Another anniversary...
The date - November 22 - brings sad memories of President John F. Kennedy.
My actual vivid recollection was in downtown San Diego when Senator Kennedy came to California, campaigning for the highest office.
It was 1960 and I was a 21-year old former Marine Corps photographer who had just started as an older freshman at the University of San Diego.
Some buddies and I skipped classes and went downtown to see this young candidate.
Of course, I had a camera with me and stood at the back of the large crowd that had turned out in this basically Republican city.
A few months before, I was at Camp Lejeune, N.C. as a Corporal E-4, trying on my new civvies before my discharge and heading home to Charleston.
USD had offered me a photography scholarship and I jumped at the chance to be the first one in my family to attend college!
As a designated Marine Combat Photographer, I was not shy about moving up through the crowd to get closer to the candidate.
I've told this story before that I looked up at a policeman on the raised platform and held up my camera.
I told him I was the official photographer from the University of San Diego and wanted to be up there for better photos.
He had no problem with that and gave me a hand up.
I was now standing on the end of the platform with a great view of the crowd, the dignitaries, and the candidate himself.
Waited until he stretched out his left arm to make a point and turned his body and face in my direction.
"Click."
As he finished his speech, Senator Kennedy was applauded and I hopped down to street level to photograph him coming down the steps, shaking hands. Got a few more photos as someone threw confetti.
As I said, I was a newcomer to San Diego, trying to adjust my military mind to civilian activities.
I recall I was wearing my USD windbreaker that day which no doubt helped the police officer decide I was not a threat.
Back on campus, I watched the candidate's debate and generally was in tune with supporting the Catholic candidate.
I mean, it was an 11-year old Catholic University and I was an eligible voter. There was a separate College For Men and a College for Women with the beautiful Immaculata Chapel situated between the two.
The year after I graduated, the colleges combined and it was a true University, also with a School of Law, and a large seminary.
With my photography background, I started to visit the downtown newspaper, the Union-Tribune and made sure to stop in the Photo Lab to chat with the staffers there. And the boss.
About a year later, I was hired to be a lab tech and wire photo operator.
After six months working inside the lab, I was sent out on assignments and became a staff photographer.
In 1963 I was part of a team dispersed around San Diego to cover the arrival of President Kennedy.
He was to receive an honorary degree from San Diego State and be the commencement speaker.
With Secret Service approval and our newspaper credentials, we photographers and reporters swarmed all over State's campus and along the route of the Presidential motorcade in and out of the city.
I had a plum assignment.
Here I was again, on the left side of JFK, using a long lens to capture the moment and the happy June graduation crowd.
The President flew to Dallas five months later.
As I said, I have posted my photos of the candidate and, later, the President on my blog before.
I'll probably share them again in the future.
(Click on the photos for more details.)
Thanks for sharing these memories.
Labels: Democratic Party candidate Kennedy, JFK, Marine Corps combat photographer, President John F. Kennedy, USD
I was 21 ....an older college freshman
The University of San Diego was founded in 1949 and, 11 years later, I found it in 1960.
Had just finished my 3.5 years as a U.S.Marine combat photographer and was still getting used to wearing civvies.
I gratefully had accepted a scholarship at the young University as the school's first "official" photographer. The 1961 yearbook was the first for the school.
One of the first people I photographed was Senator John F. Kennedy, who had come to San Diego in 1960, campaigning to become President of the United States of America.
Just a few weeks before, I had packed up all my darkroom gear, movie camera, and Rolleiflex, left Charleston, South Carolina and headed West.
A few fellow freshmen joined me when I suggested, "
let's go see the next U.S.President."
Of course, I had my camera with me as we pushed through the crowd downtown to get closer to the platform set up on Broadway.
I recall that 56 years ago, I looked up at a policeman on the platform, told him I was the official photographer at the University, and asked if he could give me a hand getting up on the stage. The officer did.
Today is the 53rd anniversary of the assassination of the President and I have used my photo of the young man often in this blog.
Three years later, I was assigned to take his picture - as President Kennedy - when he accepted an honorary degree from San Diego State University and gave the Commencement address.
Then I was a staff photographer for the San Diego Union-Tribune newspaper and really had actual credentials to be there with my camera.
He made his fateful trip to Dallas five months later.
I went back to USD on the 45th anniversary of my graduation.
One of the fellows who had gone downtown with me to "see the Presidental candidate" was at the reunion and we talked about that afternoon.
That was a joyful day in 1960 and one to remember.
Thanks for reading this and sharing my memory of seeing the President - twice.
Labels: downtown San Diego, JFK, President Kennedy, Sen Kennedy, USD
52nd Anniversary Coming Up In A Few Days...
Next Sunday marks the
52nd anniversary of JFK being assassinated in Dallas, Texas.
Shot dead as he rode in a motorcade on his way to another Texas speaking engagement in "
Big D."
Earlier he had addressed a crowd in Fort Worth, drumming up support for his re-election to a second term as President of the United States.
The leader of the world's strongest country, who had faced down the Russians, defusing the brink of war scenario during the Cuban Missile Crisis, wanted to finish many programs he had started..
This particular picture I took in 1960 in San Diego, when he was Senator Kennedy, campaigning against Richard Nixon, to become President.
I was a young college student, just out of the Marine Corps, who had packed up cameras and darkroom equipment and headed west from South Carolina to be the first in my family to attend college.
I had been offered a Photography Scholarship by the young University of San Diego, a Catholic school only 11 years old.
I set up my studio and darkroom downstairs in the College For Men building.
Naturally I carried my camera with me as a few fellow students and I went downtown to hear the Presidential hopeful speak.
I thought
"Oh, what the hell," and worked my way to the front of the crowd and showed my student ID to a police officer standing on the raised platform.
"I'm the University's official photographer and would like to come up there to take some pictures."
He just nodded and gave me a hand up.
It was a simpler
time and everyone was more trusting and helpful.
I positioned myself and waited for the moment Senator Kennedy would turn my way while making a point.
Three years later, while still attending classes at the University, I was a staff photographer for the daily metro San Diego Union - Tribune newspaper and wanted very much to be part of the paper's team that covered this 1963 return visit.
We had staff all over the place.
Reporters and photographers were at Lindbergh
Field airport, the several caravans, the area around where he was to speak at the San Diego State College, as well as with the President later in the day as he was offshore, observing military maneuvers.
I got a plum assignment about as close to the President as we could get with our press credentials.
Practically
onstage with him
, I was able to get good photos from his left side as he gave the Commencement speech.
JFK also received
an honorary degree from SDSU that day in June.
Just 5 months later, he made that fateful journey to Texas.
So, each year - about this time - I recall those two times I photographed
the President.
Well, technically, once as Senator and then later, as President.
The first time all I needed was my student ID card and a helpful hand up by a burly police officer.
The paper submitted paperwork far in advance of the 1963 visit.
And several weeks went by as, I guess, we were screened by the Secret Service before credentials were issued.
I look back on those days in the sixties, in San Diego, working for the major newspaper with a camera in hand, taking pictures of people in high places and also those not so high.
In 1965 I covered the morning press conference by the Fab Four, the
Beatles before their only concert in San Diego.
I had photographed LBJ as he campaigned to be
elected to the high office of President.
I took pictures of the Dog Of The Week to help families adopt a special pet that needed a home.
Often I caught a humorous view of life that, I hope, caused a pause and a chuckle.
Even today, in retirement, I keep my camera handy and look for moments that need to be captured and presented.
I have found that one secret of a spectacular photo is to be in a very photogenic area.
Like Niagara Falls, or the Grand Canyon, monuments in Budapest or yellow trolleys in Lisbon, Portugal. Perhaps a sunset over the water at Folly Beach.
Travel photography gives me many, many opportunities to present something out of the ordinary.
Retirement is what you make of it.
I'm not one for being a couch potato, watching tv for hours nor easing down into a rocking chair.
I try to be around positive, upbeat people who enjoy life and make a point of giving enjoyment to others.
Which is probably why I try to attend many live music concerts.
Those talented performers know the value of doing a good job, playing their best, for an appreciative audience.
I try to get as close to the stage as possible and a lot of my music pictures show up on this blog.
Thanks for stopping by and sharing my memories.
(Click on the photos and links for more details.)
If you wish to make a comment, please do so.
Now, Charleston, get ready for a change in the weather.
Winter is again heading down South. Brrr.
Labels: 52nd anniversary, candidate Senator Jack Kennedy, Dallas Assassination, Fab Four, JFK, POTUS, The Beatles, Wintry weather
45 Years Ago.....
I was going through my photo files and came across this photo I took in 1963.
President Kennedy flew into our seaside city to speak at graduation and receive an honorary degree at San Diego State. This was about 5 months before he went to Dallas.
As I recall, we had to go through lengthy procedures and it took several weeks for the
Union-Tribune newspapers to obtain clearance and credentials to cover the event.
In the 1960 Presidential campaign, when I was a college student on a photography scholarship at the University of San Diego, I asked a policeman if I could climb up on the platform while Senator Kennedy spoke before a huge downtown crowd.
He said
"Sure, let me give you a hand."
Labels: 1963, Dallas, JFK, November 22, President Kennedy, San Diego State, USD
USMC : Photography = College Scholarship
Being a Marine Corps photog paid off big time! Toting around a camera during my military "career" for 4 years enabled me to be the first in the family to attend college.
In 1959 I had flown to MCRD in San Diego for a week with the Camp Lejeune, N.C. Marine varsity football team. I traveled as the team photographer, NOT as a player! The late 1950s were peaceful and many very good college athletes had enlisted as reservists meaning there were lots of young, talented players in the various services then. And rivalries developed.
As my East Coast team prepared to play against the Marine Corps Recruit Depot varsity team, they had to practice each day but I was free to roam around this pretty, laid-back southern California town that was similar to my seaside Charleston.
Eventually I looked up a priest who had taught me in high school and now was a History Professor at the young (11-year old) Catholic university. He introduced me to some of the senior faculty and he suggested that since they had no photographer maybe I would be a good candidate. I was experienced, had my own equipment, was now very interested in starting college and was about to end my enlistment in the Corps.
I accepted an offer of a photography scholarship to the University of San Diego and, as soon as I was discharged in 1960, I packed up my cameras and darkroom equipment and flew west. The sun-bleached blonde young man who met my plane and drove me up to the campus in his vintage "woody" asked if I were a surfer. I said I had body surfed at Folly Beach in South Carolina. He smirked.
So now I was a former Marine and a freshman in college, slightly older than my peers.
I started this photography blog two months ago and several people commented on the picture I posted of John F. Kennedy. Like me, they appreciated the crisp combination of the large, excited crowd and the speaker with his familiar face turned toward me. This was Senator Kennedy in the 1960 campaign and he had drawn a huge audience downtown in this supposedly Republican city.
With a few pals from the University, I pushed my way toward the platform and showing my USD student ID card, said I was the school's photographer and could I come up on the platform. Times were REALLY more simple then and I was given a quick ok by the policeman and I found myself in a great photo location.
A few years later, several months before he was shot in Dallas, I was a staff photographer with the daily newspaper and photographed President Kennedy again in San Diego. It took two weeks to obtain credentials this time through the Secret Service and the President's Press office. Times weren't as simple then.
Labels: body surfer, Camp Lejeune, Folly Beach, JFK, Marine Corps photographer, MCRD, President Kennedy, USD, woody wagon Washout Area
