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- Previously on "Kennedy"...
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After seven months in Europe,
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Jack Kennedy was
now 22 years old.
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- Handsome, born to an
extremely wealthy family.
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What we really know
is a lot of pain.
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00:00:15,700 --> 00:00:18,160
- One thing after another
sent him to the infirmary.
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- He's got this older
brother, Joe Jr.,
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who is considered the
shining star of the family.
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00:00:24,330 --> 00:00:25,830
- Jack was an afterthought.
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00:00:25,950 --> 00:00:27,370
- Was he going to pity himself,
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or was he going to overcome it?
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- He was exposed
from a very early age
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to a really incredible array
of international experiences.
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- Using what he learned
in Europe as a guide,
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Jack began work on his thesis,
which he later expanded
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into a book called
"Why England Slept."
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It quickly sold 80,000 copies.
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- To lead us to a
fruitful America,
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from the state of Massachusetts,
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John F. Kennedy!
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- John F. Kennedy lived a life
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that would help define
an entire generation.
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- Together, we shall
save our planet,
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or, together, we shall
perish in its flames.
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- What was it about that guy?
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- Looks, style, empathy...
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he was incredibly charming.
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- Intellectual and progressive.
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- He was the
future. He was next.
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- President for just
over 1,000 days,
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Kennedy navigated
events and crises
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that changed the world.
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- Kennedy is
feeling the pressure
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from the Civil Rights activists.
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- This was a country
on nuclear war footing.
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- This could be the last mistake
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that anybody makes politically.
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- He changed us in the
process of his own growth.
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- We choose to go to
the moon in this decade
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and do the other things,
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not because they are easy,
but because they are hard.
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- 60 years after
his assassination,
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we are still fascinated
by the triumphs
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and flaws of the youngest
president ever elected.
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- I ask you to join us in all
the tomorrows yet to come,
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in building America,
moving America,
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picking this country of ours up
and sending it into the '60s.
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- If Great Britain goes
down, the Axis powers
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will control the continents
of Europe and Asia
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and Africa and Australasia
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and the high seas.
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And they will be in a position
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to bring enormous military
and naval resources
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against this hemisphere.
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There will be no bottlenecks
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in our determination
to aid Great Britain.
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No dictator will weaken
that determination.
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- In 1940, as Britain
turned to the United States
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for assistance,
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Jack Kennedy published a book
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about the lead-up
to World War II.
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As Germany's Luftwaffe
bombarded British cities
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during August 1940,
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Americans seeking to
better understand the war
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eagerly turned to
Kennedy's book.
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Letters flew into Jack's mailbox
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with offers from
prestigious publishers
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and inquiries about
follow-up volumes.
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Now a best-selling
author at age 23,
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Jack had to decide if he
would continue writing
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or choose another
avenue altogether.
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By fall 1940, Jack had a
plan to return to school
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and build on his
Harvard education,
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but his plans stalled when
his health declined again.
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He checked into the
Lahey Clinic in Boston,
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with gastrointestinal
problems and back pain...
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an issue that began during
his time at Harvard,
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where he ruptured
a disk in his spine
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while playing football.
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Physicians recommended
he find a place
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for quiet rehabilitation.
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That place, he decided,
would be the Golden State.
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Jack settled in California,
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auditing business,
political science,
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and economic classes
at Stanford University.
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Jack was a minor
celebrity at Stanford,
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not least of which was due
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to his father's
previous position
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as the American ambassador
to the United Kingdom.
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On his first day, he wore
casual shabby clothes
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while driving the
Buick convertible
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purchased with
his book earnings.
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With his "FDR for President"
button, unkempt hair,
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confident and carefree attitude,
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Jack made a splash
around campus.
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While he studied and
gallivanted around Stanford,
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he kept an eye on the
situation in Europe.
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Like many Americans his age,
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he was unsure what the
escalating conflict
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meant for his future.
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As the war surged overseas,
Kennedy's older brother,
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the fervently
anti-war Joe Jr.,
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left law school to enlist
in the United States Navy.
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Jack decided to follow suit,
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putting aside his
academic pursuits
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as the United States'
entrance into the war
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seemed inevitable.
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- Jack was a man who wanted
to be at the center of action.
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- Quickly, he volunteered for
Army Officer Candidate School
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but was rejected due
to his poor health.
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- He failed the physical
because of his back pain.
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So the Army said
to Jack Kennedy,
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well, thanks for
showing up, young man.
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We just don't need you.
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- Jack was undeterred,
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adopting a strict health regimen
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to build his strength.
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- Ultimately, Jack
continues to push
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to get into the armed
forces in some way.
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- In October 1941,
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Jack was approved
for military service.
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He was assigned a post
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at the Office of
Naval Intelligence
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in Washington, D.C., as
a Navy Reserve officer.
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The desk assignment
wasn't ideal,
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but it was all he had for now.
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- Just after Jack finished
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a game of football near
the Washington Monument,
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news arrived of
the Japanese attack
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on Pearl Harbor...
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a Naval base on the
island of Oahu, Hawaii.
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The next day,
President Roosevelt
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officially announced
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that the United States
was at war with Japan.
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Hitler, allied with Japan,
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promptly declared war
on the United States.
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Two years into the
Second World War,
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the United States
was now fully engaged
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in the conflict.
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- With confidence
in our armed forces,
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with the unbounding
determination
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of our people,
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we will gain the
inevitable triumph,
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so help us God.
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- Jack's busy schedule
at Navy Intelligence
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did not give him
much time to sleep,
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especially after the U.S.
joined the war effort.
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Helping him get through the
long days was his new lover.
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- His sister Kathleen
introduced him
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to a beautiful young lady.
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- Born in Copenhagen, Denmark,
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journalist Inga Arvad
was an exotic figure
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whom Jack saw as an
intellectual equal,
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fascinated by her sharp mind
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00:09:12,160 --> 00:09:15,200
and captivating
Scandinavian looks.
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To the FBI, there was more
to Inga than met the eye.
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Shortly after the
attack on Pearl Harbor,
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a reporter from the
"Washington Times-Herald"
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found an image of
Inga in Hitler's box
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during the 1936 Berlin Olympics.
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Intelligence collected on her
indicated that as a reporter,
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she met Hitler on
multiple occasions
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and attended the wedding
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for high-ranking Nazi
official Hermann Goering.
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Speculation on whether or
not Inga was a German spy
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ran rampant.
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She rejected all accusations,
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and her relationship
with Jack didn't wane.
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- So she was on the FBI list.
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J. Edgar Hoover was after her.
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- Spying on their every move,
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Hoover wiretapped their bedroom,
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even recording their
sexual encounters.
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Inga and Jack had
fallen in love.
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Kennedy was obsessed with Inga.
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But she knew if
he chased a career
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in the political limelight,
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her murky background would make
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a long-term
relationship impossible.
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00:10:39,910 --> 00:10:42,660
- Plan your life as you want it.
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Go up the steps of fame.
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But pause now and
then and make sure
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that you are accompanied
by happiness.
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Love my dear, Binga.
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00:11:03,040 --> 00:11:07,250
- As war raged across Europe
and the Pacific in 1942,
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00:11:07,370 --> 00:11:10,870
Jack grew restless and wanted
to participate more directly
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00:11:11,000 --> 00:11:13,660
in the U.S. military effort.
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Finally, in late July 1942,
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he was approved to register
at Officer Training School.
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- He attends
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00:11:22,250 --> 00:11:25,040
the Naval Reserve
Officers Training School
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at Northwestern
University in Chicago.
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- His time had come.
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Jack had poor health,
enormous physical pain,
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and a fragile body,
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but he had grueling persistence.
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Because of his love for
sailing, boats, and the ocean,
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Jack took a liking
to PT boats...
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00:11:44,700 --> 00:11:49,040
agile vessels used in
the Pacific theater.
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00:11:49,160 --> 00:11:53,080
- These small boats are some
of the Navy's newest weapons.
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It is essentially an
80-foot-long speedboat.
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- They were noted
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for their ability to sneak up on
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and attack large
vessels with torpedoes.
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Jack was so successful
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in the completion of
his boat-training course
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00:12:09,450 --> 00:12:12,540
that he was offered a
position as an instructor.
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It would require him
to stay stateside
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for another six months.
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00:12:16,870 --> 00:12:18,660
Jack was infuriated.
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He wanted to fight.
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00:12:21,200 --> 00:12:23,750
With help from his
maternal grandfather,
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00:12:23,870 --> 00:12:27,250
former Boston mayor John
"Honey Fitz" Fitzgerald,
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00:12:27,370 --> 00:12:28,790
Jack arranged a meeting
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00:12:28,910 --> 00:12:31,290
with Massachusetts
senator David Walsh,
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00:12:31,370 --> 00:12:34,330
chairman of the Senate
Naval Affairs Committee.
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00:12:34,500 --> 00:12:39,160
The goal was to prove himself
willing and able to fight.
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00:12:39,250 --> 00:12:41,950
He made an impression
on the senator.
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After months of struggling
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00:12:45,950 --> 00:12:48,330
for an active
position in the Navy,
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00:12:48,450 --> 00:12:52,830
the time had come, whether he
was physically ready or not.
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- He went through town,
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00:12:54,700 --> 00:12:56,950
and just a few minutes
ago, he was here.
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And then he's going
on active sea duty.
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00:13:00,790 --> 00:13:02,830
Only, you know, his back...
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00:13:02,950 --> 00:13:06,160
he looks like a limping
monkey from behind.
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00:13:06,330 --> 00:13:08,700
He can't walk at all.
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00:13:08,870 --> 00:13:12,660
That's ridiculous...
sending him off to sea duty.
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00:13:15,040 --> 00:13:17,790
- On March 6, 1943,
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00:13:17,950 --> 00:13:20,250
Lieutenant Junior
Grade Jack Kennedy
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00:13:20,370 --> 00:13:23,660
stepped aboard a troop
carrier in San Francisco.
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The destination was Tulagi,
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00:13:26,450 --> 00:13:28,120
part of the Solomon Islands,
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00:13:28,250 --> 00:13:32,660
some 1,100 miles
northeast of Australia.
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00:13:32,750 --> 00:13:36,160
He was headed straight
into the heart of war.
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00:13:54,790 --> 00:13:57,290
16 months after Pearl Harbor,
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00:13:57,370 --> 00:14:00,410
the United States was locked
in a fierce naval campaign
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00:14:00,540 --> 00:14:02,450
against Japanese forces.
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00:14:05,080 --> 00:14:06,950
Using their powerful navy,
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00:14:07,040 --> 00:14:09,330
Japan steamrolled
through the Pacific,
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00:14:09,410 --> 00:14:12,660
crushing any obstacle
that stood in their way.
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00:14:17,700 --> 00:14:21,250
- Kennedy takes
command of PT-109
243
00:14:21,370 --> 00:14:24,790
on April 23, 1943.
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00:14:26,790 --> 00:14:29,660
- It was 80 feet long
and weighed 40 tons.
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00:14:29,790 --> 00:14:31,500
- They're made out of wood.
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00:14:31,620 --> 00:14:33,660
They are powered by engines
247
00:14:33,790 --> 00:14:36,660
that run on high-octane fuel.
248
00:14:36,790 --> 00:14:40,040
There's no armor at all
and is very dangerous duty.
249
00:14:40,200 --> 00:14:43,790
I mean, one well-placed
hit from a Japanese ship,
250
00:14:43,950 --> 00:14:46,040
and the ship is going
up in an explosion.
251
00:14:47,540 --> 00:14:49,160
- The PT boat bases,
252
00:14:49,250 --> 00:14:51,830
like the one on Tulagi
where Jack was stationed,
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00:14:51,950 --> 00:14:56,000
were built quickly,
leaving much to be desired.
254
00:14:56,120 --> 00:14:59,660
- The Solomon Islands are
deep in the South Pacific.
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00:14:59,790 --> 00:15:03,000
These are
jungle-covered islands.
256
00:15:03,080 --> 00:15:07,040
There's heat, humidity, bugs,
257
00:15:07,200 --> 00:15:09,290
thunderstorms, rainstorms.
258
00:15:11,290 --> 00:15:14,330
- Diseases like malaria and
dengue fever ran rampant
259
00:15:14,500 --> 00:15:17,330
through the hastily
erected structures.
260
00:15:17,500 --> 00:15:20,700
Rats and cockroaches
were part of daily life.
261
00:15:20,830 --> 00:15:22,410
Making matters worse,
262
00:15:22,540 --> 00:15:25,500
food supplies...
mostly canned food...
263
00:15:25,660 --> 00:15:28,500
were inadequately allocated
to troops in the area,
264
00:15:28,620 --> 00:15:30,200
and the soldiers
265
00:15:30,330 --> 00:15:33,040
were constantly threatened
with malnutrition.
266
00:15:33,200 --> 00:15:35,160
Difficult though it was,
267
00:15:35,250 --> 00:15:37,660
Jack's PT boat and its crew
268
00:15:37,750 --> 00:15:40,290
became his home away from home.
269
00:15:40,410 --> 00:15:43,660
- PT-109 had been operating
for a number of months
270
00:15:43,830 --> 00:15:45,660
under different
commanding officers,
271
00:15:45,790 --> 00:15:47,330
different crew members.
272
00:15:49,370 --> 00:15:51,370
The commanding
officers from the boat
273
00:15:51,540 --> 00:15:53,580
had already transferred
to other positions
274
00:15:53,700 --> 00:15:55,790
or moved back stateside.
275
00:15:55,870 --> 00:15:58,250
So Kennedy is kind of
rebuilding the crew.
276
00:15:58,370 --> 00:16:00,370
And by August, you know,
they've been together
277
00:16:00,540 --> 00:16:02,000
for a few months.
278
00:16:02,120 --> 00:16:05,000
So this is a very
small, cohesive group,
279
00:16:05,160 --> 00:16:07,120
unlike a bigger ship.
280
00:16:07,200 --> 00:16:09,330
I mean, they have to
depend on each other
281
00:16:09,500 --> 00:16:10,580
for life and death.
282
00:16:14,250 --> 00:16:16,410
- During his first
months at Tulagi,
283
00:16:16,540 --> 00:16:19,500
they saw little action.
284
00:16:19,620 --> 00:16:21,160
Kennedy had ample time
285
00:16:21,290 --> 00:16:23,500
to send his mother
flowers for Mother's Day,
286
00:16:23,580 --> 00:16:26,410
write letters home,
and read his copy
287
00:16:26,540 --> 00:16:31,330
of Tolstoy's 19th-century
epic novel "War and Peace."
288
00:16:39,160 --> 00:16:41,000
At the end of July,
289
00:16:41,160 --> 00:16:43,830
intelligence reports
arrived at Jack's PT base,
290
00:16:43,910 --> 00:16:46,750
indicating that five
Japanese destroyers
291
00:16:46,870 --> 00:16:48,370
were scheduled to move
292
00:16:48,500 --> 00:16:51,370
on the night of
August 1st and 2nd.
293
00:16:51,500 --> 00:16:53,830
The destroyers were
expected to sail
294
00:16:53,950 --> 00:16:55,700
through the Blackett Strait,
295
00:16:55,830 --> 00:16:59,830
supplying provisions to
and moving Japanese troops.
296
00:17:01,500 --> 00:17:04,540
- The Japanese are
trying to resupply
297
00:17:04,700 --> 00:17:06,410
their island garrisons
298
00:17:06,540 --> 00:17:09,620
with these nighttime runs
called the Tokyo Express,
299
00:17:09,700 --> 00:17:12,910
delivering supplies and troops
under the cover of darkness.
300
00:17:14,250 --> 00:17:16,200
- So Kennedy was assigned
301
00:17:16,330 --> 00:17:18,910
to one of four groups that
were going to be positioned
302
00:17:19,040 --> 00:17:21,200
to try and intercept
these destroyers.
303
00:17:22,290 --> 00:17:25,330
This is a major, major mission.
304
00:17:25,410 --> 00:17:29,200
- This is a, you know,
very dangerous place to be.
305
00:17:35,620 --> 00:17:37,250
- On August 1st,
306
00:17:37,370 --> 00:17:41,370
15 PT boats, including
Jack's PT-109,
307
00:17:41,540 --> 00:17:43,580
set off toward the
Blackett Strait
308
00:17:43,700 --> 00:17:45,830
at 6:30 p.m.
309
00:17:45,950 --> 00:17:49,660
Including himself, there
were 13 men on Jack's boat.
310
00:17:53,080 --> 00:17:56,580
In near darkness,
PT-109 became separated
311
00:17:56,700 --> 00:17:58,540
from the other PT boats.
312
00:17:58,700 --> 00:18:01,450
Jack shut down two of
the boat's three engines
313
00:18:01,580 --> 00:18:03,950
to conserve fuel.
314
00:18:04,120 --> 00:18:06,040
It would also help
the boat remain hidden
315
00:18:06,160 --> 00:18:07,870
from the Japanese air patrols
316
00:18:08,000 --> 00:18:12,120
looking for the phosphorescent
glow left by boat wakes.
317
00:18:12,250 --> 00:18:15,950
- The enemy they're really
worried about is above.
318
00:18:16,040 --> 00:18:18,200
And if they make a wake,
319
00:18:18,330 --> 00:18:20,910
not only are the aircraft
going to see them,
320
00:18:21,040 --> 00:18:24,500
if there's enemy ships about,
they will also see them.
321
00:18:24,660 --> 00:18:28,160
- Oftentimes, if the
PT boats were deployed
322
00:18:28,290 --> 00:18:31,660
and they were waiting for
Japanese ships to arrive,
323
00:18:31,790 --> 00:18:33,160
they would be idling,
324
00:18:33,290 --> 00:18:35,330
meaning they would be operating
325
00:18:35,450 --> 00:18:37,660
at one engine instead of three,
326
00:18:37,790 --> 00:18:40,660
very low speed, you know,
almost idling in place.
327
00:18:42,660 --> 00:18:44,700
- PT-109 idled.
328
00:18:46,250 --> 00:18:48,160
Under the moonless sky,
329
00:18:48,290 --> 00:18:50,620
the crew noticed
movement on the water
330
00:18:50,700 --> 00:18:54,000
in the pre-dawn
hours of August 2nd.
331
00:18:54,080 --> 00:18:56,160
Jack and his men
struggled to identify
332
00:18:56,250 --> 00:18:58,160
the shape in the darkness.
333
00:18:59,540 --> 00:19:01,290
As the wake grew closer,
334
00:19:01,410 --> 00:19:04,790
the outline of a
massive ship emerged.
335
00:19:04,870 --> 00:19:06,540
Moving towards them
336
00:19:06,660 --> 00:19:10,580
was the towering Japanese
destroyer "Amagiri."
337
00:19:10,700 --> 00:19:15,330
- And she is speeding
directly towards PT-109.
338
00:19:15,450 --> 00:19:17,160
Kennedy tries to turn,
339
00:19:17,330 --> 00:19:19,330
but there's really no time.
340
00:19:22,370 --> 00:19:25,330
- The "Amagiri" collided
violently with Jack's boat.
341
00:19:27,250 --> 00:19:30,450
The Japanese destroyer
sliced through PT-109,
342
00:19:30,580 --> 00:19:33,750
causing fuel to explode
into a raging fire
343
00:19:33,870 --> 00:19:36,330
more than 100 feet tall.
344
00:19:36,370 --> 00:19:39,080
Two of Jack's men
were killed instantly,
345
00:19:39,200 --> 00:19:41,080
and the remainder
scrambled to escape
346
00:19:41,200 --> 00:19:42,500
the flaming wreckage.
347
00:19:44,540 --> 00:19:48,910
- Kennedy himself is thrown
against the bulkhead.
348
00:19:49,040 --> 00:19:52,120
He reinjures his
already bad back.
349
00:19:52,250 --> 00:19:55,290
- The Japanese destroyer
doesn't even slow down.
350
00:19:55,410 --> 00:19:57,200
They just want to
get out of there.
351
00:19:57,370 --> 00:20:00,080
So they just power right
through and keep going.
352
00:20:00,200 --> 00:20:02,950
And the gasoline spreads
out over the ocean,
353
00:20:03,040 --> 00:20:04,540
and it's on fire.
354
00:20:06,580 --> 00:20:09,660
- Amidst the chaos, Jack
dove into the dark waters
355
00:20:09,750 --> 00:20:14,500
to save badly burned
sailor Patrick McMahon.
356
00:20:14,660 --> 00:20:18,540
- That guy was just
a common sailor.
357
00:20:18,700 --> 00:20:20,370
He saved his life.
358
00:20:20,500 --> 00:20:23,580
So that's the things
359
00:20:23,750 --> 00:20:27,750
that really made me admire him
most, I think... his courage.
360
00:20:29,370 --> 00:20:31,660
- Paddling in cold
water for hours,
361
00:20:31,830 --> 00:20:34,660
Jack ordered his most
severely injured crewmen
362
00:20:34,750 --> 00:20:39,450
to cling to a small plank that
had splintered from the boat.
363
00:20:39,540 --> 00:20:41,330
- Some of them had
swallowed gasoline.
364
00:20:41,410 --> 00:20:43,200
Some of them were burned.
365
00:20:43,370 --> 00:20:45,580
Some of them had been
crushed against the boat.
366
00:20:45,700 --> 00:20:49,160
But McMahon was the worst off.
He had been severely burned.
367
00:20:54,700 --> 00:20:57,500
- At daybreak the next morning,
368
00:20:57,620 --> 00:21:01,410
this small group is still
clinging to this wreckage.
369
00:21:01,540 --> 00:21:03,040
They are in open waters,
370
00:21:03,200 --> 00:21:06,000
and then the wreckage
starts to sink.
371
00:21:08,700 --> 00:21:10,500
- Surrounded by
Japanese soldiers
372
00:21:10,660 --> 00:21:12,290
on the neighboring islands,
373
00:21:12,410 --> 00:21:15,330
they were in a
terrifying situation.
374
00:21:15,450 --> 00:21:17,500
While floating in the Pacific,
375
00:21:17,660 --> 00:21:20,870
Jack and his crew were faced
with an enormous decision...
376
00:21:21,040 --> 00:21:24,500
continue fighting or
surrender to hostile forces.
377
00:21:25,870 --> 00:21:28,200
Jack said, there's
nothing in a book
378
00:21:28,330 --> 00:21:30,410
about a situation like this.
379
00:21:30,540 --> 00:21:32,540
I have nothing to lose.
380
00:21:32,700 --> 00:21:35,620
They decided to continue on.
381
00:21:35,750 --> 00:21:40,330
- Kennedy had a flare gun,
which he could have used,
382
00:21:40,410 --> 00:21:42,660
but to illustrate the
danger they were in,
383
00:21:42,790 --> 00:21:45,290
you know, to shoot
off a very light
384
00:21:45,370 --> 00:21:47,660
will also tell the
enemy you're there.
385
00:21:47,790 --> 00:21:50,160
They were just as
afraid of being captured
386
00:21:50,290 --> 00:21:53,330
or killed by the enemy
as not being rescued.
387
00:21:53,500 --> 00:21:57,000
So Kennedy chose not
to shoot off a flare
388
00:21:57,080 --> 00:21:59,500
to signal a rescue
at that point.
389
00:22:01,830 --> 00:22:04,330
- Kennedy spots
a distant island,
390
00:22:04,500 --> 00:22:07,580
and he decides the
best course of action
391
00:22:07,660 --> 00:22:09,830
is for his group to
swim to that island.
392
00:22:11,660 --> 00:22:13,540
- Jack tied a knot
to the wounded
393
00:22:13,700 --> 00:22:15,870
Patrick "Pappy"
McMahon's life jacket
394
00:22:16,040 --> 00:22:19,200
and put the other end
between his teeth.
395
00:22:19,370 --> 00:22:21,330
- It was described by
one of the witnesses
396
00:22:21,500 --> 00:22:23,500
as if he had done it all
the time in his life.
397
00:22:23,660 --> 00:22:25,580
He just got a knife
out and cut the strap,
398
00:22:25,750 --> 00:22:30,160
put the strap of the
life jacket in his mouth
399
00:22:30,290 --> 00:22:33,750
and pulled Pappy on
his back, his bad back.
400
00:22:35,450 --> 00:22:38,330
- Jack began the
3 1/2-mile journey
401
00:22:38,410 --> 00:22:41,540
through shark-infested waters.
402
00:22:41,700 --> 00:22:43,830
Listening to Kennedy's
labored breathing,
403
00:22:43,950 --> 00:22:46,700
McMahon didn't know
if they could make it.
404
00:22:46,830 --> 00:22:50,330
Kennedy replied, it can be done.
405
00:22:50,500 --> 00:22:53,580
- We can do this.
We can do this.
406
00:22:53,700 --> 00:22:56,040
Well, that's what
you want, isn't it...
407
00:22:56,200 --> 00:22:58,000
a skipper that says,
we can do this?
408
00:23:01,450 --> 00:23:03,450
- After an arduous journey,
409
00:23:03,580 --> 00:23:06,160
Kennedy, McMahon, and
the surviving crew
410
00:23:06,290 --> 00:23:08,330
finally made it to shore.
411
00:23:08,450 --> 00:23:10,790
- When they arrive on the beach,
412
00:23:10,910 --> 00:23:14,910
Kennedy literally
collapses in exhaustion.
413
00:23:15,040 --> 00:23:16,830
- By this time,
414
00:23:16,950 --> 00:23:19,830
Jack and his crew
were presumed dead,
415
00:23:19,950 --> 00:23:23,200
when a report stated that
neither the ship nor the crew
416
00:23:23,330 --> 00:23:26,370
were found at the
collision site.
417
00:23:26,500 --> 00:23:29,330
- They are in survival
mode at this point.
418
00:23:29,500 --> 00:23:32,370
They need to somehow get
word to the Americans
419
00:23:32,540 --> 00:23:35,290
that they're alive
and where they're at
420
00:23:35,410 --> 00:23:37,090
because they're in
Japanese-held territory.
421
00:23:41,000 --> 00:23:42,790
- On August 2, 1943,
422
00:23:42,910 --> 00:23:46,250
Jack and his men had been
sunk by a Japanese destroyer
423
00:23:46,370 --> 00:23:48,500
and lost two of
their crew members.
424
00:23:48,620 --> 00:23:51,540
Now they were stranded
on a small island
425
00:23:51,700 --> 00:23:55,080
roughly the size of
a football field.
426
00:23:55,200 --> 00:23:56,830
- It's only 100 yards wide,
427
00:23:56,950 --> 00:23:58,950
but it was enough to get
out of the water and hide.
428
00:23:59,040 --> 00:24:00,790
So they all make it there,
429
00:24:00,910 --> 00:24:03,660
and soon after they get there,
a Japanese barge goes by.
430
00:24:03,750 --> 00:24:06,790
So they know that was close.
431
00:24:06,910 --> 00:24:08,596
But there's no food.
There's no water there.
432
00:24:08,620 --> 00:24:10,580
There's just trees.
433
00:24:10,700 --> 00:24:12,750
And Kennedy knows
they can't stay there.
434
00:24:14,410 --> 00:24:16,750
- Armed with a
lantern in one hand,
435
00:24:16,870 --> 00:24:20,700
Jack swam two miles alone
to the Ferguson Passage...
436
00:24:20,830 --> 00:24:24,370
an area American boats
often pass through.
437
00:24:24,500 --> 00:24:27,000
- Kennedy thinks he can swim out
438
00:24:27,120 --> 00:24:30,620
and flag down one
of the PT boats.
439
00:24:30,750 --> 00:24:35,290
This proves unsuccessful
and utterly tiring.
440
00:24:37,200 --> 00:24:40,040
- When he made it back to
his men the next afternoon,
441
00:24:40,200 --> 00:24:43,950
Jack led his crew in
swimming nearly four miles
442
00:24:44,080 --> 00:24:45,870
to nearby Olasana Island
443
00:24:46,000 --> 00:24:48,750
in hopes of finding food, water,
444
00:24:48,830 --> 00:24:51,580
and fellow American PT crews.
445
00:24:55,330 --> 00:24:57,250
They found nothing.
446
00:24:57,370 --> 00:25:00,000
But Jack was undeterred.
447
00:25:00,160 --> 00:25:02,410
- The morale of the
crew is very important,
448
00:25:02,540 --> 00:25:04,160
and Kennedy knew that.
449
00:25:04,290 --> 00:25:06,870
They needed to know somebody's
trying to do something.
450
00:25:07,000 --> 00:25:09,370
One of us has to try and
always be doing something
451
00:25:09,540 --> 00:25:13,160
to improve their situation
so they don't give up.
452
00:25:13,250 --> 00:25:15,750
- The next day, Jack brought
a new measure of hope
453
00:25:15,870 --> 00:25:17,870
to his injured and starving crew
454
00:25:18,040 --> 00:25:21,660
when he found a nearby island
with old Japanese provisions,
455
00:25:21,750 --> 00:25:26,330
including crackers and
a supply of fresh water.
456
00:25:26,450 --> 00:25:28,580
Amazingly, on the same day,
457
00:25:28,700 --> 00:25:31,450
Jack encountered two
Melanesian natives...
458
00:25:31,580 --> 00:25:35,000
Biuku Gasa and Eroni Kumana.
459
00:25:35,160 --> 00:25:38,000
They were part of a network
called "coastwatchers,"
460
00:25:38,160 --> 00:25:40,790
providing intelligence
on Japanese movements
461
00:25:40,910 --> 00:25:44,410
to the Australian Allied forces.
462
00:25:44,540 --> 00:25:47,830
Jack inscribed an SOS
message on a coconut
463
00:25:47,950 --> 00:25:50,910
for the coastwatchers to
relay back to their commander,
464
00:25:51,040 --> 00:25:54,250
an Australian
named Arthur Evans.
465
00:25:54,370 --> 00:25:58,450
- He wants them to take it
to the American PT boat base
466
00:25:58,540 --> 00:26:00,330
on the island of Rendova.
467
00:26:00,500 --> 00:26:02,830
- At night, by canoe...
468
00:26:02,910 --> 00:26:05,000
Through
enemy water.
469
00:26:05,160 --> 00:26:08,330
I mean, this is a tremendous
thing to ask of these people.
470
00:26:08,410 --> 00:26:11,000
- The next day,
the natives return
471
00:26:11,120 --> 00:26:12,910
with supplies and food
472
00:26:13,040 --> 00:26:16,540
and the note from
the coastwatcher,
473
00:26:16,660 --> 00:26:19,500
asking that Kennedy
meet Evans in person.
474
00:26:19,620 --> 00:26:21,750
Kennedy at this point knows
475
00:26:21,870 --> 00:26:25,250
that, you know, this
gives him a chance.
476
00:26:25,370 --> 00:26:26,950
- Jack set off with the natives
477
00:26:27,040 --> 00:26:30,830
to a nearby PT boat
base on Gomu Island.
478
00:26:31,000 --> 00:26:33,000
- Kennedy really didn't
want to leave his men,
479
00:26:33,120 --> 00:26:34,660
but he got in the canoe anyway,
480
00:26:34,790 --> 00:26:36,410
and he hid under
these palm fronds
481
00:26:36,540 --> 00:26:38,290
in the bottom of the canoe.
482
00:26:38,410 --> 00:26:40,160
While they're paddling
across the bay
483
00:26:40,290 --> 00:26:42,040
towards Gomu Island,
484
00:26:42,120 --> 00:26:44,950
a Japanese plane flies
down and scouts them.
485
00:26:45,080 --> 00:26:48,160
The two natives
give them the wave.
486
00:26:48,290 --> 00:26:50,000
And the pilot left them alone,
487
00:26:50,080 --> 00:26:53,000
but Kennedy is hiding
under this palm frond,
488
00:26:53,160 --> 00:26:54,410
hoping he wasn't seen.
489
00:26:54,540 --> 00:26:55,910
They arrive at Gomu Island,
490
00:26:56,040 --> 00:26:58,120
and Kennedy hops out
of the canoe and...
491
00:26:58,200 --> 00:27:00,080
- Two PT boats come by.
492
00:27:00,200 --> 00:27:02,750
They pick up Kennedy.
493
00:27:02,870 --> 00:27:05,790
- Jack led the two boats
back to Olasana Island
494
00:27:05,870 --> 00:27:07,950
to rescue his crew.
495
00:27:11,410 --> 00:27:14,790
- And by the morning
of August 8th,
496
00:27:14,870 --> 00:27:18,540
they are back at the
American PT boat base,
497
00:27:18,700 --> 00:27:23,000
ending the ordeal of
the PT-109 sailors.
498
00:27:25,330 --> 00:27:27,830
- Jack was now a war hero.
499
00:27:27,950 --> 00:27:30,080
Bravery and
leadership earned him
500
00:27:30,200 --> 00:27:33,830
a Navy Marine Corps
medal and a Purple Heart.
501
00:27:33,910 --> 00:27:36,080
Jack later said, the real heroes
502
00:27:36,200 --> 00:27:40,660
are not the men who return but
those who stay out there...
503
00:27:40,790 --> 00:27:44,160
two of my men included.
504
00:27:44,250 --> 00:27:48,000
- Well, there was a lot
of favorable attention
505
00:27:48,200 --> 00:27:49,500
that he received
506
00:27:49,540 --> 00:27:51,870
but none more
important than that
507
00:27:52,040 --> 00:27:54,910
from the men who were
on the PT-109 with him.
508
00:27:55,040 --> 00:27:57,620
They testified to his gallantry.
509
00:27:57,750 --> 00:28:00,700
They testified to what he
had actually accomplished
510
00:28:00,830 --> 00:28:03,200
at great risk to himself.
511
00:28:03,370 --> 00:28:05,580
- I think it was
a genuine record
512
00:28:05,750 --> 00:28:07,950
of truly selfless
heroic behavior.
513
00:28:08,040 --> 00:28:09,830
I think there's no
other way, really,
514
00:28:09,950 --> 00:28:11,750
accurately to describe it.
515
00:28:11,870 --> 00:28:14,700
- After the rescue of PT-109,
516
00:28:14,870 --> 00:28:16,500
Jack was promoted
to full lieutenant
517
00:28:16,660 --> 00:28:18,830
in October 1943
518
00:28:18,950 --> 00:28:21,200
and would stay in
the South Pacific.
519
00:28:21,330 --> 00:28:25,750
He served on another PT boat
until he was finally sent home
520
00:28:25,870 --> 00:28:30,040
on December 14, 1943
under doctor's orders.
521
00:28:31,870 --> 00:28:35,500
Arriving stateside
in early January 1944
522
00:28:35,660 --> 00:28:37,410
with an injured back,
523
00:28:37,500 --> 00:28:39,290
Jack was severely underweight
524
00:28:39,410 --> 00:28:42,580
and had symptoms of
malaria and jaundice
525
00:28:42,700 --> 00:28:45,620
from months away at war.
526
00:28:45,790 --> 00:28:48,000
But the change that
would most affect him
527
00:28:48,120 --> 00:28:51,330
was his newfound
understanding of the world.
528
00:28:53,080 --> 00:28:55,500
- It was the
killing that he saw,
529
00:28:55,620 --> 00:28:59,200
and it really made him sensitive
530
00:28:59,370 --> 00:29:03,370
to what is at risk when the
United States goes to war.
531
00:29:03,540 --> 00:29:07,200
He writes very graphic
letters back to his parents
532
00:29:07,370 --> 00:29:10,750
about this one particular
Japanese soldier
533
00:29:10,870 --> 00:29:13,910
who's in the water
and causing problems
534
00:29:14,080 --> 00:29:16,910
until an American
stands up with his rifle
535
00:29:17,040 --> 00:29:19,250
and blows his head off.
536
00:29:19,370 --> 00:29:21,500
- Kennedy comes
home a different man
537
00:29:21,660 --> 00:29:23,200
in a lot of ways...
538
00:29:23,290 --> 00:29:25,290
someone who's been forced
to grow up, I think,
539
00:29:25,370 --> 00:29:28,620
in a lot of ways and see
the hard side of life
540
00:29:28,790 --> 00:29:30,910
that I think he had
never, ever encountered
541
00:29:31,040 --> 00:29:32,830
as a rather privileged young man
542
00:29:33,000 --> 00:29:35,830
in the Boston area before.
543
00:29:35,910 --> 00:29:37,870
- I think that in many ways,
544
00:29:38,040 --> 00:29:40,580
World War II was maturing for
a whole generation, of course.
545
00:29:40,700 --> 00:29:42,580
But for John in particular,
546
00:29:42,700 --> 00:29:46,410
I think he came back with
a sense of responsibility.
547
00:29:48,700 --> 00:29:51,120
- Jack's time in
the war would impact
548
00:29:51,250 --> 00:29:54,410
how he would lead
the rest of his life.
549
00:29:59,410 --> 00:30:00,950
- By the summer of 1944,
550
00:30:01,080 --> 00:30:03,540
Jack was back home
in Massachusetts,
551
00:30:03,700 --> 00:30:07,120
but his older brother, Joe
Jr., was still deployed,
552
00:30:07,200 --> 00:30:09,950
flying B-24 Liberator planes
553
00:30:10,080 --> 00:30:12,660
on missions over
the English Channel
554
00:30:12,790 --> 00:30:14,160
and the North Sea.
555
00:30:18,410 --> 00:30:20,040
On August 12th,
556
00:30:20,200 --> 00:30:23,330
he volunteered for a dangerous
top-secret mission...
557
00:30:23,500 --> 00:30:25,370
Operation Aphrodite...
558
00:30:25,540 --> 00:30:29,580
tasked with destroying
German V-2 rocket sites.
559
00:30:35,540 --> 00:30:37,120
His aircraft was loaded
560
00:30:37,250 --> 00:30:39,500
with over 20,000
pounds of explosives
561
00:30:39,580 --> 00:30:43,290
when he took off, flying
over the English Channel
562
00:30:43,410 --> 00:30:45,160
toward his target.
563
00:30:52,250 --> 00:30:55,160
On the afternoon of August 13th,
564
00:30:55,290 --> 00:30:58,330
during an idyllic
Sunday at Hyannis Port,
565
00:30:58,450 --> 00:31:01,750
Joe Kennedy appeared
before his family.
566
00:31:01,870 --> 00:31:04,540
The Kennedy patriarch was pale
567
00:31:04,700 --> 00:31:06,830
and paralyzed with disbelief
568
00:31:06,910 --> 00:31:09,750
as he delivered
the horrible news.
569
00:31:09,870 --> 00:31:12,330
The mission had gone awry,
570
00:31:12,450 --> 00:31:15,870
and Joe Jr.'s plane
had exploded in midair,
571
00:31:16,040 --> 00:31:18,330
killing him instantly.
572
00:31:20,910 --> 00:31:23,540
- Joe Jr. Could
have come home.
573
00:31:23,700 --> 00:31:26,290
And yet he volunteers
574
00:31:26,410 --> 00:31:29,830
for what is almost
a suicide mission.
575
00:31:29,950 --> 00:31:32,620
Joe Jr.'s death
576
00:31:32,750 --> 00:31:35,330
is a knife
577
00:31:35,450 --> 00:31:38,830
into the heart of
the Kennedy family.
578
00:31:38,950 --> 00:31:40,500
They never recover.
579
00:31:42,370 --> 00:31:46,830
- Jack was overcome
with shock and emotion.
580
00:31:46,950 --> 00:31:50,160
He had seen firsthand
the devastation of war.
581
00:31:50,290 --> 00:31:53,500
Now it had taken his brother.
582
00:31:58,250 --> 00:32:02,910
- We found this essentially
aimless young man
583
00:32:03,080 --> 00:32:07,040
who'd returned from a
really rough war experience,
584
00:32:07,200 --> 00:32:09,080
both in terms of
losing his brother
585
00:32:09,200 --> 00:32:12,040
and almost losing his life,
586
00:32:12,200 --> 00:32:14,870
without any idea
what he wanted to do.
587
00:32:15,040 --> 00:32:16,950
- Unsure of his immediate future
588
00:32:17,080 --> 00:32:20,000
and conferring with
his father, Joe Sr.,
589
00:32:20,160 --> 00:32:23,250
Jack decided to pursue
journalism in the interim.
590
00:32:23,370 --> 00:32:26,500
Joe Sr. felt it was a
good way to keep Jack busy
591
00:32:26,620 --> 00:32:29,080
and in the public eye.
592
00:32:29,200 --> 00:32:31,830
Kennedy began working
for Hearst Newspapers.
593
00:32:32,000 --> 00:32:33,950
Hearst was owned and operated
594
00:32:34,040 --> 00:32:36,410
by media mogul William
Randolph Hearst,
595
00:32:36,540 --> 00:32:38,830
a good friend of Joe Kennedy Sr.
596
00:32:40,450 --> 00:32:41,950
- So to this city
597
00:32:42,120 --> 00:32:44,080
on the shores of the
ocean named for peace
598
00:32:44,200 --> 00:32:48,620
came 1,300 representatives
of the 46 United Nations.
599
00:32:48,750 --> 00:32:50,160
- He was sent to California
600
00:32:50,250 --> 00:32:53,000
to cover the San
Francisco Conference...
601
00:32:53,160 --> 00:32:55,500
a conference that
laid the foundation
602
00:32:55,620 --> 00:32:57,910
of the United Nations.
603
00:32:58,040 --> 00:33:00,660
Kennedy was less than
impressed by the conference
604
00:33:00,790 --> 00:33:02,290
and felt that until the world
605
00:33:02,410 --> 00:33:04,870
faced the brutal reality of war,
606
00:33:05,000 --> 00:33:07,660
no organization could
effectively resolve
607
00:33:07,790 --> 00:33:09,160
the world's conflicts.
608
00:33:11,790 --> 00:33:13,330
While in San Francisco,
609
00:33:13,450 --> 00:33:16,330
he saw the streets
explode with celebration
610
00:33:16,500 --> 00:33:18,950
when a news flash
came from Europe.
611
00:33:19,080 --> 00:33:21,330
Hitler had been defeated.
612
00:33:21,410 --> 00:33:24,660
- General Eisenhower informs me
613
00:33:24,750 --> 00:33:27,540
that the forces of
Germany have surrendered
614
00:33:27,660 --> 00:33:29,830
to the United Nations.
615
00:33:30,040 --> 00:33:33,500
The flags of freedom
fly all over Europe.
616
00:33:36,870 --> 00:33:39,040
- During the summer of 1945,
617
00:33:39,200 --> 00:33:41,950
Kennedy raced off to
Europe on assignment.
618
00:33:43,700 --> 00:33:45,160
He was tasked with covering
619
00:33:45,290 --> 00:33:47,830
the British General
election in London
620
00:33:47,910 --> 00:33:51,370
and the final meeting between
World War II Allied leaders
621
00:33:51,540 --> 00:33:53,250
in Potsdam, Germany.
622
00:33:53,370 --> 00:33:55,000
During his time in London,
623
00:33:55,120 --> 00:33:57,450
Kennedy worked fervently
as a journalist,
624
00:33:57,540 --> 00:34:00,160
even correctly
predicting that his hero,
625
00:34:00,290 --> 00:34:02,500
Prime Minister
Winston Churchill,
626
00:34:02,620 --> 00:34:05,500
would be ousted
from his position.
627
00:34:17,330 --> 00:34:20,080
- He went to the
Potsdam Conference,
628
00:34:20,200 --> 00:34:21,830
where Truman and
Churchill and Stalin
629
00:34:22,000 --> 00:34:23,410
were going to discuss
630
00:34:23,580 --> 00:34:26,660
the shape of the post-war world.
631
00:34:29,000 --> 00:34:31,830
His experience in
terms of his travels
632
00:34:31,950 --> 00:34:34,120
and seeing just
what was at stake
633
00:34:34,200 --> 00:34:36,620
in terms of this
long-term struggle
634
00:34:36,750 --> 00:34:38,330
that he clearly recognized
635
00:34:38,450 --> 00:34:40,540
between the forces of freedom
636
00:34:40,620 --> 00:34:43,330
and the forces of
authoritarianism
637
00:34:43,500 --> 00:34:47,160
and how people would
live in the future,
638
00:34:47,290 --> 00:34:49,370
and he always had his eyes on,
639
00:34:49,540 --> 00:34:52,500
you know, what is the
most powerful thing
640
00:34:52,660 --> 00:34:55,370
that I can do to
make a difference?
641
00:34:57,250 --> 00:34:59,200
- Kennedy embarked
on a three-day tour
642
00:34:59,330 --> 00:35:02,160
of the war-torn Nazi landscape,
643
00:35:02,250 --> 00:35:05,290
seeing a string of
battered ports and cities
644
00:35:05,370 --> 00:35:08,040
and Hitler's Eagle's Nest.
645
00:35:08,120 --> 00:35:10,330
Observing the ruins of Berlin,
646
00:35:10,450 --> 00:35:12,830
Kennedy sensed it would
become a centerpiece
647
00:35:12,950 --> 00:35:17,660
in the battle between Soviet
communism and the West.
648
00:35:17,830 --> 00:35:20,330
His experiences in Europe
taught him the value
649
00:35:20,450 --> 00:35:22,660
of strong political leaders
650
00:35:22,750 --> 00:35:26,200
in ensuring ongoing peace.
651
00:35:26,370 --> 00:35:28,750
- Well, he knew that
politics was the world.
652
00:35:28,870 --> 00:35:30,540
He learned that politics
653
00:35:30,700 --> 00:35:33,700
wasn't about somebody
running for city council.
654
00:35:33,830 --> 00:35:36,620
Politics meant, are we going
to avoid another war or not?
655
00:35:38,330 --> 00:35:40,250
- And had been, in a
sense, preparing himself,
656
00:35:40,370 --> 00:35:42,290
not least of all through
international travel
657
00:35:42,410 --> 00:35:44,160
and international exposure,
658
00:35:44,250 --> 00:35:47,160
for some kind of
career as a statesman,
659
00:35:47,290 --> 00:35:49,000
not just as a political leader
660
00:35:49,120 --> 00:35:50,950
but as a person who
would play his role
661
00:35:51,040 --> 00:35:52,700
on the international stage.
662
00:35:54,540 --> 00:35:56,500
- Upon returning to
the United States,
663
00:35:56,620 --> 00:35:58,830
Kennedy was offered a
position with the Navy,
664
00:35:58,950 --> 00:36:01,790
but he politely rejected it.
665
00:36:01,870 --> 00:36:03,870
He had other plans.
666
00:36:10,410 --> 00:36:11,556
- From the neighborhoods of
Brookline, Massachusetts,
667
00:36:11,580 --> 00:36:13,620
to the halls of
Harvard University
668
00:36:13,750 --> 00:36:15,660
to the Solomon Islands,
669
00:36:15,790 --> 00:36:18,750
Kennedy's life had been
leading to Washington, D.C.
670
00:36:20,700 --> 00:36:24,200
His wartime experiences and
his stint as a journalist,
671
00:36:24,330 --> 00:36:26,620
coupled with his
extraordinary opportunities
672
00:36:26,790 --> 00:36:28,290
to travel the world
673
00:36:28,370 --> 00:36:30,830
and observe foreign
affairs in person,
674
00:36:31,000 --> 00:36:33,200
made a career in politics
675
00:36:33,330 --> 00:36:36,660
seem like the best avenue
toward making his mark.
676
00:36:45,370 --> 00:36:47,160
- Kennedy came from a family
677
00:36:47,330 --> 00:36:50,370
where public service mattered.
678
00:36:50,500 --> 00:36:53,160
Part of life was doing
something for the country.
679
00:36:53,250 --> 00:36:55,160
And there was also an
attraction to it...
680
00:36:55,330 --> 00:36:57,160
the power that came with that,
681
00:36:57,290 --> 00:36:59,290
the ability to influence events.
682
00:37:09,950 --> 00:37:11,330
- As a political newcomer,
683
00:37:11,410 --> 00:37:14,410
it was time for
an opening gambit.
684
00:37:14,540 --> 00:37:16,330
Kennedy decided to run
685
00:37:16,410 --> 00:37:18,870
for the United States
House of Representatives
686
00:37:18,950 --> 00:37:22,200
in the 1946 elections.
687
00:37:22,330 --> 00:37:25,160
He ran for Boston's
11th district.
688
00:37:25,370 --> 00:37:27,370
The 29-year-old Kennedy
689
00:37:27,500 --> 00:37:30,000
announced his
campaign for the House
690
00:37:30,120 --> 00:37:32,160
at the luxurious
Parker House Hotel
691
00:37:32,290 --> 00:37:34,200
in downtown Boston.
692
00:37:52,660 --> 00:37:55,500
Kennedy was not afraid to
plunge into every aspect
693
00:37:55,620 --> 00:37:57,830
of his congressional crusade,
694
00:37:57,870 --> 00:38:00,660
appearing at numerous
campaign events.
695
00:38:00,830 --> 00:38:03,200
He kept his campaign tight-knit,
696
00:38:03,370 --> 00:38:06,040
enlisting the help of
friends and family,
697
00:38:06,160 --> 00:38:07,830
remembering people's names
698
00:38:08,000 --> 00:38:10,700
and taking advantage
of every introduction.
699
00:38:10,870 --> 00:38:15,580
- Kennedy's natural mode was
not an extrovert back slapper.
700
00:38:15,700 --> 00:38:18,370
That was not how he
interacted with people.
701
00:38:18,500 --> 00:38:21,000
And that was never how he
served as a politician.
702
00:38:21,120 --> 00:38:24,830
But when he decided to run
for this seat, he went for it.
703
00:38:26,580 --> 00:38:29,000
- Kennedy began
rallying his supporters,
704
00:38:29,080 --> 00:38:31,080
focusing on local issues,
705
00:38:31,200 --> 00:38:34,410
like housing, health, and labor.
706
00:38:34,580 --> 00:38:36,950
- He did not run
his initial campaign
707
00:38:37,080 --> 00:38:40,160
with a real heavy focus
on international affairs,
708
00:38:40,290 --> 00:38:41,870
because I think
he sort of deduced
709
00:38:42,000 --> 00:38:43,700
that it was pocketbook issues
710
00:38:43,790 --> 00:38:45,540
that were probably
most important
711
00:38:45,660 --> 00:38:47,330
to the people of Massachusetts
712
00:38:47,500 --> 00:38:49,500
and the district that
he was hoping to serve.
713
00:38:49,620 --> 00:38:51,290
It was not a shoo-in.
714
00:38:51,370 --> 00:38:53,870
There was a ten-person primary,
715
00:38:54,000 --> 00:38:56,500
including, you know, former
mayors from the district
716
00:38:56,620 --> 00:38:59,000
and people who are much
better known than Kennedy.
717
00:38:59,120 --> 00:39:02,290
- He's the only war veteran
running for that seat.
718
00:39:02,410 --> 00:39:03,870
Hard to believe, isn't it?
719
00:39:04,000 --> 00:39:06,580
All the other politicians
had avoided the war.
720
00:39:06,700 --> 00:39:08,580
- Kennedy understood
the only way
721
00:39:08,700 --> 00:39:11,290
for a newcomer to
campaign effectively
722
00:39:11,370 --> 00:39:14,580
would be to introduce
himself and speak personally
723
00:39:14,700 --> 00:39:17,620
to potential voters
and volunteers.
724
00:39:17,750 --> 00:39:20,410
Undaunted, he put
on a back brace
725
00:39:20,580 --> 00:39:22,910
and canvassed the
neighborhoods of Boston,
726
00:39:23,040 --> 00:39:26,080
knocking on door after door.
727
00:39:26,200 --> 00:39:29,950
- When he first
knocked on my door...
728
00:39:30,080 --> 00:39:32,660
I lived in a three-decker
729
00:39:32,790 --> 00:39:36,000
in the Bunker Hill
section of Charlestown.
730
00:39:36,080 --> 00:39:37,540
And this young veteran,
731
00:39:37,660 --> 00:39:39,660
this decorated veteran
732
00:39:39,830 --> 00:39:42,700
was putting an
organization together
733
00:39:42,870 --> 00:39:45,120
of other veterans
734
00:39:45,250 --> 00:39:48,620
to help him get
elected to Congress.
735
00:39:50,580 --> 00:39:53,870
- It didn't take long for
his popularity to rise,
736
00:39:54,000 --> 00:39:56,080
especially with women.
737
00:39:56,200 --> 00:39:59,790
- And women, by the mid-century
mark in the 20th century,
738
00:39:59,870 --> 00:40:02,160
had the majority
of the electorate
739
00:40:02,290 --> 00:40:03,500
here in Massachusetts.
740
00:40:03,620 --> 00:40:05,580
They were about 51%.
741
00:40:05,700 --> 00:40:08,950
And so this was the great
untapped political resource
742
00:40:09,040 --> 00:40:10,370
in Massachusetts politics.
743
00:40:10,500 --> 00:40:13,330
So Kennedy immediately
targeted them.
744
00:40:13,500 --> 00:40:16,750
- I went with him
to hear him speak
745
00:40:16,870 --> 00:40:19,660
to a group of Gold Star mothers,
746
00:40:19,830 --> 00:40:22,830
all who had lost a
son or a daughter
747
00:40:22,950 --> 00:40:25,160
in World War II.
748
00:40:25,330 --> 00:40:28,200
He said, I think I
know how you feel...
749
00:40:30,160 --> 00:40:34,330
Because my mother is a
Gold Star mother, too.
750
00:40:34,500 --> 00:40:38,660
But I never witnessed
such a reaction.
751
00:40:38,750 --> 00:40:40,950
They all leave their seats.
752
00:40:41,040 --> 00:40:44,790
And I can hear them saying
that he reminded them...
753
00:40:44,870 --> 00:40:48,450
of their own John or Joe or Pat,
754
00:40:48,580 --> 00:40:52,000
the loved one they had lost.
755
00:40:52,120 --> 00:40:56,080
- He went to church basements
and ice cream socials,
756
00:40:56,250 --> 00:40:59,290
and he just worked harder
than his opponents did.
757
00:40:59,410 --> 00:41:01,540
I mean, he literally
outworked them.
758
00:41:16,040 --> 00:41:20,250
- He could be a fellow who
just sort of sits on things,
759
00:41:20,370 --> 00:41:22,120
who lets his staff,
760
00:41:22,250 --> 00:41:25,250
who lets his father's friends
do all the heavy lifting,
761
00:41:25,370 --> 00:41:27,830
but that is not his style.
762
00:41:27,910 --> 00:41:32,410
- The one thing about
Kennedys is they will get up
763
00:41:32,540 --> 00:41:34,660
an hour before everybody else,
764
00:41:34,790 --> 00:41:38,660
and they will go to bed an
hour later than everybody else.
765
00:41:38,790 --> 00:41:42,040
And if everybody else
does three stops a day,
766
00:41:42,200 --> 00:41:43,330
they'll do five.
767
00:41:45,700 --> 00:41:48,250
- He knew, I think, in his heart
768
00:41:48,370 --> 00:41:50,950
that he was destined
for greater things.
769
00:41:51,080 --> 00:41:53,750
He realized that if
he applied himself,
770
00:41:53,870 --> 00:41:55,330
great things would follow.
771
00:41:58,040 --> 00:42:00,290
- Next on "Kennedy"..
772
00:42:00,410 --> 00:42:02,160
- Well, politics is
about opportunity
773
00:42:02,250 --> 00:42:03,660
and seizing the moment.
774
00:42:03,790 --> 00:42:05,410
Kennedy saw this as his moment.
775
00:42:05,540 --> 00:42:07,380
- He was looking to forge
a political identity.
776
00:42:07,540 --> 00:42:09,040
- His father had money,
777
00:42:09,160 --> 00:42:11,750
but money doesn't
always win campaigns.
778
00:42:11,830 --> 00:42:14,410
You have to work really hard.
779
00:42:14,540 --> 00:42:18,000
- But Kennedy oftentimes
had trouble walking.
780
00:42:18,120 --> 00:42:20,660
- Jack can barely stand,
781
00:42:20,750 --> 00:42:24,700
and he campaigns from
morning to night.
782
00:42:24,830 --> 00:42:27,830
- Jackie was this amazing
figure in his life.
783
00:42:28,040 --> 00:42:30,580
You know, this looks
like a royal wedding.
784
00:42:30,700 --> 00:42:35,410
- Jack's promiscuity is
learned as a young man.
785
00:42:35,540 --> 00:42:37,290
- She knew what she
was getting into.
60107
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