After every tragedy we look for mementos and remembrances, even if the emotions are sad. I often find large boxes of Kennedy ephemera at thrift shops, remnants of someone’s devotion to the man. My own mother still has a box of Kennedy newspaper clippings and magazines, old and faded like her memories. Media was a little different back then, so most tributes were from the weekly picture magazines, but they also included records.
Over time the Kennedy assassination became controversial and complex. I gave up trying to place blame or even understand all the possible twists and turns in the various conspiracy theories. None of it changed the way the nation felt for those few weeks back in 1963, when the wind was collectively knocked out of America.
I know people will always remember where they were on September 11, 2001, when they heard about the terrorist attacks, or perhaps when they heard about Princess Diane getting killed. But I think the Kennedy assassination is the ultimate “where were you when it happened” event in the last 60 years. Let’s just hope nothing so memorable happens anytime soon.
This article was last modified on May 18, 2023
This article was first published on November 21, 2008
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