Presidents Week: JFK

I want to do more reading on the queens of Henry the Eighth and his six wives before I wrote about it so this week we are doing the presidents. Five to be specfic. We know alot of about the Founding Fathers- George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, James Monroe- but we have had less time to examine some of the more iconic recent presidents. So this week we will be doing this, starting with JFK- John F. Kennedy, the 35th president. Instead of doing paragraphs I will be doing fast facts.

1. JFK or Jack as he was called was not the golden child. That title belonged to his older brother Joe. As a child and into his adolescent Jack suffered a myriad of health problems, including back pain. He served in World War 2. His boat went down after being attacked but he swam five miles (with an injured back) to a nearby island with an injured sailor, saving his life. He became a decorated war hero but his father still has his eyes set on his brother for being president; however his brother is killed in combat.

2. JFK’s oldest sister, Rosemary was born with intellectual disabilities and finally she was lobotomized which was a complete disaster. Afterwards, she could barely walk or talk and was immediately institutionalized. I am passionate about giving those who cannot speak for themselves a voice and I can’t imagine how hard that must have been for Rosemary and her entire family. 

3. Fun fast fact: JFK received last rites five times in his life (he was the first Catholic president, remember?). The first time was when he was two and had scarlet fever. The last time was right before he passed away after being shot (you did know he was assassinated right?). 

4. We will touch on this only once. You can agree or disagree on his politics all you want but you can’t deny this: John F Kennedy was a manwhore. He was married to a classy, sophisticated Jackie Kennedy. However he sought sex wherever he could find it including staff, the wives of his friends, the friends of his wife, and big figures in Hollywood. He even earned the ire of Eleanor Roosevelt who, after Kennedy published a book called Profiles in Courage, said “I wish that Kennedy had a little less profile and a little more courage”

5. He ran for President in 1960, beating Richard Nixon mostly because Nixon did not come across as appealing on the first televised debate. There is talk that his Chicago vote was rigged but nothing was proven although you could argue a damning amount of evidence. In his inauguration he says his most famous words “Ask not what your country can do. Ask what you can do for your country”

6. He read six newspapers as he ate breakfast (I wonder what papers?).

7. He guided America through a terrifying experience known as the Cuban Missile Crisis when Americans believed the Soviet Union would send nuclear missiles through Cuba. He stood his ground until the Soviets backed down. 

8. He founded the Peace Corps

9. In 1963, Kennedy was assassinated by a man named Lee Harvey Oswald, right next to his wife, who does remarry five years later (to a  millionaire). 

10. Many conspiracy theories exist regarding Kennedy’s assassination. It appears Oswald was acting alone, it has always appeared this way, but as a political leader Kennedy did have many enemies so some people have questioned this. On the surface, it does appear that Oswald was a Marxist so he may have been a lone wolf acting on behalf of the Soviet Union.

Source: Confronting the Presidents by BIll O’Reilly and Martin Dugard