(Photo: Tony Zappone)
He reviewed the military men and the colors but quickly moved over to the other side of the field where school children were waiting for a glimpse of him. I didn’t expect that. Here I was trapped atop this flat bed truck, something like five feet off the ground, and the president was moving out of sight.
It took me all of two seconds to decide I needed to jump off the truck and bolt away to find JFK. I did and every photographer atop the truck yelled for me to come back. I remember thinking I probably should have stayed but getting pictures was more important to me. It was a good decision although in retrospect I know I could have at best gotten tackled and at worst have been shot by secret service agents for running in the direction of the president.
(Photo: Tony Zappone)
I quickly found him.
He had just shaken some hands of students from the Academy of the Holy
Names and was walking to his limousine.
By the time I caught up to him, he was seated and ready to be taken to
the MacDill Officer’s Club for a briefing. On the other side of the limo
with his news camera aimed at me and the president was WTVT’s Tim Moran.