I remember watching the 1960 convention in a hotel room in Washington D.C. and my family's disappointment when our candidate, LBJ, lost the nomination to Kennedy.

Many democrats still hide when LBJ is mentioned, but as it happens, my father had worked on his first congressional campaign in Texas and had met him personally on several occasions. We actually thought about becoming Democrats for Nixon until he selected LBJ for VP. As we learned more about JFK, we became great supporters. He was a LEADER. I can quote long passages of his inaugural address from memory. JFK created the commitment that put an American on the moon.

JFK's speech on civil rights which had the text "... if, in short, he cannot enjoy the full and free life which all of us want, then who among us would be content to have the color of his skin changed and stand in his place?" is also etched in my memory.

I first voted in the 1968 presidential election. It as by absentee ballot as i was serving on an aircraft carrier in the Tonkin Gulf. Although I was 19 at the time of the 1964 election, you needed to be 21 back then. It was okay for me to go to Viet Nam but i was too young to vote or buy a drink.