Like most of the country at the time I remember where I was when I learned that President Kennedy was shot and killed. I was in high school.
I had a 'split' 2nd year algebra class. One part of the class was before lunch. The other was right after lunch.
As we were filing out of class for lunch we saw other students in the hall crying. President Kennedy was dead. School was cancelled.
I had just come home from work. I was in bed watching the morning news before sleeping. A manned flight into space was being launched.
Seven astronauts were on board. I watched in horror as it exploded. All seven astronauts died.
Once again I had just come home from work. I dropped my sister off at her house and went home. I was watching the morning news before getting some much needed sleep.
A plane had crashed into a tower of the World Trade center in New York. I was watching with shock as the news reported it.
Suddenly another plane could be seen flying toward the other tower. Reportedly a plane had slammed inro the pentagon and another was flying toward Washington DC.
I watched as the second plane disappeared into to second World Trade Center building. I could not believe my eyes.
I called my sister. I asked her if she was watching the news. She was not. I told her someone had just declared war on the United States.
Where were you? Are there any world changing events that you still carry with you?
I think such horrible and traumatic events are unforgettable for everyone
ReplyDeleteThe nine eleven is worst nightmare happened in my senses . In our country president Zia ul haq was assassinated in 1988 ,my last year in school. I remember how traumatic the news was and everyone In our family slept without eating a single bite that day
It is true that the bad events stay in our memories. I do not want to forget them because then we would not be prepared to deal with another. At the same time I have so many happy memories. I suppose I should concentrate more on them.
Deletethecontemplativecat here. I remember those events well. I was i n 7th gr. in our small school when the principal came in to tell us about Pres. JFK. The room was so quiets. The 7 astronauts: I was living in Ireland, and it resonated with us. The 9/11: I was getting ready to go to my classroom, and we watched the 2nd plane hit. The school did not know to have or not have school (which we did). Those are historic events, which will always be with us. There are others but I cannot put them all together.
ReplyDeleteThese are all big ones.
DeleteI was in junior high, in art class when we heard. I was devastated. On 9/11 I was at work, and the receptionist was listening to the radio and told us all. So scary.
ReplyDeleteBesides those events being so horrible for those close to them they also left us feeling vulnerable. We felt helpless and were not certain how to regain a sense of control.
DeleteJFK: I was 22, married for six months, and working in the underground command post at SAC Headquarters near Omaha. Scary time. Saw Jack Ruby shoot Lee Harvey Oswald in the Dallas Police Station as it took a place.
ReplyDeleteChallenger: I was at work at AT&T in Atlanta. Someone had set up a TV set so we could watch the launch. A sad frame frozen in my mind is Christa MacAuliffe’s mother staring up into the sky from the viewing stand.
9/11: I was at home, retired for a year and a half. Flipped on the TV just after the news of ‘a small plane has hit one of the World Trade buildings” and saw the 2nd plane hit live on TV and both buildings collapse.
Unforgettable images, horrific, all of them.
I also saw Jack Ruby shoot Oswald. Horrifying for a teenager.
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