America commemorates 50th anniversary of President John Kennedy's assassination

Church bells rang out and thousands of people, braving the cold rain, lined up along the entrance to Dealey Plaza.

On November 22 (US time), people across the United States held ceremonies to commemorate the 50th anniversary of President John F. Kennedy’s assassination (November 22, 1963-November 22, 2013). Flags were flown at half-mast at all government buildings to commemorate the 35th president of the United States who is still admired by many people today.

At 11:30 a.m. (local time), the exact moment President Kennedy was assassinated 50 years ago, an official memorial service took place in Dallas, Texas. Church bells rang and thousands of people, despite the cold rain, lined up along the entrance to Dealey Plaza, the site of the assassination, and observed a moment of silence to remember the ill-fated president.

Military cadets at a ceremony to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the assassination of US President Kennedy (photo: PA)

Speaking at the ceremony, Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings said: “Half a century ago, when hope and hatred clashed right here in Dallas, we witnessed the nightmare that took the life of President Kennedy right before our eyes.”

After the official ceremony in Dallas, memorial activities were also held in many localities across the United States, especially in places associated with Mr. Kennedy's life and career.

Coming to power at the age of 43 and at the height of the Cold War, but with a profound and correct vision, President Kennedy helped the United States achieve many important achievements both in foreign and domestic affairs. He negotiated with the Soviet Union the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty and was also the first US president during the Cold War to mention the Soviet Union as a rival that the US needed to compete peacefully with, instead of an enemy that needed to be defeated militarily.

“If the assassination had not happened, history might have changed to some extent,” said Douglas Ducharme, a resident of Toronto who attended the memorial service. “Mr. Kennedy was a different president than I had ever seen before. I believe that if his life had not ended early, Mr. Kennedy would have led the country for two terms.”

Despite his short tenure, President Kennedy was an inspiration to many Americans. Kathy Dumbravo, a memorial attendee, said: “President Kennedy was one of the reasons I wanted to be a science teacher. I grew up hearing his famous quote that we were going to go to the moon and it came true.”

Earlier, President Obama and former President Bill Clinton laid wreaths at President Kennedy's grave at Arlington National Cemetery.

The assassination of Mr. Kennedy 50 years ago was one of the darkest events in American history, shocking the whole world. Perhaps the exact motive of the assassination will forever remain a mystery because the only suspect, Lee Harvey Oswald, was also murdered just 2 days later. Until now, many people still doubt the conclusion of the agency in charge of investigating the case. Even US Secretary of State John Kerry, in an interview with the press on November 14, said that he was skeptical about the possibility that suspect Oswald acted alone./.

According to VOV