THE DAY KENNEDY DIED

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I should remember this date, shouldn't I?  November 22, 1963

We were living in Vienna 50 years ago.  Dad was at a cocktail party, and as I recall, we kids (Kath, Peggy, Millie and I) were home.  I was in the Study, the large room with the bay windows upstairs, where Dad had his desk, but it's also where we all sort of congregated when family events took place.  I was lying on the sofa, half dozing, when Peggy came into the room and announced "Kenny's dead."  I woke up and said, "No I'm not."  She had actually said, "Kennedy's dead."  That's how I found out.

Apparently Dad called home (we had 2 phones - one was in Mom & Dad's room, and the other in the hall downstairs).  I hadn't heard it ring, but apparently Peggy (or maybe Kath) heard it ring, and got the news from Dad on the phone.

I'd never assume anything, but I don't think Kennedy's death affected Peggy to the point of tears.  I recall that she was almost glad that SHE could tell ME about it.  We were teenagers, and very competitive.  So I wasn't surprised at her attitude --- that's if I remember this correctly.  But there were definitely no tears on her part or on mine.

It was a somber time, however.  I couldn't believe that such a thing could happen - to ANYone.  It's the first public figure that I knew about (I had been for Kennedy in the election in 1960, which was not how my parents voted).  I called my friends & they all seemed to know.

My scoutmaster said on the phone that he didn't think Kennedy's assassination was reason to cancel our planned scout overnight for the following weekend.  My parents said it was up to me.  My friend Matt came over, and we camped out in my back yard, rather than go with the scouts.

A lot of people I knew, or knew about died during our 4 years in Vienna:  Matthew Ortwein's little brother, John F.Kennedy, Grandma Borg, Uncle Kenneth Borg, Schwester Baileul, Schwester Mika.  I suppose this was the period in which I learned that death will come into my life, and I was not immune.