General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: John Fitzgerald Kennedy 11-22-1963 Where Were You? [View all]Jersey Devil
(10,013 posts)We were seated in the high school auditorium directly across from the Principal and Admin offices. The teacher was not in the room and we could see and hear teachers and other admin personnel talking and moving about in the hallway outside the auditorium through its open doors. Clearly they were very upset, some crying and holding their heads with their hands. My first thought was that we were at war and waiting for the bombs to start falling.
After a few minutes our teacher came in the room and with a very serious look, addressed the class. He said President Kennedy had been shot in Dallas, Texas and that first reports were that Vice President Johnson had also been shot. No one knew if the President was alive or dead.
I remember the reaction of the class. Total silence, except for one student, an exchange student from Norway, who audibly gasped and let out a muted yell. Some students (including myself) stood up and just looked at each other in silence.
A few minutes later the teacher went back out into the hallway and then returned, telling us that the President was dead. It was my last period class and afterwards I remember that no one knew quite what to do. I wandered down to the gym and got dressed for football practice, as we did everyday after last period. I remember trotting out to the field and getting ready for practice, no one really saying anything, just waiting for some kind of direction from our coaches. We lined up to begin warmup calisthenics and that is when it hit me. Tears began to stream from my eyes and I turned my back to the coaches in front and silently began walking back to the locker room. No one said anything to me. I dressed in the locker room and walked home alone and in silence.