The Death of a President

by William Manchester

  Disturber of the Peace (1951)

  The City of Anger (1953)

  Shadow of the Monsoon (1956)

  Beard the Lion (1958)

  A Rockefeller Family Portrait (1959)

  The Long Gainer (1961)

  Portrait of a President (1962)

  The Death of a President (1967)

  The Arms of Krupp (l968)

  The Glory and the Dream (1974)

  Controversy (1976)

  American Caesar (1978)

  Goodbye, Darkness (1980)

  The Last Lion: Visions of Glory (1983)

  One Brief Shining Moment (1983)

  In Our Time (1985)

  The Last Lion: Alone (1988)

  A World Lit Only by Fire (1992)

  The Last Lion: Defender of the Realm (with Paul Reid) (2012)

  APPENDICES

  Appendix I

  Words of President Kennedy which were to have been read at his graveside by Senator Edward M. Kennedy

  “Accepting the nomination for President he said:

  ‘The New Frontier of which I speak is not a set of promises—it is a set of challenges. It sums up not what I intend to offer the American people, but what I intend to ask of them.’

  “To the United Nations he said:

  ‘However close we sometimes seem to that dark and final abyss, let no man of peace and freedom despair. For he does not stand alone. If we all can persevere, if we can in every land and office look beyond our own shores and ambitions, then surely the age will dawn in which the strong are just and the weak secure and the peace preserved.…

  ‘Never have the nations of the world had so much to lose or so much to gain. Together we shall save our planet or together we shall perish in its flames. Save it we can, and save it we must, and then shall we earn the eternal thanks of mankind and, as peacemakers, the eternal blessing of God.’

  “To the Congress he said:

  ‘Our Nation is commissioned by history to be either an observer of freedom’s failure or the cause of its success. Our overriding obligation in the months ahead is to fulfill the world’s hopes by fulfilling our own faith.

  ‘It is the fate of this generation to live with a struggle we did not start, in a world we did not make. But the pressures of life are not always distributed by choice. And while no nation has ever faced such a challenge, no nation has ever been so ready to seize the burden and the glory of freedom.’ ”

  Appendix II

  Words of President Kennedy which were to have been read at his graveside by Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy

  “To Americans of another color he said:

  ‘This nation… was founded on the principle that all men are created equal, and that the rights of every man are diminished when the rights of one man are threatened.… It ought to be possible for every American to enjoy the privileges of being an American without regard to his race or color… to have the right to be treated as he would wish to be treated, as one would wish his children to be treated.… This nation, for all its hopes and all its boasts, will not be fully free until all its citizens are free.’

  “To those who have been our adversaries he said, at American University:

  ‘… If we cannot end now our differences, at least we can help make the world safe for diversity. For, in the final analysis, our most basic common link is that we all inhabit this planet. We all breathe the same air. We all cherish our children’s future. And we are all mortal.

  ‘This generation of Americans has already had enough—more than enough—of war and hate and oppression.… We shall do our part to build a world of peace where the weak are safe and the strong are just. We are not helpless before that task or hopeless of its success. Confident and unafraid, we labor on—not toward a strategy of annihilation but toward a strategy of peace.’

  “To the American people he said, upon conclusion of the Test Ban Treaty:

  ‘Let us, if we can, step back from the shadows of war and seek out the way of peace. And if that journey is one thousand miles, or even more, let history record that we, in this land, at this time, took the first step.’

  “And finally, to all the world, his message on the Cuban crisis one year ago last month contained this simple prophetic sentence:

  ‘The cost of freedom is always high—but Americans have always paid it… ’ ”

  Appendix III

  Jacqueline Kennedy to Nikita Khrushchev, December 1, 1963

  THE WHITE HOUSE WASHINGTON*

  December 1, 1963

  DEAR MR. CHAIRMAN PRESIDENT

  I would like to thank you for sending Mr. Mikoyan as your representative to my husband’s funeral.

  He looked so upset when he came through the line, and I was very moved.

  I tried to give him a message for you that day—but as it was such a terrible day for me, I do not know if my words came out as I meant them to.

  So now, in one of the last nights I will spend in the White House, in one of the last letters I will write on this paper at the White House, I would like to write you my message.

  I send it only because I know how much my husband cared about peace, and how the relation between you and him was central to [t]his care in his mind. He used to quote your words in some of his speeches—“In the next war the survivors will envy the dead.”

  You and he were adversaries, but you were allied in a determination that the world should not be blown up. You respected each other and could deal with each other. I know that President Johnson will make every effort to establish the same relationship with you.

  The danger which troubled my husband was that war might be started not so much by the big men as by the little ones.

  While big men know the needs for self-control and restraint—little men are sometimes moved more by fear and pride. If only in the future the big men can continue to make the little ones sit down and talk, before they start to fight.—

  I know that President Johnson will continue the policy in which my husband so deeply believed—a policy of control and restraint—and he will need your help.

  I send this letter because I know so deeply of the importance of the relationship which existed between you and my husband, and also because of your kindness, and that of Mrs. Khrushcheva in Vienna.

  I read that she had tears in her eyes when she left the American Embassy in Moscow, after signing the book of mourning. Please thank her for that.

  Sincerely

  JACQUELINE KENNEDY

  Appendix IV

  Chronology (Eastern Standard Time)

  Wednesday, November 20

  8:45 a.m. JFK’s Congressional leadership breakfast.

  1:19 p.m. JBK (First Lady) returns from Va.

  6:15 p.m. JBK greets Supreme Court.

  6:30 p.m. White House reception.

  8:30 p.m. Hickory Hill birthday party for RFK.

  9:20 p.m. Under Secretary Ball phones JFK.

  Thursday, November 21

  9:00 a.m. “Wanted for Treason” dodgers in Dallas.

  9:15 a.m. Caroline kisses her father good-bye.

  9:55 a.m. JFK writes 2 fatherless Texas children.

  10:42 a.m. JFK gets new Texas weather report.

  11:00 a.m. JFK’s farewell embrace for John, Jr.

  11:05 a.m. AF1 leaves Andrews at 550 mph.

  11:35 a.m. LHO sees motorcade map in newspaper.

  2:00 p.m. LBJ gets a haircut.

  2:30 p.m. AF1 greeted by LBJ in San Antonio.

  4:05 p.m. JFK inspects oxygen chamber.

  4:15 p.m. Cabinet plane leaves California.

  4:52 p.m. AF1 leaves Kelly Field. Last hour of serenity for JFK and JBK.

  5:37 p.m. AF1 lands in Houston.

  5:40 p.m. LHO rides to Irving with Frazier.

  6:25 p.m. LHO and Marina quarrel.

  8:35 p.m. Cabinet lands in Honolulu.

  9:25 p.m. JFK and LBJ have words.

  9:52 p.m. JBK addresses LULACS.

  9:55 p.m. LHO checks his carbine
(C2766).

  9:58 p.m. JFK in Houston Coliseum.

  Friday, November 22

  12:07 a.m. AF1 lands at Fort Worth.

  12:10 a.m. Oswald’s mother defies roadblock.

  12:30 a.m. Marina notices LHO still awake.

  12:50 a.m. JFK reaches Hotel Texas.

  6:00 a.m. Father Huber rises, hoping to see JFK.

  7:30 a.m. LHO dresses, talks to Marina.

  8:08 a.m. Chief Curry, on TV, warns Dallas.

  8:23 a.m. LHO enters Frazier’s car with C2766.

  9:30 a.m. JFK: yesterday’s crowd “loved Jackie.”

  9:50 a.m. JFK crosses street to parking lot.

  9:53 a.m. JFK tells crowd JBK “organizing herself”; she hears him from bed.

  10:00 a.m. Zapruder goes home for his camera.

  10:02 a.m. JFK confers with Connally.

  10:05 a.m. Nixon leaves Dallas on AA Flight 82. JFK breakfast, sponsored by C of C.

  10:25 a.m. JBK appears in pink suit, pillbox hat.

  11:10 a.m. JFK and JBK return to suite.

  11:14 a.m. JFK phones John Nance Garner.

  11:30 a.m. JFK talks of assassination.

  11:32 a.m. LBJ introduces sister to President.

  12:03 p.m. Cabinet plane leaves Honolulu.

  12:25 p.m. 13-minute AF1 flight to Love Field.

  12:55 p.m. Motorcade leaves Love Field.

  1:18 p.m. Brennan perches on wall beneath LHO.

  1:22 p.m. H. L. Hunt watches JFK pass him.

  1:24 p.m. Motorcade passes Agent Hosty.

  1:29 p.m. Motorcade turns onto Houston from Main.

  1:30 p.m. LHO ASSASSINATES JFK.

  1:31½ p.m. Officer Baker briefly stops LHO.

  1:33 p.m. LHO leaves TSBD, passing NBC’s MacNeil.

  1:34 p.m. First UPI flash.

  1:37 p.m. Caroline leaves White House.

  1:38 p.m. Parkland admits case “24740, white male” suffering from “gunshot wound.”

  1:40 p.m. Agent Ready calls for priest; Cronkite on screen with first CBS flash.

  Kellerman to Behn: JFK “has been hit.”

  LHO boards bus 7 blocks from TSBD.

  1:45 p.m. J. Edgar Hoover calls RFK.

  1:47 p.m. LHO enters Whaley’s cab.

  1:50 p.m. Roy Truly counts heads. Cabinet turns back in mid-Pacific.

  1:54 p.m. Officer Tippit alerted by radio.

  1:57 p.m. Father Huber arrives at hospital.

  2:00 p.m. JFK PRONOUNCED DEAD BY KEMP CLARK.

  75 million Americans know of shooting.

  McNamara summons Joint Chiefs.

  Washington phone system breaks down; Ted Kennedy cut off; sabotage suspected.

  2:02 p.m. Wild chase by stranger of Secret Service car carrying Caroline.

  2:03 p.m. LHO leaves his room with pistol.

  2:05 p.m. RFK learns his brother is dead.

  2:13 p.m. Agent Roberts tells LBJ. Caroline is returned to White House.

  2:15 p.m. LHO MURDERS OFFICER TIPPIT. LBJ-O’Donnell conference. Joint Chiefs alert global commands.

  2:18 p.m. McCormack believes he may be President.

  2:19 p.m. Brinkley on camera in “controlled panic.”

  2:26 p.m. LBJ leaves Parkland.

  2:32 p.m. UPI quotes Huber: “He’s dead.…” Lady Bird sees flag drop to half-mast.

  2:33 p.m. LBJ boards AF1. Kilduff confirms death.

  2:36 p.m. Marina checks C2766’s blanket roll.

  2:40 p.m. LHO runs into Texas Theater.

  2:50 p.m. LHO seized after a scuffle.

  3:00 p.m. Marina finds LHO’s wedding ring. LBJ phones RFK.

  3:04 p.m. Burkley retrieves 2 bloodstained roses.

  3:06 p.m. LBJ phones 3 Dallas lawyers, trying to locate oath of office.

  3:08 p.m. JFK removed from hospital after row.

  3:14 p.m. AP reports Secret Service agent killed.

  3:20 p.m. Katzenbach dictates oath to AF1.

  3:30 p.m. Cabinet plane refuels in Honolulu.

  3:38 p.m. LBJ SWORN IN AS 36TH PRESIDENT.

  3:47 p.m. AF1 climbs to 40,000 feet over storm.

  4:15 p.m. Networks broadcast LHO’s arrest.

  4:35 p.m. AF1 pilots see night come over Memphis.

  5:20 p.m. RFK, McNamara, Taylor leave Pentagon. RFK seeks shelter in airport truck.

  5:33 p.m. JFK’s children are taken to O Street.

  6:05 p.m. AF1 lands at Andrews.

  6:14 p.m. FIRST LBJ STATEMENT AS PRESIDENT ON TV.

  6:26 p.m. LBJ chopper lands at White House.

  7:00 p.m. Gen. Wehle remembers a poem.

  7:20 p.m. LBJ writes John and Caroline in EOB.

  7:30 p.m. McNamara at Bethesda.

  7:40 p.m. LBJ meets Congressional leadership.

  7:50 p.m. HHH tells LBJ he will serve in any job.

  7:56 p.m. Children return to White House.

  8:00 p.m. Autopsy begins on JFK.

  8:50 p.m. Miss Shaw tells Caroline.

  10:30 p.m. Flashlights in the Library of Congress.

  11:40 p.m. Third Dallas murder of November 22.

  MIDNIGHT Four Irishmen buy a $2,460 coffin.

  Saturday, November 23

  12:35 a.m. Cabinet lands at Andrews.

  1:00 a.m. Salinger appears with an unwanted $800.

  2:30 a.m. LHO charged with murder of JFK.

  3:30 a.m. LBJ retires.

  3:56 a.m. Pontiac ambulance leaves Bethesda.

  4:34 a.m. Coffin enters White House.

  4:40 a.m. JBK buries face in American flag.

  5:00 a.m. Klein’s identifies LHO as C2766 buyer.

  6:50 a.m. Sunrise—and storm warnings.

  8:15 a.m. JBK talks to her children.

  9:00 a.m. Ted Kennedy tells his father.

  9:00 a.m. McNamara inspects Arlington.

  10:00 a.m. East Room Mass for family and friends.

  10:40 a.m. JBK sees new rug in JFK’s office.

  11:30 a.m. LBJ confers with Ike.

  1:31 p.m. JFK rocking chairs removed to EOB.

  2:06 p.m. JBK sees Arlington grave site.

  2:30 p.m. LBJ’s first Cabinet meeting; RFK late.

  4:51 p.m. LBJ proclaims mourning on TV.

  8:15 p.m. LHO back in cell—has been questioned less than 3 hours during the day.

  Sunday, November 24

  1:30 a.m. (approximately) JBK writes JFK farewell letter.

  2:15 a.m. Hoover urges secret transfer of LHO.

  NOON Parkland warned to prepare for emergency.

  12:18 p.m. Ruby leaves Western Union office.

  12:21 p.m. RUBY SHOOTS LHO; TELEVISED ON NBC.

  12:34 p.m. JBK and RFK enter East Room.

  12:37 p.m. JBK puts letters in coffin.

  12:44 p.m. Operation on LHO begins.

  12:55 p.m. Kennedys meet Johnsons in Blue Room.

  1:00 p.m. Networks report LHO’s condition critical.

  1:08 p.m. Caisson leaves White House.

  1:52 p.m. “Hail to the Chief” and Navy hymn.

  2:02 p.m. Mike Mansfield begins eulogy.

  2:07 p.m. LHO dies at Parkland.

  2:17 p.m. JBK and Caroline kneel by catafalque.

  2:25 p.m. Networks announce LHO’s death. JBK: “One more awful thing.” Long-distance calls reach historic peak.

  2:45 p.m. JBK asks for eternal flame.

  7:45 p.m. Bunny Mellon kneels in Rose Garden.

  8:18 p.m. Capitol crowd now 200,000 and growing.

  9:04 p.m. JBK and RFK revisit rotunda.

  MIDNIGHT Scene at Unknown Soldiers’ Tomb.

  Monday, November 25

  2:03 a.m. Line on Hill 3 miles long.

  9:00 a.m. 250,000 have filed past catafalque.

  10:30 a.m. Lieutenant Bird prays for strength.

  10:45 a.m. Three Kennedys kneel in rotunda.

  10:59 a.m. Caisson leaves Capitol Hill.

  11:09 a.m. “America the Beautiful.”

  11:35 a.m. JBK leads procession on foot t
o church.

  12:14 p.m. Coffin enters St. Matthew’s.

  1:05 p.m. Cushing: “May the angels, dear Jack…”

  1:21 p.m. John, Jr. salutes father’s coffin.

  1:30 p.m. Funeral motorcade leaves St. Matthew’s.

  2:54 p.m. AF1 dips wings over grave.

  3:07 p.m. Broken taps.

  3:13 p.m. JBK lights eternal flame.

  3:34 p.m. Electric power cut off in Arlington.

  3:50 p.m. JBK receives Charles de Gaulle.

  4:00 p.m. Sorensen writes a speech.

  4:30 p.m. Sgt. Maj. leaves green beret on grave.

  5:00 p.m. LBJ reception at State Department.

  5:45 p.m. JBK sees Willy Brandt on TV.

  7:00 p.m. John, Jr.’s 3rd birthday party.

  MIDNIGHT JBK places bouquet by flame.

  Sources

  The sheer volume of material available to writers of contemporary history makes the preparation of a formal bibliography an exasperating task. This is a phenomenon of the communications revolution. All the old sources of information still exist: letters, diaries, memorandums, State Department cables, official schedules; and, among secondary sources, books and periodical articles. In addition, however, one is confronted with heaps of round pegs which won’t fit the traditional square holes—video tapes, audio tapes, aerial photographs of ceremonies, teletype messages, microfilms, Xeroxed copies of untranscribed shorthand—there really is no end to the variety of forms data may assume. Where, for example, does one put notes gleaned from the author’s own observations? Once the answer would have been that they were journalism, not history. In contemporary history, however, the two merge.

  Behind this book are two chief sources of fact: the notes of participants, written or taped at the time of these events or soon thereafter, and the author’s own interviews. A third vein, which I explored carefully but seldom mined, was the President’s Commission on the Assassination of President Kennedy’s twenty-six-volume conglomeration of testimony, depositions, and exhibits. The quotation from Lee Oswald’s diary which appears here of this book is from Commission Exhibit 24 (Volume XVI, pages 94–105). The Ruth Paine and Marina Oswald correspondence quoted here may be found in Commission Exhibits 404–425 (Volume XVII, pages 81–153). The passages from Robert Oswald’s diary on pages 528–529 are in Commission Exhibit 323 (Volume XVI, pages 889–915). Other episodes or comments whose sources lie in the Commission’s material include Marina’s remark, here, that her mother-in-law had a “mania” for “money, money, money” (Volume I, page 79); August Eberhardt’s account, here, of visiting the Carousel and Vegas clubs with Mrs. Eberhardt (Volume III, page 183); Eberhardt’s recollection, here, of Jack Ruby’s appearance in the Dallas jail on the evening of November 22, 1963 (Volume XIII, pages 187–188); Karin Carlin’s memory (here) of her phone conversation with Ruby before he shot Oswald (Volume XIII, pages 211–212); Marina’s account (here) of burning one of the photographs showing Lee holding the assassination weapon (Volume I, page 79); and Marguerite’s description (also here) of flushing the ashes of this picture down a toilet (Volume I, page 152).