My Papa and JFK!

November 22, 1963: President John F. Kennedy Shot In Dallas, Texas, USA!

The headline above is not even a vague memory for me. I had not even been conceived when that event happened. The only memory that Twin and I have of that day are the recollections that our parents shared with us many years after the tragedy occurred.

Both our father and our mother were born in Greece and emigrated to the USA after the birth of our oldest brother. They lived here as resident aliens and neither of them were naturalized. They returned to Greece, their homeland, after our father retired from his job. All of our brothers returned with them except for Twin and myself.

John F. Kennedy inspired Papa as a presidential candidate and after he was elected into office. We do remember an enlarged photograph of our father addressing voters in our Greek Orthodox church parish hall urging them to support President Kennedy. Although neither of our parents were eligible to vote, Papa was an active supporter of Kennedy and the Democratic party within our Greek community.

Growing up, every year on November 22, we all recall our father’s lamenting his assassination and remembering the many reasons he admired the man. Many times we made family trips to visit Kennedy’s gravesite in Arlington National Cemetery.

Naked hugs!

Roger Poladopoulos/ReNude Pride

Author’s Note: The next post entry planned for here is Friday, November 25, 2022, and the proposed topic is: “Interview: The Nubian-Ikigai!”