1963, Articles, Assassination, educational, History, JFK, Kennedy Assassination, Uncategorized

Let Us Not Forget

1 Comment

Although my life has been busy over this past year and I have not posted as much like I have in years past, I always want to make sure that this day is remembered. I especially want it to be remembered because this country is going through a division not seen since the 60’s. The date November 22nd,1963 is embedded in the minds of the older generation much like 9/11 is embedded into my generation. These dates have significant meanings and altered the course of history. I used to write on this site to talk about the assassination and who could have been involved in the assassination, and over time I come to learn that the most important part is remembering what was lost that day. Although, I still want to learn the truth about what happened and who was involved, there is a time and place for that, and this day is neither of those. I save this day on my site for remembrance, reflection and a sense of hope this country had with its leaders.

I speak of hope because that is what John Fitzgerald Kennedy wanted to ensure would be his legacy when his time as president came to an end. A man that was focused on his image from early on in his political career and would be continued by his widow even after his death. The image of hope was talked about in most of his major speeches and he gave the American people the sense that we could do anything. As I was going for my graduate degree in American History, I was taught to be objective, read the facts and write about what I read. My opinion in the manner did not matter for what I was writing about but instead was directly about what I had just read. So, although my political opinion may be different then you, I am still able to listen to you and understand where you come from because I hear you and I listen. Being an avid reader of history, JFK had this same sense of objective behavior and could listen. His book Profiles in Courage was about those who stood up and had the courage to stand up for what they believed, even if it meant it went against their own party. JFK once said, “Let us not seek the Republican answer or the Democratic answer, but the right answer. Let us not seek to fix the blame for the past. Let us accept our own responsibility for the future”.  

This country is just as divided now as it was in the 1960’s and the nation has been looking for leaders on both sides that can bring everyone together. As JFK said himself following his acceptance of the Democratic nomination. “But I think the American people expect more from us than cries of indignation and attack”. It makes me wonder had JFK been around during the time we live in now, how he would be perceived and how he would react to the current times. Some may argue that although a Democrat and a liberal, he would be perceived as a conservative in today’s world. JFK was a liberal who listened to the other side and was not afraid to go against his own party at times, which could give the inclination that he was conservative. This is an example of someone who understood his place in history at the time. Someone that understood history and how history is written, as he had his own historian Arthur Schlesinger in his administration as a special assistant. Having someone like this in the administration was not by accident, JFK wanted to see how history would see him in later years. He gave a speech in August 1960 in which he said, “We celebrate the past to awaken the future”. A leader that understood the past, and knew that by understanding the past, we could not make some of the same mistakes in a path going forward. That to me is what makes JFK connect to so many people in the years following his death with both Democrats and Republicans. His ability to show that although you may not be on the same side of his, he would listen to you and make you feel like he was and that this country was full of hope. This is what makes JFK connect to so many people in the years following his death with both Democrats and Republicans. They see leadership, they see understanding, they see hope, they see what was lost on this day 57 years ago.

1963, Articles, Assassination, educational, History, JFK, Uncategorized

The Day JFK Left Us

1 Comment

Sometimes we think we know how things will turn out for us in our life and how our futures will pan out. Growing up we are always asked what we want to do and some of us know exactly what we want, some struggle with that even as they get older, while others sometimes has fate and destiny play a part in their futures. For John Kennedy, becoming President of the United States was not his first option, but it ended up becoming his destiny. This was a man who had become our first television president and one who would be embedded in the minds and hearts of millions of Americans for years to come. Sometimes destiny and fate have a way of leading us down a path that we sometimes don’t necessary want to follow, but we know deep down that this is where we need to be. That day in Dallas 56 years ago today may have ended the hope and dreams that Americans had for the country with JFK as its leader, but it has not ended what he still means to this country.

I speak of this day every year, and as my own life takes twists and turns I find myself back behind the computer this time of year reflecting of this man. I was born many years after his death, but through family members his memory was kept alive. I was a struggling 4th grader with no interest in school and reading until I was shown newspapers and articles about JFK. At that moment a spark went off that lead me to win reading awards and eventually took me down a path to get my master’s degree in History. It was not just about the assassination that sparked my interest in him, but it was also how so many people admired him and looked to him as a symbol of hope for this country. That’s the legacy of JFK and if one word could ever describe his presidency it would be, Hope.

If you have read any history books or at least somewhat paid attention in history class, you know about some of the details of what happened on this day. This is not a day to spread conspiracy theories or express your thoughts if there was one person that killed him, but instead it is a day to remember what was lost. Hope. I try to imagine what it would be like if JFK would have lived and what he would think of the world we live in today. We can’t change history but imagine JFK having to deal with what both political parties are going through now. This was a man who when he won the election, had a meeting with his political opponent in the week after the election to ensure the American public that we are unified as a country. This was the kind of President he would become and the kind of President that the country still looks for and wants in its candidates. It is highly unlikely that we will ever see another candidate that will possess those same attributes that he had and who connected with so many even though he came from great wealth.

On this day we remember what was lost, what could have been, and how it has shaped our country in the 56 years since it happened. As the years go on, many from that time in history are not with us anymore and it is up to us to carry on and remember history. We remember history the way it should be, which is objective and showing facts. The one fact that will always stand out for me is that JFK showed us how a leader should be and the hope that a leader can provide. No matter what your destiny becomes in your life you have a chance to lead others at times whether it is at work or at home and it is up to you to how you want to lead them. The famous quote from his Inaugural address says it all, “Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country”. That quote has so much meaning for so many people and it has inspired others from that time and it still inspires people today. You could replace the word country and also put, “family”, “work”, and “friends”, anything that implies to your life that could mean a difference. It’s about what you can do, and how you can control your own destiny and how others see you. That’s the inspiration that JFK left for us and what we will continue to carry on for many years to come.

Embed from Getty Images

Articles, Assassination, JFK, RFK, Uncategorized

Explaining History to the New Generation

Leave a comment

I have been to Arlington National Cemetery 4 times in my lifetime and each time I still get the chills walking into that place. The history and the magnitude of that place is hard to put into words and if you have never been, I would suggest making at least one trip there. Unlike the other times I have been to Arlington in which I would been in a rush to get to the next stops on our Washington D.C tour, this time I was able to spend all the time I wanted. I spent about three hours on one of the days there and I was able to take it all in. As I walked to the eternal flame to pay my respects to both President and Mrs. Kennedy, I was in stiff competition with all of these student groups that were there as well. I stood back and waited for my turn as the large groups would move on down the line of Kennedy brothers that are buried nearby. As you get closer to the flame you can start to feel the magnitude of what could have been and the many “what ifs” that are buried at that site. I took my time, said a prayer and just kept thinking about my own potential and if I was doing enough, not just for my country but for my family as well. President Kennedy inspired me when I was a struggling 9 year old who had zero interest in learning how to read or had any thought that one day I would be holding a Master’s degree in history because of him. Now here I was standing by his grave site and I just wanted to breakdown.

Embed from Getty Images

As you walk the pathway that connects the Kennedy brothers at Arlington, you will see that Bobby is buried not far away from his brother Jack. It was at Bobby’s grave site that I would really fall deep into this zone that is hard to describe. His grave site is marked by a single cross, a headstone and nothing more. There is a wall across from his grave site that includes the speech he delivered after the death of Martin Luther King Jr. There was another wall nearby that I was able to sit on and think, sometimes taking notes, but mostly I was there to reflect. I sat on this ledge for 2 hours, watching group after group head up to the eternal flame only to walk right past Bobby on their way to another of the cemetery’s monuments. Sometimes the groups would stop and pay respects to Bobby and others did not. Some of the guides would tell these students a quick story about who was buried there, but nothing of any substance that would tell them that someone special was buried there. I even heard a guide confuse stories of Teddy and Bobby, one of which said that Bobby was the one who was at Chappaquiddick in 1969. My fiancé had to keep me from opening my mouth to correct him and tried to tell me to let it go. That’s just not me. So when they got to Teddy’s grave which is just a few steps away from Bobby’s, I had to make the correction to the guide.

This got me thinking some more about what I could be doing. Yes, teaching has always been something that I have wanted to do, but would that be enough? Seeing group after group walk past Bobby, just made me think more about it. This was a man that could have had the most potential to change things we know today. Things that Bobby stood for, are still some of the same things we struggle with today. At least the tour guides taking these students could have mentioned the potential, the passion and the desire he had to make this a better world. I heard them at the eternal flame, I heard the long talks they gave these students for JFK, but it could have been said about RFK as well. We long for leaders that inspire us, make us want to be more than what we are. I truly believe that RFK saw the potential in people and that is what would have made him an unforgettable president had he lived and won. We just will never know like many things when it comes to the Kennedy’s as their potential was cut way too short in life.

Embed from Getty Images

1963, Articles, Assassination, History, JFK, Kennedy Assassination, Uncategorized

A Brief Shining Moment

1 Comment

It was about this time 30 years ago that my grandmother pointed me towards a path that I did not dream I would still be interested in. Underneath my bed had sat a big metal tin, full of papers, magazines and newspapers that she had kept in this tin since 1963. At first glance I did not realize what I was looking at, especially an 8 year old boy who had a reading problem and had zero interest in getting better at. I remember clearly asking her who this person was, and she said “that was the most beloved President we will ever see”. This tin was full of memories of President John F. Kennedy and this tin was full of, Life Magazines, different pictures, and newspaper clippings that she personally wrote on.  On the side of the New York Daily News, she wrote “Our immortal President, for he will be missed by all of us now and forever”. From that moment on, I could not get enough of what this man had meant not just to my grandmother, but for this country and the world. For each birthday my family did not buy me many toys (well some), they bought John F. Kennedy books, memorabilia and anything that that was associated with the 35th President of the United States.

That journey still continues to this day, and I find myself as an adult having to hold back from buying books, memorabilia and anything I can get my hands on. Why is this so? How could a man that died 17 years before I was born mean so much to me and why do I continue to research his death and his life? The answer is simple, we have been searching for hope, and we have been searching for someone that can bring us those kinds of visions and ideas that he had for this country. Whether you are a Republican or a Democrat, we are in search of someone with that kind of hope for all of us. Even though many stories have come forth that will try and tarnish the image of JFK, it is the youth, the hope, the belief in all of us that he brought to the United States of America that will never be tarnished. JFK was not a perfect person, but he was perfect for us and our country. History has shown the many events that happened in the aftermath of his death and we wonder how different this world would have been had JFK lived.

This was a time in America where the innocence was still there and would remain there following his assassination. We are unable to go back in time to stop those that ended his life, but we are able to carry on what he believed and try making a mark on this world. I truly believe and have for years now, that I need to do something that will help keep his memory alive. I don’t have the ambition or know how, to be a politician, so I can’t make those visions he saw come to life. Their might be someone that reads this blog or the many other books out there and use that as a personal ambition to do more. Keeping the memory of JFK alive and well for those that might not have as much knowledge as some of us in the research community, should be the goal of those that study JFK. His assassination is still researched daily by many (me included), and we should continue to try and uncover the truth while trying to maintain his legacy along the way. This is a day of remembrance, this is a day to look forward, this is a day for us, to see not what our country can do for us, but what we can do for our country.

Below you will see images that I have found of his resting place and the many visitors that still visit his grave each day. The numbers may not be as large as they were in 1963, but in 2018 there are still many who visit Arlington National Cemetery. They pay respect to a man that had meant so much for so many. In one of the images you see JFK’s grandson looking down at his grandfather’s grave, and you can’t help but wonder what he is thinking at that moment. A new generation of Americans must be reminded of what was lost on that day in Dallas and the impact that it has had on the world we live in today.

 

 

Embed from Getty Images

Embed from Getty Images

 

 

Embed from Getty Images

Embed from Getty Images

Embed from Getty Images

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1963, Articles, Assassination, Book Reviews, Conspiracy, JFK, Kennedy Assassination, Uncategorized

History Has a Way of Repeating Itself

Leave a comment

If you looked up the definition of “Destiny” in the dictionary, you will read that it says; “the events that will necessarily happen to a particular person or thing in the future”. President John F. Kennedy had a destiny predetermined in terms of his life and death. He had been groomed to become President of the United States following the death of his older brother Joe Jr. In terms of his death being pre-determined, many will argue about the circumstances surrounding his assassination and who was at fault and the many questions that still linger on today. However, I am a big believer in that history will repeat itself if we are not aware of what has happened in the past, and for those of us who love history know that it tends to repeat itself more times than none. While going through my typical weekly Ebay hunting for JFK memorabilia, I found a book that intrigued me, the title of the book “American Presidents and Destiny”. At first glance and without even reading the description, I knew this would be a book that I would be intrigued to purchase.

If you follow the history of the American Presidency you will find out a strange trend that had happened to Presidents starting with President William Harrison elected in 1840. President Harrison died in office as would Lincoln who was elected in 1860, Garfield elected in 1880, McKinley elected in 1900, Harding elected in 1920, Roosevelt elected in 1940, and of course President Kennedy elected in 1960. Every 20 years from 1840 until 1960 the President of the United States died in office. Now back to the book I was talking about that I found on Ebay. This book written in 1960 and published in September of that year asked the question on the front page if the next president will die in office. Once inside the book, it gives you the same information about the previous presidents who died in office, with 1960 left blank (the previous owner of the book wrote down Kennedy in those blank spots). Once I received the book in the mail, I started to comb through the various pages and finding different quotes that show how the author felt about history repeating itself. For instance, one quote in the book, “If this cycle of the presidents continues then the president elected in 1960 will die sometime between 1961 and 1969”. The author of the book did not seem to be a big Kennedy fan and in one section of the book, there is a question and answer section in which the author is asked if JFK would make a good president, despite him being of Catholic religion. The author answered this question by saying, “It is perhaps one of the most fateful developments in American history. It should be the matter of the deepest concern to all U.S citizens”. To the author, if JFK was elected President of the United States, then destiny would take over and history would repeat itself.

IMG_0435IMG_0439

I know this is not the typical assassination type material that I have posted in the past, but it is instead of some unique things you can find, whether it is on Ebay, t a thrift store, or at a local flea market. Items like this are unique and show the type of resistance JFK had in trying to get elected president and also shows a predetermined destiny. While hunting for new items to add to my collection I am starting to look more at things that came out before his assassination and see how people felt about JFK, whether it be good or bad. In some future posts, I will be showing you and reviewing some books that I have recently found that show these types of situations. If you have found something unique and would like to share, feel free to comment on the post or reach out to me and I will share on my page.

Embed from Getty Images

 

Articles, Book Reviews, History, RFK, Uncategorized

What Could Have Been..

Leave a comment

The word “Hope” is used a lot when talking about many of the great politicians who lives were cut too short. The 1960’s especially was a critical turning point in our country’s history, when the decade began with the word “Hope”. When President John F. Kennedy was elected the 35th President of the United States, he brought the word to the forefront of American politics. The young president spoke strong words in his inauguration speech, and left the country believing that our future was in good hands. As we know, his presidency was cut short and with his death, the word “Hope” was soon lost on that day in Dallas. Our hope for the future was no longer in his hands; instead it was left with a President who had a different agenda and a different mindset then that of his predecessor. No one could believe that Lyndon Johnson would continue the work that JFK had sought for the country, not even JFK’s brother Robert could believe it. When John Kennedy died on November 22nd, 1963 it would feel like the hope of the nation had left with him.

Embed from Getty Images

It would be 5 years before the word “Hope” would once again come in front of the American people. A decision so many had hoped he would make, Senator Robert F. Kennedy decided to run for President of the United States 50 years ago this month. A turning point was on the horizon in American politics as Lyndon Johnson had turned into a hated figure, and hope was all but lost with him sitting in the Oval Office. Unable to sit back, and seeing an opportunity to bring back the word “Hope”, RFK made a decision to run. What transpired was a campaign that lasted for 3 months and instantly brought back that same breath of fresh air that JFK had brought 8 years before. The American people needed a leader like RFK to inspire them, to lead them, and to bring everyone together. The year 1968 in history books, is one that is filled with hatred and violence, but some of that could have changed had RFK been able to fulfill his destiny. Instead, destiny took a turn on the night of June 4th, 1968 as RFK was shot and killed having just won the Democratic primary in California. The speech RFK gave before his death was filled with the same hope and inspiring message of unity that he had been speaking about for the past 3 months on the campaign trail. Now that voice was silent, and another Kennedy’s life was cut too short to fully bring “Hope” to a reality.

Now as we look back on what could have been 50 years later, we are still tormented by the word “Hope”. To some, hope was lost on November 22, 1963, but to many, hope died on the day RFK took his last breath. We have seen over the years those who have tried to replicate the Kennedy flare, and bringing back “Hope”, but it is never the same and they are never able to come through. The country lost its faith in politicians in the 1960’s mostly in part to leaders like Johnson and Nixon, but that could have changed had Bobby won the election in 1968. We can never go back and time, but we can always think of what could have been scenario. By looking at the work someone had been putting in and seeing the belief that person had inn the country, makes you believe them to their word. Even though 50 years have passed, and he was never elected President of the United States, Robert Kennedy is just as beloved figure now as he was then. It is surrounded around the word “Hope”, a true belief that this man had the best interest in the country in mind and could have changed the course of history had he lived. I will end this post with the words of Ted Kennedy as he eulogized his brother Robert, “My brother need not be idealized, or enlarged in death beyond what he was in life; to be remembered simply as a good and decent man, who saw wrong and tried to right it, saw suffering and tried to heal it, saw war and tried to stop it”.

Embed from Getty Images

Embed from Getty Images

1963, Assassination, Conspiracy, educational, Kennedy Assassination

A Legacy That Lives On..

2 Comments

On this day 54 years ago, the United States not only lost its President, but it also lost a true visionary for the future. A future he had planned from the moment he became President of the United States, until that fateful day in Dallas. As a nation we have not seen that same kind of vision, a vision that included going to the moon before the end of the decade, and a call for all Americans to work together for the best interest of the country. The United States is still looking for a leader like him, and we may never see it again. Comparisons have been drawn over the years, and although his personal life would eventually become grocery store tabloid material, JFK was the definition of a leader while in office.

The 35th President of the United States did not have a great start to his presidency, with the Bay of Pigs invasion and an early meeting with the Soviet Union Premier that made the young president seem inexperienced.  Those early experiences only made JFK much stronger as the year went on, and by the time the Cuban Missile Crisis came about in 1962, he had become the leader that he was destined to become. A destiny that met its end in Dallas, and a hope that is still thought about to this day. There will be a day where those that lived during the time of JFK will no longer be living, and it is up to history to tell the story about a man that brought promise to this great nation. For those that were alive during that time, they will never forget where they were, or what they were doing on that fateful day. I was not alive during this time in American history, and although I have read many books about JFK and about the assassination itself, I still can not imagine the grief and shock that took place. Just today, it was a beautiful day in the area I am currently living in, and I wondered about this day exactly 54 years ago. The blue skies, the slight chill in the air, and I wondered about that day in Dallas. Even though I was not there, and many others like myself who are too young, it is up to us to carry on the legacy of JFK. What he had envisioned for the future may have come to an end with those bullets that day, but the legacy will always live on.

Embed from Getty Images

With the release of the JFK files within these past couple of months, a growing number of people became interested again. The interest in JFK has peaks and valleys in terms of when the media decides to talk about him and when people become interested again. Whether it is a major anniversary, a movie, a new tabloid story, or even the release of files about his death. The American people are still fascinated by the assassination, and sometimes that overshadows what he was able to bring to the Oval Office in his short time. Over the next few months or possibly even the next year, the files will still make some headlines and the interest will start to fade once again. The release of the files is the last important date within the JFK community for the coming years, and unless it is a major anniversary the American media will stay away from talking about JFK. My hope is that, as part of the new generation of researchers in the JFK community me and my fellow researchers will be able to keep the legacy of JFK alive. By not only talking about the assassination but to also bring his life and what he was able to do in office to the forefront we will be able to keep his legacy alive. I would like to thank everyone that follows my blog, and I hope to keep the legacy of JFK alive, while also bringing some new information about his assassination to light. Feel free to comment and share some thoughts about what JFK means to you, and how you would like history to view JFK.

301448_2228763474124_274726_n

Articles, Assassination, Conspiracy, Uncategorized

Happy Birthday Bobby!!

Leave a comment

On what would have been his 92nd birthday, we take a look at Senator Robert F. Kennedy’s last speech. The hope that was lost with the death of RFK still has has lasting effects on the United States today.

 

1963, Articles, Assassination, Conspiracy, Uncategorized

The Moment of Truth or Just another Step Backwards.

2 Comments

 

As we approach a date that many researchers in the JFK community have looked upon as one of the defining moments in finding out the possible truth, it is important to for us to look at what exactly we are looking for. Are the files that have been long kept from us, give us the answers to solving the crime of the century? Some like myself, are looking for some key parts that may have been kept, certain names, organizations, and other various aspects that will help put the pieces into place. Even though I have been researching and learning about the JFK assassination since the time I was about 9 years old, the amount of information out there can be overwhelming. While we are looking for a certain thing in these files, we may overlook another that could possibly put it together. That is why it is important as a community to be able to talk and work together with this. For many years, and even to this day, my family and friends have called me “the JFK guy”. Anytime a mention of JFK comes on the news or social media, it is almost a certainty that one of them thinks of me. That became very clear this past week with the announcement that President Trump was willing to not block the release of the JFK files. From text messages, phone calls, emails, and seeing me in person, friends and family told me about it. The interest in the JFK assassination comes and goes with many, but to the few who spend the countless hours researching, the interest never leaves.
The JFK files release is like the Super Bowl in a way to those in the JFK community, it can either be exactly what we were waiting for, or it could leave us not impressed and waiting for the next big game. Unfortunately, there is not a next year, not another chance at the big game, this is our big game. Even if the files do not give us the answers we are looking for, there is so much information out there, that we might have overlooked. I was surprised a couple of years ago when I came across Acme Building Maintenance in one of the files. In a previous article I talked about this company and how they had access and keys to the Texas School Book Depository up to and including the night before the assassination. A chance reading when I was going through interviews, and something that not many people had looked at before. Even today when I google Acme Building Maintenance about JFK, my article and website appears. The point of this is not to talk about the article, but to show that information is still out there. It has been out there, just buried beneath a rubble of information that was not intended for us to find. If we can come together and share information, and talk rationally about it, we can put things together.
Over the course of the next few weeks, as we all dig a little bit deeper, the public interest will fade, and we will still be at our computers, reading books, looking at films, and looking to find answers. As I dig through the rubble of information, I will be sharing what I find, and if any of it might connect to something. I must open my blinders and not just look for Acme Building Maintenance, but also for other things that may have gone unnoticed. With two conferences coming up in Dallas in November, and the release of the files coming in the days ahead, a lot of information will be out there. I am part of the younger generation of researchers, not having been born during the time of JFK, instead born and raised during a time in which the public interest was reaching all- time highs. If you would like to share what exactly you are looking for in the files, then please feel free to leave comments below. The more we can talk and learn from each other, the better we are all going to be in finding out the truth.

 

 

 

 

Embed from Getty Images

1963, Articles, Assassination, educational, History, Uncategorized

Camelot’s Protector: Book Review of Jacqueline Kennedy’s interviews with Arthur Schlesinger.

Leave a comment

For those that lived during the early 1960’s, Jacqueline Kennedy had become more than just the First Lady of the United States, she had become a star. The star of the show that was played out before the nation, with the young president at her side, and a nation that wanted to copy everything that she was doing. Jacqueline Kennedy only wanted a few things in life, and none of it included becoming this type of figure. However, on November 22nd, 1963, fate would take over and put her in a place only a few First Ladies before her had to endure, that of becoming a widow. Every move that she would make in those moments after the gunshots took the life of her husband, would be etched into the minds of millions of Americans for decades to come. The stained pink dress, watching her husband’s successor take the oath of office, finding the right burial spot, and ensuring the nation would never forget this time in history.

It is with history in mind that Jacqueline Kennedy sat down with famed historian and Kennedy advisor, Arthur Schlesinger Jr. for a series of interviews just months after the events in Dallas. The interviews were recorded by Schlesinger and the agreement would be that they would be sealed for 50 years. According to her daughter Caroline Kennedy, the interviews were unlocked just weeks after her mother’s death so that the family could decide if it was time for them to be released. Caroline had decided that it was not the right time, and it would be another 17 years before the public could hear the voice that had been so strong during such a tragic time.

Over the course of the next seven conversations that spanned months during 1964, Jackie Kennedy shed light on many topics regarding her husband. Some of those topics included his presidential aspirations, what he liked to read, his relationship with his brother Bobby, and his plans for after the presidency. The book features a written form of the interviews and it also includes the recordings themselves. I have found myself listening to these conversations on my way to work, and actually hearing her voice, gives the conversation some life. Mr. Schlesinger is careful to avoid many of the controversial topics that have been printed in the years after. Instead, in these early months after JFK’s death, Jackie is painting the image of JFK that she thought he deserved. Asked at one point in the conversation as to how her husband would have described himself, she states, “An idealist without illusions”. A true statement for a man that had so many visions for the country, but were left unfinished by a life cut short.

Some of the other interesting topics that are brought up by Schlesinger, is the relationship that JFK had with the FBI, and the CIA. When asked about the situation, Jackie states, “I know he was going to get rid of J. Edgar Hoover and he always said that those were the two things he did first- you know, Hoover and Allen Dulles, which I guess he had to do at the time”. There are those that believe that individuals such as Hoover and Dulles had something to do with the assassination, and this statement by JFK’s wife, shows the indifference he had with these two men.

Another person of interest in the interviews that came up, was the name Lyndon Johnson. Jackie felt that her husband tried many times over the course of his administration to involve Johnson with decisions, but that Johnson simply just agreed with everything that was being said. So instead of having a “yes” man, he would send him on trips around the world. One notable statement that Jackie makes about this, is something that happened in our current events today. As a new Air Force One was needed, Johnson pushed for JFK to order four more Air Force Ones, and that Moscow’s planes were much faster. In turn Jackie stated, “Jack wasn’t going to spend that much money for four new planes, and Lyndon kept pushing him to do it”. JFK did not give in to Johnson’s demands, and the rift between the two was growing to a point in which Johnson might be dropped from the ticket. Jackie explains that she did not think that JFK would drop Lyndon in 1964, but that JFK had stated to her, “Oh God, can you ever imagine what would happen to the country if Lyndon was president?” Well the nation did get to see what would happen, and the effects of his presidency left a scar on the presidency that was felt for decades.

The book is a must have for any Kennedy collector, and the recordings are the most valued portion of the book. Within those CD’s, the voices of history are heard, and the protector of Camelot sheds light on the events before JFK’s presidency, during it, and what could have been after it. Jackie Kennedy believed that her husband would have gone around the world, written a book, or even done something with his library. Instead it was left to her to form the image and history surrounding her husband, and she was able to give the country that brief shining moment, that was known as Camelot.

jfkennedy1963