[W3XWT]

I was seven years old in second grade. I was off early from school that day due to a teachers meeting. So, I was at my paternal grandmother's. I was reading the latest Popular Mechanics (you would expect me to read a comic book? Other than "Archies" (I liked "Veronica", but also wanted to be like "Archie" when I got older!), I only read one Flintstones comic. It was one my maternal grandfather bought me (from the drugstore in Wagener, SC) because Fred was a ham op in it, and my grandfather thought I'd be interested!), and "As the World Turns" was on WTOP-TV. Yes, my grandmother was addicted to quiz shows and soaps. When the audio muted, I looked up and saw the slide so many of us would later see on VTR. My father picked me up and we drove downtown to pickup my mother who was getting off early from work. She was a GS'er, working at 19th and Pennsylvania Ave, three blocks from the White House. My father had the Mutual affiliate, WOL-1450 on our Mercury Meteor's radio as we drove on in. We were stopped at Pennsylvania Ave by police as a whole bunch of limo's dashed out of the White House, apparently heading for Andrews AFB.

Once home, we watched the coverage on WMAL-TV, as that was the station my parents preferred for news.

On Sunday, I got to see LHO get blown away like everyone else who was watching NBC-TV. (WRC-TV in our case...)

Non-electronic aside #1: My father was at the BX at Bolling AFB that day, buying my Christmas toys when the news hit. They immediately closed the base.

Non-electron aside #2: My parents bought and serviced the Meteor (Mercury's version of that generation's Ford Fairlane) at O'Brien & Rohall, a Lincoln-Mercury dealer in Rosslyn, VA. The dealer had the service contract for the Presidential bubble-top limo. One day, our Meteor and the bubble-top were in for service at the same time. And, I got to briefly sit in the spot JFK would later occupy on that day in Dallas. I understand the car was later destroyed in "target practice"...