What was I doing when President Kennedy was shot?

Question: Where were you and what were you doing the day President Kennedy was shot? The day the first man landed on the moon?

What an easy question, as far as President Kennedy is concerned. I think anyone from age of 12 and up remembers where and what was going on at the moment we learned of him being shot.

I was in Bonneville High School, on the stage in our auditorium. I was a Sophomore and the student director of Our Town. Many of us in the play had drama class that hour and were staging the production. I heard something coming over the loud speaker, but we couldn't make out what they were saying because we were being quite noisy in the cavernous auditorium. I got a chair and stood up on it to turn the speaker up louder. Since it was up as loud as it would go, I put my ear next to it and repeated back to others what was being said.

At first it was the principal stating President Kennedy had been shot, which I reported. Then they put the mic next to the radio, and we started hearing the actual news. Everyone on the stage went quiet as I repeated back what was being said. Finally someone opened the stage door into the hallway and we all could hear better. I stepped down and we all stood in stunned silence as we listened to the news.

Finally the teacher requested we all return to the classroom, which was just across the hallway. By the time we got there, girls were starting to cry. I felt a lump in my throat, too. I loved President Kennedy.

Finally it was decided we would be sent home. It took some time to organize the busses to come and get all of us. Very few of us lived close enough to walk or had cars to take us. We all just kind of stayed in our classrooms listening to the broadcast of the news until we were informed the busses were pulling up.

School was out the rest of the time until the day after his funeral, as I remember it. I remember even my mom having the funeral day off. We all sat in front of the TV watching the procession take place.

Since that day, I have read most articles in major publications and many books about President Kennedy. I loved him as a president and as a man. My loved for him as waned some after learning of his liaisons with other women, but I still think he was a good president.

My heart goes out to his family for what they went through and for the press following them even to this day everywhere they go. All that is left is his daughter, Caroline.

The other part of the question was where were you when the first man landed on the moon. I honestly have few memories of that event. I remember it happened. I remember reading about it and talking about it at school. What a momentous occasion, but nothing specific of where I was or what I was doing comes to mind. Age, you know, plays tricks on us. Or is it because so much happened during that time that I just don't remember it? Who knows.