John F Kennedy Assassination

John F. Kennedy was the youngest president ever elected but not the youngest to assume office. The youngest, Theodore Roosevelt was just 42 years and 322 days when he assumed the presidency following William McKinley’s assassination in September 1901. JFK was born to Joseph and Rose Kennedy. Rose Kennedy would have nine children, four boys and five girls. She kept notecards for each of them in a small wooden file box and made a point of writing down everything from a doctor’s visit to the shoe size they had at a particular age. John Fitzgerald Kennedy was named in honor of Rose’s father, John Francis Fitzgerald, the Boston Mayor popularly known as Honey Fitz. Before long, family and friends called this small blue-eyed baby, Jack. John was

Kennedy was never a healthy man, sustaining injuries and sickness throughout his life. As president, he was famous for having a bad back, but many people had forgotten about his mission nearby the Solomon Islands. Back on August 2, 1943, it was a hot, moonless night in the Pacific. Patrol Torpedo boat 109 was idling in the Blackett Strait along the Solomon Islands. Jack and his men had orders to attack any enemy ship on a resupply mission. With almost no warning, a Japanese destroyer emerged from the black night and smashed into PT-109, cutting it in half while igniting the fuel tanks. After five hours of clinging to debris from the destroyed PT boat, the crew made it to Coral Island. Kennedy decided to swim out again hoping to flag down a passing American boat. None came. Kennedy then swam back to shower, but strong currents and his chronic back condition, made his return difficult. When he reached the island again John fell ill. After he recovered, the PT-109 crew swam to a larger island. They believed it to be Nauru Island, but it was actually Cross Island. They met up with two natives from the island who agreed to take a message south. Jack carved his distress message into a coconut shell: “Nauru Is. Native knows posit. He can pilot. 11 alive need small boat”. The message reached Lieutenant Arthur Evans, who was watching the coast of Gomu Island. Kennedy and his crew were then paddled to the island. A PT boat then took them back to Rendova. Kennedy was awarded

Kennedy was campaigning in Texas, he was aware that a feud among party leaders could jeopardize his chances of carrying the state in 1964. One of his aims for the trip was to bring democrats together. In Dallas with the rain finally stopped so the bubble of the convertible was left off for the procession. The procession travelled along a ten-mile route that went through downtown Dallas on their way to Trade Mart where the president was scheduled to speak. Crowds of eager people lined the streets and waved at the motorcade which held the Kennedys. The car turned off main street at Dealey Plaza around 12:30 p.m. As it was passing the Texas School Book Depository, gunfire rang out in the plaza. Kennedy’s car sped off to Parkland Memorial Hospital as the president had been shot. Little could be done for the president as he took shots to the head and neck. John F. Kennedy was pronounced