The second oldest Kennedy son was born in the Boston suburb of Brookline, Massachusetts. He came from a long line of Democrats. His grandfathers served in politics. His paternal grandfather served in the Massachusetts state legislator, and his maternal grandfather served as a U.S. Congressman and Mayor of Boston. All four of his grandparents were children of Irish immigrants. He was named after his maternal grandfather.
John F. Kennedy was referred to as his initials of JFK or by his childhood nickname, Jack. He had an older brother, Joseph Jr. and seven younger siblings: Rosemary, Kathleen, Eunice, Patricia, Robert, Jean, and Edward. It was Joseph Jr. who was chosen by their father to be groomed for president. Joseph Jr. enlisted in the Navy Reserve prior to his final year of law school and entered flight training to become an aviator. He was commissioned as a Lieutenant and served during WWII. He volunteered for a special mission as a pilot and was killed in action when the plane exploded.
Jack also served in the U.S. Naval Reserve. During WWII, he commanded a series of patrol torpedo boats in the Pacific theatre. He was a Lieutenant junior grade with the Motor Torpedo Squadron. The PT-109 boat was rammed and sunk by a Japanese destroyer. Two crew members were killed. He took quick action and saved his ten surviving crew members. He sustained serious back injuries. He was made a war hero and awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Medal. He was discharged from the Navy by the end of 1944.
After returning home, he planned to become a journalist. In 1946, he decided to run for Congress instead. After winning, he represented a working class Boston district in the U.S. House of Representatives. He entered the 80th Congress in January 1947. He was only 29 years old. He won reelections in 1948 and 1950. In 1952, he ran successfully for the U.S. Senate. He defeated the popular Republican incumbent, Henry Cabot Lodge, Jr.
In 1953, Jack married socialite and journalist, Jacqueline Lee Bouvier. Two years later, he had back surgery. While in the Senate and recovering, he published his book, Profiles in Courage. The book won a Pulitzer Price for biography.
He announced his candidacy for president on January 2, 1960 and chose Lyndon B. Johnson of Texas as his running mate. He faced a difficult battle against Richard Nixon, his Republican opponent. He was young and energetic. His televised debates were watched by millions of viewers. Elected in 1960 as the 35th president of the United States, 43-year-old John F. Kennedy became one of the youngest U.S. presidents, as well as the first Roman Catholic. His young wife and two small children would add an aura of youth and glamour to the White House.
In his January 20, 1961, he called on his fellow Americans to work together for progress, the elimination of poverty, and to win the Cold War against communism around the world. His famous closing remarks were heard and felt by millions. “Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.” During his first year in office he oversaw the launch of the Peace Corps. Young volunteers were sent to underdeveloped countries all over the world. Efforts were made to integrate public domains in the South. White people protested violently and attacked Black people when they attempted to integrate. He routinely sent federal marshals to keep peace. He sent federal troops to support the desegregation of the University of Mississippi after rioting there caused deaths and injuries. The following summer, he announced his intention to propose a comprehensive civil rights bill and endorsed the massive March on Washington. .
I was around ten years old when President Kennedy was assassinated. I remember the tears, shock, and disbelief. He was a popular president but especially in the Black community. We were living in the segregated South and we had a glimmer of hope. It is true that most Black families had a picture of Jesus, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr, and President Kennedy hanging on their wall.
President Kennedy is remembered as the first president to actively engage the Black community into the general American constituency. His brother Robert (Bobby) served as his attorney general, and the youngest brother, Edward (Ted), was elected to his former Senate seat. About five months before his assassination, he addressed the nation and said, “We are confronted primarily with a moral issue. It is as old as the scriptures and as clear as the American Constitution” and simultaneously uplifted millions of black Americans who had never before believed that the man who inhabited the Oval Office could truly be for us.
His assassination on November 22, 1963, in Dallas, Texas, sent shockwaves around the world and turned the all-too-human Kennedy into a larger-than-life heroic figure. To this day, historians continue to rank him among the best-loved presidents in American history.
Francie Mae. August 23, 2022.
References
John F. Kennedy, History.com Editors, Website: History. https://www.history.com/topics/us-presidents/john-f-kennedy. Access Date: August 23, 2022. Publisher. A&E Television Networks. Last Updated: January 7, 2022. Original Published Date: October 29, 2009.
John F. Kennedy’s Legacy Resides in African-American History. Harvard Political Review. Author. December 1, 2013. Web Accessed: August 23, 2022.
“John F. Kennedy, 35th U.S. President.” Wikipedia. Accessed August 23, 2022.