Where Were You on Nov. 22, 1963?

     This is a question that rings in the ears of "Baby Boomers", those born from January 1946 until December, 1964.  Even those in the youngest cohort with memories can explain their location on that fateful day.   Often, families were spread out at school, at work, in transit somewhere, or abroad, in a faraway place.  In addition to business travelers, members of the military were stationed in some very exotic places(VietNam), and not so exotic(Germany).   A sizable number were aboard ship, at sea.
      For those of us aboard ship, information was not easily acquired.  Our ship, the USS CORE, had left Bangkok, Thailand on November 20 after a brief stay.   Our next port of call was Kaoshiung, Taiwan, Republic of China(Formosa), located at the southern tip of the island east of Hong Kong.
     On duty in the engine room, an engineer came down the ladder and announced that he had heard on a shortwave radio that the President had been shot.  No more information was heard until we arrived off the harbor entrance later that morning.  Our ship was instructed to drop anchor and wait outside for further instructions.   After 24 hours, we were allowed to enter the port.   We were informed that Premier Chiang Kai Shek had declared marshall law, a dusk to dawn curfew for all civilians, and the military had been placed at the highest state of readiness- troops armed carrying a full complement of ammunition.  We were the only ship allowed to enter port-we carried military equipment for the airforce.
      After 48 hours, we departed for Okinawa, to the port of Naha.   Enroute, the ship received a telegram/radiogram to all ships at sea from Robert S. McNamara, Sec. of Defense, confirming the reports of the president's assassination.   We left Okinawa within 48 hours and arrived in San Diego on December 18, and finally, San Francisco on December 20th.   By that time, President Johnson was in the White House, and Jackie Kennedy and her children had moved out.  Nobody among the crew members had seen the TV coverage; nobody had heard of Lee Harvey Oswald; nobody had heard of Jack Ruby.   The entire episode of tragedy had to be learned from second hand reports and a retelling which many citizens did not want to do.
      For those of us who were not at home, the events surrounding that day are blurry, blurred by time and distance.   Perhaps it was meant to be for those living abroad at that time.   That day does not carry the weight that it does for so many living Americans who answer the question, "Where were you when Kennedy was shot?".