The Death of the Nation

The fall of 1963 seemed to be a productive and prosperous time for the Kennedy Administration. Although the Republican Opposition was trying to give Kennedy a challenge for re-election in 1964, it seemed that they had failed. The 35th president went on about business and even attended Houston, Texas in order to settle the feud between the Democrats. Liberals and Conservatives of the Democratic Party were at constant battle. Just before Thanksgiving the President went to Texas to see what could be done to improve the political disagreements.

On November 21, 1963, the Texas Democrats warmly greeted President Kennedy after arriving in Houston. Three hundred thousand citizens were awaiting the arrival of the young, laid back leader. Although arriving 22 minutes late in Fort Worth Texas on November 21, 1963, Kennedy was welcomed at 11:07 p.m. Throughout the crowd there were many signs of support for Kennedy, but some were not as heart-felt. One sign showing the difference of opinion, remarked, " We need another ex-president."

The following afternoon, on November 22,1963, Kennedy, scheduled to leave for Dallas, Texas, began his worries. Kennedy knew right away that he would not have a warm welcome in Dallas; however at the airport crowds treated him with the utmost respect and made him feel at home. The crowds all wanted to shake the hand of the president as he walked about. Kennedy and his wife, Jacqueline, dressed in their best, climbed on the back of the black convertible, in which they would ride in throughout the parade of downtown Dallas.

The motorcade proceeded down Main Street with the admiration of many onlookers on to Houston Street. The people looked as the young, carefree man and his "campaign wife" waved and smiled. The welcome of the people was highly unexpected considering that Texas was a state that John F. Kennedy had barely won in the election of 1960. The motorcade continued its travel onto Elm Street where the tragic end was nearing.

A loud bang in celebration of Kennedy? "Was that a firecracker?" some joked. No, it wasn't, the loud bang was indeed a gunshot. As the first shot was fired people were unsure of what was wrong, but as the second shot rang observers watched a president die. The onlookers fell into a silence of shock when reality set in. Pieces of flesh seemed to fly from Kennedy's head shortly after hearing the second shot. Blood now covered the whole left side of the youthful president's head. The surrounding people looked on in terror when they realized that our president had been shot. Jacqueline Kennedy, who had decided to accompany her husband on this trip, jumped and grabbed her husband after she realized what was going on. As she scrambled to gather pieces of John's skull that had been detached from his body and secret service men rushed to her aid. "Oh, no!" she shrieked as the driver, almost by reflex, sped the car up toward Stemmons Freeway.

Three shots had been fired in all. As people scrambled to save themselves President Kennedy was fading. The motorcade sped on to Parkland Hospital; arriving five minutes later. Reporters saw the sad sight of a young, charismatic man lying flat on his face in the back seat of his car. His natty business suit barely rumpled and fighting for his life, Mrs. Kennedy, weeping was taken from the car in her blood-splattered attire.

There was utter chaos in the streets. People holding small children down for protection, mortified onlookers, police scrambling to get to President Kennedy's aid, secret service men urging to motorcade to move along. Agents were using radios to get directions to the nearest hospital. Under the triple overpass the car sped as a young, 34 year old, mother of two, sat, terrified of the outcome, holding in her lap her husbands bleeding head. His body was limp. No movement, no sound. Young, handsome, laid back John Fitzgerald Kennedy held on for his life by a string. The radios, telephones, and televisions became filled with the sounds of distraught and mournful voices with the news of the Dallas Parade. Entire businesses came to a near standstill from coast to coast. The first question everyone was thinking was "Is he alive?" Five minutes after the shots were fired the President's driver pulled into the ambulance port of Parkland Hospital. The president never regained consciousness. In emergency room number one Dr. Kemp Clark and his staff examined the large wound in the presidents head and another smaller wound-¯from the second shot-¯in his throat. Kennedy, worked over for forty minutes, was already dead. The blood transfusions, the tracheotomy and the oxygen, were not enough. At one o' clock p.m. the words "Our President is dead" rang throughout the nation. A sudden shock that even silenced school children as the news rapidly spread.