Camelot Ended 53 Years Ago Today

Anniversaries of significant events often lose their meaning over a period of time only to re-surface when the anniversary is what most would term a noteworthy one.

Most of us remember the attention paid to the first anniversary of 9/11 and while that date is unforgettable you will see that over time that like everything else it will no longer garner the headlines that it once did.  For this generation 9/11 is the date when people often say “where were you when you heard what happened” and it will bring back memories. Bad memories of course.

For an older generation the date that sticks is December 7, 1941 when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor and led us into World War II.  We are coming up on the 75^th anniversary of that so it’s likely there will be a bit more attention paid to it than in recent years when it may have only received a small headline or brief mention on the nightly news.

I say this because in between those two worldwide historical events and dates is another and I dare to say you won’t hear too much if anything today.  You might not see a word written in whatever newspaper you read, it might not garner a story on the nightly news and I will likely be the only one to mention it on this radio station.

It was 53 years ago today when President John F. Kennedy was assassinated while riding in his motorcade through the streets of Dallas, Texas.  I was 8-years old and remember my school bus driver breaking down in tears as he drove us home.  Families gathered in front of their mostly black-and-white TV’s for days after until the funeral which it seemed everyone watched.

For years after the anniversary was one that was treated with significance as family members would be shown visiting JFK’s grave at Arlington National Cemetery but eventually the attention and coverage would wane.  Like with everything else November 22^nd is now just a footnote for the most part but it’s one I will certainly never forget.

By the way it was 40 years ago yesterday that “Rocky” made its movie debut…just thought I’d finish on a more uplifting note