News Silences Workplace and Small Town

By Kazi Walker

           Cushman-Burke sat at the corner of Colman Street and Broad Street in New London, Connecticut. A Chrysler Motor Car dealership which promoted general repairs, tire changes, and other services, had a radio that was placed on top of a self in the back office.

            A Friday afternoon with partly cloudy skies, there was a warm front. The high was 62 degrees, which was not a typical Connecticut November day.

JFK rides in car with family moments
 before he was shot

            It was a normal day in the office of the automobile dealership. Everyone did their daily routines.

The phone rang in the main office.

A 21-year-old women with short curly, brown hair, in a size two, navy blue dress makes her way over to answer it. Her name was Carol Mariani. She was working as a bookkeeper for the dealership as she was responsible for some or all Cushman-Burke's accounts. She recorded all transactions and income.

“Hello?”

“The President has just been shot,” said a salesman for Cushman-Burke, who had been home for the day and viewed the assassination on television.

“Turn on the radio, now.”

And he hung up the phone.

Carol, in shock, made her way through the office to tell everyone John F. Kennedy has been shot in Dallas, Texas around 12:30 CST. Everyone who worked in the dealership gathered around this little black radio that was now sitting on the manager’s desk.

Around 1:00 p.m. Central Time, the President of the United States was pronounced dead at the hospital.

With no access to the TV, Carol had to wait to go home to her husband, Joe, to turn on the news.

When she walked into their home on East Pattagansett road in Niantic, there was a newspaper from the New London Day on their kitchen table. A headline that printed, “President Is Wounded by Assassin” with a photo of Kennedy’s face placed underneath it.

Joe sat on the couch in the room next to the kitchen, the TV was on a low volume. News footage from Dallas played on what seemed to be repeat.

President Kennedy had been riding in the back seat of a convertible with Mrs. Jackie Kennedy beside him. Driving through crowds of people cheering, and the Kennedy’s waving in return, the President was shot in the head. He fell face down in the back seat of the car. There was blood all over his head. Mrs. Kennedy attempted to hold his head up, as she visibly was panicking for help and weeping down at her husband.

Governor John Connally of Texas was also shot as he remained somewhat seated in the convertible. Chaos broke out through the crowd.

Monday, November 25^th, it was a high of 48 degrees, a fresh newspaper sat on Carol’s kitchen table. The headline read, “President Kennedy Borne to Grave.” A picture of a grieving First Lady, in all black, covering her face with one hand and holding her daughter Caroline’s hand, who was turning six years old on Wednesday, with her other hand. The photo was strategically placed on the front page. It was accompanied by an image of an American Flag covering the casket of President Kennedy, carried by servicemen. Another American Flag was waving in the breeze.

Thousands had lined the streets in silence that day. Many bowed their heads and tears streamed down their faces. It was a parade of people. Mrs. Kennedy and his brothers, along with the President’s children, who were both dressed in blue, walked from the limousine to the cathedral. While bag pipes echoed through the crowd.

After President Kennedy was brought to Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia to be laid to rest, Mrs. Kennedy returned once again.

Jackie Kennedy and children
at President Kennedy's funeral

“Let me walk, let me walk.”

She brought herself through the crowd of people who were paying their respects to her late husband.

She was first reluctant to leave the casket of her husband. She knelt down with her daughter Caroline to kiss the casket.

A long line still formed from the crowds of people, all still waiting to pay their respects. They all came to a halt when Jackie Kennedy arrived. Mrs. Kennedy walked around the ropes, which kept the public away from the casket, and again, knelt down and kissed the President’s coffin one more time. She appeared to have a tear-stained face as she rose and turned to the crowd and took a long moment to stand and gaze at all the people.

Soldiers honor JFK

A picture says a thousand words. A memory lasts a lifetime. For American’s like Carol, over 50 years later, the sad and devastating day can be rehashed as if it happened last week. An untouched box still lays under her bed with newspaper clippings perfectly cut out in squares.

“I really liked him,” said Carol, now 77 years old, as she gazed out the window becoming lost in more memories.