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Show PAGE 30 THE ZEPHYRNOVEMBER 1990 Here is a bulletin from CBS News... remembering November 22, 1963 by Jim Stiles "People will remember today as a day to date things In their lives from, In the same way they did with President Roosevelt They say, where were you when President Roosevelt died.... they will say the same thing about where were you when you first heard the word of President Kennedy's assassination." Harry Reasoner, CBS News 5:42 p.m., November 22, 1963 Its hard to believe; yet scarcely anyone under the age of 35 remembers the afternoon of November 22, 1963, the day President John F. Kennedy was assassinated during a motorcade on the streets of Dallas, Texas. His death has been called the most dramatic single event of the twentieth century. Over 25 years later, we still speculate what the world might have been like, had fate turned differently. And mystery and controversy still surround the circumstances of his death and the accused assassin, Lee Harvey Oswald. They are questions without answers. In a memorial tribute to President Kennedy, compiled by the Associated Press In 1964, Saul Pett wrote this In the books forward.... "There Is Implicit In all human tragedy a waste, a pointlessness. Tragedy unobserved Is even more pointless. But tragedy unremembered surely must rank with profound sin. nOVlTO Ok In the desert Blandlng, Utah, where the clock showed It was still southwest, John D. Nielson, the son of Mr. and Mrs. Morgan N. Nielson, looked anxiously to the future. He had only a week earlier learned that he had been selected as a Peace Corps Volunteer. His assignment would take him half way around the world to Tanganyika where he would teach English g.ammar. The Peace Corps, a program close to President Kennedys heart, called out to young people around the country. Nielson was grateful to be one of the chosen. In Grand County, the weekend rapidly approached and Moabites planned their Friday evening. At the Downtown Holiday Theatre, the marque featured two Jerry Lewis comedies "Dont Give Up The Ship and "Rock-A-BBaby. But mild autumn weather n Drive-Ihad kept the Grand Vu open and gave movie goers an option. Playing on November "Tammy and the Doctor. At White's Ranch, Dolores del Rio was still struggling to properly cry for John Ford's camera.... In mld-moml- ng ye 22-23-- 24, turned left from Houston to Elm Street The crowds that were so dense on Main had thinned, and the big car entered a grassy area called Dealey Plaza. To the right a squat six story brick building called the Texas School Book Depository loomed over the park-llplaza. Ahead, Elm St passed beneath a broad railroad viaduct known locally SS-10- 0X ke DALLAS T0,B0 FLASH BY BSS.SSIBS flWHICS drizzle fell on the crowd of five thousand Kennedy supporters who had gathered parking lot across from the Ft Worth Hotel Texas. The president of the United States was expected to address the group In a few minutes, and the man they awaited gazed down from the vantage point of his eighth floor suite. John Kennedy was Joined by two of his closest aides Ken O'Donnell and Larry OBrien. ODonnell, leafing through Friday mornings Dallas News, had fallen upon an ugly full page advertisement. Its sarcastic heading read "Welcome Mr. Kennedy to Dallas and It was paid for by the local coordinator of the John Birch Society. The two men watched the President read each line and then saw him thrust the paper aside. Kennedy returned his gaze to the parking lot below and the milling crowd, "You know, he said, "they talk about security, and protecting the President But look at this." He stared at the unprotected platform where he would deliver his prebreakfast address. "If anyone wants to get you, they can always do It A gray In the black-border- ed In Moab, Utah the desert town bustled with activity. Director John Ford had cast and crew of his next movie, "Cheyenne Autumn to canyon country. On the brought this morning, they were shooting at George Whites ranch and Ford was not getting the performance that he wanted from one of his stars. The scene required Dolores del Rio to sob openly for the camera, but the tears would Just not come. Take after take was shot, but Ford was dissatisfied with each one. Fifty miles north, representatives of the U.S. Army and Air Force were putting the final touches on preparations for "Green River Day. The armed forces were Inviting the community to become "officially acquainted with missile launch facilities east of town. The test launches of the Athena missile, to begin In 1964, were designed to study techniques. The notice reminded the public that refreshments would be served, and that the activities would begin at 1 p.m. on November 22. re-en- try Force One touched down at 10:38 a.m. (Mountain Time) at Love Field. President and Mrs. Kennedy emerged from the rear door of the Boeing 707, waved to the crowd and descended the stairs to the tarmac below. After being Introduced to yet another group of local dignitaries, the President and his First Lady plunged Into the crowd of greeters that waited Just beyond a chain link fence. A reporter for radio station KLIF In Dallas, Air described the scene: This Is a operation for the Secret Service and Signal Corps. Nothing to chance. Every possible precaution has been taken... The First Lady has been presented a lovely bouquet of red roses which contrasts nicely with the bright, pink suit she's wearing.... As the Kennedys moved along the fence, the reporter continued, "This Is where the Secret Service has their point of tension. When the President stops moving, they say, this Is their time of greatest concern. Lincoln convertible, code-nam- ed The custom-bui- lt by the Secret Service, President he left beside the the pulled Reluctantly, cheering throngs behind him and of climbed Into the back seat the open limousine. In Dallas, It was 11:57 a.m. split-seco- nd left SS-10- 0X as the triple underpass. Beyond It, a young reporter for CBS News named Dan Rather waited for the motorcade to pass by. Suddenly he realized, something was wrong. Rather: "Walt a minute, I thought The motorcade has taken a wrong turn here. It seemed to be moving very fast Something seemed wrong. Id heard no shots, but I ran to the crest of the railroad tracks, and the scene I saw, Ill never forget There were people screaming, there was great confusion. I knew something was very wrong. Four minutes later, UPI Correspondent Merriman Smith seized a radiophone In a car 150 feet behind the Presidents, and began dictating to the Dallas Bureau: "Three shots were fired at President Kennedys motorcade In downtown Dallas. By 1 p.m. (noon In million Americans were aware of the assassination attempt Among Moab), seventy-si- x them, stunned residents of Moab gathered In groups In their homes and In downtown stores and hoped and prayed for the young President News reached the set of "Cheyenne Autumn, by way of a local man who had been hired as a movie extra. A transistor radio drama unfolded to an audience who specialized In broadcast the details, as this real-li- fe make-belieDirector Ford forced Dolores del Rio to recite her lines one last time. This time the tears flowed freely. "Cut said Ford grimly. Her performance was perfect but it ve. didnt require acting. At 12:36 p.m. Mountain Time, the face of Walter Cronklte flickered on black & white TV screens In the Moab Valley. In shirtsleeves, Cronklte, like the nation, could only watt. Behind him, young errand boys leaned over UPI and AP ticker tape machines watting for the one wanted to hear. Cronklte, describing the sentiment In Dallas, described U N Ambassador Adlal Stevensons recent visit to Texas... There were some fears and concerns In Dallas that there might be demonstrations could embarrass the President.. that In the background, a young man tears off a sheet of paper from the UPI ticker and races off camera. Cronklte continues... "It was only on October 24th that Adlal Stevenson was assaulted, leaving a dinner meeting there... Cronklte Is handed the flash. He looks down at the piece of paper, puts on his glasses, takes them off... "From Dallas Texas, the flash apparently official, President Kennedy died at 1 p.m. FLASH that no anti-Kenne- dy Central Standard Time, some 38 minutes ago. Cronkttes mouth tightened. His Jaw clenched and trembled violently. For ten long seconds, he could not speak. "Vice President Lyndon Johnson has left the hospital, presumably to take the oath of office and become the 36th President of the United States. John Ford dismissed the cast and crew members for the remainder of the day. children were allowed to go home early. Adults sat stunned and disbelieving In front School of their TV sets. That evening, Farther John Rasbach performed a High Requiem Mass at the Catholic Church. For the next three days, Moab looked like every other town and city In America, bound together by a common loss and a sorrow too deep for tears. |
