I was in my temporary purgatory - a tincan in WESTPAC when a flash cleartext message came in on the HICOM circuit. It simply said "TO ALLPACFLT. GENERAL QUARTERS."

We remained buttoned up in our various GQ watch stations for what seemed to be a lifetime, knowing past any doubt that we were finally into WWIII and worrying over the uncountable possibilities that existed. We worried about our families back in the States and what in the hell was happening.

Eventually the CO came on the 1MC and announced that Kennedy had been shot. Mixed emotions - no doubt a horrible shock that the President had been shot, but at least we had some comfort that we weren't into WWIII or that our families had been bombed into oblivion.

Maybe another hour, the CO came back on the 1MC and announced that Kennedy was dead, LBJ was sworn in as our President, and CNO announced that this was not some act of war by a foreign power.

Again, undoubtedly more grief mixed with a ton of relief that our families and our Country were safe.

Now, I swear - the most stunning moment of my life then occurred - even to this day ....

We secured from GQ and the CO called for all officers not on watch to assemble in the wardroom. We anticipated some TS update that he had received over the radio circuits that contained more information on what had really happened that day in Dallas.

Yes, he did add a couple of bits of information - essentially trivia in the bigger scheme of what was happening to our world at the moment.

Then he said - and I quote - "Well, if they had to shoot a president, then they got the right one, but if they had to shoot a Kennedy, they got the wrong one!"

My personal politics are significantly different than those espoused by any of the three Kennedy brothers - but the thought of that particular remark still makes me sick to my stomach.

This CO went on the retire out as a VADM.