Dallas November 22, 1963
The day began with Air Force One swooping down from the Texas sky, only to take to the air again, three hours later, with a new leader sworn in. In this exclusive book excerpt, journalists who were there recall the moments that changed a nation forever.
11:38 A.M.
LOVE FIELD
Air Force One touches down.
MIKE QUINN, reporter, Dallas Morning News: I saw Kennedy step past the back door of the plane, then saw his arm reach back for something or someone. It happened to be Mrs. Kennedy. That first impression of her stepping to the door will linger forever. She had on a rose suit, or pink, I guess, but it was beautiful, and the color seemed to reflect the sun. As she stepped out ahead of the president the crowd seemed awestruck, then started applauding and--if you will pardon--squealing. I understood then why Kennedy liked to have Mrs. Kennedy along.
VAL IMM, society editor, Dallas Times Herald: It's one thing to read it, and it's another thing to experience it--[Kennedy] was equipped with just a tremendous charisma. It was actually like waves that went out in the crowd.
ROBERT DONOVAN, Washington bureau chief, Los Angeles Times: If Hollywood had tried to cast for their purpose a president and his wife, they could never have dreamed up John F. Kennedy and Jacqueline Kennedy.
JACK BELL, political writer, Associated Press: Kennedy had overruled the Secret Service, which wanted to take him directly from the airport to the Dallas Trade Mart, where he was supposed to make a speech. [Vice President] Johnson had not wanted that. He wanted Kennedy to go through Dallas and demonstrate to these people--and to the world--that Dallas loved Kennedy.
11:55 A.M.
WITH THE MOTORCADE
Kennedy's motorcade heads downtown, where he is greeted by cheering crowds. Nellie Connally, the wife of the Texas governor, turns and says, "Mr. President, you can't say Dallas doesn't love you."
HUGH SIDEY, White House correspondent, Time: The sidewalks were filled, and they were obviously secretaries and clerks and young people from the buildings, basically workers. I'll always remember John Kennedy commenting one time, long before that, about how he would go along in these high-rise areas during the campaign and down below, people were cheering and wonderful--these were the young people in the streets--but he would look up and behind the glass in the corporate precincts, people were giving him the finger!
HUGH AYNESWORTH, science/ aviation/space editor, Dallas Morning News: I was really a little pissed because I didn't have any assignment connected with the Kennedy thing at all. So I decided to walk over and see what was going on. I was in the middle of Elm Street; it was blocked off. Everybody was excited. I remember there was this black woman who was so excited when she saw Jackie. She said, "She's got my dress on! She's got my dress on!"
12:30 P.M.
WITH THE MOTORCADE
CHARLES ROBERTS, White House correspondent, Newsweek: The last thing I remember was looking up at the sign on this building as we came to a park and sort of turned to the right to go down this incline under the triple underpass. I saw the words "Texas School Book Depository" and thought it was a weird name for a building and wondered what it was. Just seconds after that I heard what I thought was a [motorcycle] backfire.
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