What if...

Day 23 of 30

History has always fascinated me. From a young age, my Granddaddy would tell me about things that happened before I was born, and ever since then, I have been obsessed with history. When I was in grammar school, I would spend a few days with my grandparents in Randolph, MA at their home. I would go to the National Archives with my Granddaddy on Tuesday, as he volunteered there weekly. It was during one of these trips that he showed me the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum and I was forever attached to everything Kennedy. I guess it helps that I was born and raised in Massachusetts, huh? 

I have always been intrigued (and saddened) by the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. We will never know the truth - was the hit ordered by the mob? Did Lee Harvey Oswald act alone? Was there another shooter? Did Lyndon B. Johnson order the hit because he so badly wanted to  be president? When I heard that Stephen King had written a novel about the infamous 11/22/63, I knew I had to read it. While it IS historical fiction, it painted an incredible "what if" scenario. A lot of work and time went into his research for the novel, which is why it seemed so real. 

This topic is often one discussed among my history loving friends. What if the gun jammed? What if the bullet missed and hit the grassy knoll across the street? What if Lee Harvey Oswald got distracted and missed firing all together? What if President Kennedy was hit but survived? How would the world be different today? What if Lee Harvey Oswald wasn't killed in prison? What if it was a rainy, foggy day? What if?!

I wonder how different the world would be today if he had survived. How would the rest of his presidency go? What other things would he have accomplished? Would he be one of the greats because he got to serve his term, not because he was gunned down? 

I read a book last year, Five Presidents by Clint Hill. Clint Hill was a secret service agent for Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, and Ford. He discusses in the book how guilty he felt about the assassination. He is most famous for the following image - trying to get Mrs. Kennedy back in the car after trying to pick JFK's brains off the back of the vehicle.

Reading his account of the situation raised a lot of questions for me as well. It was so interesting to read from a first hand account what happened that day. His feeling of guilt is felt through the entire section discussing the assassination, while you're just hanging on every word he wrote. Highly recommend Five Presidents, but also Mrs. Kennedy and Me, and Five Days in November. All great insight to a tragic event from a man who lived through it. 

If you are in the area, or are looking for things to do in the Boston area, I highly recommend visiting the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum. Not only do you get to learn about his life before presidency, but you see his campaign trail, his inauguration address in FULL color, the infamous speech he gave that day, and so much more - leading up to his assassination. 

"Ask not what your country can do for you -- ask what you can do for your country." - JFK, January 20, 1961.