Dan Bergerson Account in Eau Claire Leader, 9 March 2008 Genealogies | Home | Page Index | Pictures | Reports | E-Mail Fred Matson |
 |
| Following is a re-type from part of an article by Brad Bryan, Eau Claire Leader-Telegram staff reporter. The article appeared in the Eau Claire Leader-Telegram on 9 March 2008 titled: On the Camgaign Trail. The article was an account of the history of Presidential candidates visiting western Wisconsin. Former Strum Man Connected with JFK My name is Dan Bergerson. I was born and raised in Strum. In 1960 I was fortunate enough to meet then-Senator John Kennedy when he made a campaign stop at Eleva-Strum Central High School. I was 10 years old and after school was over that day I went out to the high school with my classmate Jon Olson and his father to see Kennedy speak. He began taking questions from the high school students and while he was answering their questions I kept trying to think of something I could ask him. I finally came up with what I thought was a terrific question and then heard him say that he would take one more question. I don’t kjnow if he had ESP or what, but before I could raise my hand he pointed right at me and said, “How about you?” I stood up, looked up at him and nervously asked, “Do you think De Gaulle (who was then president of France) will turn communist?” The whole student body erupted in laughter at my question which made me feel like I was turning about 20 different shareds of red. Kennedy smiled and said, “Only in Wisconsin do you find a young man of 10 wanting to know the future of France.” He proceeded to say that the U.S. was fortunate to have De Gaulle as the head of the French government. My embarrassment erupted into euphoria as he made me feel like my question had merit and I felt vindicated after enduring the humilation of being laughed at. After the question-and-answer session Kennedy went out into the hallway where an Eau Claire Leader photographer took a picture of Jon and I obtaining Kennedy’s autograph. I still have his autograph along with the write-up and the picture that appeared on the front page of the Leader the next day. These have been framed and proudly hang on my living room wall. I have a second photograph that the Leader photographer gave to me showing me sitting right in front of JFK during his speech. A few years later, in 1966, I was a passenger in a pickup truck that overturned. I was thrown through the windshield, broke my back and have been a paraplegic since. While I was a patient at St. Mary’s Hospital in Rochester, Minn. I received a letter from Senator Robert Kennedy. John Radcliffe and Harold Brian from Strum had contacted him, told him about my encounter with his brother some six years earlier. He conveyed his sympathy for my mishap and wished me well and hoped I would be able to return home quickly. This has also been framed and handing alongside the article and picture of my meeting JFK. I also received a letter from Senator Edward Kennedy a few years ago. Dennis Mathson had written to him, told him of my encounters with and fondness for his brothers and he also sent me a very nice letter and that is also framed and hanging on my wall. Dan Bergerson, Bloomington, MN End of Article re-type. Return to Senator & Presidential Candidate John F. Kennedy Visits Eleva-Strum Central High School in 1960. Account and article provided by Dan Bergerson. Article original published in the Eau Claire Leader-Telegram, Eau Claire, Wisconsin. Posted by Fred Matson (a member of this student body and in this picture, also) 18 June 2008. |