A Day with JFK

John Fitzgerald Kennedy, the 35th President of the United States of America, was unquestionably one of the greatest orators of the 20th Century, and perhaps of all time. No President in history got people's attention when he spoke like Kennedy did. One of his greatest speeches contained this JFK original: "My fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you-- ask, rather, what you can do for your country. My fellow citizens of the world: Ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man."

President Kennedy visited Arkansas on October 3, 1963, some seven weeks before he was assassinated in Dallas, Texas. His Arkansas visit was one of his last public appearances before his death. The occasion was the dedication of Greers Ferry Dam at Heber Springs, Arkansas, a new dam and power generation project built by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. President Kennedy accepted an invitation to deliver the dedicatory address.

It turned out to be a beautiful sunny Thursday afternoon when Kennedy arrived in Heber Springs. A photographer and writer for the Searcy Daily Citizen, Searcy, Arkansas, I secured a press
pass to photograph the President from the press area along with photographers and writers from the Washington Press that accompanied Kennedy wherever he went. An unusually warm but otherwise beautiful Fall day awaited President Kennedy, who had spent that morning and the previous day making speeches in Little Rock and at Little Rock Air Force Base in Jacksonville. An Air Force helicopter airlifted Kennedy to an open field adjacent to the dam site. A crowd of some 10,000 people cheered the President's arrival.

Standing next to Kennedy on a platform stage overlooking Greers Ferry Dam were Arkansas Governor Orval Faubus and the Arkansas Congressional delegation of U.S. Senator John L. McClellan, U.S. Senator J. William Fulbright and U.S. Congressman Wilbur D. Mills. President Kennedy praised the Arkansas Congressional delegation, saying that "pound for pound it is the strongest delegation in Congress." Kennedy said the $46.7 million dam and its hydroelectric generators would mean jobs and wealth for those growing up in the area over the next 20 years. "We as Americans should strive to make a better life for those who come after us," Kennedy said. "Building dams like Greers Ferry is one way to do that.This is a great country that was given to us and a great land. It is our job to make the most of it, to develop our power, provide recreation for our people and to make sure we can take those steps now to insure a bright future for those that follow us."

Writers from the Washington Press Corps had come to Arkansas expecting President Kennedy to announce some new revelation about the Cuban Crisis. But President Kennedy's speech didn't touch on that topic or offer any other big news announcements. Kennedy made it clear he was in Arkansas just to dedicate this dam. His speech was well received by the crowd but it was somewhat mundane for a Kennedy speech.

After his address, the President went to a nearby tent where 3,000 persons had bought tickets to eat barbecued chicken with him. Kennedy didn't eat, however, and after a brief speech, he walked outside the tent and began shaking hands with throngs of people who had lined up against a fence to get another glimpse of the young President. Most of the crowd was friendly, but a few student protestors were seen carrying signs like "Kennedy for King, Goldwater for President" and "Does your daddy work for a living? Naw, he's related to Kennedy." After a few minutes of handshaking, Kennedy was carried by car to the helicopter and his Arkansas visit was over. Little Rock radio station KAAY, a popular AM rock station at the time, without interruption began playing the song, "Fools Rush In," a 1960s pop song by Ricky Nelson. Those of us listening in wondered if that song selection was intentional.

I thought I had really done something great (that's the back of my head at the bottom of the top color picture) by being able to sit with the Washington writers and photographers and take pictures of Kennedy. I rushed home beaming with pride after seeing this great President in person. I couldn't wait to tell my Mother where I had been. "So you were there too?" my Mother said. "A friend of mine asked me to ride up there with her to see the President, and guess what, I got to shake Kennedy's hand." I should have known...my Mother was always one step ahead of me.

Some seven weeks later, on November 22, 1963, President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, Texas. Where were you and what were you doing when you heard about Kennedy being shot and killed? This is no joke. I was a college freshman attending American history class and the topic of discussion for that day's class was the succession to the presidency in the event of a president's death or inability to serve. About halfway through the class, another student entered the room and gave us the news that Kennedy had been shot. We were all shocked beyond belief, and the instructor immediately dismissed the class. I went to my car and listened to the saddening details about Kennedy on my car radio. If you have something to share about the Kennedy shooting, e-mail me on page 2 and I will share your story along with others who will never forget the day President Kennedy was assassinated--November 22, 1963.