The JFK Funeral 50 Years Ago: My Personal Story

NOVEMBER 22, 2013, marks the fiftieth anniversary of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, the thirty-fifth president of the United States. For all of us who lived through that great national tragedy we are now compelled to tell something to the next generation. I have a very unique, but perhaps many would say, insignificant personal story concerned going to his funeral. I am not a professional author. I am a retired high school biology teacher - one of over a million average citizens who went to Washington. At my age I still feel an emotional connection to John F. Kennedy. I was a college student when he was assassinated on that Friday, November 22, 1963. On Sunday night, after listening to the media coverage, three others and myself on a double date decided impulsively to go from Ohio to Washington to see the funeral. There were many unseen problems on this trip. It ended up being almost more than four naive students could handle - but we did make the trip and got back safely. Years later I have decided to tell the personal story of this trip. I still have detailed information from my diary, two letters that were written after the trip and other notes that I had. I have decided to put all of this information together and tell the story of a unique adventure I took as a young man. Please let me share this with you.