A Day I will Never Forget

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. More than 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