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16-year-old Tony Zappone presents his Tampa photos of |
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8/18/64 |
Tampa has never been so silenced by anything of the like since. Because the President had just been here, most of us felt like he had come to somehow, in some way, say goodbye.
For those who were not alive then or who are too young to remember, the events of those four days can be described as unfathomable and bizarre.
For those of us who were there and do recall, the passage of time has done little to dull the memories of both his life and death, and those brief, shining moments of his Tampa appearance.
Nine months to the day following JFK’s visit, I was with his brother, Attorney General Robert Kennedy, at his Washington office in the Justice Department. I was there to present him with copies of the pictures I had taken on that special November day in Tampa to be placed in the archives of the John F. Kennedy Library and Museum in Boston.
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16-year-old Tony Zappone presents his Tampa photos of |
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8/18/64 |
RFK graciously accepted my contribution of photographs but you could tell he was still deeply affected by the loss of his brother. Four years later he, too, would be killed by an assassin’s bullet while campaigning in his own bid for the presidency.
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SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT! Tony Zappone's new book, John F. Kennedy - An Amazing Day for a President and a Kid with His Camera, is published in book form and downloadable formats. If you've already read Tony's incredible story here on BIG13, now's the chance for you to own a high-quality hard copy of his JFK photos. There are additional, NEVER BEFORE PUBLISHED photos taken by Tony on November 18, 1963. You'll learn even more behind-the-scenes details of the President's visit. Photos appear in high definition. NOW AVAILABLE FOR ORDER! |
Pulse Extra: Tony Zappone's JFK photos were featured on the front page of the
Tampa Tribune on the 40th anniversary of the President's assassination, Nov. 22,
2003. Tony was interviewed and more of photos appeared inside the edition.
Tony also appeared on WTVT's "Your Turn" with Kathy Fountain and retired
Congressman Sam Gibbons, who was among the dignitaries escorting JFK around Tampa on that very special visit.
Tony's story and photos will be featured in a documentary about President
Kennedy's Tampa visit scheduled to air on WUSF-TV in November of 2013.
Tony's JFK Photo Appears on Monument
11/22/2013
Tony was honored to have his photo of President Kennedy
on the permanent plaque displayed in downtown Tampa.
To contact Tony Zappone with comments or questions about the above narrative, click here