The Vindicator asked some of its News Contacts to give their strongest recollections of when they

The Vindicator asked some of its News Contacts to give their strongest recollections of when they learned that President Kennedy had been assassinated:
I was in Miss Yeager's seventh-period American History class at Struthers High School. Miss Yeager stood in front of us and began to cry. I became frightened because I had never seen a teacher cry, and, for sure, not stoic, strict Miss Yeager.
- Gayle Ridge, Poland
Jimmie the crossing guard -- a white-haired retired man who was at the crossing for many years and watched a lot of us grow up -- was crying. He told us that the President was dead and that someone had shot him. Most of us ran the rest of the way home. I found my mother watching the TV and crying.
- Cate Guyan, Youngstown
The afternoon of his funeral was the first and only time I saw my father put his face in his hands and bawl like a baby.
- Thaddeus Price, Warren
I remember thinking "This just couldn't happen in our United States." Of course, nearly 38 years later I thought about the same with the World Trade Center.
- Thomas A. Groth, Canfield
I was only 5 years old when JFK was assassinated and don't remember much, except my parents leaving my sister and I with our grandparents and traveling to Washington, D.C., to pay their respects.
- John Davidson, Youngstown
I was in the school library at Girard High School. I have never experienced this type of quiet in a library.
- Rich Harvey, McDonald
I was in class in 6th grade. What I remember most was a [girl] crying, "There's gonna be a war!" All this time and the public isn't sure what really happened.
- Larry Mellinger, Columbiana
I was a 6th grade student. The assassination and following events such as the funeral and the death of Oswald a couple of days later are the earliest clear memories of my childhood.
- David Kornbau, Washingtonville
I thought back to when I went downtown to see Kennedy when he campaigned for the presidency. He stood upon the carport roof of the old Tod Hotel in front of thousands who jammed the square that day. I still think about his campaign, his visit to Youngstown, and his election and unfortunate death. And I always wonder what might have been. I don't think that anyone can ever put into words the true sorrow that I and millions of other Americans felt on that terrible day.
- Frank Stamp, Poland
I recall wondering how Oswald did it, and a general sense of confusion as things wound down that weekend. Forty years later, I'm still not sure what happened.
- Stu Mulne, Youngstown
The sadness for me was in hearing my principal's voice break up as he told us the news and seeing my study hall teacher begin to weep as she listened. I saw in their tears how admired and well-liked he was. I began to weep along with them. We all did.
- Marty Cohol, Hubbard
I was teaching my 6th grade class at Highland Avenue School in Struthers. I drove home as if in a trance, but as I was driving, I noticed that everything was silent. There was no traffic. None of the usual, everyday outside noises. It was as if the world stood still. I went home, turned on the TV set and stayed glued to the set for days, and I cried and cried.
- Kelly Gialousis, Campbell
We watched in silence punctuated by muted crying, all except for two kids who fancied themselves. The class clowns were actually laughing and cracking jokes the whole time. To this day I remember their names, can still see their faces. I've never forgotten this as a lesson in how inhuman it's possible for human beings to be at any age. My mom and I were glued to the TV coverage all weekend long. At some point for just a moment, I went upstairs to my room to get something. Seconds later, my mom yelled up the stairs "He's been shot! He's been shot!" I said, somewhat perplexed, "I know, Mom...." But it turned out she was talking about Ruby shooting Oswald.
- Mike Greenfield, Boardman
My most vivid memory during the time of the JFK assassination was the overwhelming sadness. As a 6-year-old, it confused me to see all the adults in my life with tears in their eyes and sadness in their hearts.
- Susan Savastuk, Youngstown
When I look back I wonder how different we would all be today if this tragedy had not taken place. It seems to me that the world changed from that day forward. His death and 9/11 -- two things no American living during both will ever forget.
- Darlene Torday, Berlin Center
I was in the sixth grade when JFK was shot. I cannot remember any national event to this day that evoked such an outpouring of grief and sorrow from our nation.
- Larry Wiland, Austintown
At the Newark airport, there were thousands of people, and you could have heard a pin drop. Everyone was stunned. I tried to call my wife in Youngstown, but it took most of an hour before I could get through to her. She was very upset and thought the world had ended.
- George Grim, Boardman