JFK

President John F. Kennedy's assassination is an unforgettable part of Dallas' history.Nearly 54 years later, scholars and enthusiasts alike are still processing details from that fateful drive through Dealey Plaza now that the remaining investigation files have been unsealed. For the 50th anniversary in 2013, KERA produced special stories and reports from the commemoration:The 50th: Remembering John F. Kennedy was KERA's live, two-hour special covering the official commemoration event at Dealey Plaza in Dallas on Nov. 22, 2013. Hosted by Krys Boyd and Shelley Kofler, the special includes reports from KERA reporters before the ceremony begins. Listen to the special here.Bells tolled across the city, and the event featured historian David McCullough, who read from Kennedy’s presidential speeches; Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings; religious leaders; the U.S. Naval Academy Men’s Glee Club; and a moment of silence. Read highlights from the event from KERA's live blog from that day.Throughout the month, KERA posted an online series called 22 Days In November, which takes a closer look at that fateful day, what it meant to the country and how it affected Dallas.We shared stories and memories in a series called “JFK Voices.” Explore our archives below.

JFK Voices: Lowering The Flag At 12 Years Old

KERA | By Lyndsay Knecht

Published November 19, 2013 at 2:00 PM CST

This flag in Dealey Plaza, where JFK was assassinated, still flies at half-mast.

As the anniversary of JFK’s assassination grows closer, so do the memories of people in Dallas who welcomed the president to the city where he would die. Many of them were children, who went back to school after hearing the news of Kennedy's death -- their distraught parents didn't know what else to do but take them back. Howard Weiner was one of those kids. He was 12 – a crossing guard for his 7^th grade class. His dad insisted Howard not miss school on the morning of November 22, 1963, but his mom picked him up and took him to Love Field to greet President Kennedy.

Interview highlights

On how he heard President Kennedy died

We left Love Field and went down the street, and lunch at Prince of Hamburgers. While we were there, a woman in the car next to us seemed to be acting just totally weird. We finally got the windows down to see what her problem was, and she informed us that the president had been shot. By the time I arrived back at school, we’d learned that the president had died.

On his sense of duty as a 7th-grade crossing guard

I was taken back to school because we didn’t know what else to do. I did tell the principal that I was going back outside to lower the flag to half-staff.