[BC] President Kennedy

[richardbrianjohnson at verizon.net]

In the Autumn of 1963, President Kennedy gave a speech at Amherst College, dedicating the new Robert Frost library. I was there, providing an audio feed for the CBS radio network. At the time, I was the chief engineer of WACE in Chicopee, a flagship station for the network.

NBC was providing live coverage for television. NBC's video feed worked fine, but their audio didn't. I volunteered to provide the audio because there were no announcers or commercials from the site, only an amplified live microphone. This was a perfect feed for the audio. The audio signal was patched by AT&T test board and went all the way to New York.

Because of my dedication, a NBC reporter obtained for me a credential badge that allowed me to meet the President after his talk. I met him with these reporters at the Gas Light lounge overlooking Amherst common. I shook his hand and ate a chicken salad sandwich - all in a day's work.

Barely a month later, I was laying on my back in WACE's parking lot, replacing a CV joint on my '57 Ford station wagon when I heard "ten bells" from the UPI news wire. I ran into the station and read from the teletype. President Kennedy had been shot. I tore the paper from the teletype and burst into the control room, interrupting Jack Pudney's "Jazz 63" program. We were the first in the Springfield area with the bad news. I shall always remember that day. I will always remember the prevarications of the Warren Report as well.
 
 Cheers,
Richard B. Johnson
http://www.AbominableFirebug.com