Jack through the eyes of a child

“Jack through the eyes of a child”    by Diane Vight

Hello, I’m Wyatt, the eleven year old boy, who is narrating this story. The date November 22, 1963. It was a great day for me. I was going to see the President of the United States. Me, Wyatt. This was unbelievable, something for lasting memories, something I could tell my children about. They were coming to Dallas, home state of Vice President Lyndon Johnson. We were able to find out the route they were taking. The day was kind of cloudy with some light drizzle, then it started to clear up. My mother and I were waiting on the grass in Dealey Plaza. People were everywhere. My mother secured us a spot right up front.

I, on the other hand, as a child I couldn’t sit still. I wandered all around where we were. As I was walking along looking around I noticed smoke coming from the back. Naturally curious, I climbed up on a cement barrier to take a look. I saw a couple of men, both in suits; however one of them had his suit jacket off. They were both smoking. I noticed a long black case on the hood of one car. I thought they were probably secret service agents. So I left. 

Wyatt, Wyatt, hurry they’re coming. I ran down the little hill to join my mother. We could see the start of the motorcade. I was glad that I was tall for my age. I could see over the tops of most people. It was slow. I couldn’t wait to see President Kennedy. A real live president in person. Slowly they crawled down the street. I saw Vice President Johnson first, then the car with the Connolly’s and the President. The President and Jackie seemed to be relaxed, happy, enjoying the crowd and waving. After they passed me I heard a car backfire. Then I noticed President Kennedy slumping to the side. I saw the pink mist and I knew those backfires were shots. I watched Jackie Kennedy crawl out the back of the limousine. A man jumps on the back bumper, pushes Jackie back in the car and lays on both of them. The limousine then started picking up speed. 

Mom grabbed me and started pulling me. She said, “We’ve gotta get out of here.”

We started walking fast toward where Mom had parked the car. No one tried to stop us. People were trying to flee as fast as they could. Secret Service running all over. Police running.  

“Mom what’s wrong?” I asked.

“I think someone shot the President,” she said.

Then it hit me. The President of the United States had been shot right in front of me. What a story this was going to make. It seemed to take forever to get home. Mom immediately turned on the television. President Kennedy was pronounced dead at Parkland Memorial Hospital at one o’clock. I sat glued to the television for the next three days. I wanted to know everything. 

“I watched Lyndon Johnston being sworn in as President of the United States, with his wife on one side and Jackie Kennedy on the other, by Federal Judge Sarah Hughes. 

I watched them bring Lee Harvery Oswald in front of the news people. He said, “I didn’t kill nobody, no sir” or something to that effect. The next time I saw him he said, “I’m just a patsy.”-

I watched in horror as Jackie Kennedy, covered in the President’s blood, was escorted off Air Force One by her brother-in-law Bobby Kennedy.

I was already hearing different stories about what happened. Someone said they saw men in the back smoking. Then I remembered the two men I saw smoking. Then I realized that the long black case I saw on the hood was in fact a gun case. I heard four shots not two.  

“Mom I need to talk to you.” I went to the table then explained to her the things I witnessed. People were lying, or didn’t know what happened.  

She didn’t didn’t say too much but she had me repeat everything to my father when he came home. He said “Wyatt, I think it would be better if you kept all of that to yourself. I think there is a lot more going on here than we know about.”

I was watching while the police were escorting Lee Harvey Oswald through the basement taking him to the county jail. Jack Ruby boldly walked right up to Oswald and shot him in the stomach. No guards, no other police, only two men escorting Lee Harvey Oswald. There were reporters together with camera crews that captured everything. I looked up at my parents. “How did that guy know ahead of time that they were moving Oswald out through the basement?” I questioned my parents. Both of my parents looked dumbfounded. How could this happen. How could the President of the United States with Secret Service protection be assassinated here in the United States? How could the police allow anyone close enough to shoot the supposed assassin of President Kennedy so effortlessly as walking right up to him, pulling the trigger?. I started to have more questions than answers.

I watched every time they showed the Zaptruder film. There is no way that shot came from behind.. I didn’t like the feeling I was getting about our own government. How did the police get onto Lee Harvey Oswald so quickly. Why not look at other possibilities? Where was the evidence? There had to be bullets or fragments in Kennedy’s body.

Then Monday came with the funeral of President Kennedy. I watched it all. I watched as the First Lady Jackie Kennedy and her brothers-in-law Bobby and Ted Kennedy as they walked to St. Matthew’s cathedral for mass. I watched as Black Jack with the empty backward boots, indicating a fallen soldier, was led behind the caisson.

Today I’m sixty nine years old. I never told anyone what I saw on that fatal day, not even my wife. Still today I don’t believe, for one second, that Lee Harvey Oswald shot President John Kennedy. 

dianevight@gmail.com