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Califbill

"Mr. Luddite" wrote:
On 11/22/2013 1:24 PM, wrote:
On Fri, 22 Nov 2013 12:03:56 -0500, "F.O.A.D." wrote:

On 11/22/13, 11:56 AM, Mr. Luddite wrote:

Sitting here watching coverage of the 50th anniversary of John Kennedy's
death.

Lot's of previously unknown details about him and of the events of that
horrific day have emerged with many more eye witness accounts.

I was 14 years old when he was killed and remember almost every detail
of the day, from being in school and the PA system coming on with the
Principle's announcement of his assassination. I remember the math
teacher in the class who was a big, burly, ex-college football type,
quietly breaking down in tears at his desk.

I remember we were released early and my friend and I were walking home.
(Same friend who later served in 'Nam as a Hospital Corpsman).

I remember we walked silently down the sidewalk without speaking. At
one point I looked over at him and he had tears streaming down his face.

Some things you'll never forget.

I was at a college buddy's home outside of Vermillion, SD, for the
Thanksgiving holiday. We drove into the town after we heard. Not much of
a town back then, sort of like the town in The Last Picture Show, and
everyone in town was out on the street, really upset and many were crying.

I was about 250 yards from the West Wing when I heard. People were
upset about the killing but people who understood were more afraid of
Johnson. I don't think anyone wanted him murdered but there were
plenty of people who wanted him to be a one term president.

Bear in mind his election was at least as questionable as 2000 and
more than half of the country wanted someone else.

Nothing polishes your legacy more than an assassination. Suddenly we
are asked to forget all of the flaws and we start attributing things
to him that were not true. JFK was a reckless hawk who was a likely to
get us into a nuclear war with the USSR over Vietnam to do anything
else. You only have to look at the Cuba debacle to see that..

You have to remember that the Bay of Pigs was a plan developed by the CIA
and approved by President Eisenhower who also authorized funding.

I think it is the Cuban Missile Crises that Greg is referring. Which was
caused by the US placing missiles in Turkey. I understand that Kennedy
thought Viet Nam would be better if we pulled back, unlike LBJ and Lady
Bird cranking it up, while making a fortune off Sealand and Bell Helicopter
investments.