'The Country Had Changed Before Our Eyes'

At the tender age of 15, my built-in radar began to set off alarms

First lady Jackie Kennedy and JFK arrive in Fort Worth, Texas, November 21, 1963

[This is part of a continuing series of recollections of November 22, 1963. Submit your JFK story in the comments sections here: “Where Were You When?”]

Rick Singerman

I was 15 years old, a sophomore in high school in Los Angeles. It was approximately 11:30 am when the bell rang in our geometry class signaling it was time for our break. In the hallway, a fellow classmate was telling anyone who would listen that the President had been shot. One of the other classmates walked up to him and punched him right in the face. It was hard to believe it was true when we first heard about it. We were soon dismissed from school and most of us went home to watch TV to find out what happened. For the first time in television history, all three networks broadcast the news of the assassination 24/7. It shocked the nation. Watching television over that weekend, it became clear that the country had changed before our eyes and most likely would never be the same.