November 22, 1963, the day the United States was plunged into mourning following the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in Dallas, Texas.
I am grateful to be able to visit historic places across our country as we travel. The place where a president was violently taken from us is a very sad place. Even with the thrum of traffic, this is a quiet, solemn experience.
On the morning of November 22, President John F. Kennedy and his wife, Jacqueline, Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson and his wife, Lady Bird along with Texas Governor John Connally and his wife Nellie visited Fort Worth. After the morning visit, the couples flew into Love Field. The Kennedys and the Connallys were seated an open convertible. Vice President Johnson and his wife were seated in another car. The motorcade began the 10 mile motorcade to downtown Dallas.
The cars turned off Main Street
at Dealey Plaza.
The motorcade passed the
Texas Book Depository
around 12:30 pm.
Shots rang out. President Kennedy had been shot in the head and neck. He slumped over onto Jacqueline.
Governor John Connally was also hit by a bullet. The motorcade sped off to Parkland Memorial Hospital. President Kennedy was pronounced dead at 1:00 pm. Governor Connally survived his wounds.
Our country was plunged into mourning. Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson took the oath of office with widowed Jacqueline Kennedy at his side.
Many hours were devoted to
Eric reading a plaque at
the Grassy Knoll.
While preparations were being made for President Kennedy's funeral, the search was on for the President's killer. Several witnesses stated they saw Lee Harvey Oswald near the sixth floor of the Texas Book Depository that morning. A rifle with his palm print was found during a search of the Depository. Oswald was arrested and charged with the murder of President Kennedy and Dallas Police Officer J.D. Tippit, the officer who stopped and questioned him shortly after the shooting.
President Kennedy's body laid in state in the White House on November 23.
On November 24, Lee Harvey Oswald was being moved from Dallas Police Headquarters to a more secure county jail. He and officers were in the basement of Police Headquarters with police and members of the press with live television cameras witnessing the move. Jack Ruby stepped from the crowd, pulled a gun, shot
and killed Oswald.
President Kennedy's funeral was held on November 25. Americans and the entire world watched as he was buried in Arlington National Cemetery.
Conspiracy theories started to circulate following Grassy Knoll witness testimony and Ruby's murder of Lee Harvey Oswald. The Warren Commission was impaneled and its results were delivered to President Lyndon B. Johnson on September 24, 1964.
Conspiracy theories were not put to rest. Numerous books, documentaries and films have been written and produced on various theories surrounding President Kennedy's assassination.
On November 22, 2013, the fiftieth anniversary of President Kennedy's assassination will be solemnly commemorated in Dallas, all over the United States and around the world.
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