I was in the Navy that day. We had a big inspection on the old USS Rustbucket, then moored at NAS North Island in San Diego. When the personnel inspection was over in the early morning, we were released to go on the base. Four of us decided to go the EM Club and have breakfast. We saw a Gold Braid Chief (his "crow" of rank and hashmarks …
I was in the Navy that day. We had a big inspection on the old USS Rustbucket, then moored at NAS North Island in San Diego. When the personnel inspection was over in the early morning, we were released to go on the base. Four of us decided to go the EM Club and have breakfast. We saw a Gold Braid Chief (his "crow" of rank and hashmarks of service in gold braid, signifying "perfect service" - those people were considered to sit to God's right) Aviation Boatswain's Mate in dress uniform came running down the street, yelling "The President's been shot!" One of my friends called "Hey Chief - that's not funny!" He came over to us, gave us that "Chief's look" that could turn a sailor to stone, and said: "I said. The. President. Has. Been. Shot. This. Is. No. Joke. Isthatclear???" "Yes Chief!"
We went back to the ship in time to see Walter Cronkite on TV announce Kennedy's death. I spent the rest of the weekend at my girlfriend's house with her family and some other friends in our group, just sitting there silently watching the TV.
I hate that a toddler like you then had that as one of your earliest memories, but it likely had some bit to do with you growing up to be the admirable person you are now. That doesn't make it "good" but it does mean you were even then able to learn from what was going on.
I was in the Navy that day. We had a big inspection on the old USS Rustbucket, then moored at NAS North Island in San Diego. When the personnel inspection was over in the early morning, we were released to go on the base. Four of us decided to go the EM Club and have breakfast. We saw a Gold Braid Chief (his "crow" of rank and hashmarks of service in gold braid, signifying "perfect service" - those people were considered to sit to God's right) Aviation Boatswain's Mate in dress uniform came running down the street, yelling "The President's been shot!" One of my friends called "Hey Chief - that's not funny!" He came over to us, gave us that "Chief's look" that could turn a sailor to stone, and said: "I said. The. President. Has. Been. Shot. This. Is. No. Joke. Isthatclear???" "Yes Chief!"
We went back to the ship in time to see Walter Cronkite on TV announce Kennedy's death. I spent the rest of the weekend at my girlfriend's house with her family and some other friends in our group, just sitting there silently watching the TV.
I hate that a toddler like you then had that as one of your earliest memories, but it likely had some bit to do with you growing up to be the admirable person you are now. That doesn't make it "good" but it does mean you were even then able to learn from what was going on.