“What Were You Doing On November 22, 1963?”

5 May, 2010 (11:49) | Article | By: editor

15 APRIL 2010 (65.2) Article by Aaron Domenico
This is the inaugural edition of the Judson Journal’s online publication. For those of you who have been devoted readers, the Journal will continue to be your, “Link to the Past”, as you witness “The Old Neighborhood” living on in Cyberspace. All of you new readers that join us will also experience the incredible journey of stepping back in time when Swamp Poodle was indeed a great place to live.
“What Were You Doing On November 22, 1963?”
Fr. Mike Callaghan, C.M. wrote a letter to the Journal that appeared in the July 15, 2007 edition in the “Past & Present” section. In this letter, Fr. Callaghan proposed a few interesting challenges to the Judson Journal readers. One of the challenges was in the form of a question, “Where were you when Kennedy was assassinated?” Well! Fr. Callaghan it has taken me a long time to follow up on your challenge, but I now feel it is appropriate to use your suggestion and make it the new format for the Judson Journal. This new improved format will commence by proposing a question followed by a brief story of my recollection of that historical date, local incident, or an experience that occurred. The goal is that each story will stimulate the readers to click on and type in comments for everyone to enjoy.
November 22, 1963
I cannot say that my day began as it usually did for the past nineteen years of my life, because just a week prior my life changed completely. The former Pat Gallagher and I were married at Corpus Christi Church on Allegheny Avenue. Fr. Dowling performed the ceremony and after a dinner celebration at The Pub next to the Bowlerdrome, my beautiful young bride and I went to our apartment only a few blocks away at 33rd and Allegheny. Needless to say this Friday morning was not only different because of the terrible tragedy that loomed, but also because I was a husband for just one week. I remember that it was a sunny day, even on the warm side for late November and I was early to arrive at Franklin College of Science and Arts near 22nd and Walnut Streets. I arrived early before my classes to participate in a paid toothpaste-testing project that was conducted every Friday morning at 7am. Jim Contino and I, a fellow classmate from the Pittsburg area who was the Dance Chairman were having a cigarette and discussing the dance to be held Saturday at Franklin. Ernie Gallo, Joe Commentucci, Bob Gatto and I were providing the entertainment for the dance. After having our cigarette, we proceeded to our four hour Parasitology Laboratory and I recall somewhere around 10:30 am Dr. Pollan our professor was called to the hallway by Dean Zamos. Returning to the laboratory, Dr. Pollan looked as though he was crying. He composed himself and gave us the news that President Kennedy had been shot. The initial shock from a tragedy of that magnitude seems surreal, but once reality set in no one could ever forget “where they were or what they were doing at that moment.” School was dismissed and when I walk out onto Walnut Street, there was an eerie silence. There were no buses moving, all cars were stopped, a line almost a block long had formed at the telephone booth across from the school and I immediately thought of Pat at the apartment crying alone. We all idolized JFK, as he was the sole man that represented a change that our generation needed and cherished. History will never write the story of how his leadership would have affected our world, but his death gave us a sense of loss that took us years to overcome. I walked from 22nd & Walnut to Broad and Walnut to take the subway, because it was the only form of public transportation available, and then walked from Broad and Allegheny to our apartment at 33rd and Allegheny. I did find my Pat attached to the TV with tears crying and very sad, yet just the two of us being together, seemed to make the tragedy somehow bearable.

Comments

Comment from editor
Time May 18, 2012 at 8:18 am

Aaron you and Fred and company did a great job. We had a great time and looking forward till the next time.

Tucci and Joan

Comment from editor
Time May 18, 2012 at 8:16 am

Thank you so much for the well organized reunion yesterday.

Good friends, good food, great dance music, you couldn’t ask to anything more. It was so great to have the opportunity to meet up again with dear friends and neighbors. I know you put great effort into this reunion and just wanted it tell you how much your work hard work was appreciated and thank you for all you do. We should never forget where we came from and those who made us who we are.

Thanks so much, Carol (Testa) Gainer

Comment from editor
Time May 18, 2012 at 8:15 am

Where do I begin. I had a fantastic time at the reunion. I loved seeing so many people I know. I wish it could have lasted for 8 hours. I didn’t want it to end. Thank you, Pat & Fred for all of your hard work in putting the reunion together. I greatly appreciated it. I also love the mug, book & bag that you gave us as a special remembrance. I won’t miss another one, God willing. The food was delicious. I could tell everyone had a great time.

Thanks,

Linda Pace Curran

Comment from Joe Amici
Time April 8, 2012 at 9:48 pm

I was a sophomore at Cardinal Dougherty, walking down the hallway when the announcement was made.

Comment from Selma Vincent
Time April 6, 2012 at 8:35 am

I accidently came upon the journal and lo and behold I saw a mention of Rosen’s Cut Rate. Well, I grew up there, my parents Max and Anne Spector owned the store and we lived upstairs. I went to Pierce School, being Jewish. May of the names in your articles are familiar to me. The other day I was just thinking of the water ice stand on Fox Street next to the store. Marie Pastore and Dolores Vasso were my buddies at the time. Hello to anyone who remembers me, Selma .

Comment from Debbie Palermo Howell
Time March 23, 2012 at 6:40 pm

I was in Miss Pelligrino’s 2nd grade class at Saint Mary’s and the news coming over the intercom that the President had been shot. We were all sent home early. I remember walking into the house and seeing my mother crying. The next few days the television was full of images of the casket, Mrs. Kennedy and those beautiful children stoically being displayed for the world to see, but we all needed to cling to those images to get through the horror of what had happened.

Comment from elaine colasanti
Time March 14, 2012 at 9:57 am

I was in English Class at Hallahan. The bus ride home was very quiet…….

Comment from mARY cOYLE sLAVIN
Time February 22, 2012 at 11:29 am

I think i WAS IN 3RD PERIOD eNGLISH WITH KATHY Deasy when the news came over the speaker , how sad that day was for everybody

Comment from LOIS ANN DAVINO SMITH
Time February 12, 2012 at 8:59 am

I was in fifth period math class at J.W. Hallahan when the announcement came over the loud speaker that our president had been shot . We were dismissed early and when I got home I turned on our black and white T.V. and watched and cried as Walter Cronkite finally told the american people that he had died.

Comment from Josephine Raffaele
Time May 18, 2011 at 1:37 pm

I was sitting in class at St. Mary’s.. I was in the 6 grade

Comment from Charles Walentukonis
Time March 28, 2011 at 10:50 am

I was outside my house at 2823 Van Pelt St washing my new car.

Comment from Julia (Norbury) Benson
Time August 26, 2010 at 12:44 pm

I was in Spanish class at John W. Hallahan when the announcement was made about JFK being shot. We were dismissed and standing in front of the Chancellory Office near the Catherdral waiting for the A bus a car pulled up, a man staggered out crying, looked at us and said, “the President’s dead”.

Comment from Alex DiGiacomo
Time August 9, 2010 at 12:44 pm

I was in Parris Island in my last week of Marine boot camp, getting ready for graduation. First thought was that we were going to war. I had mixed feelings. I voluntarily joined the Marines to defend my country’s freedom and was ready to fight anywhere, anytime, but then the fear of the unknown set in. Will we go to war? How will I perform in combat? Will I come home? My parents, Tom & Lucy, along with my aunt and uncle, were driving down for my graduation. When they heard about President Kennedy’s assassination, they found a Catholic Church and joined the many who were praying for the fallen President, his family and our country. The entire weekend was very surreal.

Comment from Amelia Loughlin
Time June 17, 2010 at 4:34 pm

I was in school at St. Mary’s. I think in Sister Mary Zita’s room. Sister Mary Emerencia made the announcement and we all prayed. I think we were sent home early.

Comment from john lepone 3128 n taylor st
Time May 26, 2010 at 11:16 am

I was at Fort Dix with Harry Calabrese and Dewey Corrigliano. We were soldiers serving in the New Jersey National Guard.
When word came down the Company Commander, Platoon Commander and all the NCOs were speculating that Castro had finally assinated Our Commander and Chief. President Kennedy and Castro were bitter enemies.
The buzz around Fort Dix was that we would all be shipped to Cuba to conduct a War. We were all pumped and eager to go (well I was anyway) and take care of business. Finally word came down that they had captured a suspected shooter (Lee Harvey Oswald) and that he had ties to Russia and not Cuba.

Comment from carmen giargiari
Time May 7, 2010 at 12:59 pm

at donnie pacifico 2118 stella st \ then we went to see pussy cat giargiari

Comment from Joan Seifert Fox
Time May 7, 2010 at 11:25 am

Welccome back, missed you. On that terrible day I was going about my business at Temple Hospital (medical secty to CT Bello, MD) when one of my coworkers knocked and told me that the President had been shot. I immediately tried to call home and EVERY phone line in the hospital was busy and there was no service. There was no time to permit the gravity of what had happend sink in. Shot did not mean dead (yet). We had a reception full of patients, and I was not telling them about what we heard. We just calmly went about our business of helping people. When office hours were over, Dr. Bello and I closed up the office and went home. Listening to the car radio I realized the President was probably dead. No one could survive what they were describing. My heart went out to Mrs. Kennedy and the Kennedy Family and then to my fellow American. In our lifetime, we had seen so many wonderful events, and now, this was the most terrible. As Americans we were able to survive that day with dignity. Throough wars, terrorism, 911, stock market crashes, and all else; we will go forward and remain proud dignified Americans.

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