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We Were There: Revelations from the Dallas Doctors Who Attended to JFK on November 22, 1963
There are few days in American history so immortalized in public memory as November 22, 1963, the date of President John F. Kennedy’s assassination. Adding to the wealth of information about this tragic day is We Were There, a truly unique collection of firsthand accounts from the doctors and staff on scene at the hospital where JFK was immediately taken after he was shot.With the help of his former fellow staff members at Parkland Memorial Hospital, Dr. Allen Childs recreates the horrific day, from the president’s arrival in Dallas to the public announcement of his death. Childs presents a multifaceted and sentimental reflection on the day and its aftermath.In addition to detailing the sequence of events that transpired around JFK’s death, We Were There offers memories of the First Lady, insights on conspiracy theories revolving around the president’s assassination, and recollections of the death of Lee Harvey Oswald, who succumbed two days later in the same hospital where his own victim was pronounced dead.A compelling, emotional read, We Were There pays tribute to a critical event in American modern history—and to a man whose death was mourned like no other.
194 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 1, 2013
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 57 reviews
April 15, 2017
We Were There...
I think this is my first five star rating this year. It's a bit of an odd book, I'm not sure why I liked it so much but I did and I'm stingy with my stars as a rule.
I guess you have to be mildly interested in the subject, perhaps if you haven't read too much about it or are too young to remember it you might have to look up a lot of things. I had a big JFK phase as a teenager. This is one of the only books I've read that isn't obsessed with a conspiracy theory, or puking out recycled chunks (usually out of context) from the Warren report, or touting some smug "new" theory by a Google search author with a massive ego.
It's just personal accounts from talented and caring medical professionals, the shock and personal horror they felt as they desperately tried to revive a much revered man. Emergency Rooms are always chaotic but these people still handled the ultimate in chaos, despite living in Texas and having seen many gunshot wounds and professionally knowing he was gone. It's amazing to read a couple of chapters later, whatever personal feelings they may have had about the presidential assassination, they tried equally hard to save the life of Lee Harvey Oswald because that's just what they do.
Their accounts of Mrs Kennedy's gracious conduct are beautiful albeit heartbreaking. I do personally believe she was as beautiful and kind as she's reported to be, but in many other books her grace and poise often comes across as slick writing for effect but again, these stories seem so much more real than the big name books.
Nobody will ever really know what happened to Kennedy. whatever went on the hospital staff are the real heroes of that awful day and after that awful day, they went back to work, scrubbed up and saved thousands more people who didn't happen to be a president. I'm glad Dr Allen decided to tell their stories, without bias or pointless conspiracy distractions.
There are a few technical issues with the reproduced documents on kindle, which normally drives me nuts but I overlooked it in this case because it was so worth reading.
I think this is my first five star rating this year. It's a bit of an odd book, I'm not sure why I liked it so much but I did and I'm stingy with my stars as a rule.
I guess you have to be mildly interested in the subject, perhaps if you haven't read too much about it or are too young to remember it you might have to look up a lot of things. I had a big JFK phase as a teenager. This is one of the only books I've read that isn't obsessed with a conspiracy theory, or puking out recycled chunks (usually out of context) from the Warren report, or touting some smug "new" theory by a Google search author with a massive ego.
It's just personal accounts from talented and caring medical professionals, the shock and personal horror they felt as they desperately tried to revive a much revered man. Emergency Rooms are always chaotic but these people still handled the ultimate in chaos, despite living in Texas and having seen many gunshot wounds and professionally knowing he was gone. It's amazing to read a couple of chapters later, whatever personal feelings they may have had about the presidential assassination, they tried equally hard to save the life of Lee Harvey Oswald because that's just what they do.
Their accounts of Mrs Kennedy's gracious conduct are beautiful albeit heartbreaking. I do personally believe she was as beautiful and kind as she's reported to be, but in many other books her grace and poise often comes across as slick writing for effect but again, these stories seem so much more real than the big name books.
Nobody will ever really know what happened to Kennedy. whatever went on the hospital staff are the real heroes of that awful day and after that awful day, they went back to work, scrubbed up and saved thousands more people who didn't happen to be a president. I'm glad Dr Allen decided to tell their stories, without bias or pointless conspiracy distractions.
There are a few technical issues with the reproduced documents on kindle, which normally drives me nuts but I overlooked it in this case because it was so worth reading.
June 14, 2017
Serendipity. Sometimes we find ourselves in the right place at the right time. However, with the events that this book so (almost) vividly describes, we wonder if karma really had a reason for these doctors to be there on that dark November Friday afternoon over fifty years ago.
As we all know by now, President Kennedy was shot dead during a motorcade through downtown Dallas, Texas. I am not going to go into an in-depth analysis of the various theories behind his death here, just to say that from the severity of the wounds, there was just no way anyone could survive it. He had to have died instantly upon the firing of the fatal (or third) shot.
This is where this book begins. There is no moment-by-moment (i.e. Manchester's "Death of a President") recreation of the motorcade followed by a scholarly (i.e. Bugliosi's "Four Days in November") minutely rendered reinterpretation of the firing of each bullet. We begin in the lunchroom and various classrooms of Dallas' Parkland Hospital as each of the various participants of John F. Kennedy's Passion Play are called by various methods to assemble in the Emergency Room to await the arrival of the Presidential Limousine.
What has always been mind-boggling to me is the fact that the presidential party was only within the walls of Parkland's Emergency Room for less than a half hour (the limousine pulled up at the ambulance bays at 12:36 P. M. and the pronouncement of death occurred at approximately 1:00 P. M.)before the wheels of governmental transition were set in motion. The events that took place inside the walls of this hospital have been told countless times over. I guess I just always felt it was more drawn out than it really was, but it's more like if you blink you'll miss it.
The recollections of these doctors is somewhat morbidly fascinating. How they can recollect instances from over a quarter of a century ago thrills me in a way that in a sense I am ashamed of. Their statements on the various bodily wounds should get many assassination scholars attention. It should be said that the Emergency Room that was there on that fated Friday and the actual Trauma Room One where JFK was pronounced dead are both no longer in existence. Where they once located has now become the X-Ray Department, though there is a plaque on the wall denoting just where the trauma room once stood.
In conclusion, this was an amazing book on a not very well known subtopic of this infamous event and the various individuals that unknowingly were placed in the midst of a pivotal time in modern 20th Century American History.
This is nothing short of an INVALUABLE addition to the canon of materials about November 22, 1963.
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN 2013.
As we all know by now, President Kennedy was shot dead during a motorcade through downtown Dallas, Texas. I am not going to go into an in-depth analysis of the various theories behind his death here, just to say that from the severity of the wounds, there was just no way anyone could survive it. He had to have died instantly upon the firing of the fatal (or third) shot.
This is where this book begins. There is no moment-by-moment (i.e. Manchester's "Death of a President") recreation of the motorcade followed by a scholarly (i.e. Bugliosi's "Four Days in November") minutely rendered reinterpretation of the firing of each bullet. We begin in the lunchroom and various classrooms of Dallas' Parkland Hospital as each of the various participants of John F. Kennedy's Passion Play are called by various methods to assemble in the Emergency Room to await the arrival of the Presidential Limousine.
What has always been mind-boggling to me is the fact that the presidential party was only within the walls of Parkland's Emergency Room for less than a half hour (the limousine pulled up at the ambulance bays at 12:36 P. M. and the pronouncement of death occurred at approximately 1:00 P. M.)before the wheels of governmental transition were set in motion. The events that took place inside the walls of this hospital have been told countless times over. I guess I just always felt it was more drawn out than it really was, but it's more like if you blink you'll miss it.
The recollections of these doctors is somewhat morbidly fascinating. How they can recollect instances from over a quarter of a century ago thrills me in a way that in a sense I am ashamed of. Their statements on the various bodily wounds should get many assassination scholars attention. It should be said that the Emergency Room that was there on that fated Friday and the actual Trauma Room One where JFK was pronounced dead are both no longer in existence. Where they once located has now become the X-Ray Department, though there is a plaque on the wall denoting just where the trauma room once stood.
In conclusion, this was an amazing book on a not very well known subtopic of this infamous event and the various individuals that unknowingly were placed in the midst of a pivotal time in modern 20th Century American History.
This is nothing short of an INVALUABLE addition to the canon of materials about November 22, 1963.
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN 2013.
October 29, 2013
This review is from an "Advance Reading Copy"
This is a book that was long overdue, much as last year's book from Clint Hill, detailing the Secret Service perspective of the assassination of JFK.
To have the written and spoken accounts of the Doctors of Parkland hospital, who rendered aid to the President, is invaluable and disturbing to the reader intrigued by the events leading up to and after the shooting of JFK.
There are differences in the retelling, as memory is wont to produce, but each vignette is chilling and compelling.
I believe this should be on the shelf of everyone interested in the details of the assassination, as well as students of history.
This is a book that was long overdue, much as last year's book from Clint Hill, detailing the Secret Service perspective of the assassination of JFK.
To have the written and spoken accounts of the Doctors of Parkland hospital, who rendered aid to the President, is invaluable and disturbing to the reader intrigued by the events leading up to and after the shooting of JFK.
There are differences in the retelling, as memory is wont to produce, but each vignette is chilling and compelling.
I believe this should be on the shelf of everyone interested in the details of the assassination, as well as students of history.
February 21, 2014
"You aren’t going to believe this, but the president’s been shot and they’re bringing him to the emergency room.”
As expected, the fiftieth anniversary of the assassination of President Kennedy saw a flood of new material published on everything from his personal life and early political career, to the presidency as well as the assassination itself. This only serves to demonstrate how unquestionably difficult it has become to find anything new to write (or read) about JFK. However, among the many titles released this year, a handful of books have approached the subject with some originality. One of these is We Were There: Revelations from the Dallas Doctors who Attended to JFK on November 22, 1963, by Allen Childs, MD.
Just as historian Robert Dallek provided new insight into Kennedy’s numerous medical issues in An Unfinished Life, and retired Secret Service personnel provided their own accounts of the assassination in both The Kennedy Detail as well as this year’s Five Days in November, Dr. Childs (who was at Parkland Memorial Hospital that day) utilizes Warren Commission testimonies, oral history transcripts from the Sixth Floor Museum, as well as the personal recollections of the medical staff at Parkland to provide a detailed examination of their desperate attempts to save both President Kennedy as well as his assassin, Lee Harvey Oswald, just two days later.
There is a great deal of information here for both veteran JFK “buffs” as well as others who may simply be commemorating the anniversary. Some of the highlights include: JFK wearing a back brace and bandage around his lower back and pelvis for support that day; the exit wound at Kennedy’s throat being incidentally obscured by doctors as they performed a tracheotomy; the doctors being so preoccupied with the President’s other wounds, they never turned him over to see the entrance wound on his upper back (later discovered at Bethesda Naval Hospital), as well as the standoff between Dr. Earl Rose (Dallas County Medical Examiner) and Secret Service Agent Roy Kellerman over the President's body and where the autopsy would take place, which caused a break in the all important chain of custody.
Although the writing can at times be a bit dry (they are doctors, after all), We Were There remains a book that clearly adds to our knowledge and understanding of the enormously significant but often overlooked events that immediately followed President Kennedy's assassination.
As expected, the fiftieth anniversary of the assassination of President Kennedy saw a flood of new material published on everything from his personal life and early political career, to the presidency as well as the assassination itself. This only serves to demonstrate how unquestionably difficult it has become to find anything new to write (or read) about JFK. However, among the many titles released this year, a handful of books have approached the subject with some originality. One of these is We Were There: Revelations from the Dallas Doctors who Attended to JFK on November 22, 1963, by Allen Childs, MD.
Just as historian Robert Dallek provided new insight into Kennedy’s numerous medical issues in An Unfinished Life, and retired Secret Service personnel provided their own accounts of the assassination in both The Kennedy Detail as well as this year’s Five Days in November, Dr. Childs (who was at Parkland Memorial Hospital that day) utilizes Warren Commission testimonies, oral history transcripts from the Sixth Floor Museum, as well as the personal recollections of the medical staff at Parkland to provide a detailed examination of their desperate attempts to save both President Kennedy as well as his assassin, Lee Harvey Oswald, just two days later.
There is a great deal of information here for both veteran JFK “buffs” as well as others who may simply be commemorating the anniversary. Some of the highlights include: JFK wearing a back brace and bandage around his lower back and pelvis for support that day; the exit wound at Kennedy’s throat being incidentally obscured by doctors as they performed a tracheotomy; the doctors being so preoccupied with the President’s other wounds, they never turned him over to see the entrance wound on his upper back (later discovered at Bethesda Naval Hospital), as well as the standoff between Dr. Earl Rose (Dallas County Medical Examiner) and Secret Service Agent Roy Kellerman over the President's body and where the autopsy would take place, which caused a break in the all important chain of custody.
Although the writing can at times be a bit dry (they are doctors, after all), We Were There remains a book that clearly adds to our knowledge and understanding of the enormously significant but often overlooked events that immediately followed President Kennedy's assassination.
November 3, 2013
We Were There: Revelations from the Dallas Doctors Who Attended to JFK on November 22,1963 by Allen Childs, MD is 2013 release, published by Skyhorse Publishing.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher and Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
"It is said that the mastery of traumatic memory follows a course in which the trauma keeps intruding into consciousness until it is processed into less painful, less jagged, recollection. Curiously, highly pleasurable experiences keep intruding in the same way. By now we hope we have mastered the raw emotion of the time, but WHEN am I going to stop tearing up when I see the images of those hours?"
The images of JFK being assassinated is burned into our minds even if we not even alive at the time. I personally have been fascinated with this period in history for many years and have read countless books and watched countless documentaries concerning conspiracy theories etc. This book is the first of it's kind that I'm aware of. As we approach the 50th anniversary of the death of JFK, it amazes me that the doctors have the most incredible and vivid recollections of that day.
This a collection of these doctor's memories. They know where they were, what they doing, and those that actually worked on the president recall the efforts to save his life and what procedures they performed. There are heartbreaking stories about the first lady, and some explanations about why certain things were done and why that may have bothered some people, such as why LBJ insisted he would not leave on Air Force One until the president's body was on board. You can kind of see why those decisions were made, even if it went against normal protocol.
There a few excerpts of Arlen Spector's interview with some of the doctors, as well. The author does steer far away from any speculation about who was responsible for the assassination. This book is simply about the doctors and their personal experiences on that day.
Overall this is an interesting collection of memories from the people were actually there that day and saw the situation unfold in real time.
At times the retelling of events were a bit dry. Not all the recollections were interesting. However, for the most part I think you will find the stories give you a sense of how things happened once the president arrived at Parkland Hospital and the extreme shock of an entire nation.
Overall this one gets an A.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher and Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
"It is said that the mastery of traumatic memory follows a course in which the trauma keeps intruding into consciousness until it is processed into less painful, less jagged, recollection. Curiously, highly pleasurable experiences keep intruding in the same way. By now we hope we have mastered the raw emotion of the time, but WHEN am I going to stop tearing up when I see the images of those hours?"
The images of JFK being assassinated is burned into our minds even if we not even alive at the time. I personally have been fascinated with this period in history for many years and have read countless books and watched countless documentaries concerning conspiracy theories etc. This book is the first of it's kind that I'm aware of. As we approach the 50th anniversary of the death of JFK, it amazes me that the doctors have the most incredible and vivid recollections of that day.
This a collection of these doctor's memories. They know where they were, what they doing, and those that actually worked on the president recall the efforts to save his life and what procedures they performed. There are heartbreaking stories about the first lady, and some explanations about why certain things were done and why that may have bothered some people, such as why LBJ insisted he would not leave on Air Force One until the president's body was on board. You can kind of see why those decisions were made, even if it went against normal protocol.
There a few excerpts of Arlen Spector's interview with some of the doctors, as well. The author does steer far away from any speculation about who was responsible for the assassination. This book is simply about the doctors and their personal experiences on that day.
Overall this is an interesting collection of memories from the people were actually there that day and saw the situation unfold in real time.
At times the retelling of events were a bit dry. Not all the recollections were interesting. However, for the most part I think you will find the stories give you a sense of how things happened once the president arrived at Parkland Hospital and the extreme shock of an entire nation.
Overall this one gets an A.
August 31, 2024
With the death of Dr. Robert McClelland, four years ago, there are no longer any doctors alive who tried to save the life of President John F. Kennedy.
Dr. Childs has written an account from all the doctors and medical students at Parkland Hospital in Dallas that historic day. This was their story.
Dr. Childs has written an account from all the doctors and medical students at Parkland Hospital in Dallas that historic day. This was their story.
December 25, 2015
We Were There is an interesting book, for a couple of reasons. It provides eyewitness information as to what happened in the emergency room at Parkland Hospital, and it shows how confusing and chaotic an emergency situation can be, even for those who are used to seeing emergencies. All these people were in the same room, and yet some of their recollections differ slightly from the others.
There was quite a bit of repetition here, sad to say. The room was small and so a lot of the same situations are repeated several times. For instance, one staffer gave the First Lady a glass of water at some point, for which he was thanked. A few other doctors witnessed this, and recounted it in their contributions to this book, which means it was repeated in the text times. This happened with several different stories, which made it rather a numbing read from time to time.
Part of what was fascinating was the collection of photographs included in the book - many of which were taken by one of the medical students (who had skipped a class in order to go to Love Field to see the President and First Lady arrive). The assassination of JFK occurred five years before I was born. I have no first-hand memories of "what I was doing when." These young men know exactly what they were doing - they were trying to save the life of a man who had, for all intents and purposes, died at Dealey Plaza. For that alone, these reminiscences are worth attention.
There was quite a bit of repetition here, sad to say. The room was small and so a lot of the same situations are repeated several times. For instance, one staffer gave the First Lady a glass of water at some point, for which he was thanked. A few other doctors witnessed this, and recounted it in their contributions to this book, which means it was repeated in the text times. This happened with several different stories, which made it rather a numbing read from time to time.
Part of what was fascinating was the collection of photographs included in the book - many of which were taken by one of the medical students (who had skipped a class in order to go to Love Field to see the President and First Lady arrive). The assassination of JFK occurred five years before I was born. I have no first-hand memories of "what I was doing when." These young men know exactly what they were doing - they were trying to save the life of a man who had, for all intents and purposes, died at Dealey Plaza. For that alone, these reminiscences are worth attention.
July 11, 2021
In 1963 Parkland was a busy urban hospital with an attached medical school. This compilation of eyewitness accounts by medical staff gets five stars based on the sheer fascinating details that include things I'm betting most folks don't know - I know I didn't, and this event and all that occurred or was written afterward has happened within my memory. In this book, there are accounts from almost every situation regarding the event you could imagine. There were medical students who cut class and saw the Kennedys arrive at the airport and others who positioned themselves along the motorcade route, one who was invited to the luncheon that the motorcade never arrived at, others who were on campus and saw the limos careen into the ER entrance area. Inside the hospital, more medical staff saw what went on all over the hospital, in the hallways outside the ER, and within Trauma Room 1 itself, along with the injuries and what the doctors did and why. The editor, Dr. Allen Childs, does an excellent job of arranging the stories clearly and in a way that makes perfect sense, even though the same period of time is gone over multiple times from different viewpoints. The events of 48 hours later, and the death of Lee Harvey Oswald in the same hospital are covered as well. If you are interested in medical details and/or the assassination of JFK, this book should be of interest.
September 21, 2015
This is a compilation of memories of the Kennedy assassination and subsequent killing of Oswald ,of doctors and medical students who were at Parkland Hospital when the events took place. It is necessarily repetitious since the witnesses are all describing the same event in their own words .The book was interesting nevertheless.
All of us who were alive at the time have our own memories of that tragic day when Kennedy was killed and the shock two days later of seeing Oswald shot on live TV by Jack Ruby.
All of us who were alive at the time have our own memories of that tragic day when Kennedy was killed and the shock two days later of seeing Oswald shot on live TV by Jack Ruby.
September 22, 2018
This book has eye-witness reports from the doctors who were in the emergency room the day President Kennedy died. Some of the doctors remember things differently than others. The emergency treatment of the President was presented in great detail. It’s not written as a novel, but more as a documentary. It took me back to that day in 1963 when the assanation took place. The memories almost made me tear-up. I’m glad I read it as there were facts that I either had forgotten or never knew. It’s a fast read and so worth it.
April 3, 2025
Print Book/Hardcover [Carnegie Library]
OH. MY. GOSH. What a boring and tedious book. There is a blurb on the back of this book that says that it is "riveting and eye-opening"; uh, that is a NO. NO. NO.
What could have been a really good read was not cohesive and was basically the same story over and over, just told by different people. There was no flow, nothing remarkable. Just meh. I am truly disappointed.
OH. MY. GOSH. What a boring and tedious book. There is a blurb on the back of this book that says that it is "riveting and eye-opening"; uh, that is a NO. NO. NO.
What could have been a really good read was not cohesive and was basically the same story over and over, just told by different people. There was no flow, nothing remarkable. Just meh. I am truly disappointed.
April 3, 2021
This book is insanely interesting. You get to hear about what happened at Parkland hospital the day JFK and Oswald were assassinated from people who were there. Although this book was a little repetitive, (understandable because it’s two events told from many perspectives) it was really enjoyable.
September 18, 2015
The day President John F. Kennedy was assassinated was immortalized. This book details some thoughts and actions of doctors who were at Parkland Hospital where the President was rushed after his mortal wounding. I especially like the fact that the author put in a revelation that was secret from the public until now.
When I was a young girl I personally received a phone call and a letter from President Kennedy. He took time for the young and old alike.
It was a sad day in history when we lost this president in such a horrible way. His memory will live forever in those who were alive at the time and in books like this one.
Jeannie Walker (Award-Winning Author)
When I was a young girl I personally received a phone call and a letter from President Kennedy. He took time for the young and old alike.
It was a sad day in history when we lost this president in such a horrible way. His memory will live forever in those who were alive at the time and in books like this one.
Jeannie Walker (Award-Winning Author)
January 1, 2018
Any child of the 60s is likely impacted by the assassination of John F Kennedy. In fact, I have very clear memories of the day: my teacher running back into the classroom crying, my ride through the rain to my grandmother’s house to watching Jack Ruby gun down Lee Harvey Oswald on live-TV.
They are forever seared in my memory.
I had already contributed to the Indegogo Project: The Parkland Doctors – John F. Kennedy (“Millions of stories say who tried to kill JFK, this is about who tried to save him.”) a documentary featuring the doctors, so this book was a natural.
I’m not one to fall into the conspiracy trap; I was more interested in the medical aspects of the assassination and wasn’t all that interested in the political aspects as plenty as been written about that.
The intro to the book in brutal. I’ve read many books about autopsy and death but what I wasn’t expecting was the power and the emotion of the day. Be prepared as it is quite graphic.
In some regards, the book is told in a boring fashion, having each doctor or eye-witness detail what they saw and what they felt, so there is a great deal of overlap. But the human element of the story keeps a grip on you. Even knowing the story backwards and forwards, I was still taken aback by some small detail I hadn’t know previously.
This is a book that details a very dark day in history and does so in a very graphic manner.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the subject, but are forewarned that this book is not for the faint-hearted.
4.5/5 stars
They are forever seared in my memory.
I had already contributed to the Indegogo Project: The Parkland Doctors – John F. Kennedy (“Millions of stories say who tried to kill JFK, this is about who tried to save him.”) a documentary featuring the doctors, so this book was a natural.
I’m not one to fall into the conspiracy trap; I was more interested in the medical aspects of the assassination and wasn’t all that interested in the political aspects as plenty as been written about that.
The intro to the book in brutal. I’ve read many books about autopsy and death but what I wasn’t expecting was the power and the emotion of the day. Be prepared as it is quite graphic.
In some regards, the book is told in a boring fashion, having each doctor or eye-witness detail what they saw and what they felt, so there is a great deal of overlap. But the human element of the story keeps a grip on you. Even knowing the story backwards and forwards, I was still taken aback by some small detail I hadn’t know previously.
This is a book that details a very dark day in history and does so in a very graphic manner.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the subject, but are forewarned that this book is not for the faint-hearted.
4.5/5 stars
July 30, 2015
Fascinating revelations from this book. We will never know all there is to know about the Kennedy assassination! It's interesting how the different witnesses to the events at Parkland had varied memories of what happened. Sometimes the stories conflict, but I think that can be attributed to the imperfect recall skills of the human species. The general story remains the same. What the doctors and med students saw, heard, and felt during that time adds a new dimension to the study of the JFK assassination and makes for a gripping read. This is one of my favorite quotes, from early in the book:
"All of us, though not agreeing with the president's domestic policies, did agree that no one should picket his visit to Dallas, or in any way embarrass him by demonstrations or jeers during his stay here. He is the leader of our country and should be treated with the greatest respect. If you do not agree with his points of view, fine. Support and vote for someone else- but don't degrade the president. I repeat we all felt very strongly about this. We were all hoping that we would get to see the president as he passed by the medical school on his way to Love Field."- Jed Rosenthal MD, class of 1967.
That's so true. And imagine being worried about picketing, embarrassment, demonstrations, and jeers. If they had only known it could be so much worse than that.
"All of us, though not agreeing with the president's domestic policies, did agree that no one should picket his visit to Dallas, or in any way embarrass him by demonstrations or jeers during his stay here. He is the leader of our country and should be treated with the greatest respect. If you do not agree with his points of view, fine. Support and vote for someone else- but don't degrade the president. I repeat we all felt very strongly about this. We were all hoping that we would get to see the president as he passed by the medical school on his way to Love Field."- Jed Rosenthal MD, class of 1967.
That's so true. And imagine being worried about picketing, embarrassment, demonstrations, and jeers. If they had only known it could be so much worse than that.
December 3, 2014
Conspiracy Confirmed
I was in the 101st Abn Div at Ft Campbell, KY and like all of our generation vividly recall exactly where I was and what I was doing when Kennedy was shot. Much like those of us remember the 9/11 attack. In the years following Kennedy's death, I was involved in I intelligence operations internationally. My observation, at 70, are those of one having lived through this period as an adult, one who is trained as an intelligence analyst, one who has been responsible to gather disparate raw data - refine it into a cohesive report, and finally, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, been responsible for creating 'viable' cover stories to conceal actual clandestine military activity --- --- --- let me say without equivocation, that the Warren Report is one of the least credible pieces of fabrication that our government has foisted upon the gullible American populace. A close e second is the entirely fabricated birth certificate for the current resident living as 1600 Pennsylvania, Ave, Washington DC.
I was in the 101st Abn Div at Ft Campbell, KY and like all of our generation vividly recall exactly where I was and what I was doing when Kennedy was shot. Much like those of us remember the 9/11 attack. In the years following Kennedy's death, I was involved in I intelligence operations internationally. My observation, at 70, are those of one having lived through this period as an adult, one who is trained as an intelligence analyst, one who has been responsible to gather disparate raw data - refine it into a cohesive report, and finally, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, been responsible for creating 'viable' cover stories to conceal actual clandestine military activity --- --- --- let me say without equivocation, that the Warren Report is one of the least credible pieces of fabrication that our government has foisted upon the gullible American populace. A close e second is the entirely fabricated birth certificate for the current resident living as 1600 Pennsylvania, Ave, Washington DC.
March 24, 2024
A fantastic and quick read. For anyone even remotely interested in the JFK Assassination, I’d call this one a “must read.” Having been written by, and compiling the recollections of, many of the physicians and surgeons who attended to the President immediately after the assassination took place, it’s riveting reading. Filled with the first hand accounts of the events at Parkland Hospital from November 22-25, 1963, it’s fascinating to hear how each medical professional remembers their place in the historic events that unfolded when Dallas, Texas was the epicenter of modern history.
January 4, 2014
While attending the Texas Book Festival, my husband and I listened to a panel of authors who wrote about the assassination of the President. I wanted to read Dr. Allen Childs books since it had more of an emotional perspective of that fateful day. Even though I was 5 years old when this tragedy occurred, I still remember where I was when I heard the news. I remember viewing the funeral on our black and white TV. I read this book as a result of the 50th anniversary of President Kennedy's death.
December 21, 2019
You Were There
My title comes from this book as well as a TV show starring Walter Cronkite. This book makes you actually feel like you really were there with especially with the different viewpoints from the students, interns, residents and staff doctors who were.
It starts out slightly boring, but halfway through the first chapter I was entranced. I have a medical background though, so your views on the book may vary.
My title comes from this book as well as a TV show starring Walter Cronkite. This book makes you actually feel like you really were there with especially with the different viewpoints from the students, interns, residents and staff doctors who were.
It starts out slightly boring, but halfway through the first chapter I was entranced. I have a medical background though, so your views on the book may vary.
July 13, 2021
Some possible answers and even more unanswered questions
I vividly remember when and where I heard the news of the assassination. I also witnessed Jack Ruby shooting Oswald on live tv. I had just turned 12 years old a couple of weeks before that, I was immediately suspicious of the shooting and still don't believe we've heard the truth of the events of that week.
I vividly remember when and where I heard the news of the assassination. I also witnessed Jack Ruby shooting Oswald on live tv. I had just turned 12 years old a couple of weeks before that, I was immediately suspicious of the shooting and still don't believe we've heard the truth of the events of that week.
May 4, 2022
The sixtieth year since the assassination of JFK is next year.
The myriad of conspiracy theorists, who may or may not have been there that day , and their opinions are to some extent conjecture and still not proven.
It was very interesting to read about what happened after the fatal shooting from the doctors who were at the hospital that day.
The myriad of conspiracy theorists, who may or may not have been there that day , and their opinions are to some extent conjecture and still not proven.
It was very interesting to read about what happened after the fatal shooting from the doctors who were at the hospital that day.
January 22, 2024
I stumbled on a JFK documentary and went on a Kennedy kick for a bit this month. This one was actually notes from people who tended to JFK after he was shot. Pretty interesting if that kind of thing intrigues you.
March 23, 2017
A must read for ANY Kennedy fan!!! A much more in depth picture of what really happened in the ER.
April 18, 2020
this was interesting reading but a lot of repetition
November 7, 2020
A very very interesting book!
June 3, 2023
I thought I’d read everything JFK. This is an interesting one by the Parkland doctors who attended him as he died.
October 9, 2017
Value of the book: 4 stars
MY enjoyment of the book: 2-3 stars
Format of the book: 2-3 stars
An interesting study of the value and veracity of eyewitness reports. Told in an incredibly repetitive manner, without any real analysis or success at bringing a cohesive narrative to the reports, but still—valuable accounts.
These recountings were mostly taken relatively quickly after (or even on) 11-22-63, and all followed the same story path, for the most part. There were certainly some interesting deviations with witnesses, however, that directly contradicted each other about details that seem so specific and important that you would think they’d definitely align, but often didn’t. I’ve often thought I would make a terrible eyewitness. Sometimes I’ll test myself and pretend cars around me got into an accident and that I had to identify them, or that the man who just passed me was involved in a crime and I had to describe him. And I fail—miserably—almost every time. “Uh, the car probably had 4 doors. I think it was pink.” I even mess up concerning the timing of the events, when I do witness an accident for real. Please, never ask me to testify in your trial. That opposing attorney will have me questioning my memory all over the place and YOU’LL LOSE AND IT WILL ALL BE MY FAULT AND WE’LL NO LONGER BE FRIENDS. (Probably. Because I cost you so much money, loss of reputation, etc.) Just drive safely out there, you hear?
Back to the book . . . As stated above (I can be repetitive, too), the endless, overlapping accounts tested my interest while reading the book. I wish it gave a little bit of a better overall summary of the times, the political atmosphere, the period in history, etc., to round out and fill in gaps of knowledge for readers who weren’t around in the 60’s (and really haven’t studied that time period/event too much), but the focus was stated to be narrow (the accounts from the doctors and med students at Parkland), and it certainly was.
My other frustration dealt with the ebook format in which I chose to read the book. The format irritated me because scans of some original documents (articles, letters, etc.) were included in the book, and you can never zoom in on “pictures” on a Nook, so I couldn’t read various articles and letters, which I really wish I could have. As a compilation of statements and accounts, it definitely has value, but as a narrative, the endless repetition (again) was somewhat of a slog to trudge through. ;o)
MY enjoyment of the book: 2-3 stars
Format of the book: 2-3 stars
An interesting study of the value and veracity of eyewitness reports. Told in an incredibly repetitive manner, without any real analysis or success at bringing a cohesive narrative to the reports, but still—valuable accounts.
These recountings were mostly taken relatively quickly after (or even on) 11-22-63, and all followed the same story path, for the most part. There were certainly some interesting deviations with witnesses, however, that directly contradicted each other about details that seem so specific and important that you would think they’d definitely align, but often didn’t. I’ve often thought I would make a terrible eyewitness. Sometimes I’ll test myself and pretend cars around me got into an accident and that I had to identify them, or that the man who just passed me was involved in a crime and I had to describe him. And I fail—miserably—almost every time. “Uh, the car probably had 4 doors. I think it was pink.” I even mess up concerning the timing of the events, when I do witness an accident for real. Please, never ask me to testify in your trial. That opposing attorney will have me questioning my memory all over the place and YOU’LL LOSE AND IT WILL ALL BE MY FAULT AND WE’LL NO LONGER BE FRIENDS. (Probably. Because I cost you so much money, loss of reputation, etc.) Just drive safely out there, you hear?
Back to the book . . . As stated above (I can be repetitive, too), the endless, overlapping accounts tested my interest while reading the book. I wish it gave a little bit of a better overall summary of the times, the political atmosphere, the period in history, etc., to round out and fill in gaps of knowledge for readers who weren’t around in the 60’s (and really haven’t studied that time period/event too much), but the focus was stated to be narrow (the accounts from the doctors and med students at Parkland), and it certainly was.
My other frustration dealt with the ebook format in which I chose to read the book. The format irritated me because scans of some original documents (articles, letters, etc.) were included in the book, and you can never zoom in on “pictures” on a Nook, so I couldn’t read various articles and letters, which I really wish I could have. As a compilation of statements and accounts, it definitely has value, but as a narrative, the endless repetition (again) was somewhat of a slog to trudge through. ;o)
July 5, 2021
This is one of those "do I like it or don't I like it" books for me. The information that was shared of the exact injuries sustained and the medical procedures that were used is invaluable and interesting. However, I thought there might be more of a story line that would tie the observations and official medical notes together. Rather, I had the feeling that I had pulled a file folder out of a cabinet which was stuffed with reports from many doctors. Definitely felt like I was standing in the room where all the activity was happening. This book adds another dimension to one of the many chapters in the history book of the United States of America. I'm very glad I read it.
October 3, 2021
Some interesting parts but a lot of irrelevant accounts as well, such as med students who were just on campus. There were only a few stories of doctors who were actually in the room, and this made up a short portion of the book. It would have been interesting to hear from other hospital support staff too, but I guess those are not perspectives that were highly valued in the 60s. There was definitely a lot of missing info, and this book assumed the reader was already very familiar with the JFK assassination and subsequent investigation. It felt more like a scrapbook of colleague’s memories for posterity, than a a thorough medical review of the situation.
August 31, 2020
We Were There is the re-telling of the more than 40 physicians who tried to resuscitate President John F. Kennedy’s after he was shot in Dallas,Texas and brought to the emergency room of Parkland Hospital. This was a $1.99 book that reminds the reader of the outrageous horrors of that day. It also serves as a reminder that the government seems to always be in some form of crisis. This book reads like a diary and shares very descriptive information. ⭐️⭐️💫 #president #presidentKennedy #politics #dallas #book #physicians #diary #emergencyroom #sad
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