FORT BUCKNER, Okinawa — "Stunned shock" was the reaction of U.S. military personnel and Ryukyuan citizens on Okinawa Saturday as news of President Kennedy's death spread throughout the island.

Marines of the 3d Marine Division were told of the President's death during reveille while others were awakened in their barracks by radio news broadcasts which carried the news.

"Today I saw a grown man cry unashamedly," said S/Sgt. Frank R. Candelario, Yucca Valley, Cal., Hq. Co., Hq. Bn., Camp Hauge. "I woke up hearing the terrible news on the radio. I felt I had to tell someone so I woke him up. He was a holder of the Silver Star for bravery in Korea.

"I told hint the President had been assassinated. He stared at me in complete disbelief. Tears welled in his eyes. He cried without shame for the loss of so great a man."

Official word hit the island. from the United States at about 5 a.m. Telephones hummed as word of the President's death passed front unit to unit.

All U.S. flags were hoisted to half-staff at all military installations. Troops, most of whom had heard the news on radios in their barracks, were officially informed at troop formations Saturday morning.

Rear Adm. Robert A. MacPherson, commander of the U.S. Taiwan Patrol Force and Patrol Forces, Seventh Fleet, told Pacific Stars and Stripes in a direct telephone call Saturday morning that "I am terribly distressed about the death of President Kennedy."

"This is a great loss to the U.S. Navy and to the whole nation," MacPherson said.

Lt. Gen. Paul W. Caraway, representative of the commander-in-chief Pacific in the Ryukyu Islands, said here Saturday:

"I was shocked to learn this morning of the death of the President of the United States.

"A great leader has died. His death is a terrible tragedy for the United States and the entire Free World.

"The soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines stationed in the Ryukyu Islands extend their sympathy to the President's family. We here in the Ryukyu Islands have lost our commander in chief."

Seitoku Shinzato, director general of the Okinawa Liberal Democratic Party, said:

"I was greatly shocked to hear the news early this morning.

"President Kennedy was truly a progressive and democratic president and he bravely put his ideas into action in a strong way. He was a great statesman and showed his greatness in solving many national and international problems, such as a nuclear test ban, racial feuds and many others.

"The OLDP expresses a deep condolence for his death.

"President Kennedy had a deep understanding for Okinawa problems and we had expected great deal of him. His death is a great loss for the U.S., to the world and needless to say for the Ryukyus. His new policy toward the Ryukyus, announced in March, gave us great hopes."