.jpg)
On November 22nd, 1963 I was a nineteen year old working as an interoffice mail courier at Southwestern Bell Telephone Co. in downtown Ft Worth, Texas. I had the privilege to see and hear John F Kennedy on the morning of his assassination.
A Day I Will Never Forget
“Let’s go to the top of the building” said Greg, “We
can get a better view from there. He’s going to be right in front of the Texas
Hotel and we can see it all.”
Donnie smiled and said, “Nobody will be going topside today, the
roof is sealed off and swarming with federal agents. They’ve been there since
late last night.” Donnie was the senior guy in the mailroom, he knew all the
secrets and he was in good with the boss, so we knew that he was telling the
truth.
“When is he supposed to give his speech?” I asked.
Donnie smiled and said, “He’s going to speak from a temporary
platform out in front of the hotel around 10:00 o’clock.”
I thought about my mail schedule and decided that I had just
enough time to finish my first route and still get to the rally. It was such an
exciting event; the President of the United States would be right here in Ft
Worth, and I was going to get to see him in person. President John F Kennedy
and Jackie had flown into Carswell Air Force Base the evening before and they
had spent the night at the same hotel where my Senior Prom had been only a year
earlier. The whole city was in a carnival-like atmosphere, everyone was so
excited to see the man who had energized his country so strongly and given us
all so much hope. I didn’t agree with his politics, but I so admired and
respected the man. His charisma transcended party lines and just captured the
heart and soul of America. I didn’t know a single person who did not esteem and
respect him.
By now everyone knew that he was a war hero and that he had
displayed great courage throughout his life. I had just finished reading his
Pulitzer Prize award winning ‘Profiles in Courage’, so I knew that he respected
the intrepid spirit of many great Americans himself. He was currently battling
a chronic back problem that required the use of a back brace to walk. He was
acquainted with persistent pain, but he prevailed over his personal dilemmas to
perform his duties as President. He himself was a profile in courage over his
personal health and his strong civil rights agenda. President Kennedy strongly
supported the rights of all Americans to have equal access to the American way
of life. He was a man who stood strongly for what he believed was right and for
what he believed was right for America. It was going to be a great honor to see
him.
I virtually ran through my intra-company mail route, chatting
very little; as I was intent on getting through early enough to secure a good
spot to hear the President. Greg finished about the same time, so we quickly
hurried together and found a spot only fifty feet away from the front of the
platform. I glanced around the surrounding buildings and noticed Secret Service
men standing on the tops of every building within sight of the stage. Donnie
smiled as he joined us and pointed to the top of the SW Bell Telephone building
where we worked and said, “See I told you so”. There were indeed four men atop
the building, and some were holding rifles. It was November 22nd; the weather
was a typical cloudy and misty Fall day in Fort Worth. The crowd had grown to
several thousand standing in a light misty rain by the time the dignitaries
emerged from the lobby of the hotel.
First out of the hotel was Governor John Connally, followed by
Vice President Lyndon Johnson, Senator Ralph Yarborough and then all cheered as
President John F Kennedy came into view and climbed up the stairs to the
podium. We applauded with the growing throng as we caught our first glimpse of
the great man. We continued clapping, as it were, in a standing ovation since
there was no where to sit. It was an exhilarating moment to be there and be a
part of the history that was unfolding on this day. He only spoke for a few
minutes, giving Governor Connally and Senator Yarborough a couple of minutes
each to pay their respects. I remember how handsome and witty he was, and how
much he seemed to care for his wife. He appeared hatless in an impeccable
business suit, while all the others wore rain coats. He enthralled all of us
with his words, he excused Jackie for not being there in a humorous way. His
speech was political and was intended to heal a rift with Texans before the
next election; it didn’t matter what he said, we were buying whatever he was
selling. His charming Boston accent and his command of an audience were
overwhelming; I decided I would probably vote for him in ‘64. None of my group
thought to bring a camera, a decision we will always regret.
I thought then, that this was an historic occasion, and a day
that I would never forget. When the elocutions were ended, the President was
whisked away by an entourage of Secret Service back into the Texas Hotel for
the final speech of his life to the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce. A half hour
later President Kennedy and Jackie were ushered into a waiting Cadillac
convertible and we watched them drive down Houston Street with thousands of
well wishers waving and cheering as they passed. It looked like a tickertape
parade in New York City. It was a thrilling moment that I knew I would forever
keep in my memory. None of us knew his schedule, other than that he was driving
back to Carswell AFB and then flying to Love Field for a similar appearance in
Dallas.
Greg said, “It seems really dumb to fly thirty miles to Dallas
when he could probably drive there in the same time.”
Donnie smiled and said, “If he did that, he’d have to drive back
to Carswell AFB when he left Dallas. This way he’ll have the plane in Dallas
and he can fly back home from there. And anyway, it only takes 15 minutes to
fly to Dallas”
“I don’t know about you boys, but I’m hungry,” I said. “Why
don’t we celebrate and go to eat at the Zuider Zee.” It was my favorite
restaurant and I was starving. It didn’t take much encouragement to recruit the
others so we piled into Donnie’s Corvair Monza and headed for the restaurant.
We were all so impressed by the President and the little bit of history that we
were honored to witness. We shared our views and our pure utter joy as we
waited for our lunch. Our food orders had just arrived at our table when the
canned music abruptly stopped and we heard the excited voice of an out of
breath reporter,
“ The President has just been… shot… in Dallas. His condition is
not known at this time …all we know is that he was shot during a motorcade…. in
downtown Dallas …..and he was taken to Parkland Hospital”
An inexplicable despair immediately arose from within as I fully
absorbed what he said. I had never realized that brilliant sunshine could
change so rapidly to pitch black darkness. I was filled with anger and shock; I
felt robbed and cheated, I felt ashamed that it happened in Texas. Why would
someone shoot him? Who did it? How did they do it? These are questions that are
not satisfactorily answered even today. I remembered the man; the enormous
integrity he exuded, the charming charisma that flowed through his very being.
Fifty years hence, I still cannot imagine why anyone would choose to end his
brilliant life. I left my favorite meal untouched on the table, and for the
first time that day, Donnie stopped smiling. It was a day I will
never forget.
From the John F
Kennedy Presidential Library
“A light rain was
falling on Friday morning, November 22, but a crowd of several thousand stood
in the parking lot outside the Texas Hotel where the Kennedys had spent the
night. A platform had been set up and the President, wearing no
protection against the weather, came out to make some brief remarks. “There are
no faint hearts in Fort Worth,” he began, “and I appreciate your being here
this morning. Mrs. Kennedy is organizing herself. It takes longer, but, of
course, she looks better than we do when she does it.” He went on to talk about
the nation’s need for being “second to none” in defense and in space, for
continued growth in the economy and “the willingness of citizens of the United
States to assume the burdens of leadership.” The warmth of the audience
response was palpable as the President reached out to shake hands amidst a sea
of smiling faces.Back inside the hotel the President spoke at a breakfast of
the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce, focusing on military preparedness.
“We are still the
keystone in the arch of freedom,” he said. “We will continue to do…our duty,
and the people of Texas will be in the lead.”
Me
