Bob's Blog: The Kennedy Assassination, 50 years later

By: Bob Schieffer

DALLAS -- It's hard to believe we're closing in on the 50th anniversary of John F. Kennedy's assassination.
When the news broke 50 years ago that the President had been killed, I was working on the city desk at the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Every phone in the newsroom was ringing. I answered one and a woman said, "Is there anyone who can give me a ride to Dallas?" I couldn't believe it. "Lady," I replied, "We're not running a taxi service here. And besides, the President has been shot!" And she said, "Yes, I heard it on the radio. I think my son is the one they've arrested." It was Lee Harvey Oswald's mother. I drove her over to the police station and got the first interview with her. It was quite a drive.

We have some great programing lined up this weekend in conjunction with the anniversary. "As it Happened: John F. Kennedy 50 years" is a special we've been working on for some time now that will air on CBS at 9pm ET/PT Saturday, then we'll follow it up Sunday with "Face the Nation" live from the Texas School Book depository, which is now the Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza in Dallas.

Sunday morning on "Face the Nation," I'm going to speak with Luci Baines Johnson Turpin, Lyndon Johnson's youngest daughter. Luci was sixteen when the President was shot, and she has never spoken publicly about the assassination - but now she'll talk all about how this impacted her family and what it was like that day. I'll also speak with Hugh Aynesworth, who was a Dallas Morning News reporter covering President Kennedy's Dallas trip. Aynesworth was in Dealey Plaza when the shots rang out on November 22nd, 1963. He is the only reporter who was present for Kennedy's shooting, the arrest of Lee Harvey Oswald, and the shooting of Oswald by Jack Ruby. We'll also have Mike Cochran, a former Associated Press correspondent who was enlisted to carry Oswald's coffin from the hearse to the gravesite when he covered the funeral.

Plus, we'll talk to a group of top historians about how this event changed the country and the presidency -- Douglas Brinkley, Thurston Clarke, and Larry Sabato. And we'll joined by Harvard University's David Gergen and Peggy Noonan of the Wall Street Journal.

Hope you'll join me Saturday at 9/8c for "As it Happened: John F. Kennedy 50 years" and for "Face the Nation" on Sunday. I'll anchor "Face the Nation" live from the very place Lee Harvey Oswald fired the shot that killed President Kennedy - the former Texas School Book Depository in Dallas. Be sure to check your local listings.