Most of us who were alive fifty years ago will never forget where they were when JFK was assassinated. Yesterday Jim Lehrer, who was in Dallas on that day, was interviewed on NPR. He was a reporter for a Dallas newspaper and was on assignment at the airport. Waiting for Kennedy’s plane to land, he asked the Secret Service agents if the bubble top was going to remain in place on the presidential limousine. After checking with the weather service, they determined that it was okay to remove the top.
Lehrer’s newest book “Top Down: A Novel of the Kennedy Assassination” refers to the president’s official car and a fictional secret service agent who rides along with the President on that day.
Lehrer discussed his book during the interview, as well as, discussing how the assassination changed reporting. Journalists from that point on have been very aware that the next phone call could usher in unimaginable changes in world events and world history.
With the approaching 50th anniversary of the assassination, “Top Down” will probably be of interest to older as well as youngr readers. Our copy arrived today, October 10.