President John F. Kennedy had just finished speaking to employees of McDonnell Aircraft at Lambert Field earlier that afternoon. The occasion was a briefing on the Mercury and Gemini Space Programs.

It was September 12, 1962 and I was walking home from school with my older brother. He didn't appear to notice the four jets. I remember trying to guess which jet carried the president.

Most everyone liked the president except for my dad, who worked for McDonnell's at the time. He had heard the president's speech earlier. I asked him that night what he thought of the president, what he looked like and all. My dad said, "Kennedy looks a lot like Mickey Rooney."

I thought at the time that his answer was a big slam on the president. Mickey Rooney was a dwarf and an ugly one at that. If the president came this far to speak to St. Louisans, why would anyone diss him?

I hadn't heard about the Bay of Pigs fiasco when it happened. No one talked about it much. The Cuban missile crisis wasn't to happen for another month. The word 'Camelot' was associated with the president, his wife, Jackie, and their two kids.

The following year, President Kennedy would pressure the steel industry into reversing its price increases, a big controversy of its own. JFK also founded the Peace Corps, a much talked-about organization during the 1960's.

1962 was an era of tame rock n' roll music. By then, all the hell-raisers--Elvis, Buddy Holly, Carl Perkins, the Big Bopper, Richie Valens, Little Richard, Jerry Lee Lewis, among others--had faded from the music scene. What was left was limp rock. 1962 featured Chubby Checker, the Beach Boys, the Angels, the Shirelles, Shelley Fabares, among other dismal acts.

1962 television starred the Beverly Hillbillies, Have Gun Will Travel, 77 Sunset Strip, and Route 66.

Best sellers that year included Silent Spring by Rachel Carson and The Reivers by William Faulker.

During the early 60's new popular foods included instant mashed potatoes, brown rice, and life cereal.

1962 was the calm before the storm of 1963. 1963 would decimate the American psyche like no other event. 1963 was the year John F. Kennedy was assassinated.

1962 was a period of innocence, tranquility, ready adherence to society's laws and norms, and relative peace throughout the world.

In 1962, I saw one of the jets that carried John F. Kennedy from St. Louis to Washington.

I witnessed a slice of history come and go