Dallas weather in 2013 provider perhaps an apt metaphor 50 years after President Kennedy was assassinated as his motorcade paraded through downtown Dallas streets on November 22, 1963.
On this, the 50th anniversary of the assassination, the preceding day was partly sunny and in the 70's, but an ill wind blew in overnight accompanied by thunder and followed by a deep, bone-numbing cold as the morning of November 22nd dawned. So too, the nation turned from a partly sunny disposition, largely energized my JFK's vision and of a generation asking "what they could do for their country" and a challenge to reach for the moon, "not because it is easy - but because it is hard." A challenge embraced by the nation. That optimistic look to the future and the embrace of a challenging, but sunny future to be seized upon and sure to be conquered by our country, turned as a thunderous shot rangout in Dealy Plaza, plunging the nation into a deep, bone-numbing chill with the violent death of the President.
I did purpose late on the night of the 21st to go down toward Dealy Plaza and place myself in the place where our American Century pivoted on November 22, 1963. In memory of our slain president, and perhaps our slain dreams, aspirations and confidence. It was a cold, raw day in Dallas. But, for the first time, the City of Dallas was going to officially mark this anniversary with a moment of silence, followed by the tolling of church bells and a few brief words from the Mayor and historian, David McCullogh.
The official memorial ceremony at Dealy Plaza was cordoned off by security, and only those invited and those with a yellow wrist-band won through an on-line lottery were allowed to pass beyond the barrier; a total limited to 5,000. The rest of us were held a half block away, and we gathered before a large mobile video screen that broadcast the event. Though the audio would cut in and our - I expected better from a city that takes some pride in digital prowess and is home to world-beating Texas-sized video panels where the Dallas Cowboys play and an even larger video screen coming soon to the Texas Motor Speedway here in North Texas. A skirling of bagpipes led the proceedings, followed by the Star Spangled Banner and then about 45 minutes of speaking all told. My estimation of the crowd held behind the barrier, of which I was a part, consisted of many who harbored a deep an abiding interest in this event, readers of numerous books and largely believers in a conspiracy theory or theories. I did hear someone speaking French on his cell phone and I suspect there were also many who came as deep admirer of The Kennedy's - as a royal cult. Then there were just a few like myself, who came out of a sense of respect for our history and in memory of our fallen president, with no agenda, just a sense of shared solemnity for what might have been and what was lost.
While just strolling behind the infamous Texas Schoolbook Repository (now the Sixth Floor Museum - where Lee Harvey Oswald had a sniper's perch), I spotted a gentleman, that I thought to myself, "That is an Irishman". Just after our gazes crossed, he stepped up to me and introduced himself as "a reporter for an Irish newspaper" and requested an interview. I consented, and he held out his phone in recording mode and asked several questions about whether Dallas still felt a sense of
shame and/or responsibility for the events here 50 years ago today? I said yes, Dallas in decades past had been at a loss as to how to respond to the JFK assassination, and had tried to ignore and erase the association of his death with this city. But the memorial today was an effort to grow beyond that and to embrace the future - not the past, a tribute to the very spirit of President Kennedy. After the interview I inquired as to what particular paper in Ireland he represented? He replied it is The Times of Dublin. He arrived in Dallas on Thursday night, he'd leave that afternoon, he did not apply to in time for press credentials to actually get into the ceremony at Dealy Plaza, but he stated he was glad, "since it was so bloody cold out here." I fancy that after my interview he headed to a good, warm, Texas saloon for some whiskey before flying back.
I, like most of the crowd, had gathered on Elm Street in front of the video and audio relay of the ceremony. Curious about who it was who surrounded me, I struck up a conversation with 45-year old man standing next to me. He is a military prosecutor stationed at Ft. Leonard Wood, MO. I asked what brought him to Dallas? He said he was attending the COPA Conference (I did not know what that was), and then a couple from San Antonio asked me a few questions
and I mentioned that Oswald was captured at the Texas Theater in the Oak Cliff part of Dallas. They asked if I knew the address? I said I did not; but the military attorney pulled out his phone and had a JFK Assassination app, and quickly provided them with the address and a digit location map.
I later struck up a conversation with a fellow wearing a Gettysburg 150th anniversary cap who is a high school history teacher in Pennsylvania. He was in town for the COPA conference; this time I had to ask: COPA, the Conference on Political Assassinations - (now I know), rehashing all the conspiracy theories. I asked if he had attended the 150th anniversary of Lincoln's Gettysburg Address 3 day's previous? No, but he was there for the July anniversary of the battle. As we were talking a fellow with a large camera asked if we would agree to give our opinions on the events from 50 years ago for a documentary he was filming and producing. I looked into the lens and gave my opinion that Lee Harvey Oswald was the lone gunman who shot JFK from his place of coincidental employment in the book depository, then fled and was stopped by Dallas Police officer J.D. Tippett, whom Oswald then shot multiple times and attempted to hide in the Texas Theater, where he was captured with a hand gun in his wasteband. My well versed companion, respectfully diagreed with my recitation of the "facts" and began to cite evidence and testimony that JFK was shot from the front (not behind) and that "some people in the government" were behind a plot to kill the President.
I asked, who are these "people in the government?" But he acknowledged that was yet unknown. However, there was a small group standing nearby with signs saying "LBJ Killed JFK". We two continued to debate (though I was not nearly as
well versed and immersed in all the conspiracies and conspirators) as the documentary producer continued to film our conversation. I concluded that if your are buying what the COPA people are selling, the history would read: President Kennedy was killed by a gathering of about a half-dozen assassins firing a withering hail of gunfire nearly simultaneously, striking the President and Governor Connally from multiple angles. Shot were fired from behind by a marksman on the 6th floor of the school book depository, from the side by a man (but nobody saw a gun) on the grassy knoll, from a sniper secreted in a storm drain and by a group of sharp shooters stationed on the triple overpass. Who were these mass assassins all firing into to the motorcade? Well (if one is buying conspiracy), on that day there converged on Dealy Plaza gunslingers hired by Vice President Johnson, a gang of mafia hitmen, Cubans dispatched by Castro, sharp shot ladies from the Junior League of Dallas (hired by Jackie, tired of her husband's philandering ways) CIA assassins and coincidentally, a Marxist by the name of Oswald on the 6th floor who wanted to make a name for himself. This confluence and collusion of killers is just to confusing and fanciful for my mind. I think Oswald acted alone and fired three shots, killing Kennedy.
One can argue the "facts" and run with a multitude of shadowy theories. But I know this: It was a cold, raw day in Dallas. It was in 1963 and it was 50 years hence.
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| The JFK Memorial in Dallas. November 22, 2013. It is about a block east of Dealy Plaza, the site of the assassination. The monument is little noted and has been described as an "ambiguous design - fitting for a city at a lost as to how to honor the memory of Kennedy without drawing recrimination for the nation at large |
On this, the 50th anniversary of the assassination, the preceding day was partly sunny and in the 70's, but an ill wind blew in overnight accompanied by thunder and followed by a deep, bone-numbing cold as the morning of November 22nd dawned. So too, the nation turned from a partly sunny disposition, largely energized my JFK's vision and of a generation asking "what they could do for their country" and a challenge to reach for the moon, "not because it is easy - but because it is hard." A challenge embraced by the nation. That optimistic look to the future and the embrace of a challenging, but sunny future to be seized upon and sure to be conquered by our country, turned as a thunderous shot rangout in Dealy Plaza, plunging the nation into a deep, bone-numbing chill with the violent death of the President.
I did purpose late on the night of the 21st to go down toward Dealy Plaza and place myself in the place where our American Century pivoted on November 22, 1963. In memory of our slain president, and perhaps our slain dreams, aspirations and confidence. It was a cold, raw day in Dallas. But, for the first time, the City of Dallas was going to officially mark this anniversary with a moment of silence, followed by the tolling of church bells and a few brief words from the Mayor and historian, David McCullogh.
The official memorial ceremony at Dealy Plaza was cordoned off by security, and only those invited and those with a yellow wrist-band won through an on-line lottery were allowed to pass beyond the barrier; a total limited to 5,000. The rest of us were held a half block away, and we gathered before a large mobile video screen that broadcast the event. Though the audio would cut in and our - I expected better from a city that takes some pride in digital prowess and is home to world-beating Texas-sized video panels where the Dallas Cowboys play and an even larger video screen coming soon to the Texas Motor Speedway here in North Texas. A skirling of bagpipes led the proceedings, followed by the Star Spangled Banner and then about 45 minutes of speaking all told. My estimation of the crowd held behind the barrier, of which I was a part, consisted of many who harbored a deep an abiding interest in this event, readers of numerous books and largely believers in a conspiracy theory or theories. I did hear someone speaking French on his cell phone and I suspect there were also many who came as deep admirer of The Kennedy's - as a royal cult. Then there were just a few like myself, who came out of a sense of respect for our history and in memory of our fallen president, with no agenda, just a sense of shared solemnity for what might have been and what was lost.
While just strolling behind the infamous Texas Schoolbook Repository (now the Sixth Floor Museum - where Lee Harvey Oswald had a sniper's perch), I spotted a gentleman, that I thought to myself, "That is an Irishman". Just after our gazes crossed, he stepped up to me and introduced himself as "a reporter for an Irish newspaper" and requested an interview. I consented, and he held out his phone in recording mode and asked several questions about whether Dallas still felt a sense of
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| Simon Caswell Times of Dublin Reporter |
I, like most of the crowd, had gathered on Elm Street in front of the video and audio relay of the ceremony. Curious about who it was who surrounded me, I struck up a conversation with 45-year old man standing next to me. He is a military prosecutor stationed at Ft. Leonard Wood, MO. I asked what brought him to Dallas? He said he was attending the COPA Conference (I did not know what that was), and then a couple from San Antonio asked me a few questions
 |
| The security cordon set at a 1 block perimeter surrounding Dealy Plaza. One of the COPA attendees commented to me, "at least security looks better today than it did 50 years ago." |
I later struck up a conversation with a fellow wearing a Gettysburg 150th anniversary cap who is a high school history teacher in Pennsylvania. He was in town for the COPA conference; this time I had to ask: COPA, the Conference on Political Assassinations - (now I know), rehashing all the conspiracy theories. I asked if he had attended the 150th anniversary of Lincoln's Gettysburg Address 3 day's previous? No, but he was there for the July anniversary of the battle. As we were talking a fellow with a large camera asked if we would agree to give our opinions on the events from 50 years ago for a documentary he was filming and producing. I looked into the lens and gave my opinion that Lee Harvey Oswald was the lone gunman who shot JFK from his place of coincidental employment in the book depository, then fled and was stopped by Dallas Police officer J.D. Tippett, whom Oswald then shot multiple times and attempted to hide in the Texas Theater, where he was captured with a hand gun in his wasteband. My well versed companion, respectfully diagreed with my recitation of the "facts" and began to cite evidence and testimony that JFK was shot from the front (not behind) and that "some people in the government" were behind a plot to kill the President.
I asked, who are these "people in the government?" But he acknowledged that was yet unknown. However, there was a small group standing nearby with signs saying "LBJ Killed JFK". We two continued to debate (though I was not nearly as
One can argue the "facts" and run with a multitude of shadowy theories. But I know this: It was a cold, raw day in Dallas. It was in 1963 and it was 50 years hence.
 |
| JFK banner hoisted as a backdrop for Dealy Plaza Ceremony honoring the Memory of JFK |
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| A Desolate "Floating Box" The roundly architecturally criticized monument to President Kennedy Erected by Mr. Marcus (of high-end Nieman-Marcus Department Store fame) |
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