I was in 6th grade. Our school principal came over the loudspeaker and announced the president had been shot. My teacher was a Catholic, she got out her rosary beads and began to pray with tears streaming down her face. A teacher’s aid came in to talk to us, explain how little they knew and to get our things ready for early dismissal.
Shortly the principal announced our president had died and asked the whole school to stop and pray for the president, Mrs. Kennedy and our nation. That’s how life was then. Prayer in public school.
I walked home with friends. We were in shock and confusion. My grandmother was at home with the tv on. My mother had gone to church- all the churches were opening, people wanted to pray and gather. My mom came home and all I remember then is days of tv. Watching Oswald get shot, the voices of Cronkite, Huntley and McGee.
It wasn’t possible for us to understand the impact, but all the grownups I knew were serious, occasionally tearful and stoic. None of them freaked out - they were emotional but strong. We kids needed that. We had no grief counselors or anything like they do now. We had families, churches and synagogues, schools and friends. No one talked about Republicans or Democrats. We were just Americans.
God bless that country.
Amazing and telling how many replies on this thread mention prayer, nuns, Catholic school, etc.