Saturday, November 22, 2008

Nov 22, 1963

I had been stationed at Karamursel Air Station in Turkey for about 17 months. I was now a 'short-timer' with less than a month remaining in my tour at this semi-remote site. I was working the swing-shift that Friday, and after I had been at work awhile the sergeant came over and told me that it was my turn to have the night off. After going back to the barracks and changing, I decided to take a book that I was studying, and go to the snack-bar. It was sometime after 7PM (1PM Erie time) and I was sitting there with my book and snack, when several guys came in and announced that Kennedy had been shot. I thought to myself - they don't know what they're talking about - I would go back to the barracks to try to verify this, but when I got there everyone was heading to the Airman's Club. The club was packed and the Voice of America on the radio was being piped over the loudspeaker. Everyone was quiet and just listened to the news. I don't remember too much more about that night or even how long I stayed at the club. It had seemed like a family member had died. It had been a little over three years when I had seen the future president speak at a rally at the Lawrence Hotel on 10th and Peach Street in Erie in 1960. See http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=74256