November 22, 2020 (Sunday)
I became pastor of the Vickery Baptist Church in Dallas, Texas in April, 1961. My family and I were living in Dallas two and one half years later when JFK was assassinated, 57 years ago today. About a year after that, we moved to Rockport. On the day of the assassination, Wanda and I were 32 years old, David was 9, Dan was 8, Debbie was 4, Dianna was six months old, and Dwight was not yet born.
Click here for a comprehensive account of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in Dallas, Texas on Friday, November 22, 1963.
Kennedy was visiting the large cities of Texas as he began his run to obtain the nomination of his party in the following year’s convention. I watched on television as he spoke at a breakfast in Fort Worth. A dignitary (mayor?) of Fort Worth presented Jackie Kennedy with a beautiful arrangement of roses, with very kind words, and then they went outside into the parking lot where Jack gave a short speech before the short trip to the airport where they would board Air Force One for the incredibly short flight to Love Field. Clouds and rain were wiped away as they landed at Love Field as if a giant hand was pushing the inclement weather away. Bright sunshine prevailed as they took their seats in the open limousine for the parade down Lemmon Avenue to downtown where the car entered Dealy Plaza just before they were to enter a freeway which would taken them to a luncheon where another speech would be given. But gunshots changed the plans and the car sped to Parkland Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. In fact he died immediately upon being shot from an upper floor of a corner building they had just passed. I learned that from one of the doctors on duty that day.
Texas governor, John Connally, was wounded by the same gunman, a man named Lee Harvey Oswald, who was murdered by Jack Ruby on Sunday morning, November 24.
A home movie was made that showed the tragedy in detail. Doubtless you have seen the movie, known as the Zapruder film, which is a silent 8mm color motion picture sequence shot by Abraham Zapruder with a Bell & Howell home-movie camera, as United States President John F. Kennedy’s motorcade passed through Dealey Plaza. Unexpectedly, it ended up capturing the President’s assassination.
Word spread immediately throughout the entire world. John Kennedy’s name was suddenly on everyone’s lips, and reminders began showing up throughout Dallas and around the world. I recall a huge billboard, displaying a totally black background, with only the words, “Black Friday,” displayed.
For those of us who lived through those days, these are familiar events that still appear in our minds as we observe this awful anniversary each year. For younger people, this is “ancient” history. Time moves on, inexorably. We have had ten presidents (including the one recently elected) in the fifty-seven years since that day. I realize now that I will never forget. Four presidents have been assassinated, and there have been more than 30 attempts on the lives of 17 presidents (Click here for a list). Let us pray that God will keep our presidents safe.
ABRAHAM, MARTIN AND JOHN
Words & Music, Richard Holler
Sung by Dion
1968
Has anybody here seen my old friend Abraham,
Can you tell me where he’s gone?
He freed a lotta people, but it seems the good die young
But I just looked around and he’s gone.
Has anybody here seen my old friend John,
Can you tell me where he’s gone?
He freed a lotta people, but it seems the good die young
But I just looked around and he’s gone.
Has anybody here seen my old friend Martin,
Can you tell me where he’s gone?
He freed a lotta people, but it seems the good die young
But I just looked around and he’s gone.
Didn’t you love the things they stood for?
Didn’t they try to find some good for you and me?
And we’ll be free,
Someday soon it’s gonna be one day.
Has anybody here seen my old friend Bobby,
Can you tell me where he’s gone?
I thought I saw him walkin’ up over the hill
With Abraham, Martin and John.