The Sixties: The Center Cannot Hold - November 22, 1963 - JFK Assassination - (19)

November 22, 1963.  12:30 p.m., Central Time, Dealey Plaza.

The Presidential car, an open-top, 1961 Lincoln Continental, reached the Texas School Book Depository. The Presidential car was 65 feet away from the book depository when Oswald fired.

During the 6 to 24 seconds that Oswald fired into the limousine, the motorcade slowed from 13 miles per hour to 9 miles per hour.

A businessman, Abraham Zapruder, had his 8-mm Bell & Howell movie camera that day. Zapruder had asked his secretary to retrieve the camera from his office.

He took pictures; his film is famous, the world over.

In 1964, Zapruder testified before the President's Council. (Full testimony here .)

Zapruder heard the first shot and saw Kennedy  grab his chest.

He saw Kennedy lean toward Jackie and Zapruder thought to himself, "Oh,  no, he got me," referring to what Kennedy must have been thinking at that time.

Secret Service agent Clint Hill was in the car directly in back of Kennedy's car.

After the first shot, Hill jumped from the car in which he was riding and began running to Kennedy's car.

Just as Hill grabbed the handrail of Kennedy's car, near the trunk, the second bullet struck Kennedy's head.

The car sped up, and Hill momentarily lost his footing, but quickly regained it and climbed into Kennedy's car.

As Hill climbed aboard, he saw Jackie climb into the front flat panel--the back seat-- where Kennedy sat, now slumped over.

Hill climbed to where Jackie was, and guided her back to the front seat. Hill then placed himself on top of Kennedy, shielding the President and Jackie with his own body.

The car sped to Parkland Memorial Hospital.

After the second shot, Zapruder beagn screaming,"They killed him, they killed him."

Through his camera, Zapruder was focused on the Presidential car and its inhabitants. He could clearly see what few others could – a bird's eye view of the Kennedy assassination.

Many in the crowd later stated they thought they'd heard a firecracker explode or a car backfire.

Then-Texas Governor John Connally rode one seat in front of Kennedy. One of Oswald's bullets struck Connally, critically injuring him.

Mrs. Connally pulled her husband onto her lap, which helped close his front chest wound, saving his life.

At the hospital,  emergency room doctors declared Kennedy to be moribund, with no chance of survival.

Kennedy was pronounced dead at 1 p.m. Central Time.

Kennedy was the 35th President, the fourth to be assassinated and the eighth to die in office.

Dr. Robert Nelson McClelland treated Kennedy at Parkland. McClelland approved a drawing that showed the large exit wound in the back of Kennedy's head.

At 1 p.m., a priest was called to administer the rite of Extreme Unction.

At 2 p.m., Kennedy's body was removed from the hospital and taken to Air Force One.  This was done without examination by a coroner and was against Texas state law. 

The assassination was under Texas state jurisdiction because, at that time, the assassination of the U.S. President was a state offense, not a federal offense.

While still on the ground aboard Air Force One, Vice-President Lyndon B. Johnson was sworn in as President, before the plane left Love Field.

Around the world, people openly wept. Many also prayed.

Throngs congregated in department stores, where many watched TVs.

Students in schools throughout the U.S. and Canada were sent home.

All regularly scheduled TV programming was canceled. The soap, "As the World Turns" was cut-off in the middle of its episode.

The non-stop TV news coverage that followed during the first three days after Kennedy's assassination was the longest non-stop news coverage of its day, and remained the longest non-stop TV news coverage of any event until 9/11.

Radio stations also cancelled regularly scheduled programming; they aired news coverage or funeral music, or went off the air completely.

Many sports events were cancelled that weekend.

NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle defended his decision to play NFL games that weekend, stating "It is traditional to perform during times of great personal tragedy; he [Kennedy] thrived on competition."

Monday, November 25, 1963, the day of the funeral, was declared a day of national mourning.

Memorial services were held worldwide. 

Foreign dignitaries from more than 90 countries attended the funeral.

Kennedy is buried in Arlington National Cemetary.

Source: Wikipedia, JFK Assassination
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_F._Kennedy_assassination

This series, "The Sixties" is published Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays.

This is a special edition of "The Sixties" on the JFK assassination.

(Photos are in reverse order. The motorcade in Dallas just prior to the assassination is Number 8. )