Breukelen advocaat
11-22-2006, 08:47 PM
One of the worst days in our nation's history. I remember it well.
THE WAYBACK MACHINE --
What crossed the wire when JFK was shot
In the moments after President Kennedy was assassinated, news services scrambled to figure out exactly what happened. OTIS HART got his hands on the original AP bulletins and recounts the drama.
Published Wednesday, November 22, 2006
By OTIS HART
First came the shots, then the chaos.
The day was Nov. 22, 1963, a Friday -- exactly 43 years ago. President John F. Kennedy was in Dallas, stumping for local Democrats and preparing for a re-election bid. He was on route to the Dallas Trade Mart, where he was to give a speech.
AP Senate reporter Jack Bell was traveling behind the president in the media pool car, along with United Press International correspondent Merriman Smith and White House press secretary Malcolm Kilduff. The motorcade was coasting through Dealey Plaza in downtown Dallas when, at 12:30 p.m. CST, gunfire rang out. Kennedy had been shot.
The president's car raced toward Parkland Hospital, with the pool car trying to keep up. Bell and Smith lunged for the car's only phone. Smith triumphed; UPI was the first to announce to the world that three shots had been fired at the president's motorcade.
Before Bell could call the AP's Dallas bureau, the phone went dead. Luckily for the AP, photographer James W. "Ike" Altgens, still at the scene, had called Dallas bureau chief Robert Johnson. Based on Altgens' account, Johnson wrote the first bulletin at 12:40 p.m. CST announcing President Kennedy had been shot:
BULLETIN
DALLAS, NOV. 22 (AP) _ PRESIDENT KENNEDY WAS SHOT TODAY JUST AS HIS MOTORCADE LEFT DOWNTOWN DALLAS. MRS. KENNEDY JUMPED UP AND GRABBED MR. KENNEDY. SHE CRIED, OH, NO!" THE MOTORCADE SPED ON.
___
One minute later, Johnson added further details:
AP PHOTOGRAPHER JAMES. W ALTGENS SAID HE SAW BLOOD ON THE PRESIDENT'S HEAD.
ALTGENS SAID HE HEARD TWO SHOTS BUT THOUGHT SOMEONE WAS SHOOTING FIREWORKS UNTIL HE SAW THE BLOOD ON THE PRESIDENT.
ALTGENS SAID HE SAW NO ONE WITH A GUN.
___
Bell, meanwhile, had finally found a phone.
AP REPORTER JACK BELL ASKED KENNETH O'DONNELL, PRESIDENTIAL ASSISTANT, IF KENNEDY WAS DEAD. O'DONNELL GAVE NO ANSWER.
KENNEDY WAS REPORTED TAKEN TO PARKLAND HOSPITAL, NEAR THE DALLAS TRADE MART, WHERE HE WAS TO HAVE MADE A SPEECH.
BELL SAID KENNEDY WAS TRANSFERRED TO AN AMBULANCE. HE LAAAAAAAAAAA
The gravity of the situation was obviously hitting home in the Dallas bureau. Johnson pushed his way through typos to keep the information coming.
BELL SAID KENNEDY WAS TRANSFERRED TO AN AMBULANCE. HE LAY ON A SEAT OF THE CAR. BLOOD STAINEEZWWC ... RFMTHING.
BELL REPORTED THREE SHOTS WERE FIRED AS THE MOTORCADE ENTERED THE TRIPLE UNDERPASS WHICH LEADS TO THE STEMMONS FREEWAY ROUTE TO PARKLAND HOSPITAL.
___
PANDEMONIUM BROKE LOOSE AROUND THE SCENE.
THE SECRET SERVICE WAVED THE MOTORCADE ON AT TOP SPEED TO THE HOSPITAL.
EVEN AT HIGH SPEED IT TOOK NEARLY FIVE MINUTES TO GET THE CAR TO THE AMBULANCE ENTRANCE OF THE HOSPITAL.
REPORTERS SAW KENNEDY LYING FLAT ON HIS FACE ON SATF HIS CAR.
___
At 1:32 P.M. CST, a newsflash hit the wires.
FLASH
DALLAS
DALLAS--TWO PRIESTS WHO WERE WITH KENNEDY SAY HIS IS DEAD OF BULLET WOUNDS.
___
One minute later, a proper bulletin was sent around the world.
BULLETIN
DALLAS, NOV. 22 (AP) - TWO PRIESTS STEPPED OUT OF PARKLAND HOSPITAL'S EMERGENCY WARD TODAY AND SAID PRESIDENT KENNEDY DIED OF HIS BULLET WOUNDS.
___
Then, as President's death was slowly sinking in across America, the AP issued the definitive, unattributed truth.
BULLETIN
DALLAS, TEX., NOV. 22 (AP) _ PRESIDENT JOHN F. KENNEDY, THIRTY-SIXTH PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, WAS SHOT TO DEATH TODAY BY A HIDDEN ASSASSIN ARMED WITH A HIGH-POWERED RIFLE.
___
Otis Hart is an asap reporter. AP archivist Valerie Komor assisted with this report.
http://www.westfargopioneer.com/asap/index.cfm?page=asap_view&id=D8LI99K01
THE WAYBACK MACHINE --
What crossed the wire when JFK was shot
In the moments after President Kennedy was assassinated, news services scrambled to figure out exactly what happened. OTIS HART got his hands on the original AP bulletins and recounts the drama.
Published Wednesday, November 22, 2006
By OTIS HART
First came the shots, then the chaos.
The day was Nov. 22, 1963, a Friday -- exactly 43 years ago. President John F. Kennedy was in Dallas, stumping for local Democrats and preparing for a re-election bid. He was on route to the Dallas Trade Mart, where he was to give a speech.
AP Senate reporter Jack Bell was traveling behind the president in the media pool car, along with United Press International correspondent Merriman Smith and White House press secretary Malcolm Kilduff. The motorcade was coasting through Dealey Plaza in downtown Dallas when, at 12:30 p.m. CST, gunfire rang out. Kennedy had been shot.
The president's car raced toward Parkland Hospital, with the pool car trying to keep up. Bell and Smith lunged for the car's only phone. Smith triumphed; UPI was the first to announce to the world that three shots had been fired at the president's motorcade.
Before Bell could call the AP's Dallas bureau, the phone went dead. Luckily for the AP, photographer James W. "Ike" Altgens, still at the scene, had called Dallas bureau chief Robert Johnson. Based on Altgens' account, Johnson wrote the first bulletin at 12:40 p.m. CST announcing President Kennedy had been shot:
BULLETIN
DALLAS, NOV. 22 (AP) _ PRESIDENT KENNEDY WAS SHOT TODAY JUST AS HIS MOTORCADE LEFT DOWNTOWN DALLAS. MRS. KENNEDY JUMPED UP AND GRABBED MR. KENNEDY. SHE CRIED, OH, NO!" THE MOTORCADE SPED ON.
___
One minute later, Johnson added further details:
AP PHOTOGRAPHER JAMES. W ALTGENS SAID HE SAW BLOOD ON THE PRESIDENT'S HEAD.
ALTGENS SAID HE HEARD TWO SHOTS BUT THOUGHT SOMEONE WAS SHOOTING FIREWORKS UNTIL HE SAW THE BLOOD ON THE PRESIDENT.
ALTGENS SAID HE SAW NO ONE WITH A GUN.
___
Bell, meanwhile, had finally found a phone.
AP REPORTER JACK BELL ASKED KENNETH O'DONNELL, PRESIDENTIAL ASSISTANT, IF KENNEDY WAS DEAD. O'DONNELL GAVE NO ANSWER.
KENNEDY WAS REPORTED TAKEN TO PARKLAND HOSPITAL, NEAR THE DALLAS TRADE MART, WHERE HE WAS TO HAVE MADE A SPEECH.
BELL SAID KENNEDY WAS TRANSFERRED TO AN AMBULANCE. HE LAAAAAAAAAAA
The gravity of the situation was obviously hitting home in the Dallas bureau. Johnson pushed his way through typos to keep the information coming.
BELL SAID KENNEDY WAS TRANSFERRED TO AN AMBULANCE. HE LAY ON A SEAT OF THE CAR. BLOOD STAINEEZWWC ... RFMTHING.
BELL REPORTED THREE SHOTS WERE FIRED AS THE MOTORCADE ENTERED THE TRIPLE UNDERPASS WHICH LEADS TO THE STEMMONS FREEWAY ROUTE TO PARKLAND HOSPITAL.
___
PANDEMONIUM BROKE LOOSE AROUND THE SCENE.
THE SECRET SERVICE WAVED THE MOTORCADE ON AT TOP SPEED TO THE HOSPITAL.
EVEN AT HIGH SPEED IT TOOK NEARLY FIVE MINUTES TO GET THE CAR TO THE AMBULANCE ENTRANCE OF THE HOSPITAL.
REPORTERS SAW KENNEDY LYING FLAT ON HIS FACE ON SATF HIS CAR.
___
At 1:32 P.M. CST, a newsflash hit the wires.
FLASH
DALLAS
DALLAS--TWO PRIESTS WHO WERE WITH KENNEDY SAY HIS IS DEAD OF BULLET WOUNDS.
___
One minute later, a proper bulletin was sent around the world.
BULLETIN
DALLAS, NOV. 22 (AP) - TWO PRIESTS STEPPED OUT OF PARKLAND HOSPITAL'S EMERGENCY WARD TODAY AND SAID PRESIDENT KENNEDY DIED OF HIS BULLET WOUNDS.
___
Then, as President's death was slowly sinking in across America, the AP issued the definitive, unattributed truth.
BULLETIN
DALLAS, TEX., NOV. 22 (AP) _ PRESIDENT JOHN F. KENNEDY, THIRTY-SIXTH PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, WAS SHOT TO DEATH TODAY BY A HIDDEN ASSASSIN ARMED WITH A HIGH-POWERED RIFLE.
___
Otis Hart is an asap reporter. AP archivist Valerie Komor assisted with this report.
http://www.westfargopioneer.com/asap/index.cfm?page=asap_view&id=D8LI99K01