Tombstone Tuesday - JFK

Tuesday is the 48th anniversary of the untimely death of John F. Kennedy, 35th President of the United States of America.

Kennedy was born on May 29, 1917.  He was shot and died in Dallas, TX on November 22, 1963. 

People of a certain age can remember the exact moment they heard the horrible news.  Just over five years old at the time of his assassination, I cannot remember that event.  However, I do remember going to Mass with my mother, and wondering why all the women were openly crying, not quietly sobbing, but outright crying.  I had never seen such behavior in church.  And even today, watching the news clip of Walter Cronkite, on the verge of tears as he announces the tragedy on the evening news, makes me swallow hard.  

Kennedy's tombstone is not a typical marker, but rather an Eternal Flame, which burns round the clock in Arlington National Cemetery, in Arlington, VA.  Visiting the gravesite is a moving experience. 
 



In the three-year period following the 1963 burial, an estimated 16 million people paid their respects at the grave.  Thus, in 1967, Kennedy's body was moved and a permanent plot and marker were created at Arlington.



His wife, Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy (later Onassis) is buried by his side.  His equally political and well-known brothers, Robert and Edward, are buried nearby. 

As you remember this day in history, say a prayer.

  

Four markers of Kennedy family members:
John F. Kennedy,
his wife and two brothers,
with Eternal Flame at top.

These images are courtesy of Wikipedia, as they are much better than my own.