I talked to my Mom earlier tonight and asked her what she remembered from 50 years ago when John F. Kennedy was assassinated. She was walking up the stairs to her apartment when a neighbor asked if she had heard the news. She then went in and watched the news on her neighbors TV.
My Mom was getting ready for a big event in her life. Her wedding was only two weeks away. We celebrated my parents Golden Anniversary earlier this year at a time when weather would not interfere.
I decided to see what my Grandma had saved in her scrapbooks. I found a few items from the scrapbooks to share before showing something that I found in an antique store.
Here is a headline from an article in one of the local newspapers.
She also saved a short memorial to JFK. I really like the last little paragraph.
May we always remember his words as he took over the leadership of our free nation … “ask not what your country can do for you … rather ask, WHAT YOU CAN DO FOR America!”
She also saved a clipping of what was to be the last paragraph of the speech President Kennedy was to give that day.
“WE IN this country, in this generation, are–by destiny rather than choice–the watchmen on the walls of world freedom. We ask, therefore, that we may be worth of our power and responsibility–that we may exercise our strength with wisdom and restraint–and that we may achieve in our time and for all time the ancient vision of ‘peace on earth, good will toward men.’ That must always be our goal–and the righteousness of our cause must always underlie our strength. For as was written long ago: ‘except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain.'”
One day long ago when I was a field service engineer I stopped into an antique store in a small Kansas town while waiting for a doctor’s office to open.
I was looking through a stack of records and ran across this interesting album. The album is a tribute to JFK and contains recordings of his speeches and news broadcasts from the day of his assassination. I think that I paid either 50 cents or a dollar for the album. I think I got a good bargain.
I will be listening to part of this album in memory of JFK.
The first side of the record has recordings of the following Kennedy speeches:
Pre-Election Speech of Senator Kennedy
Oath of Office for Presidency by JFK
Inaugural Address by JFK
Presidential Press Conference
JFK Speech on Space Flight
JFK Speech on Cuban Crisis
The flip side is the one that I will be listening to as I remember the events of 50 years ago:
JFK Speech in Houston, Texas
Newscast of Assassination
Eyewitness Account of Assassination
Ambassador Adlai Stevenson
Senator Barry Goldwater
General Dwight D. Eisenhower
Prime Minister Sir Alec Home
His Holiness Pope Paul VI
President Lydon B. Johnson
Eulogy
Taps
What are your memories of this day, or what do you remember your parents or grandparents saying about this day?
Steven
Braman's Wanderings 
Once JFK was shot, he became a martyr and his administration became Camelot – the American public forgot his lying, Vietnam escalation, etc, etc so quickly. I know this is not a popular view – just realistic.
This is neat Steve. I love that Grandma was so interested in scrapbooking and you have found a way to make them memorable for so many people. The antique record you found is really neat!
You reminded me of the little scrapbook my mom had me make during that time. I was 8. So cool that your grandma did this.
It’s awesome how your grandmother kept clippings of national events like the JFK assassination. What a wonderful resource!
I was only 2 years old so I don’t remember anything about the day. But when we were in Dallas, we did a tour of the 6th floor of the Book Depository and also walked to the Grassy Knoll. It’s a very interesting Museaum now. I was a little surprised at the Dallas downtown core. There’s not a lot going on down there.