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- Previously on "Kennedy"...
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After seven months in Europe,
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Jack Kennedy
was now 22 years old.
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- Handsome, born to
an extremely wealthy family.
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What we really know
is a lot of pain.
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♪ ♪
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- One thing after another
sent him to the infirmary.
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- He's got this older brother,
Joe Jr.,
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who is considered the shining
star of the family.
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- Jack was an afterthought.
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- Was he going to pity himself,
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or was he going
to overcome it?
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- He was exposed
from a very early age
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to a really incredible array
of international experiences.
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- Using what he learned
in Europe as a guide,
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Jack began work on his thesis,
which he later expanded
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into a book
called "Why England Slept."
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It quickly sold 80,000 copies.
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♪ ♪
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- To lead us
to a fruitful America,
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from the state
of Massachusetts,
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John F. Kennedy!
[crowd cheering]
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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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♪ ♪
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- Together, we shall
save our planet,
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or, together, we shall perish
in its flames.
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- What was it about that guy?
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- Looks, style, empathy...
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he was incredibly charming.
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- Intellectual
and progressive.
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- He was the future.
He was next.
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♪ ♪
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- President for just
over 1,000 days,
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Kennedy navigated events
and crises
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that changed the world.
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- Kennedy is feeling
the pressure
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from the Civil Rights
activists.
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- This was a country
on nuclear war footing.
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♪ ♪
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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,
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not because they are easy,
but because they are hard.
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♪ ♪
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- 60 years
after his assassination,
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we are still fascinated
by the triumphs
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and flaws of the youngest
president ever elected.
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- I ask you to join us in all
the tomorrows yet to come,
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in building America,
moving America,
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picking this country of ours up
and sending it into the '60s.
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♪ ♪
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- If Great Britain goes down,
the Axis powers
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will control the continents
of Europe and Asia
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and Africa and Australasia
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and the high seas.
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And they will be
in a position
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to bring enormous military
and naval resources
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against this hemisphere.
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There will be no bottlenecks
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in our determination
to aid Great Britain.
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No dictator will weaken
that determination.
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♪ ♪
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- In 1940, as Britain turned
to the United States
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for assistance,
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Jack Kennedy published a book
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about the lead-up
to World War II.
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As Germany's Luftwaffe
bombarded British cities
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during August 1940,
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Americans seeking to better
understand the war
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eagerly turned
to Kennedy's book.
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♪ ♪
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Letters flew
into Jack's mailbox
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with offers
from prestigious publishers
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and inquiries
about follow-up volumes.
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Now a best-selling author
at age 23,
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Jack had to decide
if he would continue writing
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or choose
another avenue altogether.
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♪ ♪
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By fall 1940, Jack had a plan
to return to school
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and build
on his Harvard education,
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but his plans stalled when
his health declined again.
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♪ ♪
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He checked into
the Lahey Clinic in Boston,
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with gastrointestinal problems
and back pain--
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an issue that began
during his time at Harvard,
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where he ruptured a disk
in his spine
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while playing football.
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Physicians recommended
he find a place
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for quiet rehabilitation.
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That place, he decided,
would be the Golden State.
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Jack settled in California,
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auditing business,
political science,
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and economic classes
at Stanford University.
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Jack was a minor celebrity
at Stanford,
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not least of which was due
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to his father's
previous position
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as the American ambassador
to the United Kingdom.
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On his first day,
he wore casual shabby clothes
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while driving
the Buick convertible
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purchased
with his book earnings.
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With his "FDR for President"
button, unkempt hair,
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confident
and carefree attitude,
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Jack made a splash
around campus.
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♪ ♪
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While he studied and
gallivanted around Stanford,
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he kept an eye
on the situation in Europe.
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Like many Americans his age,
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he was unsure
what the escalating conflict
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meant for his future.
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♪ ♪
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As the war surged overseas,
Kennedy's older brother,
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the fervently anti-war
Joe Jr.,
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left law school to enlist
in the United States Navy.
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Jack decided to follow suit,
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putting aside
his academic pursuits
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as the United States' entrance
into the war
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seemed inevitable.
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- Jack was a man who wanted
to be at the center of action.
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- Quickly, he volunteered for
Army Officer Candidate School
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but was rejected due
to his poor health.
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- He failed the physical
because of his back pain.
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So the Army said
to Jack Kennedy,
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well, thanks for
showing up, young man.
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We just don't need you.
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- Jack was undeterred,
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adopting
a strict health regimen
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to build his strength.
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- Ultimately, Jack
continues to push
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to get into the armed forces
in some way.
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- In October 1941,
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Jack was approved
for military service.
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He was assigned a post
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at the Office
of Naval Intelligence
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in Washington, D.C.,
as a Navy Reserve officer.
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♪ ♪
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The desk assignment
wasn't ideal,
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but it was all he had for now.
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[plane engines roaring]
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[ominous music]
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♪ ♪
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- Just after Jack finished
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a game of football near
the Washington Monument,
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news arrived
of the Japanese attack
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on Pearl Harbor--
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a Naval base
on the island of Oahu, Hawaii.
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The next day,
President Roosevelt
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officially announced
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that the United States
was at war with Japan.
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Hitler, allied with Japan,
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promptly declared war
on the United States.
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Two years
into the Second World War,
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the United States
was now fully engaged
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in the conflict.
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- With confidence
in our armed forces,
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with the unbounding
determination
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of our people,
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we will gain
the inevitable triumph,
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so help us God.
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♪ ♪
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- Jack's busy schedule
at Navy Intelligence
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did not give him much time
to sleep,
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especially after the U.S.
joined the war effort.
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Helping him get through the
long days was his new lover.
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- His sister
Kathleen introduced him
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to a beautiful young lady.
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- Born in Copenhagen,
Denmark,
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journalist Inga Arvad
was an exotic figure
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whom Jack saw
as an intellectual equal,
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fascinated by her sharp mind
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and captivating
Scandinavian looks.
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To the FBI, there was more
to Inga than met the eye.
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Shortly after the attack
on Pearl Harbor,
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a reporter from
the "Washington Times-Herald"
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found an image of Inga
in Hitler's box
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during the 1936
Berlin Olympics.
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Intelligence collected on her
indicated that as a reporter,
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00:09:35,792 --> 00:09:38,167
she met Hitler
on multiple occasions
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and attended the wedding
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for high-ranking Nazi official
Hermann Goering.
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Speculation on whether or not
Inga was a German spy
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ran rampant.
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She rejected all accusations,
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and her relationship with Jack
didn't wane.
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- So she was on the FBI list.
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00:09:57,042 --> 00:09:58,667
J. Edgar Hoover was after her.
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- Spying on their every move,
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Hoover wiretapped
their bedroom,
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even recording
their sexual encounters.
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♪ ♪
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Inga and Jack
had fallen in love.
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00:10:11,083 --> 00:10:14,458
Kennedy was obsessed
with Inga.
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But she knew
if he chased a career
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in the political limelight,
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00:10:18,083 --> 00:10:19,750
her murky background
would make
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a long-term relationship
impossible.
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♪ ♪
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- Plan your life
as you want it.
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Go up the steps of fame.
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00:10:45,708 --> 00:10:48,167
But pause now and then
and make sure
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that you are accompanied
by happiness.
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♪ ♪
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Love my dear, Binga.
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00:11:00,917 --> 00:11:02,875
♪ ♪
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00:11:03,042 --> 00:11:07,250
- As war raged across Europe
and the Pacific in 1942,
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00:11:07,375 --> 00:11:10,875
Jack grew restless and wanted
to participate more directly
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00:11:11,000 --> 00:11:13,667
in the U.S. military effort.
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00:11:13,750 --> 00:11:16,875
Finally, in late July 1942,
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00:11:17,042 --> 00:11:20,542
he was approved to register
at Officer Training School.
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00:11:20,708 --> 00:11:22,167
- He attends
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00:11:22,250 --> 00:11:25,042
the Naval Reserve Officers
Training School
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00:11:25,208 --> 00:11:28,333
at Northwestern University
in Chicago.
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00:11:28,458 --> 00:11:30,792
- His time had come.
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00:11:30,875 --> 00:11:34,083
Jack had poor health,
enormous physical pain,
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00:11:34,208 --> 00:11:35,750
and a fragile body,
219
00:11:35,833 --> 00:11:38,708
but he had
grueling persistence.
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00:11:38,833 --> 00:11:41,833
Because of his love for
sailing, boats, and the ocean,
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00:11:42,000 --> 00:11:44,583
Jack took a liking
to PT boats--
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00:11:44,708 --> 00:11:49,042
agile vessels
used in the Pacific theater.
223
00:11:49,167 --> 00:11:53,083
- These small boats are some
of the Navy's newest weapons.
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00:11:53,208 --> 00:11:57,125
It is essentially
an 80-foot-long speedboat.
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00:11:57,250 --> 00:11:59,250
♪ ♪
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00:11:59,250 --> 00:11:59,542
- They were noted
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00:11:59,667 --> 00:12:01,167
for their ability
to sneak up on
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00:12:01,292 --> 00:12:04,917
and attack large vessels
with torpedoes.
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00:12:05,042 --> 00:12:06,875
Jack was so successful
230
00:12:07,000 --> 00:12:09,292
in the completion
of his boat-training course
231
00:12:09,458 --> 00:12:12,542
that he was offered
a position as an instructor.
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00:12:12,708 --> 00:12:14,792
It would require him
to stay stateside
233
00:12:14,875 --> 00:12:16,792
for another six months.
234
00:12:16,875 --> 00:12:18,667
Jack was infuriated.
235
00:12:18,833 --> 00:12:21,042
He wanted to fight.
236
00:12:21,208 --> 00:12:23,750
With help
from his maternal grandfather,
237
00:12:23,875 --> 00:12:27,250
former Boston mayor
John "Honey Fitz" Fitzgerald,
238
00:12:27,375 --> 00:12:28,792
Jack arranged a meeting
239
00:12:28,917 --> 00:12:31,292
with Massachusetts senator
David Walsh,
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00:12:31,375 --> 00:12:34,333
chairman of the Senate
Naval Affairs Committee.
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00:12:34,500 --> 00:12:39,167
The goal was to prove himself
willing and able to fight.
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00:12:39,250 --> 00:12:41,958
He made an impression
on the senator.
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00:12:42,042 --> 00:12:44,000
♪ ♪
244
00:12:44,125 --> 00:12:45,833
After months of struggling
245
00:12:45,958 --> 00:12:48,333
for an active position
in the Navy,
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00:12:48,458 --> 00:12:52,833
the time had come, whether he
was physically ready or not.
247
00:12:52,875 --> 00:12:54,625
- He went through town,
248
00:12:54,708 --> 00:12:56,958
and just a few minutes ago,
he was here.
249
00:12:57,083 --> 00:13:00,708
And then he's going
on active sea duty.
250
00:13:00,792 --> 00:13:02,833
Only, you know, his back--
251
00:13:02,958 --> 00:13:06,167
he looks like a limping monkey
from behind.
252
00:13:06,333 --> 00:13:08,708
He can't walk at all.
253
00:13:08,875 --> 00:13:12,667
That's ridiculous--sending
him off to sea duty.
254
00:13:12,833 --> 00:13:14,958
♪ ♪
255
00:13:15,042 --> 00:13:17,792
- On March 6, 1943,
256
00:13:17,958 --> 00:13:20,250
Lieutenant Junior Grade
Jack Kennedy
257
00:13:20,375 --> 00:13:23,667
stepped aboard a troop carrier
in San Francisco.
258
00:13:23,833 --> 00:13:26,333
The destination was Tulagi,
259
00:13:26,458 --> 00:13:28,125
part of the Solomon Islands,
260
00:13:28,250 --> 00:13:32,667
some 1,100 miles
northeast of Australia.
261
00:13:32,750 --> 00:13:36,167
He was headed straight
into the heart of war.
262
00:13:36,292 --> 00:13:43,042
♪ ♪
263
00:13:54,792 --> 00:13:57,292
16 months after Pearl Harbor,
264
00:13:57,375 --> 00:14:00,417
the United States was locked
in a fierce naval campaign
265
00:14:00,542 --> 00:14:02,458
against Japanese forces.
266
00:14:02,583 --> 00:14:04,958
♪ ♪
267
00:14:05,083 --> 00:14:06,958
Using their powerful navy,
268
00:14:07,042 --> 00:14:09,333
Japan steamrolled
through the Pacific,
269
00:14:09,417 --> 00:14:12,667
crushing any obstacle
that stood in their way.
270
00:14:12,792 --> 00:14:17,583
♪ ♪
271
00:14:17,708 --> 00:14:21,250
- Kennedy takes command
of PT-109
272
00:14:21,375 --> 00:14:24,792
on April 23, 1943.
273
00:14:24,917 --> 00:14:26,708
♪ ♪
274
00:14:26,792 --> 00:14:29,667
- It was 80 feet long
and weighed 40 tons.
275
00:14:29,792 --> 00:14:31,500
- They're made out of wood.
276
00:14:31,625 --> 00:14:33,667
They are powered by engines
277
00:14:33,792 --> 00:14:36,667
that run on high-octane fuel.
278
00:14:36,792 --> 00:14:40,042
There's no armor at all
and is very dangerous duty.
279
00:14:40,208 --> 00:14:43,792
I mean, one well-placed hit
from a Japanese ship,
280
00:14:43,958 --> 00:14:46,042
and the ship is going up
in an explosion.
281
00:14:46,167 --> 00:14:47,375
♪ ♪
282
00:14:47,542 --> 00:14:49,167
- The PT boat bases,
283
00:14:49,250 --> 00:14:51,833
like the one on Tulagi
where Jack was stationed,
284
00:14:51,958 --> 00:14:56,000
were built quickly,
leaving much to be desired.
285
00:14:56,125 --> 00:14:59,667
- The Solomon Islands are deep
in the South Pacific.
286
00:14:59,792 --> 00:15:03,000
These are
jungle-covered islands.
287
00:15:03,083 --> 00:15:07,042
There's heat, humidity, bugs,
288
00:15:07,208 --> 00:15:09,292
thunderstorms, rainstorms.
289
00:15:09,417 --> 00:15:11,167
♪ ♪
290
00:15:11,292 --> 00:15:14,333
- Diseases like malaria
and dengue fever ran rampant
291
00:15:14,500 --> 00:15:17,333
through the hastily erected
structures.
292
00:15:17,500 --> 00:15:20,708
Rats and cockroaches
were part of daily life.
293
00:15:20,833 --> 00:15:22,417
Making matters worse,
294
00:15:22,542 --> 00:15:25,500
food supplies--
mostly canned food--
295
00:15:25,667 --> 00:15:28,500
were inadequately allocated
to troops in the area,
296
00:15:28,625 --> 00:15:30,208
and the soldiers
297
00:15:30,333 --> 00:15:33,042
were constantly threatened
with malnutrition.
298
00:15:33,208 --> 00:15:35,167
Difficult though it was,
299
00:15:35,250 --> 00:15:37,667
Jack's PT boat and its crew
300
00:15:37,750 --> 00:15:40,292
became his home
away from home.
301
00:15:40,417 --> 00:15:43,667
- PT-109 had been operating
for a number of months
302
00:15:43,833 --> 00:15:45,667
under different
commanding officers,
303
00:15:45,792 --> 00:15:47,333
different crew members.
304
00:15:47,458 --> 00:15:49,250
♪ ♪
305
00:15:49,375 --> 00:15:51,375
The commanding officers
from the boat
306
00:15:51,542 --> 00:15:53,583
had already transferred
to other positions
307
00:15:53,708 --> 00:15:55,792
or moved back stateside.
308
00:15:55,875 --> 00:15:58,250
So Kennedy
is kind of rebuilding the crew.
309
00:15:58,375 --> 00:16:00,375
And by August, you know,
they've been together
310
00:16:00,542 --> 00:16:02,000
for a few months.
311
00:16:02,125 --> 00:16:05,000
So this is a very small,
cohesive group,
312
00:16:05,167 --> 00:16:07,125
unlike a bigger ship.
313
00:16:07,208 --> 00:16:09,333
I mean, they have to depend
on each other
314
00:16:09,500 --> 00:16:10,583
for life and death.
315
00:16:10,750 --> 00:16:14,167
♪ ♪
316
00:16:14,250 --> 00:16:16,417
- During his first months
at Tulagi,
317
00:16:16,542 --> 00:16:19,500
they saw little action.
318
00:16:19,625 --> 00:16:21,167
Kennedy had ample time
319
00:16:21,292 --> 00:16:23,500
to send his mother flowers
for Mother's Day,
320
00:16:23,583 --> 00:16:26,417
write letters home,
and read his copy
321
00:16:26,542 --> 00:16:31,333
of Tolstoy's 19th-century
epic novel "War and Peace."
322
00:16:31,417 --> 00:16:37,208
♪ ♪
323
00:16:39,167 --> 00:16:41,000
At the end of July,
324
00:16:41,167 --> 00:16:43,833
intelligence reports arrived
at Jack's PT base,
325
00:16:43,917 --> 00:16:46,750
indicating
that five Japanese destroyers
326
00:16:46,875 --> 00:16:48,375
were scheduled to move
327
00:16:48,500 --> 00:16:51,375
on the night
of August 1st and 2nd.
328
00:16:51,500 --> 00:16:53,833
The destroyers
were expected to sail
329
00:16:53,958 --> 00:16:55,708
through the Blackett Strait,
330
00:16:55,833 --> 00:16:59,833
supplying provisions to
and moving Japanese troops.
331
00:16:59,958 --> 00:17:01,333
♪ ♪
332
00:17:01,500 --> 00:17:04,542
- The Japanese
are trying to resupply
333
00:17:04,708 --> 00:17:06,417
their island garrisons
334
00:17:06,542 --> 00:17:09,625
with these nighttime runs
called the Tokyo Express,
335
00:17:09,708 --> 00:17:12,917
delivering supplies and troops
under the cover of darkness.
336
00:17:13,042 --> 00:17:14,125
♪ ♪
337
00:17:14,250 --> 00:17:16,208
- So Kennedy was assigned
338
00:17:16,333 --> 00:17:18,917
to one of four groups that
were going to be positioned
339
00:17:19,042 --> 00:17:21,208
to try and intercept
these destroyers.
340
00:17:21,333 --> 00:17:23,333
♪ ♪
341
00:17:23,333 --> 00:17:25,333
This is a major, major mission.
342
00:17:25,417 --> 00:17:29,208
- This is a, you know,
very dangerous place to be.
343
00:17:29,333 --> 00:17:31,333
♪ ♪
344
00:17:34,292 --> 00:17:35,500
♪ ♪
345
00:17:35,625 --> 00:17:37,250
- On August 1st,
346
00:17:37,375 --> 00:17:41,375
15 PT boats,
including Jack's PT-109,
347
00:17:41,542 --> 00:17:43,583
set off toward
the Blackett Strait
348
00:17:43,708 --> 00:17:45,833
at 6:30 p.m.
349
00:17:45,958 --> 00:17:49,667
Including himself, there
were 13 men on Jack's boat.
350
00:17:49,833 --> 00:17:53,000
♪ ♪
351
00:17:53,083 --> 00:17:56,583
In near darkness,
PT-109 became separated
352
00:17:56,708 --> 00:17:58,542
from the other PT boats.
353
00:17:58,708 --> 00:18:01,458
Jack shut down two
of the boat's three engines
354
00:18:01,583 --> 00:18:03,958
to conserve fuel.
355
00:18:04,125 --> 00:18:06,042
It would also help
the boat remain hidden
356
00:18:06,167 --> 00:18:07,875
from the Japanese air patrols
357
00:18:08,000 --> 00:18:12,125
looking for the phosphorescent
glow left by boat wakes.
358
00:18:12,250 --> 00:18:15,958
- The enemy they're really
worried about is above.
359
00:18:16,042 --> 00:18:18,208
And if they make a wake,
360
00:18:18,333 --> 00:18:20,917
not only are the aircraft
going to see them,
361
00:18:21,042 --> 00:18:24,500
if there's enemy ships about,
they will also see them.
362
00:18:24,667 --> 00:18:28,167
- Oftentimes,
if the PT boats were deployed
363
00:18:28,292 --> 00:18:31,667
and they were waiting
for Japanese ships to arrive,
364
00:18:31,792 --> 00:18:33,167
they would be idling,
365
00:18:33,292 --> 00:18:35,333
meaning they
would be operating
366
00:18:35,458 --> 00:18:37,667
at one engine
instead of three,
367
00:18:37,792 --> 00:18:40,667
very low speed, you know,
almost idling in place.
368
00:18:40,792 --> 00:18:42,500
♪ ♪
369
00:18:42,667 --> 00:18:44,708
- PT-109 idled.
370
00:18:44,833 --> 00:18:46,125
♪ ♪
371
00:18:46,250 --> 00:18:48,167
Under the moonless sky,
372
00:18:48,292 --> 00:18:50,625
the crew noticed movement on
the water
373
00:18:50,708 --> 00:18:54,000
in the pre-dawn hours
of August 2nd.
374
00:18:54,083 --> 00:18:56,167
Jack and his men
struggled to identify
375
00:18:56,250 --> 00:18:58,167
the shape in the darkness.
376
00:18:58,208 --> 00:18:59,375
♪ ♪
377
00:18:59,542 --> 00:19:01,292
As the wake grew closer,
378
00:19:01,417 --> 00:19:04,792
the outline
of a massive ship emerged.
379
00:19:04,875 --> 00:19:06,542
Moving towards them
380
00:19:06,667 --> 00:19:10,583
was the towering
Japanese destroyer "Amagiri."
381
00:19:10,708 --> 00:19:15,333
- And she is speeding
directly towards PT-109.
382
00:19:15,458 --> 00:19:17,167
Kennedy tries to turn,
383
00:19:17,333 --> 00:19:19,333
but there's really no time.
384
00:19:19,500 --> 00:19:22,208
♪ ♪
385
00:19:22,375 --> 00:19:25,333
- The "Amagiri" collided
violently with Jack's boat.
386
00:19:25,458 --> 00:19:27,167
♪ ♪
387
00:19:27,250 --> 00:19:30,458
The Japanese destroyer
sliced through PT-109,
388
00:19:30,583 --> 00:19:33,750
causing fuel to explode
into a raging fire
389
00:19:33,875 --> 00:19:36,333
more than 100 feet tall.
390
00:19:36,375 --> 00:19:39,083
Two of Jack's men
were killed instantly,
391
00:19:39,208 --> 00:19:41,083
and the remainder
scrambled to escape
392
00:19:41,208 --> 00:19:42,500
the flaming wreckage.
393
00:19:42,625 --> 00:19:44,375
♪ ♪
394
00:19:44,542 --> 00:19:48,917
- Kennedy himself is thrown
against the bulkhead.
395
00:19:49,042 --> 00:19:52,125
He reinjures
his already bad back.
396
00:19:52,250 --> 00:19:55,292
- The Japanese destroyer
doesn't even slow down.
397
00:19:55,417 --> 00:19:57,208
They just want to get
out of there.
398
00:19:57,375 --> 00:20:00,083
So they just power
right through and keep going.
399
00:20:00,208 --> 00:20:02,958
And the gasoline spreads out
over the ocean,
400
00:20:03,042 --> 00:20:04,542
and it's on fire.
401
00:20:04,667 --> 00:20:06,500
[explosion]
402
00:20:06,583 --> 00:20:09,667
- Amidst the chaos, Jack
dove into the dark waters
403
00:20:09,750 --> 00:20:14,500
to save badly burned
sailor Patrick McMahon.
404
00:20:14,667 --> 00:20:18,542
- That guy was just
a common sailor.
405
00:20:18,708 --> 00:20:20,375
He saved his life.
406
00:20:20,500 --> 00:20:23,583
So that's the things
407
00:20:23,750 --> 00:20:27,750
that really made me admire
him most, I think--his courage.
408
00:20:27,875 --> 00:20:29,208
♪ ♪
409
00:20:29,375 --> 00:20:31,667
- Paddling in cold water
for hours,
410
00:20:31,833 --> 00:20:34,667
Jack ordered his most
severely injured crewmen
411
00:20:34,750 --> 00:20:39,458
to cling to a small plank that
had splintered from the boat.
412
00:20:39,542 --> 00:20:41,333
- Some of them
had swallowed gasoline.
413
00:20:41,417 --> 00:20:43,208
Some of them were burned.
414
00:20:43,375 --> 00:20:45,583
Some of them had been crushed
against the boat.
415
00:20:45,708 --> 00:20:49,167
But McMahon was the worst off.
He had been severely burned.
416
00:20:49,292 --> 00:20:54,625
♪ ♪
417
00:20:54,708 --> 00:20:57,500
- At daybreak
the next morning,
418
00:20:57,625 --> 00:21:01,417
this small group is still
clinging to this wreckage.
419
00:21:01,542 --> 00:21:03,042
They are in open waters,
420
00:21:03,208 --> 00:21:06,000
and then the wreckage
starts to sink.
421
00:21:06,083 --> 00:21:08,542
♪ ♪
422
00:21:08,708 --> 00:21:10,500
- Surrounded
by Japanese soldiers
423
00:21:10,667 --> 00:21:12,292
on the neighboring islands,
424
00:21:12,417 --> 00:21:15,333
they were
in a terrifying situation.
425
00:21:15,458 --> 00:21:17,500
While floating in the Pacific,
426
00:21:17,667 --> 00:21:20,875
Jack and his crew were faced
with an enormous decision--
427
00:21:21,042 --> 00:21:24,500
continue fighting or surrender
to hostile forces.
428
00:21:24,583 --> 00:21:25,792
♪ ♪
429
00:21:25,875 --> 00:21:28,208
Jack said,
there's nothing in a book
430
00:21:28,333 --> 00:21:30,417
about a situation like this.
431
00:21:30,542 --> 00:21:32,542
I have nothing to lose.
432
00:21:32,708 --> 00:21:35,625
They decided to continue on.
433
00:21:35,750 --> 00:21:40,333
- Kennedy had a flare gun,
which he could have used,
434
00:21:40,417 --> 00:21:42,667
but to illustrate
the danger they were in,
435
00:21:42,792 --> 00:21:45,292
you know, to shoot off
a very light
436
00:21:45,375 --> 00:21:47,667
will also tell the enemy
you're there.
437
00:21:47,792 --> 00:21:50,167
They were just as afraid
of being captured
438
00:21:50,292 --> 00:21:53,333
or killed by the enemy
as not being rescued.
439
00:21:53,500 --> 00:21:57,000
So Kennedy chose not
to shoot off a flare
440
00:21:57,083 --> 00:21:59,500
to signal a rescue
at that point.
441
00:21:59,625 --> 00:22:01,750
♪ ♪
442
00:22:01,833 --> 00:22:04,333
- Kennedy spots
a distant island,
443
00:22:04,500 --> 00:22:07,583
and he decides
the best course of action
444
00:22:07,667 --> 00:22:09,833
is for his group
to swim to that island.
445
00:22:09,958 --> 00:22:11,542
♪ ♪
446
00:22:11,667 --> 00:22:13,542
- Jack tied a knot
to the wounded
447
00:22:13,708 --> 00:22:15,875
Patrick "Pappy" McMahon's
life jacket
448
00:22:16,042 --> 00:22:19,208
and put the other end
between his teeth.
449
00:22:19,375 --> 00:22:21,333
- It was described
by one of the witnesses
450
00:22:21,500 --> 00:22:23,500
as if he had done it all
the time in his life.
451
00:22:23,667 --> 00:22:25,583
He just got a knife out
and cut the strap,
452
00:22:25,750 --> 00:22:30,167
put the strap
of the life jacket in his mouth
453
00:22:30,292 --> 00:22:33,750
and pulled Pappy on his back,
his bad back.
454
00:22:33,875 --> 00:22:35,333
♪ ♪
455
00:22:35,458 --> 00:22:38,333
- Jack began
the 3 1/2-mile journey
456
00:22:38,417 --> 00:22:41,542
through shark-infested waters.
457
00:22:41,708 --> 00:22:43,833
Listening to Kennedy's
labored breathing,
458
00:22:43,958 --> 00:22:46,708
McMahon didn't know
if they could make it.
459
00:22:46,833 --> 00:22:50,333
Kennedy replied,
it can be done.
460
00:22:50,500 --> 00:22:53,583
- We can do this.
We can do this.
461
00:22:53,708 --> 00:22:56,042
Well, that's what you want,
isn't it--
462
00:22:56,208 --> 00:22:58,000
a skipper that says,
we can do this?
463
00:22:58,167 --> 00:23:01,333
♪ ♪
464
00:23:01,458 --> 00:23:03,458
- After an arduous journey,
465
00:23:03,583 --> 00:23:06,167
Kennedy, McMahon,
and the surviving crew
466
00:23:06,292 --> 00:23:08,333
finally made it to shore.
467
00:23:08,458 --> 00:23:10,792
- When they arrive
on the beach,
468
00:23:10,917 --> 00:23:14,917
Kennedy literally collapses
in exhaustion.
469
00:23:15,042 --> 00:23:16,833
- By this time,
470
00:23:16,958 --> 00:23:19,833
Jack and his crew
were presumed dead,
471
00:23:19,958 --> 00:23:23,208
when a report stated that
neither the ship nor the crew
472
00:23:23,333 --> 00:23:26,375
were found
at the collision site.
473
00:23:26,500 --> 00:23:29,333
- They are in survival mode
at this point.
474
00:23:29,500 --> 00:23:32,375
They need to somehow get
word to the Americans
475
00:23:32,542 --> 00:23:35,292
that they're alive
and where they're at
476
00:23:35,417 --> 00:23:36,792
because they're
in Japanese-held territory.
477
00:23:41,000 --> 00:23:42,792
- On August 2, 1943,
478
00:23:42,917 --> 00:23:46,250
Jack and his men had been sunk
by a Japanese destroyer
479
00:23:46,375 --> 00:23:48,500
and lost two
of their crew members.
480
00:23:48,625 --> 00:23:51,542
Now they were stranded
on a small island
481
00:23:51,708 --> 00:23:55,083
roughly the size
of a football field.
482
00:23:55,208 --> 00:23:56,833
- It's only 100 yards wide,
483
00:23:56,958 --> 00:23:58,917
but it was enough to get
out of the water and hide.
484
00:23:59,042 --> 00:24:00,792
So they all make it there,
485
00:24:00,917 --> 00:24:03,667
and soon after they get there,
a Japanese barge goes by.
486
00:24:03,750 --> 00:24:06,792
So they know that was close.
487
00:24:06,917 --> 00:24:08,500
But there's no food.
There's no water there.
488
00:24:08,625 --> 00:24:10,583
There's just trees.
489
00:24:10,708 --> 00:24:12,750
And Kennedy knows
they can't stay there.
490
00:24:12,833 --> 00:24:14,333
♪ ♪
491
00:24:14,417 --> 00:24:16,750
- Armed with a lantern
in one hand,
492
00:24:16,875 --> 00:24:20,708
Jack swam two miles alone
to the Ferguson Passage--
493
00:24:20,833 --> 00:24:24,375
an area American boats
often pass through.
494
00:24:24,500 --> 00:24:27,000
- Kennedy
thinks he can swim out
495
00:24:27,125 --> 00:24:30,625
and flag down
one of the PT boats.
496
00:24:30,750 --> 00:24:35,292
This proves unsuccessful
and utterly tiring.
497
00:24:35,417 --> 00:24:37,083
♪ ♪
498
00:24:37,208 --> 00:24:40,042
- When he made it back
to his men the next afternoon,
499
00:24:40,208 --> 00:24:43,958
Jack led his crew
in swimming nearly four miles
500
00:24:44,083 --> 00:24:45,875
to nearby Olasana Island
501
00:24:46,000 --> 00:24:48,750
in hopes
of finding food, water,
502
00:24:48,833 --> 00:24:51,583
and fellow American PT crews.
503
00:24:55,333 --> 00:24:57,250
They found nothing.
504
00:24:57,375 --> 00:25:00,000
But Jack was undeterred.
505
00:25:00,167 --> 00:25:02,417
- The morale of the crew
is very important,
506
00:25:02,542 --> 00:25:04,167
and Kennedy knew that.
507
00:25:04,292 --> 00:25:06,875
They needed to know somebody's
trying to do something.
508
00:25:07,000 --> 00:25:09,375
One of us has to try
and always be doing something
509
00:25:09,542 --> 00:25:13,167
to improve their situation
so they don't give up.
510
00:25:13,250 --> 00:25:15,750
- The next day, Jack brought
a new measure of hope
511
00:25:15,875 --> 00:25:17,875
to his injured
and starving crew
512
00:25:18,042 --> 00:25:21,667
when he found a nearby island
with old Japanese provisions,
513
00:25:21,750 --> 00:25:26,333
including crackers
and a supply of fresh water.
514
00:25:26,458 --> 00:25:28,583
Amazingly, on the same day,
515
00:25:28,708 --> 00:25:31,458
Jack encountered
two Melanesian natives--
516
00:25:31,583 --> 00:25:35,000
Biuku Gasa and Eroni Kumana.
517
00:25:35,167 --> 00:25:38,000
They were part of a network
called "coastwatchers,"
518
00:25:38,167 --> 00:25:40,792
providing intelligence
on Japanese movements
519
00:25:40,917 --> 00:25:44,417
to the Australian
Allied forces.
520
00:25:44,542 --> 00:25:47,833
Jack inscribed an SOS message
on a coconut
521
00:25:47,958 --> 00:25:50,917
for the coastwatchers to relay
back to their commander,
522
00:25:51,042 --> 00:25:54,250
an Australian
named Arthur Evans.
523
00:25:54,375 --> 00:25:58,458
- He wants them to take it
to the American PT boat base
524
00:25:58,542 --> 00:26:00,333
on the island of Rendova.
525
00:26:00,500 --> 00:26:02,833
- At night, by canoe...
526
00:26:02,917 --> 00:26:05,000
[chuckles]
Through enemy water.
527
00:26:05,167 --> 00:26:08,333
I mean, this is a tremendous
thing to ask of these people.
528
00:26:08,417 --> 00:26:11,000
- The next day,
the natives return
529
00:26:11,125 --> 00:26:12,917
with supplies and food
530
00:26:13,042 --> 00:26:16,542
and the note
from the coastwatcher,
531
00:26:16,667 --> 00:26:19,500
asking that Kennedy
meet Evans in person.
532
00:26:19,625 --> 00:26:21,750
Kennedy at this point knows
533
00:26:21,875 --> 00:26:25,250
that, you know,
this gives him a chance.
534
00:26:25,375 --> 00:26:26,958
- Jack set off
with the natives
535
00:26:27,042 --> 00:26:30,833
to a nearby PT boat base
on Gomu Island.
536
00:26:31,000 --> 00:26:33,000
- Kennedy really didn't want
to leave his men,
537
00:26:33,125 --> 00:26:34,667
but he got
in the canoe anyway,
538
00:26:34,792 --> 00:26:36,417
and he hid
under these palm fronds
539
00:26:36,542 --> 00:26:38,292
in the bottom of the canoe.
540
00:26:38,417 --> 00:26:40,167
While they're paddling
across the bay
541
00:26:40,292 --> 00:26:42,042
towards Gomu Island,
542
00:26:42,125 --> 00:26:44,958
a Japanese plane flies down
and scouts them.
543
00:26:45,083 --> 00:26:48,167
The two natives
give them the wave.
544
00:26:48,292 --> 00:26:50,000
And the pilot left them alone,
545
00:26:50,083 --> 00:26:53,000
but Kennedy is hiding
under this palm frond,
546
00:26:53,167 --> 00:26:54,417
hoping he wasn't seen.
547
00:26:54,542 --> 00:26:55,917
They arrive at Gomu Island,
548
00:26:56,042 --> 00:26:58,125
and Kennedy hops
out of the canoe and...
549
00:26:58,208 --> 00:27:00,083
- Two PT boats come by.
550
00:27:00,208 --> 00:27:02,750
They pick up Kennedy.
551
00:27:02,875 --> 00:27:05,792
- Jack led the two boats
back to Olasana Island
552
00:27:05,875 --> 00:27:07,958
to rescue his crew.
553
00:27:08,125 --> 00:27:11,333
♪ ♪
554
00:27:11,417 --> 00:27:14,792
- And by the morning
of August 8th,
555
00:27:14,875 --> 00:27:18,542
they are back
at the American PT boat base,
556
00:27:18,708 --> 00:27:23,000
ending the ordeal
of the PT-109 sailors.
557
00:27:23,125 --> 00:27:25,167
♪ ♪
558
00:27:25,333 --> 00:27:27,833
- Jack was now a war hero.
559
00:27:27,958 --> 00:27:30,083
Bravery and leadership
earned him
560
00:27:30,208 --> 00:27:33,833
a Navy Marine Corps medal
and a Purple Heart.
561
00:27:33,917 --> 00:27:36,083
Jack later said,
the real heroes
562
00:27:36,208 --> 00:27:40,667
are not the men who return
but those who stay out there--
563
00:27:40,792 --> 00:27:44,167
two of my men included.
564
00:27:44,250 --> 00:27:48,000
- Well, there was a lot
of favorable attention
565
00:27:48,208 --> 00:27:49,500
that he received
566
00:27:49,542 --> 00:27:51,875
but none more important
than that
567
00:27:52,042 --> 00:27:54,917
from the men who were
on the PT-109 with him.
568
00:27:55,042 --> 00:27:57,625
They testified
to his gallantry.
569
00:27:57,750 --> 00:28:00,708
They testified to what
he had actually accomplished
570
00:28:00,833 --> 00:28:03,208
at great risk to himself.
571
00:28:03,375 --> 00:28:05,583
- I think it was
a genuine record
572
00:28:05,750 --> 00:28:07,958
of truly selfless
heroic behavior.
573
00:28:08,042 --> 00:28:09,833
I think there's
no other way, really,
574
00:28:09,958 --> 00:28:11,750
accurately to describe it.
575
00:28:11,875 --> 00:28:14,708
- After the rescue of PT-109,
576
00:28:14,875 --> 00:28:16,500
Jack was promoted
to full lieutenant
577
00:28:16,667 --> 00:28:18,833
in October 1943
578
00:28:18,958 --> 00:28:21,208
and would stay
in the South Pacific.
579
00:28:21,333 --> 00:28:25,750
He served on another PT boat
until he was finally sent home
580
00:28:25,875 --> 00:28:30,042
on December 14, 1943
under doctor's orders.
581
00:28:30,208 --> 00:28:31,750
♪ ♪
582
00:28:31,875 --> 00:28:35,500
Arriving stateside
in early January 1944
583
00:28:35,667 --> 00:28:37,417
with an injured back,
584
00:28:37,500 --> 00:28:39,292
Jack was severely underweight
585
00:28:39,417 --> 00:28:42,583
and had symptoms
of malaria and jaundice
586
00:28:42,708 --> 00:28:45,625
from months away at war.
587
00:28:45,792 --> 00:28:48,000
But the change
that would most affect him
588
00:28:48,125 --> 00:28:51,333
was his newfound understanding
of the world.
589
00:28:51,500 --> 00:28:53,000
♪ ♪
590
00:28:53,083 --> 00:28:55,500
- It was the killing
that he saw,
591
00:28:55,625 --> 00:28:59,208
and it really made
him sensitive
592
00:28:59,375 --> 00:29:03,375
to what is at risk when
the United States goes to war.
593
00:29:03,542 --> 00:29:07,208
He writes very graphic letters
back to his parents
594
00:29:07,375 --> 00:29:10,750
about this one particular
Japanese soldier
595
00:29:10,875 --> 00:29:13,917
who's in the water
and causing problems
596
00:29:14,083 --> 00:29:16,917
until an American stands up
with his rifle
597
00:29:17,042 --> 00:29:19,250
and blows his head off.
598
00:29:19,375 --> 00:29:21,500
- Kennedy comes home
a different man
599
00:29:21,667 --> 00:29:23,208
in a lot of ways--
600
00:29:23,292 --> 00:29:25,292
someone who's been forced
to grow up, I think,
601
00:29:25,375 --> 00:29:28,625
in a lot of ways and see
the hard side of life
602
00:29:28,792 --> 00:29:30,917
that I think he had
never, ever encountered
603
00:29:31,042 --> 00:29:32,833
as a rather privileged
young man
604
00:29:33,000 --> 00:29:35,833
in the Boston area before.
605
00:29:35,917 --> 00:29:37,875
- I think that in many ways,
606
00:29:38,042 --> 00:29:40,583
World War II was maturing for
a whole generation, of course.
607
00:29:40,708 --> 00:29:42,583
But for John
in particular,
608
00:29:42,708 --> 00:29:46,417
I think he came back with
a sense of responsibility.
609
00:29:46,542 --> 00:29:48,667
♪ ♪
610
00:29:48,708 --> 00:29:51,125
- Jack's time in the war
would impact
611
00:29:51,250 --> 00:29:54,417
how he would lead
the rest of his life.
612
00:29:54,500 --> 00:29:56,500
♪ ♪
613
00:29:59,417 --> 00:30:00,958
- By the summer of 1944,
614
00:30:01,083 --> 00:30:03,542
Jack was back home
in Massachusetts,
615
00:30:03,708 --> 00:30:07,125
but his older brother,
Joe Jr., was still deployed,
616
00:30:07,208 --> 00:30:09,958
flying B-24 Liberator planes
617
00:30:10,083 --> 00:30:12,667
on missions
over the English Channel
618
00:30:12,792 --> 00:30:14,167
and the North Sea.
619
00:30:14,250 --> 00:30:18,333
♪ ♪
620
00:30:18,417 --> 00:30:20,042
On August 12th,
621
00:30:20,208 --> 00:30:23,333
he volunteered for a dangerous
top-secret mission--
622
00:30:23,500 --> 00:30:25,375
Operation Aphrodite--
623
00:30:25,542 --> 00:30:29,583
tasked with destroying
German V-2 rocket sites.
624
00:30:29,667 --> 00:30:35,417
♪ ♪
625
00:30:35,542 --> 00:30:37,125
His aircraft was loaded
626
00:30:37,250 --> 00:30:39,500
with over 20,000 pounds
of explosives
627
00:30:39,583 --> 00:30:43,292
when he took off, flying
over the English Channel
628
00:30:43,417 --> 00:30:45,167
toward his target.
629
00:30:45,250 --> 00:30:52,125
♪ ♪
630
00:30:52,250 --> 00:30:55,167
On the afternoon
of August 13th,
631
00:30:55,292 --> 00:30:58,333
during an idyllic Sunday
at Hyannis Port,
632
00:30:58,458 --> 00:31:01,750
Joe Kennedy appeared
before his family.
633
00:31:01,875 --> 00:31:04,542
The Kennedy patriarch was pale
634
00:31:04,708 --> 00:31:06,833
and paralyzed with disbelief
635
00:31:06,917 --> 00:31:09,750
as he delivered
the horrible news.
636
00:31:09,875 --> 00:31:12,333
The mission had gone awry,
637
00:31:12,458 --> 00:31:15,875
and Joe Jr.'s plane
had exploded in midair,
638
00:31:16,042 --> 00:31:18,333
killing him instantly.
639
00:31:18,417 --> 00:31:20,833
♪ ♪
640
00:31:20,917 --> 00:31:23,542
- Joe Jr.
could have come home.
641
00:31:23,708 --> 00:31:26,292
And yet he volunteers
642
00:31:26,417 --> 00:31:29,833
for what is almost
a suicide mission.
643
00:31:29,958 --> 00:31:32,625
Joe Jr.'s death
644
00:31:32,750 --> 00:31:35,333
is a knife
645
00:31:35,458 --> 00:31:38,833
into the heart
of the Kennedy family.
646
00:31:38,958 --> 00:31:40,500
They never recover.
647
00:31:40,583 --> 00:31:42,292
♪ ♪
648
00:31:42,375 --> 00:31:46,833
- Jack was overcome
with shock and emotion.
649
00:31:46,958 --> 00:31:50,167
He had seen firsthand
the devastation of war.
650
00:31:50,292 --> 00:31:53,500
Now it had taken his brother.
651
00:31:53,583 --> 00:31:58,125
♪ ♪
652
00:31:58,250 --> 00:32:02,917
- We found this essentially
aimless young man
653
00:32:03,083 --> 00:32:07,042
who'd returned from
a really rough war experience,
654
00:32:07,208 --> 00:32:09,083
both in terms
of losing his brother
655
00:32:09,208 --> 00:32:12,042
and almost losing his life,
656
00:32:12,208 --> 00:32:14,875
without any idea
what he wanted to do.
657
00:32:15,042 --> 00:32:16,958
- Unsure
of his immediate future
658
00:32:17,083 --> 00:32:20,000
and conferring
with his father, Joe Sr.,
659
00:32:20,167 --> 00:32:23,250
Jack decided to pursue
journalism in the interim.
660
00:32:23,375 --> 00:32:26,500
Joe Sr. felt it was a good way
to keep Jack busy
661
00:32:26,625 --> 00:32:29,083
and in the public eye.
662
00:32:29,208 --> 00:32:31,833
Kennedy began working
for Hearst Newspapers.
663
00:32:32,000 --> 00:32:33,958
Hearst was owned and operated
664
00:32:34,042 --> 00:32:36,417
by media mogul
William Randolph Hearst,
665
00:32:36,542 --> 00:32:38,833
a good friend
of Joe Kennedy Sr.
666
00:32:39,000 --> 00:32:40,333
♪ ♪
667
00:32:40,458 --> 00:32:41,958
- So to this city
668
00:32:42,125 --> 00:32:44,083
on the shores of the ocean
named for peace
669
00:32:44,208 --> 00:32:48,625
came 1,300 representatives
of the 46 United Nations.
670
00:32:48,750 --> 00:32:50,167
- He was sent to California
671
00:32:50,250 --> 00:32:53,000
to cover
the San Francisco Conference--
672
00:32:53,167 --> 00:32:55,500
a conference
that laid the foundation
673
00:32:55,625 --> 00:32:57,917
of the United Nations.
674
00:32:58,042 --> 00:33:00,667
Kennedy was less than
impressed by the conference
675
00:33:00,792 --> 00:33:02,292
and felt that until the world
676
00:33:02,417 --> 00:33:04,875
faced the brutal reality
of war,
677
00:33:05,000 --> 00:33:07,667
no organization
could effectively resolve
678
00:33:07,792 --> 00:33:09,167
the world's conflicts.
679
00:33:09,292 --> 00:33:11,667
♪ ♪
680
00:33:11,792 --> 00:33:13,333
While in San Francisco,
681
00:33:13,458 --> 00:33:16,333
he saw the streets
explode with celebration
682
00:33:16,500 --> 00:33:18,958
when a news flash came
from Europe.
683
00:33:19,083 --> 00:33:21,333
Hitler had been defeated.
684
00:33:21,417 --> 00:33:24,667
- General Eisenhower informs me
685
00:33:24,750 --> 00:33:27,542
that the forces of Germany
have surrendered
686
00:33:27,667 --> 00:33:29,833
to the United Nations.
687
00:33:30,042 --> 00:33:33,500
The flags of freedom
fly all over Europe.
688
00:33:33,583 --> 00:33:36,708
♪ ♪
689
00:33:36,875 --> 00:33:39,042
- During the summer of 1945,
690
00:33:39,208 --> 00:33:41,958
Kennedy raced off to Europe
on assignment.
691
00:33:42,042 --> 00:33:43,500
♪ ♪
692
00:33:43,708 --> 00:33:45,167
He was tasked with covering
693
00:33:45,292 --> 00:33:47,833
the British General election
in London
694
00:33:47,917 --> 00:33:51,375
and the final meeting between
World War II Allied leaders
695
00:33:51,542 --> 00:33:53,250
in Potsdam, Germany.
696
00:33:53,375 --> 00:33:55,000
During his time in London,
697
00:33:55,125 --> 00:33:57,458
Kennedy worked fervently
as a journalist,
698
00:33:57,542 --> 00:34:00,167
even correctly predicting
that his hero,
699
00:34:00,292 --> 00:34:02,500
Prime Minister
Winston Churchill,
700
00:34:02,625 --> 00:34:05,500
would be ousted
from his position.
701
00:34:17,333 --> 00:34:20,083
- He went
to the Potsdam Conference,
702
00:34:20,208 --> 00:34:21,833
where Truman
and Churchill and Stalin
703
00:34:22,000 --> 00:34:23,417
were going to discuss
704
00:34:23,583 --> 00:34:26,667
the shape
of the post-war world.
705
00:34:26,750 --> 00:34:28,875
♪ ♪
706
00:34:29,000 --> 00:34:31,833
His experience
in terms of his travels
707
00:34:31,958 --> 00:34:34,125
and seeing just what
was at stake
708
00:34:34,208 --> 00:34:36,625
in terms
of this long-term struggle
709
00:34:36,750 --> 00:34:38,333
that he clearly recognized
710
00:34:38,458 --> 00:34:40,542
between the forces of freedom
711
00:34:40,625 --> 00:34:43,333
and the forces
of authoritarianism
712
00:34:43,500 --> 00:34:47,167
and how people would live
in the future,
713
00:34:47,292 --> 00:34:49,375
and he always had his eyes on,
714
00:34:49,542 --> 00:34:52,500
you know, what is
the most powerful thing
715
00:34:52,667 --> 00:34:55,375
that I can do to make
a difference?
716
00:34:55,500 --> 00:34:57,125
♪ ♪
717
00:34:57,250 --> 00:34:59,208
- Kennedy embarked
on a three-day tour
718
00:34:59,333 --> 00:35:02,167
of the war-torn
Nazi landscape,
719
00:35:02,250 --> 00:35:05,292
seeing a string
of battered ports and cities
720
00:35:05,375 --> 00:35:08,042
and Hitler's Eagle's Nest.
721
00:35:08,125 --> 00:35:10,333
Observing the ruins of Berlin,
722
00:35:10,458 --> 00:35:12,833
Kennedy sensed it would become
a centerpiece
723
00:35:12,958 --> 00:35:17,667
in the battle between
Soviet communism and the West.
724
00:35:17,833 --> 00:35:20,333
His experiences in Europe
taught him the value
725
00:35:20,458 --> 00:35:22,667
of strong political leaders
726
00:35:22,750 --> 00:35:26,208
in ensuring ongoing peace.
727
00:35:26,375 --> 00:35:28,750
- Well, he knew that politics
was the world.
728
00:35:28,875 --> 00:35:30,542
He learned that politics
729
00:35:30,708 --> 00:35:33,708
wasn't about somebody running
for city council.
730
00:35:33,833 --> 00:35:36,625
Politics meant, are we going
to avoid another war or not?
731
00:35:36,708 --> 00:35:38,250
♪ ♪
732
00:35:38,333 --> 00:35:40,250
- And had been, in a sense,
preparing himself,
733
00:35:40,375 --> 00:35:42,292
not least of all
through international travel
734
00:35:42,417 --> 00:35:44,167
and international exposure,
735
00:35:44,250 --> 00:35:47,167
for some kind of career
as a statesman,
736
00:35:47,292 --> 00:35:49,000
not just as a political leader
737
00:35:49,125 --> 00:35:50,958
but as a person
who would play his role
738
00:35:51,042 --> 00:35:52,708
on the international stage.
739
00:35:52,833 --> 00:35:54,417
♪ ♪
740
00:35:54,542 --> 00:35:56,500
- Upon returning
to the United States,
741
00:35:56,625 --> 00:35:58,833
Kennedy was offered a position
with the Navy,
742
00:35:58,958 --> 00:36:01,792
but he politely rejected it.
743
00:36:01,875 --> 00:36:03,875
He had other plans.
744
00:36:04,000 --> 00:36:06,250
♪ ♪
745
00:36:10,417 --> 00:36:11,458
- From the neighborhoods
of Brookline, Massachusetts,
746
00:36:11,583 --> 00:36:13,625
to the halls
of Harvard University
747
00:36:13,750 --> 00:36:15,667
to the Solomon Islands,
748
00:36:15,792 --> 00:36:18,750
Kennedy's life had been
leading to Washington, D.C.
749
00:36:18,875 --> 00:36:20,625
♪ ♪
750
00:36:20,708 --> 00:36:24,208
His wartime experiences
and his stint as a journalist,
751
00:36:24,333 --> 00:36:26,625
coupled with his extraordinary
opportunities
752
00:36:26,792 --> 00:36:28,292
to travel the world
753
00:36:28,375 --> 00:36:30,833
and observe foreign affairs
in person,
754
00:36:31,000 --> 00:36:33,208
made a career in politics
755
00:36:33,333 --> 00:36:36,667
seem like the best avenue
toward making his mark.
756
00:36:45,375 --> 00:36:47,167
- Kennedy came from a family
757
00:36:47,333 --> 00:36:50,375
where public service mattered.
758
00:36:50,500 --> 00:36:53,167
Part of life was doing
something for the country.
759
00:36:53,250 --> 00:36:55,167
And there was also
an attraction to it--
760
00:36:55,333 --> 00:36:57,167
the power that came with that,
761
00:36:57,292 --> 00:36:59,292
the ability
to influence events.
762
00:37:08,583 --> 00:37:09,833
♪ ♪
763
00:37:09,958 --> 00:37:11,333
- As a political newcomer,
764
00:37:11,417 --> 00:37:14,417
it was time
for an opening gambit.
765
00:37:14,542 --> 00:37:16,333
Kennedy decided to run
766
00:37:16,417 --> 00:37:18,875
for the United States
House of Representatives
767
00:37:18,958 --> 00:37:22,208
in the 1946 elections.
768
00:37:22,333 --> 00:37:25,167
He ran
for Boston's 11th district.
769
00:37:25,375 --> 00:37:27,375
The 29-year-old Kennedy
770
00:37:27,500 --> 00:37:30,000
announced his campaign
for the House
771
00:37:30,125 --> 00:37:32,167
at the luxurious
Parker House Hotel
772
00:37:32,292 --> 00:37:34,208
in downtown Boston.
773
00:37:50,792 --> 00:37:52,500
♪ ♪
774
00:37:52,667 --> 00:37:55,500
Kennedy was not afraid
to plunge into every aspect
775
00:37:55,625 --> 00:37:57,833
of his congressional crusade,
776
00:37:57,875 --> 00:38:00,667
appearing
at numerous campaign events.
777
00:38:00,833 --> 00:38:03,208
He kept his campaign
tight-knit,
778
00:38:03,375 --> 00:38:06,042
enlisting the help
of friends and family,
779
00:38:06,167 --> 00:38:07,833
remembering people's names
780
00:38:08,000 --> 00:38:10,708
and taking advantage
of every introduction.
781
00:38:10,875 --> 00:38:15,583
- Kennedy's natural mode was
not an extrovert back slapper.
782
00:38:15,708 --> 00:38:18,375
That was not how he interacted
with people.
783
00:38:18,500 --> 00:38:21,000
And that was never
how he served as a politician.
784
00:38:21,125 --> 00:38:24,833
But when he decided to run
for this seat, he went for it.
785
00:38:24,958 --> 00:38:26,458
♪ ♪
786
00:38:26,583 --> 00:38:29,000
- Kennedy began
rallying his supporters,
787
00:38:29,083 --> 00:38:31,083
focusing on local issues,
788
00:38:31,208 --> 00:38:34,417
like housing, health,
and labor.
789
00:38:34,583 --> 00:38:36,958
- He did not run
his initial campaign
790
00:38:37,083 --> 00:38:40,167
with a real heavy focus
on international affairs,
791
00:38:40,292 --> 00:38:41,875
because I think
he sort of deduced
792
00:38:42,000 --> 00:38:43,708
that it was pocketbook issues
793
00:38:43,792 --> 00:38:45,542
that were probably
most important
794
00:38:45,667 --> 00:38:47,333
to the people of Massachusetts
795
00:38:47,500 --> 00:38:49,500
and the district
that he was hoping to serve.
796
00:38:49,625 --> 00:38:51,292
It was not a shoo-in.
797
00:38:51,375 --> 00:38:53,875
There was
a ten-person primary,
798
00:38:54,000 --> 00:38:56,500
including, you know,
former mayors from the district
799
00:38:56,625 --> 00:38:59,000
and people who are
much better known than Kennedy.
800
00:38:59,125 --> 00:39:02,292
- He's the only war veteran
running for that seat.
801
00:39:02,417 --> 00:39:03,875
Hard to believe, isn't it?
802
00:39:04,000 --> 00:39:06,583
All the other politicians
had avoided the war.
803
00:39:06,708 --> 00:39:08,583
- Kennedy understood
the only way
804
00:39:08,708 --> 00:39:11,292
for a newcomer
to campaign effectively
805
00:39:11,375 --> 00:39:14,583
would be to introduce himself
and speak personally
806
00:39:14,708 --> 00:39:17,625
to potential voters
and volunteers.
807
00:39:17,750 --> 00:39:20,417
Undaunted,
he put on a back brace
808
00:39:20,583 --> 00:39:22,917
and canvassed
the neighborhoods of Boston,
809
00:39:23,042 --> 00:39:26,083
knocking on door after door.
810
00:39:26,208 --> 00:39:29,958
- When he first
knocked on my door...
811
00:39:30,083 --> 00:39:32,667
I lived in a three-decker
812
00:39:32,792 --> 00:39:36,000
in the Bunker Hill section
of Charlestown.
813
00:39:36,083 --> 00:39:37,542
And this young veteran,
814
00:39:37,667 --> 00:39:39,667
this decorated veteran
815
00:39:39,833 --> 00:39:42,708
was putting
an organization together
816
00:39:42,875 --> 00:39:45,125
of other veterans
817
00:39:45,250 --> 00:39:48,625
to help him get elected
to Congress.
818
00:39:48,750 --> 00:39:50,458
♪ ♪
819
00:39:50,583 --> 00:39:53,875
- It didn't take long
for his popularity to rise,
820
00:39:54,000 --> 00:39:56,083
especially with women.
821
00:39:56,208 --> 00:39:59,792
- And women, by the mid-century
mark in the 20th century,
822
00:39:59,875 --> 00:40:02,167
had the majority
of the electorate
823
00:40:02,292 --> 00:40:03,500
here in Massachusetts.
824
00:40:03,625 --> 00:40:05,583
They were about 51%.
825
00:40:05,708 --> 00:40:08,958
And so this was the great
untapped political resource
826
00:40:09,042 --> 00:40:10,375
in Massachusetts politics.
827
00:40:10,500 --> 00:40:13,333
So Kennedy immediately
targeted them.
828
00:40:13,500 --> 00:40:16,750
- I went with him
to hear him speak
829
00:40:16,875 --> 00:40:19,667
to a group
of Gold Star mothers,
830
00:40:19,833 --> 00:40:22,833
all who had lost a son
or a daughter
831
00:40:22,958 --> 00:40:25,167
in World War II.
832
00:40:25,333 --> 00:40:28,208
He said, I think I know
how you feel...
833
00:40:28,333 --> 00:40:30,000
♪ ♪
834
00:40:30,167 --> 00:40:34,333
Because my mother
is a Gold Star mother, too.
835
00:40:34,500 --> 00:40:38,667
But I never witnessed
such a reaction.
836
00:40:38,750 --> 00:40:40,958
They all leave their seats.
837
00:40:41,042 --> 00:40:44,792
And I can hear them
saying that he reminded them...
838
00:40:44,875 --> 00:40:48,458
of their own John
or Joe or Pat,
839
00:40:48,583 --> 00:40:52,000
the loved one they had lost.
840
00:40:52,125 --> 00:40:56,083
- He went to church basements
and ice cream socials,
841
00:40:56,250 --> 00:40:59,292
and he just worked harder
than his opponents did.
842
00:40:59,417 --> 00:41:01,542
I mean,
he literally outworked them.
843
00:41:16,042 --> 00:41:20,250
- He could be a fellow who
just sort of sits on things,
844
00:41:20,375 --> 00:41:22,125
who lets his staff,
845
00:41:22,250 --> 00:41:25,250
who lets his father's friends
do all the heavy lifting,
846
00:41:25,375 --> 00:41:27,833
but that is not his style.
847
00:41:27,917 --> 00:41:32,417
- The one thing about Kennedys
is they will get up
848
00:41:32,542 --> 00:41:34,667
an hour before everybody else,
849
00:41:34,792 --> 00:41:38,667
and they will go to bed an hour
later than everybody else.
850
00:41:38,792 --> 00:41:42,042
And if everybody else
does three stops a day,
851
00:41:42,208 --> 00:41:43,333
they'll do five.
852
00:41:43,458 --> 00:41:45,542
♪ ♪
853
00:41:45,708 --> 00:41:48,250
- He knew, I think,
in his heart
854
00:41:48,375 --> 00:41:50,958
that he was destined
for greater things.
855
00:41:51,083 --> 00:41:53,750
He realized
that if he applied himself,
856
00:41:53,875 --> 00:41:55,333
great things would follow.
857
00:41:55,458 --> 00:41:57,875
♪ ♪
858
00:41:58,042 --> 00:42:00,292
- Next on "Kennedy"..
859
00:42:00,417 --> 00:42:02,167
- Well, politics is
about opportunity
860
00:42:02,250 --> 00:42:03,667
and seizing the moment.
861
00:42:03,792 --> 00:42:05,417
Kennedy saw this as his moment.
862
00:42:05,542 --> 00:42:07,333
- He was looking to forge
a political identity.
863
00:42:07,542 --> 00:42:09,042
- His father had money,
864
00:42:09,167 --> 00:42:11,750
but money
doesn't always win campaigns.
865
00:42:11,833 --> 00:42:14,417
You have to work really hard.
866
00:42:14,542 --> 00:42:18,000
- But Kennedy oftentimes
had trouble walking.
867
00:42:18,125 --> 00:42:20,667
- Jack can barely stand,
868
00:42:20,750 --> 00:42:24,708
and he campaigns
from morning to night.
869
00:42:24,833 --> 00:42:27,833
- Jackie was this amazing
figure in his life.
870
00:42:28,042 --> 00:42:30,583
You know, this looks
like a royal wedding.
871
00:42:30,708 --> 00:42:35,417
- Jack's promiscuity
is learned as a young man.
872
00:42:35,542 --> 00:42:37,292
- She knew
what she was getting into.
873
00:42:37,375 --> 00:42:39,875
♪ ♪
64327
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