In the last couple of days, as many in this country remember where they were and the events surrounding the death of President John F. Kennedy, I thought I would share with you a bit about the Martinez family timeline in that regard. In 1963, the Martinez family was stationed in Frankfurt, Germany. In November of that year, Aida was scheduled for surgery to remove what was eventually determined to be a benign tumor from lymph glands in her neck. The day Kennedy was shot, she came home from the hospital. She greeted her family with her head wrapped in bandages--a mummy mommy. While our thoughts that day were with Mrs. Kennedy and her family, we were also glad that Aidas successful surgery brought her back safely to her own family. The family recalled having seen the President during the previous year when he and Mrs. Kennedy visited military families in Germany. There is a family (silent) home movie that we have of that visit where you can see the first couple making their way along a receiving line to a podium. Its interesting how distinctive Kennedys profile and movement are that make him so easily recognizable, even at a distance. Daughter Laurie, who was about Carolines age, wrote a letter to Caroline, saddened by the thought that she had lost her father, but also mindful that her own father was continuously sent into harms way during his time in the service. Laurie eventually received a thank you note from Jackie Kennedy, though likely signed by her secretary, thanking Laurie for her kindness. There was also an accompanying photo of President Kennedy, both of which the family framed. Those framed mementos of that time hung in Lauries bedroom as we moved from assignment to assignment, until she left for college.
Posted on: Sat, 23 Nov 2013 22:03:22 +0000
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