Sixty Years Ago

Many of those Democrats, especially the committee heads in the Senate, were old white redneck racists Like Russell, Stennis, Eastman, Byrd et all who did not like Johnson's progressive social agenda and did whatever possible to sidetrack it. They were DINOs and are essentially the equal of the backwards, redneck Republican southerners of today's Senate.

 

So much time is spent disecting JFK's death - what is more interesting to me is how much it impacted the last 60 years of history. Civil Rights Act, The Great Society, Vietnam, Watergate, not to mention all the baby boomers who were inspired to cash in in on peddling JFK conspiracies, Stone, Reiner et. al.

 

The Story Behind John F. Kennedy Jr.'s Salute at JFK's Funeral

 

Truman and Ike witness the salute

 

Speaking of JFK’s funeral, Jimmy Breslin’s story on the gravedigger.

Digging JFK Grave Was His Honor - Jimmy Breslin

 

The White House Office of Protocol, I believe, has plans ready to go on day one of each administration.
JFK's services were fairly strongly influenced by the ceremonies for FDR, who had died only 18 years before, as well as the historical record of Lincoln.
Bobby and Jackie, I believe, also took quite active roles in planning the rites for JFK. They were both pretty well educated in history as well as intent on enhancing JFK's role in that history.
It's certainly amazing they were in any condition to influence things at all, especially Jackie.
But as you certainly know, sometimes an event of that nature kind of shocks you into clarity. To some extent you may be functioning on automatic control, but if you know something was important to your lost loved ones, you do what you have to do to get it done.

 

I was in a kind of remotely (very remotely) similar situation when my mother died almost 30 years ago. She had been in poor health for several years, but at least apparently had improved somewhat in recent months.
My dad was having some health problems too so when my mom died unexpectedly (although not shockingly) it really hit him hard. I was living about an hour's drive away, and all my siblings were still in college, so my pretty much by default I was impressed into duty organizing most of the details.
I don't think I messed anything up too badly as far as I ever learned. Many people commented they thought the services were nice, appropriate, etc etc. I don't remember much about the process overall.

But yes, to organize (even in small parts) anything like a state funeral in the circumstances of JFK's death ... I can't imagine getting it done.

 

Everyone is different. My dad’s passing wasn’t unexpected. From the time he was gone to the time he was embalmed, I was on a tractor doing work.

 

I've been told by some dedicated deer hunting junkies that the Oswald shots would really have been no big deal for an even moderately decent marksman.