GREEN BAY, Wis. (WBAY) – Wednesday marks 60 years since President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in downtown Dallas.
A local man recently revealed his connection to the late president, but only told a few people about it. This is a story about a letter John F. Kennedy received from the White House as a boy the day after he was shot in Dallas.
Darrell Barnett, executive director of the Automobile Gallery of Green Bay, has a keen sense of history. And much of that likely has to do with what happened in his second-grade classroom 60 years ago.
“Like most people, I don’t remember much about being 7 years old, but I do remember clearly the day Mrs. Courtney, the principal, came into the room and told me the president had been shot. I remember.” Darrell.
Scared and sad, Darrell and the rest of the students were quickly sent home.
“His popularity as president was initially shocking to everyone,” Darrell said.
When Darrell returned home to his family’s farm in Illinois, he found his mother sad.
“The nation was in shock. It took a long time for the nation to get over it because there was new news every day,” said Darrell’s mother, Dorothy Barnett.
The next morning, Darrell remembers sitting on the couch, his eyes glued to the television and the coverage of President Kennedy’s death. Then he felt his mother tap him on the shoulder.
“And she just said, this is in the mail for you… and I remember just opening it and staring at it,” Darrell said. “It’s something that will be with me for the rest of my days.”
Just a month ago, Darrell surprised his parents by telling them he was writing a letter to the president.
“You know, what would you say to the president, what would a 7-year-old say to the president,” Darrell said. “Something that was going on in the world at the time must have fascinated me, because I remember sitting on the couch in my living room and writing letters with an old pencil on lined paper. And that’s how it was. It’s much deeper than “How are you? I’m fine,” which young people often write. Remember, this is the first letter I’ve written in my life. Because it was written to the leader of the free world.
Staring at the television and the letter, Darrell couldn’t believe what he was holding.
“I’m sure my parents conditioned me to not expect a response. When I think back, he was already receiving thousands of letters a week, so he would send them back.” How incredible it was for me to even think that might be the case,”’ Darrell said.
The letter was hand-typed on November 13, 1963 and postmarked on November 21, the day before JFK’s assassination.
“Dear Darrell, thank you for your letter to the President. He will evaluate your ideas in writing and wish you the best of luck. Evelyn Lincoln, Personal Secretary to the President, best regards.”
After storing the letter in his room for years, Darrell finally framed it. What he appreciates most is the letter’s brevity and the way it condenses the state of the world at the time.
“There was no pomp, no atmosphere, no coat of arms. Envelopes said ‘White House,’ stationery said ‘White House.’ Pure, simple, direct, important.” “I did,” Darrell said.
And it means more to Darrell now than ever.
“Knowing that this was one of the last happy moments of his life will stay in my heart forever,” he said.
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