 D-Plaza is where the John F. Kennedy assassination took place 50 years ago, a moment of silence at 12.35 p.m. today in that same location brings the emotion of his assassination back to life. I wasn't here to witness it when it actually happened but throughout my whole life I studied and researched the Kennedy presidency's assassination and having been here today was really an emotional time for me, for seeing and hearing everything that was being said today. In remembering a president's legacy, weather usually has no relation to a tragedy but the cloudy skies, freezing rain and sleet captures the darkness Americans felt on November 22, 1963. I think the weather almost kind of fits the mood with little somba, you know, but you know, maybe I think a lot of people just see that it's a day of respect, a day of reflection. Thousands of people come to Dallas to share the memories of the 35th president and his life. Even with delays in the ceremony and cold temperatures, many attendees who came thought it was worth enduring the elements. This is like the culmination of a 48 year obsession with their family and just getting to do something this memorable and that means this much to me and the history surrounding it. It's just like a once in a lifetime event. I couldn't miss it. He's a lot more relatable to me than a lot of other historical figures because he is on camera. There are so many color photos of him. You know, we have some pictures of Lincoln but I can't hear him. I don't feel like I know him. JFK, there's so many images of him that I feel like he's more relatable and I feel like I can still, I can think about what he would be like if he was still around today. The ceremony brought together people who share the belief that Kennedy gave America an expectation of greatness that all Americans could achieve. He knew words matter. His words changed lives. His words changed history. Rarely has a commander in chief addressed the nation with such command of language. Today indeed, the weather is reflective of the somber mood Americans felt 50 years ago. But they don't remember the president for his assassination. They reflect on his life and his presidency as a whole. For Boston University News Service, I'm Patrick Thomas.