my World and America’s.
As Tom Brokaw said in his book–“Boom”, it was the real Beginning of the 60’s.
I entered the parking lot and looked to my left. There it was, the fence—it sent chills of memories up my spine. I parked and got out of the car and immediately noticed a couple of men walking in front of me to the Railroad Overpass. Visions of Mark Lane’s “Rush to Judgment” flooded my mind. I walked over to the fence, peered over and there it was—-THEE Grassy Knoll–and the view to the street where John F. Kennedy had been killed on November 22nd, 1963. In my lifetime there has never been a more significant event having such a profound effect on my being.
I had finally gotten to the #1 place on my life’s must list, Deely Plaza, Dallas, Texas. The place Time magazine had called “The Moment that Changed America.” in their cover story of November 25th,2013. And it did.
I was 18 years old. I had been in college for 2 months. I had rejoiced as the Koufax led Dodgers swept the Yankees in the World Series. I still remember Frank Howard’s rocket, frozen rope line drive to the Left Center field scoreboard in Yankee Stadium off the great Whitey Ford. I was ecstatic being out of High School and Hunterdon County. I was finally somewhat the controller of my own destiny.
Unbeknownst to me I was going to have the world I grew up in, the world of an all-powerful, all good United States of America(I was nieve—wish I still was), ripped apart in an instant. As has been noted the summer of 1963 was called the last innocent summer—my summer. Amen.
I had just returned from a class and was snoozing on my bed when I was shaken awake by my roomie Lester Nagle “C’mon, C’mon get up, the President’s been shot.” “C’mon quit BSing me, what’s going on?”Chillingly he said, “I am serious.”
We got to the dorm common room, and all I remember is Walter Cronkite saying, live, after some time: “From Dallas, Texas the flash official that President Kennedy died at 1:00 PM Central Standard Time—2 O’clock Eastern Standard Time, some 38 minutes ago.” Talk about shaking your head and not believing what you are hearing. I mean Walter Cronkite was turning away choked up. This was a WWII front-line war correspondent, a man of the times when men didn’t cry, and he was wracked. (You-tube: CBS Newsflash from November 22nd, 1963 RE: The JFK Assassination).https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c7fCpdvcl7k
C’mon Bob this is a dream, wake up. Talk about fear of what was happening in the World. This was the height of the Cold War. My generation had grown up with the A-Bomb, H-Bomb, fears of Russian-Communist domination, Joe McCarthy, the Korean War, and under the desk drills in case of nuclear attack. At that time you could only shake your head and ask, “What is going on?” Is this it? The end of the world? Nuclear annihilation? And two days later somebody shoots Oswald on live TV. Wow! Confusing, fearful and questioning. Sorry I got a little sidetracked.
Instead of walking immediately down the steps leading to Elm street I walked along the fence towards the Railroad overpass to absorb it all. I pictured S.M.Holland, standing on the bridge as the killing occurred below. He reported seeing a hint of smoke from the fence line in a statement to the Sheriff’s department at the scene.
I stood there taking it all in–Elm street, I had seen many films of the event hundreds of times. I could envision the car; JFK, and Jackie; the grabbing of the throat; the fatal shot; the motorcycle cop dropping his bike as he ran up the Grassy Knoll(where he believed the fatal shot had come from); Jackie climbing to the back of the limo reaching for the SS man (out of fear? sure who wouldn’t have been); the car speeding up and tearing through the underpass on its way to Parkland Hospital. In my mind it was real. The glimpse back in time was there.
Then my mind and eyes wandered to the 6th Street Book Depository and the window where the professed assassin, Lee Harvey Oswald had taken the fatal shots. I just stood and absorbed. It is one of the prime reasons I travel and see a lot of history. I want to put events and places in context to what I have heard, seen or read. I like to put a place on it. It is like some people, not remembering names, and want to meet in person, to put a face on it.
My wife and I were on a drive to San Diego, from Virginia. I had agreed to her request we attend a military change of command ceremony at Mirimar, as long as we could drive and absorb/visit some memorable American locations both ways, out and back.
Numero Uno, #1 Priority of those locations was Dallas, Texas and Dealy Plaza. Yes, I had been in the Dallas Airport on some occasions, but never to visit the city. It had bugged me for years. I didn’t want to get off this planet without seeing that horrific place in America’s history.
I had to enter Dallas following the exact route JFK had traveled that day. We first went to Love Field, where he and Jackie had arrived from Ft. Worth. Then the drive to Dealy Plaza; seeing where he turned on S.Houston(Now one way reversed); the walking of the route down Main Street, to S.Houston St.; to the turn-on Elm by the book depository, and down to the Knoll where Abraham Zapruder had shot his film.
If any reader watches “Timeless” the TV show, you could understand my experience. It was not an out of body experience, but it was absorption of what had occurred that day way back in my youth. I could look at the book depository highlighted window, imagine Oswald in his shooting position(I am not one who believes he did it alone) and the subsequent events. Chillingly observing, right there on Elm Street, the X’s where the shot events are marked, including the fatal head shot.
I then had to drive to Parkland Hospital. I had to experience the deadly route. When you are 18 years old, and the President of the United States is assassinated, your inner mind is messed with. To put it bluntly, your entire outlook on the world is changed.
Some people say why was your world changed? They say: Kennedy wasn’t a good President, he was a philanderer; his father had bought his way to the Presidency; he screwed up the Bay of Pigs(Incorrect); he got us into Viet Nam(incorrect), etc. etc. Hey, Let me tell you why:
#1. He was the President of the United States, my United States, the most powerful man in the world. How could someone take him out that easily? Why? Where are we going? Or more important what’s going on in the U.S.? Are we at war? Is the bomb coming?
#2. He was a war hero; nobody faked that. And back then the press respected the privacy of the President. There was nothing about his affairs, just like there were no disrespectful pictures of FDR’s handicap or mistress, nor negative connotations of Ike& Kay Summerby’s relations during WWII. Indiscretions that disrespected the office were taboo.
#3. JFK painted a picture of a world I wanted to be a part of. He was a President who thought not just in terms of the U.S. but envisioned the World as a whole. (Much like President Truman and George Marshall had done with the Marshall plan.
#4. He was the first President of the living room TV era. And let’s face it, nobody could speak like JFK or look as good doing it. He got you excited about the time you lived in and what could be. He challenged us to reach for the stars and the moon. Guess what we made it to the moon. He was part of that USA historic persona of dreaming big dreams and making them happen.
#5. I liked Camelot. I grew believing in fairy tales; a Chubby Fat man coming down the chimney; and happy endings. You know what I liked that a lot better than today’s reality.
I know there are other exciting things you can do in Dallas, but for me, there was only one thing to do—Visit Dealy Plaza—See the Grassy Knoll, the overpass, the book depository and envision/reflect on what occurred there on November 22nd, 1963. I still am reflecting. Life changed. Warm Milk and Cookies was replaced by unfathomable violence that continues to this day.
I will go more into the drive to and from San Diego in other postings. I had to do this one totally on Dealy Plaza. It occupies that much of my being.
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