I was 12 in a Catholic school when it happened...most of us walked over to the church to pray others stayed and watched on the television which was wheeled into the classrooms for the older children....they released school early..my mom was in tears when she picked us up..we went home and spent the weekend in mourning...it was like a member of the family had died..I had planned a slumber party for several of my girlfriends...it was cancelled, of course everyone understood as they were all grief stricken as well.
....an aside...several years earlier JFK was campaigning in Belleville, Ill [where we lived]...all the parish schools in the area lined the road with kids and nuns to wave to him in the motorcade..I remember seeing his bright red hair....a few blocks before us in another parish a wedding was just finishing and the bride and groom were exiting the church..the motorcade stopped and JFK exited the car to kiss the bride....sigh
adding....right before we left for Sunday morning Mass Oswald was shot...looking at people in church was surreal, we were all going through the same thing...that is one thing I will never forget, the looks on every ones faces...no smiles or hellos
My wife was dressed in her Catholic school girl Uniform on Nov 18 1963 and was bussed to watch The President at an event at Al Lopez Field and then saw him later along his route driving up Dale Mabry Ave.
Kennedy’s plane landed at MacDill Air Force Base Nov. 18, 1963 where the president met with military leaders before taking a helicopter into town for several events.
JFK came to Tampa to mark the 50th anniversary of the first commercial air flight between St. Petersburg and Tampa.
Kennedy was celebrated by enthusiastic crowds everywhere he stopped during his five-hour visit, Al Lopez Field, the Armory, the International Inn and along his motorcade route Franklin Street and Grand Central, now Kennedy Boulevard.