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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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00:00:04,960 --> 00:00:07,876
John F. Kennedy!
4
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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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00:00:14,626 --> 00:00:17,126
- 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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00:00:30,418 --> 00:00:32,251
- He was the future.
He was next.
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00:00:32,376 --> 00:00:34,043
[soaring orchestral music]
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00:00:34,251 --> 00:00:36,918
- President for just
over 1,000 days,
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00:00:37,043 --> 00:00:39,626
Kennedy navigated events
and crises
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00:00:39,751 --> 00:00:41,293
that changed the world.
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00:00:41,418 --> 00:00:43,043
- Kennedy is feeling
the pressure
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00:00:43,126 --> 00:00:44,460
from
the Civil Rights activists.
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00:00:44,585 --> 00:00:47,293
- This was a country
on nuclear war footing.
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♪ ♪
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- This could be
the last mistake
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that anybody makes politically.
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♪ ♪
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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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00:01:03,960 --> 00:01:07,043
but because they are hard.
28
00:01:07,168 --> 00:01:10,001
- 60 years after
his assassination,
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00:01:10,126 --> 00:01:12,460
we are still fascinated
by the triumphs
30
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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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♪ ♪
37
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[birds chirping]
38
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[soft dramatic music]
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♪ ♪
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- The story begins
on a quiet spring afternoon
41
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in May 1917
in the Boston suburb
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of Brookline, Massachusetts.
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00:01:58,918 --> 00:02:02,460
Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy
gave birth to a baby boy
44
00:02:02,585 --> 00:02:07,210
in the master bedroom of
the modest Kennedy household.
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00:02:07,376 --> 00:02:10,710
The future president,
John Fitzgerald Kennedy,
46
00:02:10,876 --> 00:02:14,043
known by his friends
and family as Jack,
47
00:02:14,126 --> 00:02:17,376
was born on May 29th
around 3:00 p.m.
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00:02:17,460 --> 00:02:19,335
♪ ♪
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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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00:02:33,376 --> 00:02:35,710
in front of the White House.
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The average annual
household income was $800,
55
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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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00:02:51,251 --> 00:02:54,001
of coal and iron,
was at the center
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00:02:54,085 --> 00:02:56,751
of a new industrial age.
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00:02:56,918 --> 00:02:59,210
- Kennedy is born
into this time
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00:02:59,376 --> 00:03:03,085
when the United States
is rising as a world power.
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00:03:03,168 --> 00:03:04,668
- Delivered by
the family doctor,
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00:03:04,793 --> 00:03:08,543
Jack was proclaimed
healthy and handsome.
64
00:03:08,668 --> 00:03:11,710
Young Jack's life was happy
and carefree
65
00:03:11,793 --> 00:03:16,626
until he contracted
scarlet fever at age two.
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00:03:16,710 --> 00:03:19,001
In a world
without antibiotics,
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his prognosis was dim.
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00:03:21,835 --> 00:03:24,710
Jack was sent
to the Boston City Hospital,
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00:03:24,835 --> 00:03:27,085
where his condition
was so poor
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00:03:27,251 --> 00:03:29,751
that he received last rites.
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00:03:29,918 --> 00:03:32,043
- The last rites are not
administered trivially.
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00:03:32,126 --> 00:03:36,585
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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00:03:40,001 --> 00:03:41,710
and he was released.
75
00:03:41,835 --> 00:03:44,960
This was an early sign
of Jack's lifelong
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00:03:45,085 --> 00:03:46,418
chronic health struggles.
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00:03:46,543 --> 00:03:48,751
♪ ♪
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Jack's mother, Rose,
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00:03:50,335 --> 00:03:52,710
was effectively
a single parent.
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00:03:52,835 --> 00:03:55,210
Though she tolerated
her husband Joe's affairs
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00:03:55,376 --> 00:03:57,085
with other women,
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00:03:57,210 --> 00:03:59,043
his numerous
business ventures,
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00:03:59,210 --> 00:04:01,543
including banking,
ship manufacturing
84
00:04:01,668 --> 00:04:03,376
during the First World War,
85
00:04:03,501 --> 00:04:05,543
and stock brokering,
86
00:04:05,668 --> 00:04:08,293
added to
his frequent absences.
87
00:04:08,418 --> 00:04:12,043
- He was, by this time,
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00:04:12,168 --> 00:04:15,710
well on his way to becoming
89
00:04:15,918 --> 00:04:18,460
an important businessman,
and it hadn't been easy.
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00:04:18,585 --> 00:04:22,460
From the very beginning,
Joe and Rose
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00:04:22,585 --> 00:04:27,210
reached an agreement that Rose
was gonna raise the kids
92
00:04:27,335 --> 00:04:28,876
when they were little.
93
00:04:28,960 --> 00:04:32,835
As the boys got bigger,
Joe would step in.
94
00:04:32,918 --> 00:04:35,376
But Joe Kennedy
wasn't around much,
95
00:04:35,543 --> 00:04:37,626
with one exception.
96
00:04:37,751 --> 00:04:41,585
Jack developed scarlet fever
at the age of two,
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00:04:41,710 --> 00:04:45,460
and before work
and after work,
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Joe goes to the hospital.
99
00:04:49,335 --> 00:04:52,210
He sits at the bedside.
100
00:04:52,335 --> 00:04:54,501
He watches over his son.
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00:04:54,626 --> 00:04:58,710
He confers with the doctors
and the nurses.
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00:04:58,835 --> 00:05:03,376
He becomes
the one and only parent.
103
00:05:03,460 --> 00:05:06,335
Jack Kennedy
doesn't see his mother
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00:05:06,418 --> 00:05:08,376
at a critical moment
in his upbringing
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00:05:08,543 --> 00:05:11,876
for months and months.
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00:05:12,001 --> 00:05:14,543
♪ ♪
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- When he was around,
Joe showered attention,
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00:05:18,251 --> 00:05:21,043
especially on the boys.
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00:05:21,168 --> 00:05:25,501
Rose was cold, self-absorbed.
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There was something
particular about the coldness
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00:05:29,751 --> 00:05:34,501
from Rose that you can't.
really explain away.
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00:05:34,585 --> 00:05:36,918
- Rose, like Joe,
often went away
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00:05:37,043 --> 00:05:40,335
for large stretches of time
when the children were young.
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00:05:40,418 --> 00:05:43,710
A young Jack
was said to have remarked,
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00:05:43,876 --> 00:05:46,001
"Gee, you're a great mother
to go away and leave
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00:05:46,126 --> 00:05:47,585
your children all alone."
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00:05:47,751 --> 00:05:51,251
He told a friend
while he was an adult,
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00:05:51,376 --> 00:05:56,001
"My mother never hugged me,
never, never."
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♪ ♪
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- Instead of pitying himself,
he found something else
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00:06:01,335 --> 00:06:03,293
to occupy his mind.
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00:06:03,418 --> 00:06:06,376
♪ ♪
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00:06:06,501 --> 00:06:09,251
From Sinbad the Sailor
to Peter Pan,
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00:06:09,376 --> 00:06:12,501
Jack was enthralled
by reading.
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00:06:12,585 --> 00:06:15,085
His literary interests
did not lay solely
126
00:06:15,210 --> 00:06:16,668
in swashbuckling adventure.
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00:06:16,751 --> 00:06:19,585
He devoured
weighty historical tomes
128
00:06:19,710 --> 00:06:23,960
like "Lays of Ancient Rome,"
a popular collection of poems
129
00:06:24,085 --> 00:06:26,376
written in the 1840s,
130
00:06:26,543 --> 00:06:28,293
and "The Pilgrim's Progress,"
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00:06:28,418 --> 00:06:31,710
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.
134
00:06:39,668 --> 00:06:42,668
[upbeat jazz music]
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00:06:42,793 --> 00:06:44,335
♪ ♪
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00:06:44,460 --> 00:06:46,626
- When Jack was 10,
his father relocated
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the family to New York.
138
00:06:49,293 --> 00:06:51,418
A formidable
business opportunist
139
00:06:51,585 --> 00:06:53,543
and an investor
in the stock market,
140
00:06:53,626 --> 00:06:57,626
Joe Sr. had grown his wealth
by applying his skills
141
00:06:57,751 --> 00:07:02,126
to various business ventures,
including the film industry.
142
00:07:02,251 --> 00:07:04,543
- He was spending most
of his time now in New York.
143
00:07:04,751 --> 00:07:07,960
He was a film producer.
144
00:07:08,085 --> 00:07:10,043
He was a film executive.
145
00:07:10,085 --> 00:07:13,043
And the business side
of the movie business
146
00:07:13,126 --> 00:07:15,251
was in New York.
147
00:07:15,418 --> 00:07:18,335
The Bronxville house,
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00:07:18,418 --> 00:07:21,793
where Jack
really grows up, is--
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00:07:21,918 --> 00:07:23,710
you know,
it was a mansion
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00:07:23,876 --> 00:07:28,793
with a huge lawn,
big driveway,
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00:07:28,918 --> 00:07:32,585
lots of land
for the kids to play.
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00:07:32,668 --> 00:07:35,418
- The family began spending
their summer
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00:07:35,585 --> 00:07:37,793
and early autumn months
at the beachside village
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00:07:37,918 --> 00:07:40,876
of Hyannis Port,
part of the Cape Cod area
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00:07:41,085 --> 00:07:43,418
in Massachusetts.
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00:07:43,585 --> 00:07:45,335
After renting
a summer residence
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00:07:45,418 --> 00:07:48,210
at 50 Marchant Avenue
for several years,
158
00:07:48,293 --> 00:07:51,751
Joe Sr. purchased the home.
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00:07:51,876 --> 00:07:55,376
- The family spends
more time together
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00:07:55,460 --> 00:07:58,751
in Hyannis Port
than anywhere else.
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00:07:58,918 --> 00:08:02,793
What binds them together
is not their home
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00:08:02,918 --> 00:08:05,835
in Bronxville
but Hyannis Port.
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00:08:05,960 --> 00:08:09,210
- Jack was surrounded
by eight siblings--
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00:08:09,376 --> 00:08:11,710
Joe Jr., Rosemary,
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00:08:11,835 --> 00:08:15,043
Kathleen, Eunice, Patricia,
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00:08:15,210 --> 00:08:18,210
Robert, Jean, and Ted.
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00:08:18,293 --> 00:08:20,793
Though they were raised
in considerable wealth,
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00:08:20,960 --> 00:08:22,710
Joe and Rose
taught their children
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00:08:22,835 --> 00:08:25,793
about the value of money,
the importance
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00:08:25,960 --> 00:08:29,293
of a strong work ethic,
and the need to stay informed
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00:08:29,418 --> 00:08:31,126
about world affairs,
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00:08:31,251 --> 00:08:33,918
which often led to
heated political discussions
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00:08:34,085 --> 00:08:36,418
at the dinner table.
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00:08:36,585 --> 00:08:40,251
- Joe and Rose
led conversations
175
00:08:40,376 --> 00:08:43,335
about current events
and global events
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00:08:43,460 --> 00:08:46,710
for all nine of the siblings
over dinner.
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00:08:46,793 --> 00:08:51,043
And Joe
was like a quiz master.
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00:08:51,168 --> 00:08:52,668
[soft dramatic music]
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The parents
seeded the children,
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00:08:55,835 --> 00:08:58,668
particularly the boys,
with this sense
181
00:08:58,793 --> 00:09:03,251
of history, current events,
global events.
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00:09:03,376 --> 00:09:05,543
And from that, the boys
183
00:09:05,668 --> 00:09:08,876
did pursue it on their own.
184
00:09:09,001 --> 00:09:11,126
- Jack lived his early life
in the shadow
185
00:09:11,251 --> 00:09:12,960
of his older brother, Joe Jr.,
186
00:09:13,085 --> 00:09:15,543
who was the promising
Kennedy child,
187
00:09:15,751 --> 00:09:18,876
being primed
for a political future.
188
00:09:19,043 --> 00:09:21,876
Joe Jr. was successful
in school,
189
00:09:21,960 --> 00:09:24,876
but Jack's grades
were comparatively poor.
190
00:09:25,001 --> 00:09:28,543
- Jack was a smart aleck
as a kid.
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00:09:28,710 --> 00:09:30,918
He had friends.
192
00:09:31,085 --> 00:09:34,376
Every smart aleck,
every jokester has friends.
193
00:09:34,501 --> 00:09:39,251
But he didn't try hard
the way Joe did.
194
00:09:39,376 --> 00:09:42,168
Joe was the model kid.
195
00:09:42,293 --> 00:09:45,835
Joe Kennedy put his faith
in the future
196
00:09:45,960 --> 00:09:49,835
of the Kennedy dynasty,
in his oldest son, Joe Jr.
197
00:09:49,918 --> 00:09:51,960
- Joe Sr.
seriously believed
198
00:09:52,085 --> 00:09:55,126
he would become the first
Irish Catholic president
199
00:09:55,251 --> 00:09:56,668
of the United States.
200
00:09:56,751 --> 00:09:58,543
Jack was an afterthought.
201
00:09:58,668 --> 00:10:01,835
♪ ♪
202
00:10:01,960 --> 00:10:05,876
- Coming up on future episodes
of "Kennedy"...
203
00:10:05,960 --> 00:10:10,210
- John Fitzgerald Kennedy
is a unique character
204
00:10:10,335 --> 00:10:13,210
in U.S. and world history.
205
00:10:13,418 --> 00:10:14,668
- He had risked his life.
206
00:10:14,751 --> 00:10:16,543
He'd climb one rung
of the ladder,
207
00:10:16,710 --> 00:10:18,376
and then he'd start looking
to the next one.
208
00:10:18,543 --> 00:10:21,626
But he would have given up
all of his political success
209
00:10:21,751 --> 00:10:23,501
to be pain-free.
210
00:10:23,585 --> 00:10:26,210
- There was a chance
that he would die.
211
00:10:26,335 --> 00:10:28,001
Was he going to pity himself,
212
00:10:28,085 --> 00:10:31,168
or was he going
to overcome it?
213
00:10:31,293 --> 00:10:32,251
♪ ♪
214
00:10:32,335 --> 00:10:33,668
- And we stand today
215
00:10:33,835 --> 00:10:35,418
on the edge of a new frontier.
216
00:10:35,585 --> 00:10:37,210
- When he walked
into the Oval Office,
217
00:10:37,335 --> 00:10:39,126
he had a lot to learn.
218
00:10:39,251 --> 00:10:42,043
- You have Kennedy
trying to manage the Cold War,
219
00:10:42,210 --> 00:10:44,460
but also adhere
to the real dilemma
220
00:10:44,626 --> 00:10:45,876
that African Americans
are facing.
221
00:10:46,043 --> 00:10:47,835
- He guided
the country through
222
00:10:47,918 --> 00:10:51,335
the most dangerous period
of its existence.
223
00:10:51,460 --> 00:10:55,710
- The idea we could get into
a nuclear war was very real.
224
00:10:55,793 --> 00:10:57,835
That's where Kennedy
is the leader.
225
00:10:58,043 --> 00:11:00,376
- And so,
my fellow Americans,
226
00:11:00,460 --> 00:11:03,876
ask not what your country
can do for you,
227
00:11:04,001 --> 00:11:06,543
ask what you can do
for your country.
228
00:11:06,668 --> 00:11:07,918
♪ ♪
229
00:11:11,626 --> 00:11:13,043
[soft dramatic music]
230
00:11:13,168 --> 00:11:15,460
- Jack's playful personality
and rebellious energy
231
00:11:15,585 --> 00:11:17,168
was at odds
with his solemn
232
00:11:17,251 --> 00:11:19,960
and polished older brother,
Joe Jr.,
233
00:11:20,085 --> 00:11:23,876
molded by Joe Sr.
in his own image.
234
00:11:23,960 --> 00:11:26,126
Though Jack looked up
to his older brother,
235
00:11:26,251 --> 00:11:29,543
the two were competitive,
engaging in heated fights
236
00:11:29,710 --> 00:11:32,418
on the living room floor.
237
00:11:32,585 --> 00:11:35,710
- Jack adored
his older brother,
238
00:11:35,835 --> 00:11:39,001
Joe, followed him around.
239
00:11:39,085 --> 00:11:41,251
The two of them played together
all the time,
240
00:11:41,418 --> 00:11:43,876
though Joe was a bully.
241
00:11:44,043 --> 00:11:47,376
Jack brought a lot of
242
00:11:47,501 --> 00:11:50,376
the physical abuse on himself.
243
00:11:50,501 --> 00:11:53,335
He couldn't stop teasing.
244
00:11:53,460 --> 00:11:56,918
He started fights that he knew
he was gonna lose.
245
00:11:57,043 --> 00:12:00,335
- Underweight and frail,
Jack was almost always pinned
246
00:12:00,460 --> 00:12:04,043
and defeated
in these brotherly brawls,
247
00:12:04,126 --> 00:12:08,043
but he always got back up
and tried again.
248
00:12:08,210 --> 00:12:11,001
In one of these
competitive episodes,
249
00:12:11,085 --> 00:12:13,835
Joe Jr. suggested that he
and Jack race their bicycles
250
00:12:13,960 --> 00:12:15,835
around Brookline.
251
00:12:15,918 --> 00:12:18,543
The frenzied race
landed Jack in the hospital
252
00:12:18,668 --> 00:12:20,710
with 28 stitches.
253
00:12:20,876 --> 00:12:23,210
[acoustic music]
254
00:12:23,293 --> 00:12:25,543
- John Kennedy
becomes a teenager,
255
00:12:25,626 --> 00:12:27,210
more or less, at the onset
256
00:12:27,293 --> 00:12:29,335
of the Great
Depression in the early 1930s.
257
00:12:29,418 --> 00:12:32,376
It was just
an unimaginable calamity.
258
00:12:32,460 --> 00:12:36,668
That kind of suffering
and trial by unemployment
259
00:12:36,751 --> 00:12:39,293
didn't touch
the Kennedy family at all.
260
00:12:39,418 --> 00:12:41,001
- They were
completely shielded
261
00:12:41,085 --> 00:12:42,626
from the Great Depression.
262
00:12:42,793 --> 00:12:44,793
They knew
that it was happening.
263
00:12:44,918 --> 00:12:47,210
But maybe
Joe Kennedy's real genius
264
00:12:47,376 --> 00:12:51,376
was exposing
his sons to the world
265
00:12:51,543 --> 00:12:54,085
so that they would understand
that the world was larger
266
00:12:54,210 --> 00:12:57,210
than the closeted life
they all lived.
267
00:12:57,335 --> 00:13:00,168
♪ ♪
268
00:13:03,251 --> 00:13:05,751
- In September 1930,
Jack began
269
00:13:05,918 --> 00:13:08,543
his eighth-grade year
at the Canterbury School
270
00:13:08,626 --> 00:13:11,043
in New Milford, Connecticut.
271
00:13:11,210 --> 00:13:15,293
Jack loved sports, playing
both baseball and football
272
00:13:15,418 --> 00:13:17,626
in spite of
his abnormally low weight
273
00:13:17,751 --> 00:13:19,835
and constant health issues.
274
00:13:19,960 --> 00:13:21,876
Jack often wrote
to his parents
275
00:13:22,001 --> 00:13:23,960
about everyday life at school,
276
00:13:24,085 --> 00:13:26,376
including the difficulty
of his studies,
277
00:13:26,501 --> 00:13:28,376
his frustration
with the school's
278
00:13:28,585 --> 00:13:31,876
strict religious practices,
and the freezing weather.
279
00:13:32,043 --> 00:13:35,251
[soft dramatic music]
280
00:13:35,418 --> 00:13:37,585
In April 1931,
281
00:13:37,710 --> 00:13:39,710
when he was
almost 14 years old,
282
00:13:39,835 --> 00:13:41,960
Jack suffered
abdominal pains
283
00:13:42,085 --> 00:13:44,710
that resulted
in an appendectomy--
284
00:13:44,793 --> 00:13:47,543
the first of many surgeries
in his life.
285
00:13:47,626 --> 00:13:49,376
♪ ♪
286
00:13:49,501 --> 00:13:52,376
After this operation,
he withdrew from Canterbury
287
00:13:52,501 --> 00:13:55,376
and returned home
to Hyannis Port.
288
00:13:55,501 --> 00:13:56,876
♪ ♪
289
00:13:57,043 --> 00:13:58,876
Having had
the summer to recover,
290
00:13:59,043 --> 00:14:01,210
Jack transferred
to the Choate School
291
00:14:01,335 --> 00:14:05,168
in September 1931,
a private boarding school
292
00:14:05,293 --> 00:14:07,126
in Wallingford, Connecticut.
293
00:14:07,210 --> 00:14:09,710
Joe Jr. was already
a student there
294
00:14:09,835 --> 00:14:11,835
and showed Jack the ropes.
295
00:14:11,960 --> 00:14:15,085
♪ ♪
296
00:14:15,210 --> 00:14:18,210
- Its hallmark,
from George St. John,
297
00:14:18,335 --> 00:14:21,710
the headmaster,
was to make sure that every boy
298
00:14:21,793 --> 00:14:24,293
got attention
299
00:14:24,418 --> 00:14:27,376
and got the kind of education
that he needed.
300
00:14:27,501 --> 00:14:30,293
As a new third-former,
as they were known,
301
00:14:30,418 --> 00:14:33,418
the ninth-graders,
he was nervous.
302
00:14:33,501 --> 00:14:35,293
Fortunately, he did have
an older brother
303
00:14:35,418 --> 00:14:37,960
to sort of steer him
and give him the ropes.
304
00:14:38,085 --> 00:14:40,126
But he was pretty much
on his own,
305
00:14:40,251 --> 00:14:42,793
but I think that was part of
the family tradition, too--
306
00:14:42,918 --> 00:14:45,043
to make your own way.
307
00:14:45,168 --> 00:14:48,585
Put into a dormitory--
so that's your first network.
308
00:14:48,710 --> 00:14:53,251
Then, you're in classes--
that's another network.
309
00:14:53,418 --> 00:14:56,043
Sports--
that's another network.
310
00:14:56,126 --> 00:14:59,043
You sort of find
your way with the activities
311
00:14:59,168 --> 00:15:00,668
that you're involved in.
312
00:15:00,751 --> 00:15:03,126
♪ ♪
313
00:15:03,251 --> 00:15:05,085
- Jack did well in classes
he enjoyed,
314
00:15:05,251 --> 00:15:07,210
like math and politics,
315
00:15:07,335 --> 00:15:09,376
but performed poorly
in subjects
316
00:15:09,501 --> 00:15:12,460
that didn't interest him,
such as Latin.
317
00:15:12,543 --> 00:15:15,835
Where he truly excelled
was American history,
318
00:15:15,960 --> 00:15:19,126
a subject
he found fascinating.
319
00:15:19,251 --> 00:15:22,043
- Kennedy loved history.
320
00:15:22,168 --> 00:15:23,835
He knew it very well,
321
00:15:23,918 --> 00:15:27,210
and I think it gave him
322
00:15:27,376 --> 00:15:30,418
this grasp of how things work.
323
00:15:30,543 --> 00:15:32,293
♪ ♪
324
00:15:32,418 --> 00:15:35,293
His knowledge of history
informed him
325
00:15:35,418 --> 00:15:38,376
that being a great orator
was important.
326
00:15:38,543 --> 00:15:40,210
How does power work?
327
00:15:40,335 --> 00:15:43,210
How, historically,
have our alliances worked?
328
00:15:43,376 --> 00:15:44,960
♪ ♪
329
00:15:45,085 --> 00:15:47,501
- Despite his untroubled,
relaxed persona,
330
00:15:47,585 --> 00:15:49,626
Jack's sharp intelligence
was noted
331
00:15:49,751 --> 00:15:51,210
by those around him,
332
00:15:51,335 --> 00:15:53,543
including
the Choate headmaster
333
00:15:53,668 --> 00:15:55,501
George St. John.
334
00:15:55,585 --> 00:15:59,335
- I think he saw great promise
in John Kennedy
335
00:15:59,460 --> 00:16:02,876
but was a little frustrated
by his occasional
336
00:16:03,001 --> 00:16:05,543
nonconformist activity.
337
00:16:05,668 --> 00:16:07,960
That just angered him
338
00:16:08,085 --> 00:16:10,043
because he saw
such great promise in him.
339
00:16:10,168 --> 00:16:12,293
He knew he was a smart boy,
340
00:16:12,418 --> 00:16:15,960
and he just wanted
something better out of him.
341
00:16:16,085 --> 00:16:19,043
♪ ♪
342
00:16:19,085 --> 00:16:20,960
- While at Choate,
Jack met someone
343
00:16:21,085 --> 00:16:23,418
who would become
his lifelong friend,
344
00:16:23,543 --> 00:16:26,918
a classmate
named Lem Billings.
345
00:16:27,001 --> 00:16:29,876
- One of Jack Kennedy's
greatest talents
346
00:16:30,001 --> 00:16:32,543
was making friends
and keeping them--
347
00:16:32,710 --> 00:16:33,793
lifelong friends.
348
00:16:33,918 --> 00:16:36,251
Lem Billings was one.
349
00:16:36,418 --> 00:16:38,876
- They were both working
on the school yearbook.
350
00:16:38,960 --> 00:16:41,585
That's, in fact, how they met.
351
00:16:41,751 --> 00:16:45,293
But sometimes they disagreed
with each other.
352
00:16:45,376 --> 00:16:48,043
Sometimes they would fight
against each other,
353
00:16:48,168 --> 00:16:52,210
but there's also a lot
of affection as well.
354
00:16:52,376 --> 00:16:55,460
Early on,
JFK is somewhat mystified
355
00:16:55,585 --> 00:16:58,376
by Lem's lack of interest
in girls,
356
00:16:58,501 --> 00:17:01,210
which, even then,
as a young teenager,
357
00:17:01,335 --> 00:17:04,376
JFK was very active
and interested in.
358
00:17:04,543 --> 00:17:10,126
♪ ♪
359
00:17:10,251 --> 00:17:13,001
- While Jack excelled socially
at Choate,
360
00:17:13,126 --> 00:17:17,376
there was another part of him
most did not see.
361
00:17:17,501 --> 00:17:19,710
- You see all these contrasts.
362
00:17:19,835 --> 00:17:21,501
So what does he present as?
363
00:17:21,585 --> 00:17:26,126
Handsome, born to
an extremely wealthy family,
364
00:17:26,251 --> 00:17:29,460
rich playboy.
But what do we really know?
365
00:17:29,585 --> 00:17:32,543
What we really know
is a lot of pain.
366
00:17:32,710 --> 00:17:36,376
- One thing after another
that sent him to the infirmary
367
00:17:36,501 --> 00:17:39,210
or even more specialty care,
when they couldn't
368
00:17:39,335 --> 00:17:42,168
figure out
what was really going on.
369
00:17:42,293 --> 00:17:46,793
- He's having fatigue,
these diffuse aches and pains.
370
00:17:46,918 --> 00:17:50,626
He developed colitis,
so he could not gain weight.
371
00:17:50,751 --> 00:17:52,543
♪ ♪
372
00:17:52,668 --> 00:17:55,293
- In February 1934,
Jack's health
373
00:17:55,418 --> 00:17:57,418
deteriorated rapidly.
374
00:17:57,585 --> 00:17:59,960
He was sent
to Rochester, Minnesota
375
00:18:00,085 --> 00:18:02,626
for medical tests
at the Mayo Clinic.
376
00:18:03,126 --> 00:18:05,793
Joe Sr. came
to visit his ailing son.
377
00:18:05,960 --> 00:18:08,335
Rose didn't visit once.
378
00:18:08,418 --> 00:18:10,376
♪ ♪
379
00:18:10,501 --> 00:18:12,418
He was at death's door.
380
00:18:16,710 --> 00:18:18,043
[soft dramatic music]
381
00:18:18,210 --> 00:18:20,418
In early 1934,
undergoing medical tests
382
00:18:20,585 --> 00:18:23,710
at the Mayo Clinic,
16-year-old Jack
383
00:18:23,876 --> 00:18:26,251
was plagued by constant pain,
384
00:18:26,376 --> 00:18:29,043
surrounded by strangers,
and dealing with
385
00:18:29,168 --> 00:18:32,126
one medical mystery
after another.
386
00:18:32,251 --> 00:18:35,043
To pass the time,
he wrote rambling letters
387
00:18:35,168 --> 00:18:39,043
full of jokes,
often sexual in nature.
388
00:18:39,335 --> 00:18:41,043
In letters written
to Lem Billings
389
00:18:41,210 --> 00:18:42,876
during his time
at the hospital,
390
00:18:43,085 --> 00:18:47,251
Jack's buoyant personality
showed no signs of waning.
391
00:18:47,376 --> 00:18:49,376
- He's making jokes,
and they're jokes
392
00:18:49,501 --> 00:18:51,210
about his imminent death,
393
00:18:51,376 --> 00:18:53,418
and he's saying, "Yeah,
they were here today.
394
00:18:53,543 --> 00:18:56,293
"I looked at the chart
when they left the room,
395
00:18:56,418 --> 00:18:59,210
and I think they're
measuring me from my coffin."
396
00:18:59,251 --> 00:19:01,876
Looking at some of the numbers
for his blood levels
397
00:19:02,043 --> 00:19:05,501
and saying, "Yeah, you know,
if I get any lower, I'm out."
398
00:19:05,585 --> 00:19:07,585
Kind of making light
of the whole thing.
399
00:19:07,751 --> 00:19:12,543
That was, I think, invaluable
to what he became,
400
00:19:12,626 --> 00:19:15,585
which was someone
who understood pain.
401
00:19:15,751 --> 00:19:17,376
- It was just one
of those things
402
00:19:17,543 --> 00:19:19,751
where he had a choice to make.
403
00:19:19,918 --> 00:19:23,960
Was he going to pity himself,
or was he going to
404
00:19:24,085 --> 00:19:27,126
deal with this and overcome it?
405
00:19:27,251 --> 00:19:28,501
- People who experience
406
00:19:28,626 --> 00:19:30,210
that kind of pain
and sickness,
407
00:19:30,293 --> 00:19:32,918
they understand life is pain,
408
00:19:33,043 --> 00:19:34,668
you know?
409
00:19:34,793 --> 00:19:36,585
There's joy, too, but there's
also just a lot of pain.
410
00:19:36,710 --> 00:19:40,751
His humor was one way
of dealing with it.
411
00:19:40,876 --> 00:19:43,793
- After months in and out
of different hospitals,
412
00:19:43,918 --> 00:19:47,210
Jack was finally stable enough
to return home
413
00:19:47,293 --> 00:19:50,210
in the summer of 1934
with orders
414
00:19:50,376 --> 00:19:53,126
from his doctors
to follow a strict diet
415
00:19:53,251 --> 00:19:54,710
and reduce stress.
416
00:19:57,001 --> 00:19:59,460
- Lem was so concerned
about him
417
00:19:59,585 --> 00:20:03,085
and helped take care of him
when he was ill.
418
00:20:03,251 --> 00:20:05,501
- Jack and Lem
were especially tight-knit,
419
00:20:05,585 --> 00:20:08,960
following each other around
at Choate and beyond.
420
00:20:09,126 --> 00:20:11,585
So close, in fact,
the teens decided
421
00:20:11,751 --> 00:20:16,043
to lose their virginity
at the same Harlem brothel.
422
00:20:16,168 --> 00:20:18,251
- They went to prostitutes,
423
00:20:18,376 --> 00:20:20,501
although it's not clear
that Lem actually
424
00:20:20,585 --> 00:20:22,210
ever did anything
with a prostitute.
425
00:20:22,335 --> 00:20:24,085
Nobody really knows.
426
00:20:24,168 --> 00:20:27,293
After a while, of course,
JFK being as smart as he was,
427
00:20:27,418 --> 00:20:30,043
he realized
that Lem didn't really have
428
00:20:30,210 --> 00:20:32,043
any interest in women.
429
00:20:32,168 --> 00:20:34,210
He had an interest in Jack.
430
00:20:34,335 --> 00:20:36,793
- Lem felt
more than friendship
431
00:20:36,918 --> 00:20:38,418
for his companion.
432
00:20:38,543 --> 00:20:40,710
A Choate tradition
was to use toilet paper
433
00:20:40,876 --> 00:20:42,918
for notes,
because they could easily
434
00:20:43,043 --> 00:20:45,168
be flushed and destroyed.
435
00:20:45,335 --> 00:20:48,543
- Boys who wanted to engage
in sexual behavior
436
00:20:48,585 --> 00:20:51,543
would hint as such
on toilet paper.
437
00:20:51,668 --> 00:20:54,751
- Lem sent
such a note to Jack,
438
00:20:54,918 --> 00:20:58,876
expressing his affection
for the charismatic young man.
439
00:20:59,001 --> 00:21:02,501
Jack politely rebuffed
Lem's romantic overture,
440
00:21:02,626 --> 00:21:05,043
but they would remain friends
and confidants
441
00:21:05,168 --> 00:21:07,126
for the rest of Jack's life.
442
00:21:07,251 --> 00:21:11,335
He had no interest in publicly
exposing Lem's sexuality,
443
00:21:11,460 --> 00:21:13,376
something that would
subject his friend
444
00:21:13,501 --> 00:21:16,751
to ridicule and harassment.
445
00:21:16,918 --> 00:21:19,710
His relationship with Lem
was a testament
446
00:21:19,793 --> 00:21:22,126
to Jack's character
in a time
447
00:21:22,251 --> 00:21:24,710
when homosexuality
was far from accepted
448
00:21:24,876 --> 00:21:27,251
in everyday society.
449
00:21:27,418 --> 00:21:30,751
- Jack took great risks
in keeping this friendship
450
00:21:30,918 --> 00:21:35,710
with Lem Billings, which
shows the sense of loyalty
451
00:21:35,876 --> 00:21:37,210
that he had.
452
00:21:37,293 --> 00:21:42,460
♪ ♪
453
00:21:42,585 --> 00:21:45,126
- After being called
"troublemaking muckers"
454
00:21:45,251 --> 00:21:48,043
by Choate headmaster
George St. John,
455
00:21:48,126 --> 00:21:50,335
Jack, Lem,
and two other friends
456
00:21:50,418 --> 00:21:54,043
established
the Choate Muckers Club.
457
00:21:54,210 --> 00:21:58,126
Together, they began sneaking
into town for milkshakes,
458
00:21:58,251 --> 00:22:00,835
going to dances,
and arranging pranks
459
00:22:00,918 --> 00:22:02,751
around campus.
460
00:22:02,835 --> 00:22:06,376
- Then they came up with
this wild and crazy idea
461
00:22:06,460 --> 00:22:09,418
that they were gonna disrupt
a major dance--
462
00:22:09,543 --> 00:22:11,376
it's called Festivities--
463
00:22:11,460 --> 00:22:14,543
by depositing a load of manure
464
00:22:14,668 --> 00:22:16,751
at the entrance to the dance.
465
00:22:16,876 --> 00:22:19,918
You can imagine
the boys up in their rooms,
466
00:22:20,085 --> 00:22:21,710
just hooting and hollering
about this thing.
467
00:22:21,835 --> 00:22:24,626
Wouldn't it be
a great thing to do?
468
00:22:24,751 --> 00:22:27,418
They never did it.
They never did it.
469
00:22:27,585 --> 00:22:30,085
But it was fun to think about.
470
00:22:30,210 --> 00:22:32,793
It was a testimony, again,
to Jack's ability
471
00:22:32,918 --> 00:22:35,876
to make friends, even if
in that particular case,
472
00:22:36,001 --> 00:22:39,001
it was because of involvement
in potential hijinks.
473
00:22:39,085 --> 00:22:42,793
♪ ♪
474
00:22:42,876 --> 00:22:45,751
- At last, his time
at Choate came to an end.
475
00:22:45,876 --> 00:22:48,876
Jack was now 18
and filled
476
00:22:49,001 --> 00:22:52,543
with a new sense
of independence.
477
00:22:52,668 --> 00:22:54,585
- I think he was
certainly ready to leave,
478
00:22:54,710 --> 00:22:56,626
once graduation came around.
479
00:22:56,710 --> 00:22:58,501
♪ ♪
480
00:22:58,585 --> 00:23:01,085
- Jack found his second home
on the water
481
00:23:01,210 --> 00:23:05,668
when back in Hyannis Port
during 1935 and '36.
482
00:23:05,835 --> 00:23:08,543
Sailing from Edgartown
to Martha's Vineyard,
483
00:23:08,668 --> 00:23:12,460
even winning the 1936
Atlantic Coast Championship,
484
00:23:12,585 --> 00:23:16,043
his love of the ocean
was a Kennedy hallmark.
485
00:23:16,168 --> 00:23:18,418
- I think you can't understand
the Kennedys
486
00:23:18,543 --> 00:23:21,376
without understanding
Hyannis Port.
487
00:23:21,501 --> 00:23:24,710
It's this big,
old, rambling house.
488
00:23:24,793 --> 00:23:28,585
There's nine children
spilling out of the rooms.
489
00:23:28,710 --> 00:23:30,460
They're all sailing.
490
00:23:30,585 --> 00:23:32,918
They're all in competition
with each other.
491
00:23:33,085 --> 00:23:34,418
There's a tennis court.
492
00:23:34,585 --> 00:23:36,168
If they're not playing tennis,
493
00:23:36,293 --> 00:23:37,543
they're playing
touch football.
494
00:23:37,585 --> 00:23:39,418
If they're not doing that,
495
00:23:39,543 --> 00:23:41,751
they've got
a pickup baseball game going.
496
00:23:41,918 --> 00:23:44,460
And they never lacked
for companionship,
497
00:23:44,585 --> 00:23:46,335
because they had each other.
498
00:23:46,418 --> 00:23:49,210
They're each other's
best friends.
499
00:23:49,376 --> 00:23:51,960
- Kennedy felt
at one with the sea.
500
00:23:52,085 --> 00:23:54,710
He was able
to get clearer mind--
501
00:23:54,835 --> 00:23:56,460
they call it "blue mind"--
502
00:23:56,585 --> 00:23:58,335
where everything
comes clear to you
503
00:23:58,460 --> 00:24:00,918
when you're in
a maritime environment.
504
00:24:01,001 --> 00:24:03,960
And that's why so often,
he would be at Cape Cod
505
00:24:04,085 --> 00:24:06,835
when he would make
his big decisions in his life.
506
00:24:06,918 --> 00:24:09,043
♪ ♪
507
00:24:09,251 --> 00:24:11,751
- In the decades to come,
the family compound
508
00:24:11,918 --> 00:24:14,585
would serve as a source
of stability and calm
509
00:24:14,668 --> 00:24:17,293
in Jack's ever-changing world.
510
00:24:17,418 --> 00:24:18,710
♪ ♪
511
00:24:22,501 --> 00:24:24,751
[soft piano music]
512
00:24:24,876 --> 00:24:29,585
♪ ♪
513
00:24:33,668 --> 00:24:36,210
- The principal
of the Choate school
514
00:24:36,460 --> 00:24:38,335
wrote to the Harvard deans--
515
00:24:38,418 --> 00:24:39,876
I assume,
the admissions office--
516
00:24:40,001 --> 00:24:43,001
and says,
"Jack has rather superior
517
00:24:43,085 --> 00:24:45,251
"mental ability
without the deep interest
518
00:24:45,376 --> 00:24:47,876
"in his studies
or the mature viewpoint
519
00:24:47,960 --> 00:24:50,543
"that demands of him
his best effort all the time.
520
00:24:50,668 --> 00:24:53,876
"He can be relied upon
to do enough to pass.
521
00:24:54,001 --> 00:24:57,168
"We have been and are working
our hardest to develop
522
00:24:57,293 --> 00:24:58,876
"Jack's own self-interest.
523
00:24:59,001 --> 00:25:01,710
"Great enough in social life,
to the point
524
00:25:01,835 --> 00:25:03,668
"that will assure him
a record in college
525
00:25:03,793 --> 00:25:06,043
"more worthy
of his natural gifts
526
00:25:06,210 --> 00:25:09,168
of intelligence,
likableness, and popularity."
527
00:25:10,668 --> 00:25:14,085
[soft acoustic music]
528
00:25:14,210 --> 00:25:17,626
- Jack entered Harvard
in fall of 1936.
529
00:25:17,793 --> 00:25:20,376
- It is said that his grades
weren't very good
530
00:25:20,501 --> 00:25:22,501
when he was a student
at Harvard.
531
00:25:22,626 --> 00:25:24,210
- At Harvard
in his first year,
532
00:25:24,376 --> 00:25:26,210
he's interested in one thing--
533
00:25:26,335 --> 00:25:28,210
conquering as many women
as he can.
534
00:25:28,335 --> 00:25:29,293
And he's pretty good at it.
535
00:25:29,460 --> 00:25:31,418
[jazz music]
536
00:25:31,585 --> 00:25:33,501
- Though the 19-year-old Jack
537
00:25:33,626 --> 00:25:36,210
lost the election
for freshman class president,
538
00:25:36,418 --> 00:25:38,543
he was active socially.
539
00:25:38,710 --> 00:25:40,710
He took on
the task of organizing
540
00:25:40,876 --> 00:25:43,543
the freshman smoker,
a large party
541
00:25:43,626 --> 00:25:45,876
held at the end of the year.
542
00:25:45,960 --> 00:25:48,293
Jack supplied
first-rate tobacco
543
00:25:48,376 --> 00:25:51,835
and arranged for appearances
by two jazz orchestras,
544
00:25:51,918 --> 00:25:54,710
dance groups,
and baseball stars.
545
00:25:54,835 --> 00:25:58,793
The party impressed
his fellow students.
546
00:25:58,918 --> 00:26:02,168
Jack Kennedy
had captured their attention.
547
00:26:02,251 --> 00:26:03,835
[soft dramatic music]
548
00:26:03,918 --> 00:26:05,835
- He would just grab
the coolest person there
549
00:26:05,960 --> 00:26:07,335
and kind of go off
in the corner
550
00:26:07,460 --> 00:26:08,876
and have
a private conversation.
551
00:26:08,918 --> 00:26:11,126
I mean, he was not--
he was not an extrovert.
552
00:26:11,251 --> 00:26:13,210
He was really
very much of an introvert.
553
00:26:13,376 --> 00:26:16,626
He did not draw energy
from big groups of people.
554
00:26:16,751 --> 00:26:19,376
He much preferred
smaller conversations.
555
00:26:19,501 --> 00:26:21,335
You know, had lots of friends.
556
00:26:21,460 --> 00:26:23,585
He had various
circles of friends.
557
00:26:23,751 --> 00:26:25,585
- It was fun.
It was light.
558
00:26:25,710 --> 00:26:27,543
I think of him
as a character of literature
559
00:26:27,710 --> 00:26:29,585
like Long John Silver,
560
00:26:29,710 --> 00:26:31,543
like incredibly charming
but dangerous.
561
00:26:31,668 --> 00:26:34,918
You know?
Like irresistible.
562
00:26:35,085 --> 00:26:38,001
- It's a combination
of looks, style,
563
00:26:38,126 --> 00:26:42,043
eloquence, empathy.
564
00:26:42,126 --> 00:26:44,460
- I think the only word
you can use is,
565
00:26:44,585 --> 00:26:47,335
Kennedy had charisma.
It was natural.
566
00:26:47,460 --> 00:26:49,376
And he would come into a room
567
00:26:49,501 --> 00:26:51,543
and he was the center
of attention.
568
00:26:51,668 --> 00:26:54,543
- He probably elicited
more humor
569
00:26:54,668 --> 00:26:56,376
with fewer words than anyone.
570
00:26:56,501 --> 00:26:59,376
It was a very acerbic,
deadpan,
571
00:26:59,501 --> 00:27:01,626
sarcastic sense of humor,
572
00:27:01,751 --> 00:27:04,168
great sense of timing.
573
00:27:04,251 --> 00:27:06,251
- By all accounts,
being around Kennedy
574
00:27:06,376 --> 00:27:09,876
was incandescent.
575
00:27:09,960 --> 00:27:13,418
It was, as Winston Churchill
said of Franklin Roosevelt,
576
00:27:13,543 --> 00:27:16,043
like opening
a bottle of champagne.
577
00:27:16,126 --> 00:27:18,168
- "He looked like
he could be blown over
578
00:27:18,293 --> 00:27:21,543
with a good breath," said
Jack's new football coach.
579
00:27:21,668 --> 00:27:24,210
Tall and lanky,
the 20-year-old Jack
580
00:27:24,293 --> 00:27:26,293
didn't look
much like an athlete,
581
00:27:26,418 --> 00:27:29,376
but he tried his best
to stay active in athletics
582
00:27:29,501 --> 00:27:33,210
like football and swimming.
583
00:27:33,335 --> 00:27:37,210
His first two years at Harvard
were lackluster academically,
584
00:27:37,376 --> 00:27:40,751
largely due to his interest
in athletics and girls.
585
00:27:40,876 --> 00:27:43,376
However, Jack began
to take his education
586
00:27:43,543 --> 00:27:45,626
more seriously
in his junior year,
587
00:27:45,710 --> 00:27:49,376
even making the dean's list.
588
00:27:49,543 --> 00:27:54,293
- While successful people
mature at different rates,
589
00:27:54,418 --> 00:27:56,751
he had to find his place.
590
00:27:56,918 --> 00:27:59,251
Here, he's got
this older brother, Joe Jr.,
591
00:27:59,376 --> 00:28:02,210
who is considered
the shining star
592
00:28:02,251 --> 00:28:06,543
of the family, and Jack
has trouble dealing with that.
593
00:28:06,626 --> 00:28:08,710
And it's not until later,
594
00:28:08,793 --> 00:28:11,543
when he's in
his advanced years
595
00:28:11,710 --> 00:28:14,210
at Harvard,
that he gets quite serious.
596
00:28:14,293 --> 00:28:18,710
♪ ♪
597
00:28:18,835 --> 00:28:21,585
- On December 9, 1937,
598
00:28:21,751 --> 00:28:24,835
"The New York Times"
broke the news.
599
00:28:24,960 --> 00:28:28,751
Jack's father, Joe Kennedy,
later nicknamed "Jolly Joe"
600
00:28:28,876 --> 00:28:31,543
by the press,
would be the new United States
601
00:28:31,668 --> 00:28:34,543
ambassador to Great Britain.
602
00:28:34,668 --> 00:28:37,418
- Just arrived in England
after a very pleasant trip
603
00:28:37,543 --> 00:28:39,210
from the United States.
604
00:28:39,335 --> 00:28:42,210
I'm looking forward,
with great anticipation,
605
00:28:42,335 --> 00:28:43,668
taking up my duties here.
606
00:28:43,793 --> 00:28:45,876
♪ ♪
607
00:28:46,001 --> 00:28:48,043
- The Great Depression
is a terrible calamity
608
00:28:48,126 --> 00:28:50,168
for millions upon millions
of Americans.
609
00:28:50,251 --> 00:28:52,210
When Franklin Roosevelt
took the oath of office
610
00:28:52,376 --> 00:28:55,751
in March of 1933,
we estimate that there were
611
00:28:55,918 --> 00:28:58,668
13 million people unemployed.
612
00:28:58,793 --> 00:29:01,210
That was about 25%
of the entire workforce
613
00:29:01,335 --> 00:29:03,376
of the United States.
614
00:29:03,543 --> 00:29:05,251
- Joe was worried.
615
00:29:05,418 --> 00:29:09,751
He was a conservative,
but he understood
616
00:29:09,876 --> 00:29:13,835
that Hoover
did not have a clue
617
00:29:13,960 --> 00:29:17,460
as to how to end
the depression
618
00:29:17,585 --> 00:29:21,043
and save capitalism
and American democracy.
619
00:29:21,210 --> 00:29:25,168
And Joe Kennedy understands
620
00:29:25,251 --> 00:29:28,335
earlier than most
621
00:29:28,418 --> 00:29:32,793
that the Depression
is the greatest threat
622
00:29:32,918 --> 00:29:36,751
to American capitalism
that this nation
623
00:29:36,918 --> 00:29:39,710
has ever seen.
624
00:29:39,876 --> 00:29:42,710
So he, very early,
went and he joined
625
00:29:42,793 --> 00:29:45,793
the Roosevelt bandwagon.
626
00:29:45,918 --> 00:29:50,710
Kennedy really enters politics
for the first time.
627
00:29:50,751 --> 00:29:54,668
- Joe had been a
very enthusiastic
628
00:29:54,751 --> 00:29:57,710
and a very important supporter
of FDR,
629
00:29:57,835 --> 00:30:00,376
particularly
around election time,
630
00:30:00,501 --> 00:30:04,376
1932, 1936, and 1940.
631
00:30:04,501 --> 00:30:09,043
And Joe Kennedy
was a very important Catholic
632
00:30:09,126 --> 00:30:11,168
at a time
when the Catholic vote,
633
00:30:11,251 --> 00:30:14,251
as it remains today,
was very important,
634
00:30:14,376 --> 00:30:17,293
and he would not just
contribute money,
635
00:30:17,418 --> 00:30:20,376
but he would entice
other important people
636
00:30:20,460 --> 00:30:24,085
like William Randolph Hearst
as well as Catholics
637
00:30:24,210 --> 00:30:27,085
around the country
to support FDR.
638
00:30:27,251 --> 00:30:29,376
So he thought
that FDR owed him.
639
00:30:29,501 --> 00:30:31,376
♪ ♪
640
00:30:31,501 --> 00:30:35,710
- Finally,
Roosevelt gets in touch
641
00:30:35,835 --> 00:30:40,001
with Kennedy,
and he offers him the position.
642
00:30:40,168 --> 00:30:42,960
- Joe Kennedy's new role
in the public sphere
643
00:30:43,085 --> 00:30:45,876
would push
the entire Kennedy family
644
00:30:46,001 --> 00:30:48,835
into the center
of world politics.
645
00:30:52,626 --> 00:30:54,293
[soft dramatic music]
646
00:30:54,376 --> 00:30:56,876
- By early 1938, Joe Kennedy
was the new United States
647
00:30:57,043 --> 00:30:59,043
ambassador to Great Britain.
648
00:30:59,210 --> 00:31:01,168
- That would have been
the most important
649
00:31:01,293 --> 00:31:03,710
and most prestigious
ambassadorship
650
00:31:03,835 --> 00:31:05,085
that would have been offered,
651
00:31:05,251 --> 00:31:07,876
and Franklin Roosevelt
gave it to Joe Kennedy.
652
00:31:46,960 --> 00:31:48,043
- You're kind of excited.
653
00:31:54,043 --> 00:31:58,293
- Roosevelt sends Kennedy
to England
654
00:31:58,418 --> 00:32:00,918
as a statement
as much as anything else.
655
00:32:01,043 --> 00:32:03,293
It's a statement to the English
656
00:32:03,418 --> 00:32:06,835
that I'm gonna send you
an Irish Catholic.
657
00:32:07,001 --> 00:32:10,835
He also tells Kennedy,
"Look, I need eyes
658
00:32:10,918 --> 00:32:12,668
"and ears over there.
659
00:32:12,793 --> 00:32:16,793
"Europe is falling apart,
and I can't trust anybody.
660
00:32:16,918 --> 00:32:19,210
"I need someone over there
to tell me,
661
00:32:19,335 --> 00:32:21,210
are the British
gonna be able to fight?
662
00:32:21,335 --> 00:32:23,460
"Are the British gonna be able
663
00:32:23,585 --> 00:32:26,960
to stand up
against the Nazis?"
664
00:32:38,751 --> 00:32:42,585
- Kennedy, from the beginning,
doesn't simply report
665
00:32:42,668 --> 00:32:44,376
on what's going on in Europe.
666
00:32:44,460 --> 00:32:47,085
Kennedy is determined
that he knows better
667
00:32:47,210 --> 00:32:50,168
than Roosevelt
and everybody else.
668
00:32:50,251 --> 00:32:52,793
- The American people
do not have to go to war.
669
00:32:52,918 --> 00:32:55,418
They will not go to war
670
00:32:55,585 --> 00:32:58,793
if they will
to stay out of war.
671
00:32:58,918 --> 00:33:02,710
- He opposed U.S. involvement
in the war.
672
00:33:02,793 --> 00:33:06,543
He was actually a person
who might be classified
673
00:33:06,668 --> 00:33:08,126
today as an appeaser.
674
00:33:08,251 --> 00:33:10,085
He didn't want
to go to war with Germany.
675
00:33:10,251 --> 00:33:12,293
He thought the U.S. would lose
676
00:33:12,418 --> 00:33:14,876
and that it would be
a grave error
677
00:33:15,001 --> 00:33:16,085
for the country
to get involved
678
00:33:16,210 --> 00:33:18,668
in that kind of conflict.
679
00:33:18,793 --> 00:33:22,543
- Hitler!
Sieg heil! Sieg heil!
680
00:33:22,710 --> 00:33:25,543
[crowd shouting]
681
00:33:25,626 --> 00:33:28,085
[ominous music]
682
00:33:28,251 --> 00:33:32,210
- He comes to the conclusion
that the English
683
00:33:32,293 --> 00:33:37,168
are too foppish, too weak,
684
00:33:37,251 --> 00:33:39,710
they have no backbone,
685
00:33:39,876 --> 00:33:42,085
that Hitler and the Germans
686
00:33:42,251 --> 00:33:44,960
are gonna run right over him.
687
00:33:45,085 --> 00:33:48,585
- If I am called an appeaser
because I oppose
688
00:33:48,710 --> 00:33:51,668
the entrance of this country
into the present war,
689
00:33:51,793 --> 00:33:54,001
I cheerfully plead guilty,
690
00:33:54,126 --> 00:33:57,585
and so must every one of you
who want to keep America
691
00:33:57,751 --> 00:33:59,751
out of this war.
692
00:33:59,876 --> 00:34:02,876
- Roosevelt enlists Kennedy
693
00:34:03,001 --> 00:34:06,043
not simply as an ambassador
694
00:34:06,168 --> 00:34:08,251
but as a troubleshooter,
695
00:34:08,418 --> 00:34:11,710
an eyewitness
who's gonna report back
696
00:34:11,835 --> 00:34:13,335
what's going on.
697
00:34:13,418 --> 00:34:17,043
Ambassadors don't
run foreign policy.
698
00:34:17,168 --> 00:34:20,918
Ambassadors are stick figures,
really.
699
00:34:21,043 --> 00:34:24,126
- The problems between FDR
and Joe
700
00:34:24,251 --> 00:34:26,043
really lie with Joe,
701
00:34:26,168 --> 00:34:28,293
because once he
became ambassador,
702
00:34:28,418 --> 00:34:31,835
he forgot about what
that position was really like.
703
00:34:31,960 --> 00:34:36,168
That role
is to translate
704
00:34:36,293 --> 00:34:39,710
the president's view
to the British leaders
705
00:34:39,835 --> 00:34:41,668
and the British people.
706
00:34:41,751 --> 00:34:45,126
And what Joe wanted to do
was relay his own thoughts,
707
00:34:45,251 --> 00:34:49,501
and his thoughts
did not match FDR's thoughts.
708
00:34:49,585 --> 00:34:54,085
So FDR grew to distrust him
and opened up
709
00:34:54,210 --> 00:34:57,126
a separate private channel
with Churchill.
710
00:34:57,251 --> 00:35:00,876
Joe resented it,
and the relationship
711
00:35:01,043 --> 00:35:02,335
tumbled from there.
712
00:35:02,418 --> 00:35:04,460
♪ ♪
713
00:35:04,585 --> 00:35:08,043
- In 1939, with his father
now living and working
714
00:35:08,168 --> 00:35:10,543
in London as ambassador
to Great Britain,
715
00:35:10,668 --> 00:35:13,251
Jack decided
to travel overseas.
716
00:35:15,251 --> 00:35:18,043
He set off on a seven-month
tour of Europe,
717
00:35:18,210 --> 00:35:20,376
the Middle East,
and the Soviet Union,
718
00:35:20,543 --> 00:35:23,168
meeting with leaders,
diplomats,
719
00:35:23,335 --> 00:35:26,001
and everyday people
to gather information
720
00:35:26,085 --> 00:35:29,251
about the growing threat
of war.
721
00:35:29,418 --> 00:35:31,585
Jack's journey began in London
722
00:35:31,710 --> 00:35:34,251
where he took tea
with Princess Elizabeth.
723
00:35:34,418 --> 00:35:36,751
Then he was off
to Eastern Europe,
724
00:35:36,918 --> 00:35:39,043
stopping in Warsaw, Poland.
725
00:35:39,210 --> 00:35:42,085
As he traveled,
he often corresponded
726
00:35:42,251 --> 00:35:44,960
with Lem Billings
and reported his observations
727
00:35:45,085 --> 00:35:46,418
back to his father.
728
00:35:48,418 --> 00:35:49,835
- Bye, Rosie.
- Bye, Jack.
729
00:35:49,960 --> 00:35:51,585
- So long, Jack!
730
00:35:51,751 --> 00:35:53,460
- I--see, that's enough.
731
00:35:53,585 --> 00:35:56,501
- On another leg of the trip,
Jack was joined
732
00:35:56,626 --> 00:36:00,126
by his Harvard roommate,
Torby Macdonald.
733
00:36:00,251 --> 00:36:02,293
They crossed into
Nazi Germany and were heckled
734
00:36:02,418 --> 00:36:04,585
by local stormtroopers
who believed
735
00:36:04,668 --> 00:36:09,376
they were disrespecting
the statue of a Nazi hero.
736
00:36:09,543 --> 00:36:12,543
Days later,
traveling at high speeds
737
00:36:12,585 --> 00:36:15,418
near Paris,
en route to see his father,
738
00:36:15,543 --> 00:36:17,585
Jack lost control
of his vehicle,
739
00:36:17,751 --> 00:36:20,376
flipping it.
740
00:36:20,460 --> 00:36:22,751
In his true
lighthearted fashion,
741
00:36:22,876 --> 00:36:25,918
Jack laughed off
his near-death experience.
742
00:36:26,043 --> 00:36:27,626
While upside-down in the car,
743
00:36:27,751 --> 00:36:29,793
he is said to have quipped
to Torby,
744
00:36:29,918 --> 00:36:34,251
"Well, pal,
we didn't make it, did we?"
745
00:36:34,376 --> 00:36:36,876
- [speaking German]
746
00:36:36,960 --> 00:36:39,501
- On August 19,
Jack arrived
747
00:36:39,626 --> 00:36:42,376
in the German capital
of Berlin.
748
00:36:42,460 --> 00:36:44,626
At that moment,
Hitler's troops
749
00:36:44,710 --> 00:36:46,876
were preparing
to attack Poland,
750
00:36:47,001 --> 00:36:49,543
making their way
to the border.
751
00:36:49,793 --> 00:36:53,668
Less than two weeks later,
Hitler's forces invaded.
752
00:36:53,793 --> 00:36:56,710
The Second World War
had begun.
753
00:37:00,585 --> 00:37:03,876
- Jack understood that if you
want to understand the world,
754
00:37:04,001 --> 00:37:06,001
you need to go see the world,
755
00:37:06,126 --> 00:37:08,876
and he was very eager
to see the world.
756
00:37:09,043 --> 00:37:11,001
♪ ♪
757
00:37:11,126 --> 00:37:15,335
- In fact, when Britain
declared war on Germany
758
00:37:15,501 --> 00:37:17,585
on September 3, 1939,
759
00:37:17,751 --> 00:37:20,251
two days after the Nazis
invaded Poland,
760
00:37:20,376 --> 00:37:23,043
JFK was in
the House of Commons
761
00:37:23,126 --> 00:37:24,668
in the visitor's gallery.
762
00:37:24,751 --> 00:37:27,376
He saw Chamberlain
make the announcement
763
00:37:27,460 --> 00:37:30,543
that World War II had started.
764
00:37:30,710 --> 00:37:33,460
- This morning,
the British ambassador
765
00:37:33,585 --> 00:37:36,251
in Berlin handed
the German government
766
00:37:36,376 --> 00:37:40,251
a final note,
stating that unless we heard
767
00:37:40,418 --> 00:37:44,876
from them by 11:00
that they were prepared
768
00:37:45,043 --> 00:37:48,751
at once to withdraw
their troops from Poland,
769
00:37:48,918 --> 00:37:52,335
a state of war
would exist between us.
770
00:37:52,418 --> 00:37:55,876
I have to tell you now
that no such undertaking
771
00:37:56,001 --> 00:37:59,710
has been received,
and that consequently,
772
00:37:59,835 --> 00:38:03,793
this country
is at war with Germany.
773
00:38:03,876 --> 00:38:05,543
♪ ♪
774
00:38:05,668 --> 00:38:08,876
- During his time visiting
the House of Commons,
775
00:38:09,001 --> 00:38:12,210
Jack was deeply inspired
by Winston Churchill
776
00:38:12,293 --> 00:38:16,210
and was awestruck listening
to his first wartime speech
777
00:38:16,376 --> 00:38:19,210
rallying the free world
to stand up
778
00:38:19,335 --> 00:38:22,626
to the oncoming battle
against Hitler.
779
00:38:22,751 --> 00:38:25,376
After listening
to Churchill's remarks,
780
00:38:25,543 --> 00:38:30,126
Jack was motivated
to do his part as well.
781
00:38:30,251 --> 00:38:32,210
Upon the outbreak of the war,
782
00:38:32,335 --> 00:38:35,710
German U-boats
began sinking ships.
783
00:38:35,835 --> 00:38:39,001
The first ship lost was
the Scottish passenger liner,
784
00:38:39,085 --> 00:38:40,876
SS "Athenia."
785
00:38:41,043 --> 00:38:42,835
Joe Sr. sent his son to meet
786
00:38:42,960 --> 00:38:45,876
with and assist
hundreds of American survivors
787
00:38:45,960 --> 00:38:48,793
hospitalized in Glasgow.
788
00:38:48,918 --> 00:38:51,585
During this trip,
Jack spoke publicly,
789
00:38:51,668 --> 00:38:54,376
reassuring those affected
that they would be
790
00:38:54,501 --> 00:38:57,793
safely transported
back to the U.S.
791
00:38:57,918 --> 00:39:00,543
He was also tasked
with gathering
792
00:39:00,668 --> 00:39:03,293
firsthand information
about the attack.
793
00:39:03,418 --> 00:39:06,210
Finally, safe passage home
was secured
794
00:39:06,335 --> 00:39:09,043
for the American survivors.
795
00:39:09,210 --> 00:39:12,043
Jack's work was done.
796
00:39:12,168 --> 00:39:14,293
After seven months in Europe,
797
00:39:14,418 --> 00:39:17,793
Jack Kennedy
was now 22 years old.
798
00:39:17,918 --> 00:39:21,001
He had seen Nazi Germany
up close,
799
00:39:21,126 --> 00:39:24,210
listened to his political hero
Winston Churchill
800
00:39:24,335 --> 00:39:26,501
speak in the House of Commons,
801
00:39:26,585 --> 00:39:28,418
shared tea
with the future Queen
802
00:39:28,543 --> 00:39:32,543
of the United Kingdom,
crashed his car in France,
803
00:39:32,668 --> 00:39:34,710
and helped fellow Americans
804
00:39:34,793 --> 00:39:37,876
in the wake
of a wartime attack.
805
00:39:38,043 --> 00:39:40,585
- He was exposed
from a very early age
806
00:39:40,751 --> 00:39:44,418
to a really incredible array
of international experiences,
807
00:39:44,501 --> 00:39:46,460
quite untypical
for people in his generation
808
00:39:46,585 --> 00:39:49,168
in this country.
809
00:39:49,293 --> 00:39:51,251
- Jack had experienced
firsthand
810
00:39:51,418 --> 00:39:52,793
what it meant to be involved
811
00:39:52,918 --> 00:39:55,751
in high-level political,
cultural,
812
00:39:55,918 --> 00:39:59,043
and military situations
and began to break away
813
00:39:59,126 --> 00:40:02,793
from his father's
stifling political beliefs.
814
00:40:02,876 --> 00:40:04,793
His whirlwind tour of Europe
815
00:40:04,918 --> 00:40:07,585
laid the foundations
of a new worldview
816
00:40:07,751 --> 00:40:11,501
that would evolve
for years to come.
817
00:40:11,626 --> 00:40:14,501
- I think it was just
the self-confidence
818
00:40:14,626 --> 00:40:19,376
that Jack got
from traveling abroad,
819
00:40:19,501 --> 00:40:23,543
from being on his own,
from being encouraged
820
00:40:23,668 --> 00:40:26,001
through all
of those early meals
821
00:40:26,085 --> 00:40:30,043
led by Joe and Rose
to think for himself,
822
00:40:30,168 --> 00:40:33,126
that he eventually
did think for himself,
823
00:40:33,251 --> 00:40:36,626
and from his travels,
came to different conclusions
824
00:40:36,793 --> 00:40:41,335
than Joe came to,
that America needed to play
825
00:40:41,418 --> 00:40:44,376
a prominent role
on the world stage
826
00:40:44,501 --> 00:40:46,710
if freedom were to prevail.
827
00:40:46,835 --> 00:40:49,376
♪ ♪
828
00:40:49,543 --> 00:40:52,710
Using his experiences
in Europe as a guide,
829
00:40:52,835 --> 00:40:57,376
Jack began work on his thesis,
just meeting his deadline.
830
00:40:57,501 --> 00:41:00,585
He examined why England
was so unprepared
831
00:41:00,710 --> 00:41:03,668
for World War II,
and titled his final project,
832
00:41:03,751 --> 00:41:06,918
"Appeasement at Munich."
833
00:41:07,085 --> 00:41:10,043
Jack later expanded
his thesis into a book,
834
00:41:10,168 --> 00:41:13,210
called "Why England Slept,"
835
00:41:13,335 --> 00:41:15,418
an ode
to Winston Churchill's book,
836
00:41:15,585 --> 00:41:18,585
"While England Slept."
837
00:41:18,751 --> 00:41:22,460
"Why England Slept"
quickly sold 80,000 copies,
838
00:41:22,585 --> 00:41:25,710
bringing in some $40,000
in revenue.
839
00:41:25,835 --> 00:41:27,876
He donated
his British earnings
840
00:41:28,043 --> 00:41:30,085
to the English city
of Plymouth,
841
00:41:30,210 --> 00:41:31,751
which had recently been bombed
842
00:41:31,918 --> 00:41:34,793
by Hitler's
powerful air force.
843
00:41:34,918 --> 00:41:39,085
With his American earnings,
he bought a new convertible.
844
00:41:39,251 --> 00:41:43,043
In June 1940,
Jack graduated from Harvard.
845
00:41:43,126 --> 00:41:45,543
It was the end of
an important chapter
846
00:41:45,585 --> 00:41:47,376
in his life
and the beginning
847
00:41:47,543 --> 00:41:50,043
of a new
equally important chapter.
848
00:41:50,168 --> 00:41:56,043
♪ ♪
849
00:41:57,293 --> 00:42:00,793
Next on "Kennedy"...
850
00:42:06,043 --> 00:42:08,376
- 16 months
after Pearl Harbor,
851
00:42:08,501 --> 00:42:11,460
the United States was locked
in a fierce Naval campaign
852
00:42:11,585 --> 00:42:14,376
against Japanese forces.
853
00:42:14,460 --> 00:42:18,418
- Jack was a man who wanted
to be at the center of action.
854
00:42:18,543 --> 00:42:21,876
- Kennedy takes command
of "PT-109".
855
00:42:21,960 --> 00:42:25,501
This is a very dangerous place
to be.
856
00:42:25,626 --> 00:42:27,668
These are
Japanese-held waters.
857
00:42:27,793 --> 00:42:29,626
The Japanese destroyer--
858
00:42:29,751 --> 00:42:33,376
- She is speeding
directly towards "PT-109."
859
00:42:33,501 --> 00:42:38,543
♪ ♪
64387
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