Another John F Kennedy Essay Example For Students

Another John F Kennedy Essay Word Count: 1878JFK: His Life and Legacy On November 22, 1963, whilebeing driven through the streets of Dallas, Texas, in his opencar, President John F. Kennedy was shot dead, apparentlyby the lone gunman, Lee Harvey Oswald. The world had notonly lost a common man, but a great leader of men. Fromhis heroic actions in World War II to his presidency, makingthe decisions to avert possible nuclear conflict with worldsuperpowers, greatness can be seen. Kennedy also foundthe time to author several best-selling novels from hisexperiences . His symbolic figure represented all the charm,vigor and optimism of youth as he led a nation into a new eraof prosperity. From his birth into the powerful and influentialKennedy clan, much was to be expected of him. Kennedywas born on May 29,1917 in Brookline, Massachusetts. Hisfather, Joe, Sr., was a successful businessman with manypolitical connections. Appointed by President Roosevelt,Joe, Sr., was given the chair of the Securities and ExchangeCommissi on and later the prestigious position of UnitedStates ambassador to Great Britain(Anderson 98). Hismother, Rose, was a loving housewife and took young Johnon frequent trips around historic Boston learning aboutAmerican So 2 revolutionary history. Both parentsimpressed on their children that their country had been goodto the Kennedys. Whatever benefits the family received fromthe country they were told, must be returned by performingsome service for the country(Anderson 12). The Kennedyclan included Joe, Jr., Bobby, Ted and their sisters, Eunice,Jean, Patricia, Rosemary, and Kathleen. Joe, Jr., was asignificant figure in young Johns life as he was the figure formost of Johns admiration. His older brother was muchbigger and stronger than John and took it upon himself to beJohns coach and protector. Johns childhood was full ofsports, fun and activity. This all ended when John grew oldenough to leave for school. At the age of thirteen, John lefthome to attend an away school for the firs t time. CanterburySchool, a boarding school in New Milford, Connecticut andChoate Preparatory in Wallingford, Connecticut completedhis elementary education(JFK 98). John graduated in 1934and was promised a trip to London as a graduation gift. Soon after, John became ill with jaundice and would have togo to the hospital. He spent the rest of the summer trying torecover. He was not entirely well when he started Princeton,several weeks later in the fall of 1935. Around Christmas thejaundice returned and John had to drop out of school. Before the next school year began, he told his father hewanted to go to Harvard(JFK 98). On campus, youngpeople took interest in politics, social changes, and events inEurope. The United States was pulling out of the GreatDepression. Hitlers So 3 Nazi Germany followed aggressiveterritorial expansion in Europe. It was at this time that Johnfirst became aware of the vast social and economicdifferences in the United States. In June 1940, Johngraduated cum laude(with praise or distinction) fromHarvard. His thesis earned a magna cum laude(great praise)(JFK 98). After graduation, John began to send his paperto publishers, and it was accepted on his second try. WilfridFunk published it under the title Why England Slept. Itbecame a bestseller. John, at twenty-five, became a literarysensation. In the spring of 1941, both John and Joe, Jr.,decided to enroll in the armed services. Joe was accepted asa naval air cadet but John was turned down by both thearmy and navy because of his back trouble and history ofillness(JFK 98). After months of training and conditioning,John reapplied and on September 19, John was acceptedinto the navy as a desk clerk in Washington. He wasdisgusted and applied for a transfer. In June 1941, Kennedywas sent to Naval Officers Training School at NorthwesternUniversity in Evanston, Illinois and then for additional trainingat the Motor Torpedo Boat Center at Melville, RhodeIsland. In late April 1943, Lieutenant John F. Kennedy wasput in command of a PT 109, a fast, light, attack craft in theSolomon Islands in the South Pacific. Kennedy saw action inthe form of night patrols and participated in enemybombings. On August 1, 1943, during a routine night patrol,a Japanese destroyer collided in the darkness withKennedys craft and the PT 109 was sunk. Throughsuperhuman effort, the injured Kennedy heroically swam So4 back and forth rescuing his wounded crew. Two werekilled in the crash. The injury had once again aggravated hisback. Still, Kennedy pushed on swimming from island toisland in the South Pacific hoping for a patrol to come by. A Lesson Before Dying EssayOn a trip to Dallas to stir up support for the reelection, thePresidents auto were coming down elm street when threeshots rang out. The first projectile entered at the base ofKennedys neck and exited through the back of his head. The second bullet hit Texas Governor John Connally. Seconds later there was another shot and the back of thepresidents head was torn away. The assassin- Lee HarveyOswald with a mail-order rifle fired from the Texas SchoolBook Depository(Warren 5). Oswald had recently appliedfor a passport to Communist Russia which led to a series ofprivate meetings between Oswald and the RussianGovernment(Warren 614). Oswald protested his innocence. President Johnson set up what quickly became known as theSo 8 Warren Commission headed by Chief Justice Warrento find the motive behind the assassination, The Commissionfinds the lone, depressed, mentally unstable, anti-social nutkills an American president(Theories 1). Other theorieshave evolved over time such as the Grassy Knoll theory. Witnesses say that a man in black was present and firedsimultaneously with Oswald and doubled the actual shotsfired(Theories 1) Another theory is that the fired CIAdirector Allen Dulles used his considerable connections andplotted revenge(Theories 2). On Nov. 24, 1963 asOswald was being escorted from the city jail, Jack Rubyshot Oswald with a single shot from a Colt .38revolver(Warren 350). Ruby was arrested and stood trial inDallas. He was found guilty and was sentenced to hang. Hedied in jail of cancer, on January 3,1967. Kennedy was thefirst President to be born in the twentieth century and wasvery much a man of his time. He was restless, seeking, witha thirst of knowledge, and he had a feeling of deepcommitment, not only to the people of the United States, butto the peoples of the world. Many of the causes he foughtfor exist today because of what he did for the rights ofminorities, the poor, the very old and the very young. Henever took anything for granted and worked for everyth inghe owned. Perhaps Kennedy summed up his life best in hisown inaugural speech: Ask not what your country can dofor you, but ask what you can do for your country.