Upcoming 50th anniversary of Kennedy assassination

*This is a reprint of the original November 28 Mineral Independent story on the assassination.

Friday morning, November 22, word flashed around the world that an assassination attempt injured the President of the United States, John F. Kennedy.

Quietly and fearfully the Nation waited to hear what had happened in Dallas, Texas. In a short time they were told, the president was dead.

Through the automatic system of United States law, the mantle of responsibility transferred at once to Lyndon B. Johnson.

The millions of ordinary citizens were stunned to realize that an assassin’s bullet could cut down their own head of state.

Not so the key defenders of the world. Military heads had forseen such an event as the first step in heating up the Cold War. Major communications systems and the men at arms prepared instantly for a full scale retaliation.

The new president, formally sworn into office, picked up the threads of command, and as the Nation and World grieved the loss of a leader, sometime aggressors trembled for fear retribution might accidentally hit back at them.

An official period of mourning has been proclaimed for thirty days, and flags will fly at half staff until sundown December 22.