JFK: Sharing Memories Of 50 Years Ago

It's been 50 years since that terrible day in Dallas that saw President John F. Kennedy gunned down. As the years pass, there are fewer people who actually remember day. 

Here's a recollection from NK Patch's Facebook page. (If you have a memory or would like to say what JFK means to you, please share in the comments section below.): 

"I was in my fifth grade classroom at Lincoln Memorial School in Lincoln, R.I., when the principal of the school came to the door and signaled to the teacher, Mrs. Henrietta O'Rourke, that she wanted to speak with her. The teacher walked out and returned with red and swollen eyes. We knew she had been crying. She walked slowly to her desk and very quietly announced that school would be dismissed shortly. She instructed us to return home, not too stop anywhere on the way or even to talk to anyone. I was frightened beyond any time I remembered. I knew we were at odds with Cuba around that time so I assumed we were at war & expected to see soldiers walking about. That was the only explanation I could come up with for being instructed not to talk to anyone. I did as I was told and walked into my home to find my father standing in the living room, staring at the television with tears running down his face. I had never seen my father crying before and I was frightened even more. My mother sh'd us and we were left to watch and listen to the television. This is a time frozen in my memory."
Suzanne Marie

To see photos of JFK in Rhode Island, check out the State Virtual Archives at:
http://www.sos.ri.gov/virtualarchives/items/browse?search=kennedy+visits+quonset&submit_search=Search