The crowds were cheering. My heart was hammering and my palms were sweating. I looked down at my watch; it was 12:29p.m.
That morning my mother, siblings, and I had rushed to get ready. News had spread throughout Texas that after the speech in Fort Worth the president would be arriving at Love Field at about 11:25a.m. My family and I made our way to Elm Street. It was a beautiful, sunny day. I thought to myself that it was the perfect day to witness such a historical event. We were going to see the President John F. Kennedy and his wife Jackie Kennedy.
My mother had told me that everything that had happened since World War II had left the country in despair; until now. When John F. Kennedy announced that he would accept running for president America was struck by this young, vibrant man who would soon be America’s youngest president. He sparked America with a sense of hope that they had not experienced in a long time. As my mother explained the importance of this man to me I had a sense of apprehension. I could not comprehend how one man could have this much of an effect on America.

As time went on the crowd around us grew uneasy. Many were shuffling around and complaining while others were whispering excitedly. My feet were starting to ache from standing for so long but I hardly noticed because there was a sense of anticipation growing inside me as I waited impatiently. Suddenly there was a shift in the atmosphere. There was what sounded like a roar which started out soft but slowly grew louder. My heart soared and I started to jump up and down to see over the people in front of me. A white Ford passed by and the second car to come into my sight was the one I had been waiting for all morning. It was a 1961 Lincoln Continental convertible. A beautiful, dark haired woman was sitting next to the President. My mother leaned down next to me and whispered “That’s Mrs. Kennedy. Isn’t she gorgeous?” My eyes then shifted to the man next to her. He had a smile on his face and he was waving to all the people in Dallas. I swear that as he waved I lifted my hand to wave at him and his eyes landed on mine. A woman in the seat in front of the president leaned back and whispered something to him. I learned later on that the woman was Nellie Connally and that she had said “Mr. President, you can’t say Dallas doesn’t love you.”
A sound rang through the air. Once, twice, three times it sounded. The crowd around me looked around with a confused, dazed look. I could not see anything because the crowd was rushing forward. All I could hear was the sound of a car zooming away, the tires screeching. A few people were screaming. My mother grabbed my hand so that we would not be separated. Not knowing what to do we started for home. People around us were saying different things about the sound. Some people thought that the sound was firecrackers going off. Another person said that it was gun shots. At that accusation I started to panic. What if something had happened to the president or his wife?
When we got home my mother rushed to the television and turned it on. The show “As the World Turns” appeared on the screen. Suddenly there was an interruption and Walter Cronkite, a CBS anchorman came on and said “Here is a bulletin from CBS News. In Dallas, Texas, three shots were fired at President Kennedy’s motorcade in downtown Dallas. The first reports say that President Kennedy has been seriously wounded by this shooting.” At that my mother sank to her knees and started to cry. I don’t think I have ever prayed harder in my life than I did at that moment. I prayed for the Kennedy family, the country, and for the recovery of John F. Kennedy. But it was not meant to be. Walter Cronkite came back onto the television and announced that President Kennedy had died at 1:00p.m. Central Standard Time which was 2:00p.m. Eastern Standard Time.
The next few days after the assassination were a blur. The television was constantly on to get all of the details on how Kennedy died. My family was in a state of shock for the first day and after that a wave of grief fell on the household. All of Texas was surrounded by controversy. There were people constantly blaming other people and other conspiracy ideas about the assassination came to light. The time of innocence and joy for America had ended. The funeral for John F. Kennedy was heart wrenching. Hundreds of thousands of people lined the street to view the casket. The fact that this young man had died so suddenly had not registered with the country until the casket was lowered into the ground. John F. Kennedy’s son John Jr. had seemed to have lost his own innocence as he was seen saluting his father when the casket passed by him.
Now as I look back upon that day, November 22nd1963, I can see why John F. Kennedy had been so loved by America. He had the aura of hope and joy that this country had needed and when he died that hope and joy was lowered into the casket with him. That fateful day of seeing him has changed my perspective of life. The flag had been lowered halfway down the pole when he died. To me the flag has never truly been raised to its highest since JFK’s death. There has never been a president since JFK that has rallied this nation with the sense of hope and unity. Rest in Peace John F. Kennedy. You are truly missed.