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- He'll lead us to
a fruitful America.
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From the state of Massachusetts,
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00:00:04,910 --> 00:00:07,830
John F. Kennedy!
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- John F. Kennedy lived a life
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00:00:10,450 --> 00:00:14,410
that would help define
an entire generation.
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00:00:14,580 --> 00:00:17,080
- 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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00:00:30,370 --> 00:00:32,200
- He was the
future. He was next.
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- President for just
over 1,000 days,
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00:00:37,000 --> 00:00:39,580
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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00:00:50,830 --> 00:00:52,056
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,
not because they are easy
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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
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ever elected.
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- I ask you to join us
in all the tomorrows
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yet to come, in
building America,
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moving America,
picking this country
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of ours up and sending
it into the '60s.
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- The story begins on a
quiet spring afternoon
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in May 1917 in the Boston suburb
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of Brookline, Massachusetts.
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Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy
gave birth to a baby boy
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in the master bedroom of the
modest Kennedy household.
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The future president,
John Fitzgerald Kennedy,
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known by his friends
and family as Jack,
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was born on May 29th
around 3:00 p.m.
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The world in 1917 was shifting.
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That year, America entered
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the Great War, which
had begun in 1914.
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The Silent Sentinels protested
in favor of women's suffrage
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in front of the White House.
46
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The average annual
household income was $800,
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and the cost of a movie
ticket was just seven cents.
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With hundreds of thousands
of miles of railroad tracks,
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America, also the
world's largest producer
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00:02:51,200 --> 00:02:53,950
of coal and iron,
was at the center
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of a new industrial age.
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- Kennedy is born into this time
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when the United States is
rising as a world power.
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- Delivered by
the family doctor,
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Jack was proclaimed
healthy and handsome.
56
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Young Jack's life was
happy and carefree
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until he contracted
scarlet fever at age two.
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In a world without antibiotics,
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his prognosis was dim.
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00:03:21,790 --> 00:03:24,660
Jack was sent to the
Boston City Hospital,
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where his condition was so poor
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that he received last rites.
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- The last rites are not
administered trivially.
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That's a mark of a very, very
serious near-death experience.
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- In an unexpected turn,
his health stabilized
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and he was released.
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This was an early sign
of Jack's lifelong
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00:03:45,040 --> 00:03:46,370
chronic health struggles.
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Jack's mother, Rose,
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was effectively a single parent.
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00:03:52,790 --> 00:03:55,160
Though she tolerated her
husband Joe's affairs
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with other women,
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his numerous business ventures,
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including banking,
ship manufacturing
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00:04:01,620 --> 00:04:03,330
during the First World War,
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00:04:03,450 --> 00:04:05,500
and stock brokering,
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added to his frequent absences.
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00:04:08,370 --> 00:04:12,000
- He was, by this time,
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well on his way to becoming
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00:04:15,870 --> 00:04:18,410
an important businessman,
and it hadn't been easy.
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00:04:18,540 --> 00:04:22,410
From the very
beginning, Joe and Rose
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reached an agreement that
Rose was gonna raise the kids
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when they were little.
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As the boys got bigger,
Joe would step in.
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But Joe Kennedy
wasn't around much,
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with one exception.
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Jack developed scarlet
fever at the age of two,
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and before work and after work,
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Joe goes to the hospital.
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He sits at the bedside.
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He watches over his son.
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He confers with the
doctors and the nurses.
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He becomes the one
and only parent.
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00:05:03,410 --> 00:05:06,290
Jack Kennedy doesn't
see his mother
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00:05:06,370 --> 00:05:08,330
at a critical moment
in his upbringing
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00:05:08,500 --> 00:05:11,830
for months and months.
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- When he was around,
Joe showered attention,
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especially on the boys.
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Rose was cold, self-absorbed.
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There was something
particular about the coldness
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00:05:29,700 --> 00:05:34,450
from Rose that you can't.
Really explain away.
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00:05:34,540 --> 00:05:36,870
- Rose, like Joe,
often went away
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00:05:37,000 --> 00:05:40,290
for large stretches of time
when the children were young.
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A young Jack was said
to have remarked,
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00:05:43,830 --> 00:05:45,950
"Gee, you're a great
mother to go away and leave
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your children all alone."
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00:05:47,700 --> 00:05:51,200
He told a friend
while he was an adult,
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"My mother never hugged
me, never, never."
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- Instead of pitying himself,
he found something else
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00:06:01,290 --> 00:06:03,250
to occupy his mind.
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00:06:06,450 --> 00:06:09,200
From Sinbad the
Sailor to Peter Pan,
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00:06:09,330 --> 00:06:12,450
Jack was enthralled by reading.
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His literary interests
did not lay solely
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00:06:15,160 --> 00:06:16,620
in swashbuckling adventure.
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00:06:16,700 --> 00:06:19,540
He devoured weighty
historical tomes
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00:06:19,660 --> 00:06:23,910
like "Lays of Ancient Rome,"
a popular collection of poems
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00:06:24,040 --> 00:06:26,330
written in the 1840s,
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and "The Pilgrim's Progress,"
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00:06:28,370 --> 00:06:31,660
a work of theological
fiction by John Bunyan.
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- There was something
special about Jack.
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He taught himself.
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- When Jack was 10,
his father relocated
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00:06:46,700 --> 00:06:49,080
the family to New York.
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00:06:49,250 --> 00:06:51,370
A formidable
business opportunist
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00:06:51,540 --> 00:06:53,500
and an investor in
the stock market,
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00:06:53,580 --> 00:06:57,580
Joe Sr. had grown his wealth
by applying his skills
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00:06:57,700 --> 00:07:02,080
to various business ventures,
including the film industry.
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00:07:02,200 --> 00:07:04,500
- He was spending most of
his time now in New York.
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00:07:04,700 --> 00:07:07,910
He was a film producer.
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He was a film executive.
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And the business side
of the movie business
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was in New York.
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The Bronxville house,
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00:07:18,370 --> 00:07:21,750
where Jack really
grows up, is...
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00:07:21,870 --> 00:07:23,660
you know, it was a mansion
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00:07:23,830 --> 00:07:28,750
with a huge lawn, big driveway,
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00:07:28,870 --> 00:07:32,540
lots of land for
the kids to play.
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00:07:32,620 --> 00:07:35,370
- The family began
spending their summer
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00:07:35,540 --> 00:07:37,750
and early autumn months
at the beachside village
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00:07:37,870 --> 00:07:40,830
of Hyannis Port, part
of the Cape Cod area
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00:07:41,040 --> 00:07:43,370
in Massachusetts.
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After renting a summer residence
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at 50 Marchant Avenue
for several years,
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00:07:48,250 --> 00:07:51,700
Joe Sr. purchased the home.
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- The family spends
more time together
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00:07:55,410 --> 00:07:58,700
in Hyannis Port
than anywhere else.
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What binds them together
is not their home
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00:08:02,870 --> 00:08:05,790
in Bronxville but Hyannis Port.
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00:08:05,910 --> 00:08:09,160
- Jack was surrounded
by eight siblings...
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00:08:09,330 --> 00:08:11,660
Joe Jr., Rosemary,
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00:08:11,790 --> 00:08:15,000
Kathleen, Eunice, Patricia,
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00:08:15,160 --> 00:08:18,160
Robert, Jean, and Ted.
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00:08:18,250 --> 00:08:20,750
Though they were raised
in considerable wealth,
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00:08:20,910 --> 00:08:22,660
Joe and Rose taught
their children
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about the value of
money, the importance
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00:08:25,910 --> 00:08:29,250
of a strong work ethic, and
the need to stay informed
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00:08:29,370 --> 00:08:31,080
about world affairs,
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00:08:31,200 --> 00:08:33,870
which often led to heated
political discussions
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00:08:34,040 --> 00:08:36,370
at the dinner table.
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00:08:36,540 --> 00:08:40,200
- Joe and Rose led conversations
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00:08:40,330 --> 00:08:43,290
about current events
and global events
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for all nine of the
siblings over dinner.
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00:08:46,750 --> 00:08:51,000
And Joe was like a quiz master.
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The parents seeded the children,
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particularly the
boys, with this sense
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00:08:58,750 --> 00:09:03,200
of history, current
events, global events.
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And from that, the boys
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00:09:05,620 --> 00:09:08,830
did pursue it on their own.
169
00:09:08,950 --> 00:09:11,080
- Jack lived his early
life in the shadow
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00:09:11,200 --> 00:09:12,910
of his older brother, Joe Jr.,
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00:09:13,040 --> 00:09:15,500
who was the promising
Kennedy child,
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00:09:15,700 --> 00:09:18,830
being primed for a
political future.
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00:09:19,000 --> 00:09:21,830
Joe Jr. was
successful in school,
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00:09:21,910 --> 00:09:24,830
but Jack's grades were
comparatively poor.
175
00:09:24,950 --> 00:09:28,500
- Jack was a smart
aleck as a kid.
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He had friends.
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00:09:31,040 --> 00:09:34,330
Every smart aleck, every
jokester has friends.
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00:09:34,450 --> 00:09:39,200
But he didn't try
hard the way Joe did.
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00:09:39,330 --> 00:09:42,120
Joe was the model kid.
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00:09:42,250 --> 00:09:45,790
Joe Kennedy put his
faith in the future
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00:09:45,910 --> 00:09:49,790
of the Kennedy dynasty,
in his oldest son, Joe Jr.
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- Joe Sr. Seriously believed
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00:09:52,040 --> 00:09:55,080
he would become the first
Irish Catholic president
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00:09:55,200 --> 00:09:56,620
of the United States.
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00:09:56,700 --> 00:09:58,500
Jack was an afterthought.
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00:10:01,910 --> 00:10:05,830
- Coming up on future
episodes of "Kennedy"...
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00:10:05,910 --> 00:10:10,160
- John Fitzgerald Kennedy
is a unique character
188
00:10:10,290 --> 00:10:13,160
in U.S. and world history.
189
00:10:13,370 --> 00:10:14,620
- He had risked his life.
190
00:10:14,700 --> 00:10:16,500
He'd climb one
rung of the ladder,
191
00:10:16,660 --> 00:10:18,380
and then he'd start
looking to the next one.
192
00:10:18,500 --> 00:10:21,580
But he would have given up
all of his political success
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00:10:21,700 --> 00:10:23,450
to be pain-free.
194
00:10:23,540 --> 00:10:26,160
- There was a chance
that he would die.
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00:10:26,290 --> 00:10:27,950
Was he going to pity himself,
196
00:10:28,040 --> 00:10:31,120
or was he going to overcome it?
197
00:10:32,290 --> 00:10:33,620
- And we stand today
198
00:10:33,790 --> 00:10:35,370
on the edge of a new frontier.
199
00:10:35,540 --> 00:10:37,160
- When he walked
into the Oval Office,
200
00:10:37,290 --> 00:10:39,080
he had a lot to learn.
201
00:10:39,200 --> 00:10:42,000
- You have Kennedy trying
to manage the Cold War,
202
00:10:42,160 --> 00:10:44,410
but also adhere to
the real dilemma
203
00:10:44,580 --> 00:10:45,900
that African
Americans are facing.
204
00:10:46,000 --> 00:10:47,790
- He guided the country through
205
00:10:47,870 --> 00:10:51,290
the most dangerous
period of its existence.
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00:10:51,410 --> 00:10:55,660
- The idea we could get into
a nuclear war was very real.
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00:10:55,750 --> 00:10:57,790
That's where Kennedy
is the leader.
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00:10:58,000 --> 00:11:00,330
- And so, my fellow Americans,
209
00:11:00,410 --> 00:11:03,830
ask not what your
country can do for you,
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00:11:03,950 --> 00:11:06,500
ask what you can do
for your country.
211
00:11:13,120 --> 00:11:15,410
- Jack's playful personality
and rebellious energy
212
00:11:15,540 --> 00:11:17,120
was at odds with his solemn
213
00:11:17,200 --> 00:11:19,910
and polished older
brother, Joe Jr.,
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00:11:20,040 --> 00:11:23,830
molded by Joe Sr.
In his own image.
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00:11:23,910 --> 00:11:26,080
Though Jack looked up
to his older brother,
216
00:11:26,200 --> 00:11:29,500
the two were competitive,
engaging in heated fights
217
00:11:29,660 --> 00:11:32,370
on the living room floor.
218
00:11:32,540 --> 00:11:35,660
- Jack adored his older brother,
219
00:11:35,790 --> 00:11:38,950
Joe, followed him around.
220
00:11:39,040 --> 00:11:41,200
The two of them played
together all the time,
221
00:11:41,370 --> 00:11:43,830
though Joe was a bully.
222
00:11:44,000 --> 00:11:47,330
Jack brought a lot of
223
00:11:47,450 --> 00:11:50,330
the physical abuse on himself.
224
00:11:50,450 --> 00:11:53,290
He couldn't stop teasing.
225
00:11:53,410 --> 00:11:56,870
He started fights that he
knew he was gonna lose.
226
00:11:57,000 --> 00:12:00,290
- Underweight and frail,
Jack was almost always pinned
227
00:12:00,410 --> 00:12:04,000
and defeated in these
brotherly brawls,
228
00:12:04,080 --> 00:12:08,000
but he always got back
up and tried again.
229
00:12:08,160 --> 00:12:10,950
In one of these
competitive episodes,
230
00:12:11,040 --> 00:12:13,790
Joe Jr. suggested that he
and Jack race their bicycles
231
00:12:13,910 --> 00:12:15,790
around Brookline.
232
00:12:15,870 --> 00:12:18,500
The frenzied race landed
Jack in the hospital
233
00:12:18,620 --> 00:12:20,660
with 28 stitches.
234
00:12:23,250 --> 00:12:25,500
- John Kennedy
becomes a teenager,
235
00:12:25,580 --> 00:12:27,160
more or less, at the onset
236
00:12:27,250 --> 00:12:29,290
of the Great Depression
in the early 1930s.
237
00:12:29,370 --> 00:12:32,330
It was just an
unimaginable calamity.
238
00:12:32,410 --> 00:12:36,620
That kind of suffering
and trial by unemployment
239
00:12:36,700 --> 00:12:39,250
didn't touch the
Kennedy family at all.
240
00:12:39,370 --> 00:12:40,950
- They were completely shielded
241
00:12:41,040 --> 00:12:42,580
from the Great Depression.
242
00:12:42,750 --> 00:12:44,750
They knew that it was happening.
243
00:12:44,870 --> 00:12:47,160
But maybe Joe
Kennedy's real genius
244
00:12:47,330 --> 00:12:51,330
was exposing his
sons to the world
245
00:12:51,500 --> 00:12:54,040
so that they would understand
that the world was larger
246
00:12:54,160 --> 00:12:57,160
than the closeted
life they all lived.
247
00:13:03,200 --> 00:13:05,700
- In September 1930, Jack began
248
00:13:05,870 --> 00:13:08,500
his eighth-grade year
at the Canterbury School
249
00:13:08,580 --> 00:13:11,000
in New Milford, Connecticut.
250
00:13:11,160 --> 00:13:15,250
Jack loved sports, playing
both baseball and football
251
00:13:15,370 --> 00:13:17,580
in spite of his
abnormally low weight
252
00:13:17,700 --> 00:13:19,790
and constant health issues.
253
00:13:19,910 --> 00:13:21,830
Jack often wrote to his parents
254
00:13:21,950 --> 00:13:23,910
about everyday life at school,
255
00:13:24,040 --> 00:13:26,330
including the difficulty
of his studies,
256
00:13:26,450 --> 00:13:28,330
his frustration
with the school's
257
00:13:28,540 --> 00:13:31,830
strict religious practices,
and the freezing weather.
258
00:13:35,370 --> 00:13:37,540
In April 1931,
259
00:13:37,660 --> 00:13:39,660
when he was almost 14 years old,
260
00:13:39,790 --> 00:13:41,910
Jack suffered abdominal pains
261
00:13:42,040 --> 00:13:44,660
that resulted in
an appendectomy...
262
00:13:44,750 --> 00:13:47,500
the first of many
surgeries in his life.
263
00:13:49,450 --> 00:13:52,330
After this operation, he
withdrew from Canterbury
264
00:13:52,450 --> 00:13:55,330
and returned home
to Hyannis Port.
265
00:13:57,000 --> 00:13:58,830
Having had the
summer to recover,
266
00:13:59,000 --> 00:14:01,160
Jack transferred to
the Choate School
267
00:14:01,290 --> 00:14:05,120
in September 1931, a
private boarding school
268
00:14:05,250 --> 00:14:07,080
in Wallingford, Connecticut.
269
00:14:07,160 --> 00:14:09,660
Joe Jr. was already
a student there
270
00:14:09,790 --> 00:14:11,790
and showed Jack the ropes.
271
00:14:15,160 --> 00:14:18,160
- Its hallmark, from
George St. John,
272
00:14:18,290 --> 00:14:21,660
the headmaster, was to
make sure that every boy
273
00:14:21,750 --> 00:14:24,250
got attention
274
00:14:24,370 --> 00:14:27,330
and got the kind of
education that he needed.
275
00:14:27,450 --> 00:14:30,250
As a new third-former,
as they were known,
276
00:14:30,370 --> 00:14:33,370
the ninth-graders,
he was nervous.
277
00:14:33,450 --> 00:14:35,250
Fortunately, he did
have an older brother
278
00:14:35,370 --> 00:14:37,910
to sort of steer him
and give him the ropes.
279
00:14:38,040 --> 00:14:40,080
But he was pretty
much on his own,
280
00:14:40,200 --> 00:14:42,750
but I think that was part of
the family tradition, too...
281
00:14:42,870 --> 00:14:45,000
to make your own way.
282
00:14:45,120 --> 00:14:48,540
Put into a dormitory... so
that's your first network.
283
00:14:48,660 --> 00:14:53,200
Then, you're in classes...
that's another network.
284
00:14:53,370 --> 00:14:56,000
Sports... that's
another network.
285
00:14:56,080 --> 00:14:59,000
You sort of find your
way with the activities
286
00:14:59,120 --> 00:15:00,620
that you're involved in.
287
00:15:03,200 --> 00:15:05,040
- Jack did well in
classes he enjoyed,
288
00:15:05,200 --> 00:15:07,160
like math and politics,
289
00:15:07,290 --> 00:15:09,330
but performed poorly in subjects
290
00:15:09,450 --> 00:15:12,410
that didn't interest
him, such as Latin.
291
00:15:12,500 --> 00:15:15,790
Where he truly excelled
was American history,
292
00:15:15,910 --> 00:15:19,080
a subject he found fascinating.
293
00:15:19,200 --> 00:15:22,000
- Kennedy loved history.
294
00:15:22,120 --> 00:15:23,790
He knew it very well,
295
00:15:23,870 --> 00:15:27,160
and I think it gave him
296
00:15:27,330 --> 00:15:30,370
this grasp of how things work.
297
00:15:32,370 --> 00:15:35,250
His knowledge of
history informed him
298
00:15:35,370 --> 00:15:38,330
that being a great
orator was important.
299
00:15:38,500 --> 00:15:40,160
How does power work?
300
00:15:40,290 --> 00:15:43,160
How, historically, have
our alliances worked?
301
00:15:45,040 --> 00:15:47,450
- Despite his untroubled,
relaxed persona,
302
00:15:47,540 --> 00:15:49,580
Jack's sharp
intelligence was noted
303
00:15:49,700 --> 00:15:51,160
by those around him,
304
00:15:51,290 --> 00:15:53,500
including the Choate headmaster
305
00:15:53,620 --> 00:15:55,450
George St. John.
306
00:15:55,540 --> 00:15:59,290
- I think he saw great
promise in John Kennedy
307
00:15:59,410 --> 00:16:02,830
but was a little frustrated
by his occasional
308
00:16:02,950 --> 00:16:05,500
nonconformist activity.
309
00:16:05,620 --> 00:16:07,910
That just angered him
310
00:16:08,040 --> 00:16:10,000
because he saw such
great promise in him.
311
00:16:10,120 --> 00:16:12,250
He knew he was a smart boy,
312
00:16:12,370 --> 00:16:15,910
and he just wanted
something better out of him.
313
00:16:19,040 --> 00:16:20,910
- While at Choate,
Jack met someone
314
00:16:21,040 --> 00:16:23,370
who would become
his lifelong friend,
315
00:16:23,500 --> 00:16:26,870
a classmate named Lem Billings.
316
00:16:26,950 --> 00:16:29,830
- One of Jack Kennedy's
greatest talents
317
00:16:29,950 --> 00:16:32,500
was making friends
and keeping them...
318
00:16:32,660 --> 00:16:33,750
lifelong friends.
319
00:16:33,870 --> 00:16:36,200
Lem Billings was one.
320
00:16:36,370 --> 00:16:38,830
- They were both working
on the school yearbook.
321
00:16:38,910 --> 00:16:41,540
That's, in fact, how they met.
322
00:16:41,700 --> 00:16:45,250
But sometimes they
disagreed with each other.
323
00:16:45,330 --> 00:16:48,000
Sometimes they would
fight against each other,
324
00:16:48,120 --> 00:16:52,160
but there's also a lot
of affection as well.
325
00:16:52,330 --> 00:16:55,410
Early on, JFK is
somewhat mystified
326
00:16:55,540 --> 00:16:58,330
by Lem's lack of
interest in girls,
327
00:16:58,450 --> 00:17:01,160
which, even then,
as a young teenager,
328
00:17:01,290 --> 00:17:04,330
JFK was very active
and interested in.
329
00:17:10,200 --> 00:17:12,950
- While Jack excelled
socially at Choate,
330
00:17:13,080 --> 00:17:17,330
there was another part
of him most did not see.
331
00:17:17,450 --> 00:17:19,660
- You see all these contrasts.
332
00:17:19,790 --> 00:17:21,450
So what does he present as?
333
00:17:21,540 --> 00:17:26,080
Handsome, born to an
extremely wealthy family,
334
00:17:26,200 --> 00:17:29,410
rich playboy. But what
do we really know?
335
00:17:29,540 --> 00:17:32,500
What we really know
is a lot of pain.
336
00:17:32,660 --> 00:17:36,330
- One thing after another
that sent him to the infirmary
337
00:17:36,450 --> 00:17:39,160
or even more specialty
care, when they couldn't
338
00:17:39,290 --> 00:17:42,120
figure out what was
really going on.
339
00:17:42,250 --> 00:17:46,750
- He's having fatigue, these
diffuse aches and pains.
340
00:17:46,870 --> 00:17:50,580
He developed colitis, so
he could not gain weight.
341
00:17:52,620 --> 00:17:55,250
- In February
1934, Jack's health
342
00:17:55,370 --> 00:17:57,370
deteriorated rapidly.
343
00:17:57,540 --> 00:17:59,910
He was sent to
Rochester, Minnesota
344
00:18:00,040 --> 00:18:02,580
for medical tests
at the Mayo Clinic.
345
00:18:03,080 --> 00:18:05,750
Joe Sr. came to
visit his ailing son.
346
00:18:05,910 --> 00:18:08,290
Rose didn't visit once.
347
00:18:10,450 --> 00:18:12,370
He was at death's door.
348
00:18:18,160 --> 00:18:20,370
In early 1934,
undergoing medical tests
349
00:18:20,540 --> 00:18:23,660
at the Mayo Clinic,
16-year-old Jack
350
00:18:23,830 --> 00:18:26,200
was plagued by constant pain,
351
00:18:26,330 --> 00:18:29,000
surrounded by strangers,
and dealing with
352
00:18:29,120 --> 00:18:32,080
one medical mystery
after another.
353
00:18:32,200 --> 00:18:35,000
To pass the time, he
wrote rambling letters
354
00:18:35,120 --> 00:18:39,000
full of jokes, often
sexual in nature.
355
00:18:39,290 --> 00:18:41,000
In letters written
to Lem Billings
356
00:18:41,160 --> 00:18:42,830
during his time at the hospital,
357
00:18:43,040 --> 00:18:47,200
Jack's buoyant personality
showed no signs of waning.
358
00:18:47,330 --> 00:18:49,330
- He's making jokes,
and they're jokes
359
00:18:49,450 --> 00:18:51,160
about his imminent death,
360
00:18:51,330 --> 00:18:53,370
and he's saying, "Yeah,
they were here today.
361
00:18:53,500 --> 00:18:56,250
"I looked at the chart
when they left the room,
362
00:18:56,370 --> 00:18:59,160
and I think they're
measuring me from my coffin."
363
00:18:59,200 --> 00:19:01,830
Looking at some of the
numbers for his blood levels
364
00:19:02,000 --> 00:19:05,450
and saying, "Yeah, you know,
if I get any lower, I'm out."
365
00:19:05,540 --> 00:19:07,540
Kind of making light
of the whole thing.
366
00:19:07,700 --> 00:19:12,500
That was, I think,
invaluable to what he became,
367
00:19:12,580 --> 00:19:15,540
which was someone
who understood pain.
368
00:19:15,700 --> 00:19:17,330
- It was just one
of those things
369
00:19:17,500 --> 00:19:19,700
where he had a choice to make.
370
00:19:19,870 --> 00:19:23,910
Was he going to pity
himself, or was he going to
371
00:19:24,040 --> 00:19:27,080
deal with this and overcome it?
372
00:19:27,200 --> 00:19:28,450
- People who experience
373
00:19:28,580 --> 00:19:30,160
that kind of pain and sickness,
374
00:19:30,250 --> 00:19:32,870
they understand life is pain,
375
00:19:33,000 --> 00:19:34,620
you know?
376
00:19:34,750 --> 00:19:36,636
There's joy, too, but there's
also just a lot of pain.
377
00:19:36,660 --> 00:19:40,700
His humor was one way
of dealing with it.
378
00:19:40,830 --> 00:19:43,750
- After months in and out
of different hospitals,
379
00:19:43,870 --> 00:19:47,160
Jack was finally stable
enough to return home
380
00:19:47,250 --> 00:19:50,160
in the summer of
1934 with orders
381
00:19:50,330 --> 00:19:53,080
from his doctors to
follow a strict diet
382
00:19:53,200 --> 00:19:54,660
and reduce stress.
383
00:19:56,950 --> 00:19:59,410
- Lem was so concerned about him
384
00:19:59,540 --> 00:20:03,040
and helped take care
of him when he was ill.
385
00:20:03,200 --> 00:20:05,450
- Jack and Lem were
especially tight-knit,
386
00:20:05,540 --> 00:20:08,910
following each other around
at Choate and beyond.
387
00:20:09,080 --> 00:20:11,540
So close, in fact,
the teens decided
388
00:20:11,700 --> 00:20:16,000
to lose their virginity at
the same Harlem brothel.
389
00:20:16,120 --> 00:20:18,200
- They went to prostitutes,
390
00:20:18,330 --> 00:20:20,450
although it's not
clear that Lem actually
391
00:20:20,540 --> 00:20:22,160
ever did anything
with a prostitute.
392
00:20:22,290 --> 00:20:24,040
Nobody really knows.
393
00:20:24,120 --> 00:20:27,250
After a while, of course,
JFK being as smart as he was,
394
00:20:27,370 --> 00:20:30,000
he realized that Lem
didn't really have
395
00:20:30,160 --> 00:20:32,000
any interest in women.
396
00:20:32,120 --> 00:20:34,160
He had an interest in Jack.
397
00:20:34,290 --> 00:20:36,750
- Lem felt more than friendship
398
00:20:36,870 --> 00:20:38,370
for his companion.
399
00:20:38,500 --> 00:20:40,660
A Choate tradition was
to use toilet paper
400
00:20:40,830 --> 00:20:42,870
for notes, because
they could easily
401
00:20:43,000 --> 00:20:45,120
be flushed and destroyed.
402
00:20:45,290 --> 00:20:48,500
- Boys who wanted to
engage in sexual behavior
403
00:20:48,540 --> 00:20:51,500
would hint as such
on toilet paper.
404
00:20:51,620 --> 00:20:54,700
- Lem sent such a note to Jack,
405
00:20:54,870 --> 00:20:58,830
expressing his affection for
the charismatic young man.
406
00:20:58,950 --> 00:21:02,450
Jack politely rebuffed
Lem's romantic overture,
407
00:21:02,580 --> 00:21:05,000
but they would remain
friends and confidants
408
00:21:05,120 --> 00:21:07,080
for the rest of Jack's life.
409
00:21:07,200 --> 00:21:11,290
He had no interest in publicly
exposing Lem's sexuality,
410
00:21:11,410 --> 00:21:13,330
something that would
subject his friend
411
00:21:13,450 --> 00:21:16,700
to ridicule and harassment.
412
00:21:16,870 --> 00:21:19,660
His relationship with
Lem was a testament
413
00:21:19,750 --> 00:21:22,080
to Jack's character in a time
414
00:21:22,200 --> 00:21:24,660
when homosexuality
was far from accepted
415
00:21:24,830 --> 00:21:27,200
in everyday society.
416
00:21:27,370 --> 00:21:30,700
- Jack took great risks
in keeping this friendship
417
00:21:30,870 --> 00:21:35,660
with Lem Billings, which
shows the sense of loyalty
418
00:21:35,830 --> 00:21:37,160
that he had.
419
00:21:42,540 --> 00:21:45,080
- After being called
"troublemaking muckers"
420
00:21:45,200 --> 00:21:48,000
by Choate headmaster
George St. John,
421
00:21:48,080 --> 00:21:50,290
Jack, Lem, and two other friends
422
00:21:50,370 --> 00:21:54,000
established the
Choate Muckers Club.
423
00:21:54,160 --> 00:21:58,080
Together, they began sneaking
into town for milkshakes,
424
00:21:58,200 --> 00:22:00,790
going to dances,
and arranging pranks
425
00:22:00,870 --> 00:22:02,700
around campus.
426
00:22:02,790 --> 00:22:06,330
- Then they came up with
this wild and crazy idea
427
00:22:06,410 --> 00:22:09,370
that they were gonna
disrupt a major dance...
428
00:22:09,500 --> 00:22:11,330
it's called Festivities...
429
00:22:11,410 --> 00:22:14,500
by depositing a load of manure
430
00:22:14,620 --> 00:22:16,700
at the entrance to the dance.
431
00:22:16,830 --> 00:22:19,870
You can imagine the
boys up in their rooms,
432
00:22:20,040 --> 00:22:21,760
just hooting and hollering
about this thing.
433
00:22:21,790 --> 00:22:24,580
Wouldn't it be a
great thing to do?
434
00:22:24,700 --> 00:22:27,370
They never did it.
They never did it.
435
00:22:27,540 --> 00:22:30,040
But it was fun to think about.
436
00:22:30,160 --> 00:22:32,750
It was a testimony,
again, to Jack's ability
437
00:22:32,870 --> 00:22:35,830
to make friends, even if
in that particular case,
438
00:22:35,950 --> 00:22:38,950
it was because of involvement
in potential hijinks.
439
00:22:42,830 --> 00:22:45,700
- At last, his time at
Choate came to an end.
440
00:22:45,830 --> 00:22:48,830
Jack was now 18 and filled
441
00:22:48,950 --> 00:22:52,500
with a new sense
of independence.
442
00:22:52,620 --> 00:22:54,540
- I think he was
certainly ready to leave,
443
00:22:54,660 --> 00:22:56,580
once graduation came around.
444
00:22:58,540 --> 00:23:01,040
- Jack found his second
home on the water
445
00:23:01,160 --> 00:23:05,620
when back in Hyannis
Port during 1935 and '36.
446
00:23:05,790 --> 00:23:08,500
Sailing from Edgartown
to Martha's Vineyard,
447
00:23:08,620 --> 00:23:12,410
even winning the 1936
Atlantic Coast Championship,
448
00:23:12,540 --> 00:23:16,000
his love of the ocean
was a Kennedy hallmark.
449
00:23:16,120 --> 00:23:18,370
- I think you can't
understand the Kennedys
450
00:23:18,500 --> 00:23:21,330
without understanding
Hyannis Port.
451
00:23:21,450 --> 00:23:24,660
It's this big, old,
rambling house.
452
00:23:24,750 --> 00:23:28,540
There's nine children
spilling out of the rooms.
453
00:23:28,660 --> 00:23:30,410
They're all sailing.
454
00:23:30,540 --> 00:23:32,870
They're all in competition
with each other.
455
00:23:33,040 --> 00:23:34,370
There's a tennis court.
456
00:23:34,540 --> 00:23:36,120
If they're not playing tennis,
457
00:23:36,250 --> 00:23:37,500
they're playing touch football.
458
00:23:37,540 --> 00:23:39,370
If they're not doing that,
459
00:23:39,500 --> 00:23:41,700
they've got a pickup
baseball game going.
460
00:23:41,870 --> 00:23:44,410
And they never lacked
for companionship,
461
00:23:44,540 --> 00:23:46,290
because they had each other.
462
00:23:46,370 --> 00:23:49,160
They're each other's
best friends.
463
00:23:49,330 --> 00:23:51,910
- Kennedy felt at
one with the sea.
464
00:23:52,040 --> 00:23:54,660
He was able to get
clearer mind...
465
00:23:54,790 --> 00:23:56,410
they call it "blue mind"...
466
00:23:56,540 --> 00:23:58,290
where everything
comes clear to you
467
00:23:58,410 --> 00:24:00,870
when you're in a
maritime environment.
468
00:24:00,950 --> 00:24:03,910
And that's why so often,
he would be at Cape Cod
469
00:24:04,040 --> 00:24:06,790
when he would make his
big decisions in his life.
470
00:24:09,200 --> 00:24:11,700
- In the decades to
come, the family compound
471
00:24:11,870 --> 00:24:14,540
would serve as a source
of stability and calm
472
00:24:14,620 --> 00:24:17,250
in Jack's ever-changing world.
473
00:24:33,620 --> 00:24:36,160
- The principal of
the Choate school
474
00:24:36,410 --> 00:24:38,290
wrote to the Harvard deans...
475
00:24:38,370 --> 00:24:39,830
I assume, the
admissions office...
476
00:24:39,950 --> 00:24:42,950
and says, "Jack
has rather superior
477
00:24:43,040 --> 00:24:45,200
"mental ability without
the deep interest
478
00:24:45,330 --> 00:24:47,830
"in his studies or
the mature viewpoint
479
00:24:47,910 --> 00:24:50,500
"that demands of him his
best effort all the time.
480
00:24:50,620 --> 00:24:53,830
"He can be relied upon
to do enough to pass.
481
00:24:53,950 --> 00:24:57,120
"We have been and are working
our hardest to develop
482
00:24:57,250 --> 00:24:58,830
"Jack's own self-interest.
483
00:24:58,950 --> 00:25:01,660
"Great enough in social
life, to the point
484
00:25:01,790 --> 00:25:03,620
"that will assure him
a record in college
485
00:25:03,750 --> 00:25:06,000
"more worthy of
his natural gifts
486
00:25:06,160 --> 00:25:09,120
of intelligence,
likableness, and popularity."
487
00:25:14,160 --> 00:25:17,580
- Jack entered Harvard
in fall of 1936.
488
00:25:17,750 --> 00:25:20,330
- It is said that his
grades weren't very good
489
00:25:20,450 --> 00:25:22,450
when he was a
student at Harvard.
490
00:25:22,580 --> 00:25:24,160
- At Harvard in his first year,
491
00:25:24,330 --> 00:25:26,160
he's interested in one thing...
492
00:25:26,290 --> 00:25:28,160
conquering as many
women as he can.
493
00:25:28,290 --> 00:25:29,370
And he's pretty good at it.
494
00:25:31,540 --> 00:25:33,450
- Though the 19-year-old Jack
495
00:25:33,580 --> 00:25:36,160
lost the election for
freshman class president,
496
00:25:36,370 --> 00:25:38,500
he was active socially.
497
00:25:38,660 --> 00:25:40,660
He took on the
task of organizing
498
00:25:40,830 --> 00:25:43,500
the freshman smoker,
a large party
499
00:25:43,580 --> 00:25:45,830
held at the end of the year.
500
00:25:45,910 --> 00:25:48,250
Jack supplied first-rate tobacco
501
00:25:48,330 --> 00:25:51,790
and arranged for appearances
by two jazz orchestras,
502
00:25:51,870 --> 00:25:54,660
dance groups, and
baseball stars.
503
00:25:54,790 --> 00:25:58,750
The party impressed
his fellow students.
504
00:25:58,870 --> 00:26:02,120
Jack Kennedy had
captured their attention.
505
00:26:03,870 --> 00:26:05,790
- He would just grab
the coolest person there
506
00:26:05,910 --> 00:26:07,290
and kind of go off in the corner
507
00:26:07,410 --> 00:26:08,830
and have a private conversation.
508
00:26:08,870 --> 00:26:11,080
I mean, he was not...
he was not an extrovert.
509
00:26:11,200 --> 00:26:13,160
He was really very
much of an introvert.
510
00:26:13,330 --> 00:26:16,580
He did not draw energy
from big groups of people.
511
00:26:16,700 --> 00:26:19,330
He much preferred
smaller conversations.
512
00:26:19,450 --> 00:26:21,290
You know, had lots of friends.
513
00:26:21,410 --> 00:26:23,540
He had various
circles of friends.
514
00:26:23,700 --> 00:26:25,540
- It was fun. It was light.
515
00:26:25,660 --> 00:26:27,500
I think of him as a
character of literature
516
00:26:27,660 --> 00:26:29,540
like Long John Silver,
517
00:26:29,660 --> 00:26:31,500
like incredibly
charming but dangerous.
518
00:26:31,620 --> 00:26:34,870
You know? Like irresistible.
519
00:26:35,040 --> 00:26:37,950
- It's a combination
of looks, style,
520
00:26:38,080 --> 00:26:42,000
eloquence, empathy.
521
00:26:42,080 --> 00:26:44,410
- I think the only
word you can use is,
522
00:26:44,540 --> 00:26:47,290
Kennedy had charisma.
It was natural.
523
00:26:47,410 --> 00:26:49,330
And he would come into a room
524
00:26:49,450 --> 00:26:51,500
and he was the
center of attention.
525
00:26:51,620 --> 00:26:54,500
- He probably
elicited more humor
526
00:26:54,620 --> 00:26:56,330
with fewer words than anyone.
527
00:26:56,450 --> 00:26:59,330
It was a very acerbic, deadpan,
528
00:26:59,450 --> 00:27:01,580
sarcastic sense of humor,
529
00:27:01,700 --> 00:27:04,120
great sense of timing.
530
00:27:04,200 --> 00:27:06,200
- By all accounts,
being around Kennedy
531
00:27:06,330 --> 00:27:09,830
was incandescent.
532
00:27:09,910 --> 00:27:13,370
It was, as Winston Churchill
said of Franklin Roosevelt,
533
00:27:13,500 --> 00:27:16,000
like opening a
bottle of champagne.
534
00:27:16,080 --> 00:27:18,120
- "He looked like he
could be blown over
535
00:27:18,250 --> 00:27:21,500
with a good breath," said
Jack's new football coach.
536
00:27:21,620 --> 00:27:24,160
Tall and lanky, the
20-year-old Jack
537
00:27:24,250 --> 00:27:26,250
didn't look much
like an athlete,
538
00:27:26,370 --> 00:27:29,330
but he tried his best to
stay active in athletics
539
00:27:29,450 --> 00:27:33,160
like football and swimming.
540
00:27:33,290 --> 00:27:37,160
His first two years at Harvard
were lackluster academically,
541
00:27:37,330 --> 00:27:40,700
largely due to his interest
in athletics and girls.
542
00:27:40,830 --> 00:27:43,330
However, Jack began
to take his education
543
00:27:43,500 --> 00:27:45,580
more seriously in
his junior year,
544
00:27:45,660 --> 00:27:49,330
even making the dean's list.
545
00:27:49,500 --> 00:27:54,250
- While successful people
mature at different rates,
546
00:27:54,370 --> 00:27:56,700
he had to find his place.
547
00:27:56,870 --> 00:27:59,200
Here, he's got this
older brother, Joe Jr.,
548
00:27:59,330 --> 00:28:02,160
who is considered
the shining star
549
00:28:02,200 --> 00:28:06,500
of the family, and Jack has
trouble dealing with that.
550
00:28:06,580 --> 00:28:08,660
And it's not until later,
551
00:28:08,750 --> 00:28:11,500
when he's in his advanced years
552
00:28:11,660 --> 00:28:14,160
at Harvard, that he
gets quite serious.
553
00:28:18,790 --> 00:28:21,540
- On December 9, 1937,
554
00:28:21,700 --> 00:28:24,790
"The New York Times"
broke the news.
555
00:28:24,910 --> 00:28:28,700
Jack's father, Joe Kennedy,
later nicknamed "Jolly Joe"
556
00:28:28,830 --> 00:28:31,500
by the press, would be
the new United States
557
00:28:31,620 --> 00:28:34,500
ambassador to Great Britain.
558
00:28:34,620 --> 00:28:37,370
- Just arrived in England
after a very pleasant trip
559
00:28:37,500 --> 00:28:39,160
from the United States.
560
00:28:39,290 --> 00:28:42,160
I'm looking forward,
with great anticipation,
561
00:28:42,290 --> 00:28:43,620
taking up my duties here.
562
00:28:45,950 --> 00:28:48,000
- The Great Depression
is a terrible calamity
563
00:28:48,080 --> 00:28:50,120
for millions upon
millions of Americans.
564
00:28:50,200 --> 00:28:52,160
When Franklin Roosevelt
took the oath of office
565
00:28:52,330 --> 00:28:55,700
in March of 1933, we
estimate that there were
566
00:28:55,870 --> 00:28:58,620
13 million people unemployed.
567
00:28:58,750 --> 00:29:01,160
That was about 25% of
the entire workforce
568
00:29:01,290 --> 00:29:03,330
of the United States.
569
00:29:03,500 --> 00:29:05,200
- Joe was worried.
570
00:29:05,370 --> 00:29:09,700
He was a conservative,
but he understood
571
00:29:09,830 --> 00:29:13,790
that Hoover did not have a clue
572
00:29:13,910 --> 00:29:17,410
as to how to end the depression
573
00:29:17,540 --> 00:29:21,000
and save capitalism
and American democracy.
574
00:29:21,160 --> 00:29:25,120
And Joe Kennedy understands
575
00:29:25,200 --> 00:29:28,290
earlier than most
576
00:29:28,370 --> 00:29:32,750
that the Depression
is the greatest threat
577
00:29:32,870 --> 00:29:36,700
to American capitalism
that this nation
578
00:29:36,870 --> 00:29:39,660
has ever seen.
579
00:29:39,830 --> 00:29:42,660
So he, very early,
went and he joined
580
00:29:42,750 --> 00:29:45,750
the Roosevelt bandwagon.
581
00:29:45,870 --> 00:29:50,660
Kennedy really enters
politics for the first time.
582
00:29:50,700 --> 00:29:54,620
- Joe had been a
very enthusiastic
583
00:29:54,700 --> 00:29:57,660
and a very important
supporter of FDR,
584
00:29:57,790 --> 00:30:00,330
particularly around
election time,
585
00:30:00,450 --> 00:30:04,330
1932, 1936, and 1940.
586
00:30:04,450 --> 00:30:09,000
And Joe Kennedy was a
very important Catholic
587
00:30:09,080 --> 00:30:11,120
at a time when
the Catholic vote,
588
00:30:11,200 --> 00:30:14,200
as it remains today,
was very important,
589
00:30:14,330 --> 00:30:17,250
and he would not just
contribute money,
590
00:30:17,370 --> 00:30:20,330
but he would entice
other important people
591
00:30:20,410 --> 00:30:24,040
like William Randolph
Hearst as well as Catholics
592
00:30:24,160 --> 00:30:27,040
around the country
to support FDR.
593
00:30:27,200 --> 00:30:29,330
So he thought that FDR owed him.
594
00:30:31,450 --> 00:30:35,660
- Finally, Roosevelt
gets in touch
595
00:30:35,790 --> 00:30:39,950
with Kennedy, and he
offers him the position.
596
00:30:40,120 --> 00:30:42,910
- Joe Kennedy's new role
in the public sphere
597
00:30:43,040 --> 00:30:45,830
would push the
entire Kennedy family
598
00:30:45,950 --> 00:30:48,790
into the center
of world politics.
599
00:30:54,330 --> 00:30:56,830
- By early 1938, Joe Kennedy
was the new United States
600
00:30:57,000 --> 00:30:59,000
ambassador to Great Britain.
601
00:30:59,160 --> 00:31:01,120
- That would have been
the most important
602
00:31:01,250 --> 00:31:03,660
and most prestigious
ambassadorship
603
00:31:03,790 --> 00:31:05,040
that would have been offered,
604
00:31:05,200 --> 00:31:07,830
and Franklin Roosevelt
gave it to Joe Kennedy.
605
00:31:46,910 --> 00:31:48,000
- You're kind of excited.
606
00:31:54,000 --> 00:31:58,250
- Roosevelt sends
Kennedy to England
607
00:31:58,370 --> 00:32:00,870
as a statement as
much as anything else.
608
00:32:01,000 --> 00:32:03,250
It's a statement to the English
609
00:32:03,370 --> 00:32:06,790
that I'm gonna send
you an Irish Catholic.
610
00:32:06,950 --> 00:32:10,790
He also tells Kennedy,
"Look, I need eyes
611
00:32:10,870 --> 00:32:12,620
"and ears over there.
612
00:32:12,750 --> 00:32:16,750
"Europe is falling apart,
and I can't trust anybody.
613
00:32:16,870 --> 00:32:19,160
"I need someone over
there to tell me,
614
00:32:19,290 --> 00:32:21,160
are the British gonna
be able to fight?
615
00:32:21,290 --> 00:32:23,410
"Are the British gonna be able
616
00:32:23,540 --> 00:32:26,910
to stand up
against the Nazis?"
617
00:32:38,700 --> 00:32:42,540
- Kennedy, from the beginning,
doesn't simply report
618
00:32:42,620 --> 00:32:44,330
on what's going on in Europe.
619
00:32:44,410 --> 00:32:47,040
Kennedy is determined
that he knows better
620
00:32:47,160 --> 00:32:50,120
than Roosevelt and
everybody else.
621
00:32:50,200 --> 00:32:52,750
- The American people do
not have to go to war.
622
00:32:52,870 --> 00:32:55,370
They will not go to war
623
00:32:55,540 --> 00:32:58,750
if they will to stay out of war.
624
00:32:58,870 --> 00:33:02,660
- He opposed U.S.
involvement in the war.
625
00:33:02,750 --> 00:33:06,500
He was actually a person
who might be classified
626
00:33:06,620 --> 00:33:08,080
today as an appeaser.
627
00:33:08,200 --> 00:33:10,040
He didn't want to go
to war with Germany.
628
00:33:10,200 --> 00:33:12,250
He thought the U.S. would lose
629
00:33:12,370 --> 00:33:14,830
and that it would
be a grave error
630
00:33:14,950 --> 00:33:16,136
for the country to get involved
631
00:33:16,160 --> 00:33:18,620
in that kind of conflict.
632
00:33:18,750 --> 00:33:22,500
- Hitler! Sieg
heil! Sieg heil!
633
00:33:28,200 --> 00:33:32,160
- He comes to the
conclusion that the English
634
00:33:32,250 --> 00:33:37,120
are too foppish, too weak,
635
00:33:37,200 --> 00:33:39,660
they have no backbone,
636
00:33:39,830 --> 00:33:42,040
that Hitler and the Germans
637
00:33:42,200 --> 00:33:44,910
are gonna run right over him.
638
00:33:45,040 --> 00:33:48,540
- If I am called an
appeaser because I oppose
639
00:33:48,660 --> 00:33:51,620
the entrance of this country
into the present war,
640
00:33:51,750 --> 00:33:53,950
I cheerfully plead guilty,
641
00:33:54,080 --> 00:33:57,540
and so must every one of
you who want to keep America
642
00:33:57,700 --> 00:33:59,700
out of this war.
643
00:33:59,830 --> 00:34:02,830
- Roosevelt enlists Kennedy
644
00:34:02,950 --> 00:34:06,000
not simply as an ambassador
645
00:34:06,120 --> 00:34:08,200
but as a troubleshooter,
646
00:34:08,370 --> 00:34:11,660
an eyewitness who's
gonna report back
647
00:34:11,790 --> 00:34:13,290
what's going on.
648
00:34:13,370 --> 00:34:17,000
Ambassadors don't
run foreign policy.
649
00:34:17,120 --> 00:34:20,870
Ambassadors are stick
figures, really.
650
00:34:21,000 --> 00:34:24,080
- The problems
between FDR and Joe
651
00:34:24,200 --> 00:34:26,000
really lie with Joe,
652
00:34:26,120 --> 00:34:28,250
because once he
became ambassador,
653
00:34:28,370 --> 00:34:31,790
he forgot about what that
position was really like.
654
00:34:31,910 --> 00:34:36,120
That role is to translate
655
00:34:36,250 --> 00:34:39,660
the president's view
to the British leaders
656
00:34:39,790 --> 00:34:41,620
and the British people.
657
00:34:41,700 --> 00:34:45,080
And what Joe wanted to do
was relay his own thoughts,
658
00:34:45,200 --> 00:34:49,450
and his thoughts did not
match FDR's thoughts.
659
00:34:49,540 --> 00:34:54,040
So FDR grew to distrust
him and opened up
660
00:34:54,160 --> 00:34:57,080
a separate private
channel with Churchill.
661
00:34:57,200 --> 00:35:00,830
Joe resented it,
and the relationship
662
00:35:01,000 --> 00:35:02,290
tumbled from there.
663
00:35:04,540 --> 00:35:08,000
- In 1939, with his father
now living and working
664
00:35:08,120 --> 00:35:10,500
in London as ambassador
to Great Britain,
665
00:35:10,620 --> 00:35:13,200
Jack decided to travel overseas.
666
00:35:15,200 --> 00:35:18,000
He set off on a
seven-month tour of Europe,
667
00:35:18,160 --> 00:35:20,330
the Middle East, and
the Soviet Union,
668
00:35:20,500 --> 00:35:23,120
meeting with leaders, diplomats,
669
00:35:23,290 --> 00:35:25,950
and everyday people
to gather information
670
00:35:26,040 --> 00:35:29,200
about the growing threat of war.
671
00:35:29,370 --> 00:35:31,540
Jack's journey began in London
672
00:35:31,660 --> 00:35:34,200
where he took tea with
Princess Elizabeth.
673
00:35:34,370 --> 00:35:36,700
Then he was off
to Eastern Europe,
674
00:35:36,870 --> 00:35:39,000
stopping in Warsaw, Poland.
675
00:35:39,160 --> 00:35:42,040
As he traveled, he
often corresponded
676
00:35:42,200 --> 00:35:44,910
with Lem Billings and
reported his observations
677
00:35:45,040 --> 00:35:46,370
back to his father.
678
00:35:48,370 --> 00:35:49,790
- Bye, Rosie.
- Bye, Jack.
679
00:35:49,910 --> 00:35:51,540
- So long, Jack!
680
00:35:51,700 --> 00:35:53,410
- I... see, that's enough.
681
00:35:53,540 --> 00:35:56,450
- On another leg of the
trip, Jack was joined
682
00:35:56,580 --> 00:36:00,080
by his Harvard roommate,
Torby Macdonald.
683
00:36:00,200 --> 00:36:02,250
They crossed into Nazi
Germany and were heckled
684
00:36:02,370 --> 00:36:04,540
by local stormtroopers
who believed
685
00:36:04,620 --> 00:36:09,330
they were disrespecting
the statue of a Nazi hero.
686
00:36:09,500 --> 00:36:12,500
Days later, traveling
at high speeds
687
00:36:12,540 --> 00:36:15,370
near Paris, en route
to see his father,
688
00:36:15,500 --> 00:36:17,540
Jack lost control
of his vehicle,
689
00:36:17,700 --> 00:36:20,330
flipping it.
690
00:36:20,410 --> 00:36:22,700
In his true
lighthearted fashion,
691
00:36:22,830 --> 00:36:25,870
Jack laughed off his
near-death experience.
692
00:36:26,000 --> 00:36:27,580
While upside-down in the car,
693
00:36:27,700 --> 00:36:29,750
he is said to have
quipped to Torby,
694
00:36:29,870 --> 00:36:34,200
"Well, pal, we didn't
make it, did we?"
695
00:36:36,910 --> 00:36:39,450
- On August 19, Jack arrived
696
00:36:39,580 --> 00:36:42,330
in the German capital of Berlin.
697
00:36:42,410 --> 00:36:44,580
At that moment, Hitler's troops
698
00:36:44,660 --> 00:36:46,830
were preparing to attack Poland,
699
00:36:46,950 --> 00:36:49,500
making their way to the border.
700
00:36:49,750 --> 00:36:53,620
Less than two weeks later,
Hitler's forces invaded.
701
00:36:53,750 --> 00:36:56,660
The Second World War had begun.
702
00:37:00,540 --> 00:37:03,830
- Jack understood that if you
want to understand the world,
703
00:37:03,950 --> 00:37:05,950
you need to go see the world,
704
00:37:06,080 --> 00:37:08,830
and he was very eager
to see the world.
705
00:37:11,080 --> 00:37:15,290
- In fact, when Britain
declared war on Germany
706
00:37:15,450 --> 00:37:17,540
on September 3, 1939,
707
00:37:17,700 --> 00:37:20,200
two days after the
Nazis invaded Poland,
708
00:37:20,330 --> 00:37:23,000
JFK was in the House of Commons
709
00:37:23,080 --> 00:37:24,620
in the visitor's gallery.
710
00:37:24,700 --> 00:37:27,330
He saw Chamberlain
make the announcement
711
00:37:27,410 --> 00:37:30,500
that World War II had started.
712
00:37:30,660 --> 00:37:33,410
- This morning, the
British ambassador
713
00:37:33,540 --> 00:37:36,200
in Berlin handed the
German government
714
00:37:36,330 --> 00:37:40,200
a final note, stating
that unless we heard
715
00:37:40,370 --> 00:37:44,830
from them by 11:00
that they were prepared
716
00:37:45,000 --> 00:37:48,700
at once to withdraw
their troops from Poland,
717
00:37:48,870 --> 00:37:52,290
a state of war would
exist between us.
718
00:37:52,370 --> 00:37:55,830
I have to tell you now
that no such undertaking
719
00:37:55,950 --> 00:37:59,660
has been received,
and that consequently,
720
00:37:59,790 --> 00:38:03,750
this country is at
war with Germany.
721
00:38:05,620 --> 00:38:08,830
- During his time visiting
the House of Commons,
722
00:38:08,950 --> 00:38:12,160
Jack was deeply inspired
by Winston Churchill
723
00:38:12,250 --> 00:38:16,160
and was awestruck listening
to his first wartime speech
724
00:38:16,330 --> 00:38:19,160
rallying the free
world to stand up
725
00:38:19,290 --> 00:38:22,580
to the oncoming
battle against Hitler.
726
00:38:22,700 --> 00:38:25,330
After listening to
Churchill's remarks,
727
00:38:25,500 --> 00:38:30,080
Jack was motivated to
do his part as well.
728
00:38:30,200 --> 00:38:32,160
Upon the outbreak of the war,
729
00:38:32,290 --> 00:38:35,660
German U-boats
began sinking ships.
730
00:38:35,790 --> 00:38:38,950
The first ship lost was the
Scottish passenger liner,
731
00:38:39,040 --> 00:38:40,830
SS "Athenia."
732
00:38:41,000 --> 00:38:42,790
Joe Sr. sent his son to meet
733
00:38:42,910 --> 00:38:45,830
with and assist hundreds
of American survivors
734
00:38:45,910 --> 00:38:48,750
hospitalized in Glasgow.
735
00:38:48,870 --> 00:38:51,540
During this trip,
Jack spoke publicly,
736
00:38:51,620 --> 00:38:54,330
reassuring those affected
that they would be
737
00:38:54,450 --> 00:38:57,750
safely transported
back to the U.S.
738
00:38:57,870 --> 00:39:00,500
He was also tasked
with gathering
739
00:39:00,620 --> 00:39:03,250
firsthand information
about the attack.
740
00:39:03,370 --> 00:39:06,160
Finally, safe passage
home was secured
741
00:39:06,290 --> 00:39:09,000
for the American survivors.
742
00:39:09,160 --> 00:39:12,000
Jack's work was done.
743
00:39:12,120 --> 00:39:14,250
After seven months in Europe,
744
00:39:14,370 --> 00:39:17,750
Jack Kennedy was
now 22 years old.
745
00:39:17,870 --> 00:39:20,950
He had seen Nazi
Germany up close,
746
00:39:21,080 --> 00:39:24,160
listened to his political
hero Winston Churchill
747
00:39:24,290 --> 00:39:26,450
speak in the House of Commons,
748
00:39:26,540 --> 00:39:28,370
shared tea with the future Queen
749
00:39:28,500 --> 00:39:32,500
of the United Kingdom,
crashed his car in France,
750
00:39:32,620 --> 00:39:34,660
and helped fellow Americans
751
00:39:34,750 --> 00:39:37,830
in the wake of a wartime attack.
752
00:39:38,000 --> 00:39:40,540
- He was exposed
from a very early age
753
00:39:40,700 --> 00:39:44,370
to a really incredible array
of international experiences,
754
00:39:44,450 --> 00:39:46,410
quite untypical for
people in his generation
755
00:39:46,540 --> 00:39:49,120
in this country.
756
00:39:49,250 --> 00:39:51,200
- Jack had experienced firsthand
757
00:39:51,370 --> 00:39:52,750
what it meant to be involved
758
00:39:52,870 --> 00:39:55,700
in high-level
political, cultural,
759
00:39:55,870 --> 00:39:59,000
and military situations
and began to break away
760
00:39:59,080 --> 00:40:02,750
from his father's stifling
political beliefs.
761
00:40:02,830 --> 00:40:04,750
His whirlwind tour of Europe
762
00:40:04,870 --> 00:40:07,540
laid the foundations
of a new worldview
763
00:40:07,700 --> 00:40:11,450
that would evolve
for years to come.
764
00:40:11,580 --> 00:40:14,450
- I think it was just
the self-confidence
765
00:40:14,580 --> 00:40:19,330
that Jack got from
traveling abroad,
766
00:40:19,450 --> 00:40:23,500
from being on his own,
from being encouraged
767
00:40:23,620 --> 00:40:25,950
through all of those early meals
768
00:40:26,040 --> 00:40:30,000
led by Joe and Rose
to think for himself,
769
00:40:30,120 --> 00:40:33,080
that he eventually
did think for himself,
770
00:40:33,200 --> 00:40:36,580
and from his travels, came
to different conclusions
771
00:40:36,750 --> 00:40:41,290
than Joe came to, that
America needed to play
772
00:40:41,370 --> 00:40:44,330
a prominent role
on the world stage
773
00:40:44,450 --> 00:40:46,660
if freedom were to prevail.
774
00:40:49,500 --> 00:40:52,660
Using his experiences
in Europe as a guide,
775
00:40:52,790 --> 00:40:57,330
Jack began work on his thesis,
just meeting his deadline.
776
00:40:57,450 --> 00:41:00,540
He examined why England
was so unprepared
777
00:41:00,660 --> 00:41:03,620
for World War II, and
titled his final project,
778
00:41:03,700 --> 00:41:06,870
"Appeasement at Munich."
779
00:41:07,040 --> 00:41:10,000
Jack later expanded
his thesis into a book,
780
00:41:10,120 --> 00:41:13,160
called "Why England Slept,"
781
00:41:13,290 --> 00:41:15,370
an ode to Winston
Churchill's book,
782
00:41:15,540 --> 00:41:18,540
"While England Slept."
783
00:41:18,700 --> 00:41:22,410
"Why England Slept"
quickly sold 80,000 copies,
784
00:41:22,540 --> 00:41:25,660
bringing in some
$40,000 in revenue.
785
00:41:25,790 --> 00:41:27,830
He donated his British earnings
786
00:41:28,000 --> 00:41:30,040
to the English city of Plymouth,
787
00:41:30,160 --> 00:41:31,700
which had recently been bombed
788
00:41:31,870 --> 00:41:34,750
by Hitler's powerful air force.
789
00:41:34,870 --> 00:41:39,040
With his American earnings,
he bought a new convertible.
790
00:41:39,200 --> 00:41:43,000
In June 1940, Jack
graduated from Harvard.
791
00:41:43,080 --> 00:41:45,500
It was the end of
an important chapter
792
00:41:45,540 --> 00:41:47,330
in his life and the beginning
793
00:41:47,500 --> 00:41:50,000
of a new equally
important chapter.
794
00:41:57,250 --> 00:42:00,750
Next on "Kennedy"...
795
00:42:06,000 --> 00:42:08,330
- 16 months after Pearl Harbor,
796
00:42:08,450 --> 00:42:11,410
the United States was locked
in a fierce Naval campaign
797
00:42:11,540 --> 00:42:14,330
against Japanese forces.
798
00:42:14,410 --> 00:42:18,370
- Jack was a man who wanted
to be at the center of action.
799
00:42:18,500 --> 00:42:21,830
- Kennedy takes
command of "PT-109".
800
00:42:21,910 --> 00:42:25,450
This is a very
dangerous place to be.
801
00:42:25,580 --> 00:42:27,620
These are Japanese-held waters.
802
00:42:27,750 --> 00:42:29,580
The Japanese destroyer...
803
00:42:29,700 --> 00:42:33,330
- She is speeding
directly towards "PT-109."61483
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