This Is What Happened Immediately After JFK’s Assassination
By: Sal Writes
Tags: World, President, History, Assassination, United States

This Is What Happened Immediately After JFK’s Assassination

Photo Credits: The Guardian

President John F. Kennedy (JFK) was the 35th President of the United States of America. He was shot to death in Dallas, Texas, on November 22nd, 1963. America and the world were stunned. There was an outpour of grief from all around the world.

Background

The next presidential elections were just around the corner. President John F. Kennedy and his political advisers had started gearing up for the next presidential campaign. While Kennedy had not officially declared his contention yet, it was pretty evident that he would contest the upcoming elections. Kennedy was quite confident in his chances for re-election too.

Campaigning

As the fall of 1963 approached, Kennedy began his campaign. The campaign required him to speak in nine western states of the United States of America over a span of less than a week. The preparations were in full swing. This trip to the West primarily focused on two things. For one, the President voiced themes for his presidential run in 1964. The themes included education, world peace, and national security. Secondly, this was a channel for putting the spotlight on conservation practices to ensure sustainability and natural resources.

One month after the trip to the West, Kennedy spoke in democratic gatherings in Philadelphia and Boston. He emphasized how imperative it would be for him to win over Florida and Texas to win the election. Hence, this was followed by him planning his trips to the two states within the next two weeks. One of his aims in arranging these trips was to gather democratic groups together. He was also aware that there were small but vocal extremist groups that were forming tensions in Texas and had the potential to be seen and heard too despite their weak strength. These groups were mostly located in Dallas. After touring and addressing people in San Antonio, Houston, and Fort Worth, the presidential party landed in Dallas after a thirty-minute flight. The president had scheduled to address people at a luncheon at Trade Mart the same day. The motorcade left the airport. On their way, excited crowds had gathered on the streets of Downtown, waving at the Kennedy family.

Friday, November 22nd, 1963–12:30 pm

President John F. Kennedy moved through Downtown Dallas’s Dealey Plaza on the afternoon of November 22nd. Just as the president passed the Texas School Book Depository building, three shots were fired at the President’s convertible Lincoln Continental. Immediately after the sound of the first shot was heard, Clint Hill, a Secret Service Agent, ran towards the presidential limousine from his assigned position at the bumper of the car that followed. Before he could get there, the president had been shot thrice. The third and final shot is believed to be the one that completely shattered the president’s skull.

Photo Credits: KHOU

After the final shot, the president’s wife, Jackie, panicked and reflexively tried to climb out of the passenger seat and onto the trunk of the car. It was at this point that Agent Hill was finally able to grab hold of the rear of the car and pushed Jackie back into the rear seat just as the automobile sped away. They were taken to the Parkland Hospital. Jackie recalled speaking to her husband in an interview she gave later stating things like

“Jack, can you hear me?” and “I love you, Jack.”

Agent Hill later claimed that had he been stationed on the bumper of the president’s car rather than the car that followed up, perhaps he would have been successful in saving President John F. Kennedy.

Oswald escapes within 90 seconds after the assassination

After firing three shots at the motorcade from the sixth floor of the Texas School Book Depository, Lee Harvey Oswald hid his rifle amongst some stack of books. He went down a nearby staircase in the building and ninety seconds later encountered a Dallas policeman and a supervisor in a lunchroom on the second floor. Oswald was allowed to leave because there was no reason to be suspicious of him yet.

Three minutes post-shooting

The authorities had begun sealing off the entire area. Three minutes later, Oswald left the building. He boarded a city bus, but the chaotic consequences of the assassination had created a lot of traffic. It is for this reason that he had to get off the city bus and get into a taxi to ride to his house which was located in the neighboring area of Oak Cliff. The building’s housekeeper saw him entering his room and coming out only a few moments later with a jacket on.

Fifteen minutes post-assassination

Robert Kennedy — the president’s brother — was reported to be having lunch miles away in Virginia fifteen minutes later. Just then, he was called by FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover without a dash of emotion and was informed about his brother being shot. The director assured him that he would provide him more information about the incident and the president’s injury when he knew more about it. He hung up.

Friday, November 22nd, 1963–12:38 pm

Photo Credits: The History Place

The limousine arrived at the Parkland Hospital. The president was rushed into the trauma room to figure out how much damage had the shots done to his skull. It was too late. Twelve minutes after the President had been taken into the trauma room, he was declared dead. The dead body was placed into a hastily acquired coffin. Jackie and the president’s entourage insisted on taking the body home but were confronted with Dallas’s Medical examiner Earl Rose. Rose informed them that the Texas State Law called for an autopsy to be performed before he could be taken away. The situation grew serious as Jackie refused to oblige and wait. Regardless of the truth, the casket was taken away to an airport at Love Field and was flown out of the jurisdiction.

Friday, November 22nd, 1963 — shortly after 1:00 pm

Oswald left his rooming house shortly after 1 pm and walked around the neighborhood aimlessly. At 1:15, he was seen at the intersection of Patton and 10th street where he was confronted by a Dallas police officer named J. D. Tippet. He spoke to the officer through the window of the car. Later, the officer left his vehicle and started walking towards Oswald. Seeing this, Oswald took out his gun and shot the officer four times.

A massive police team showed up in the area after this confrontation where Oswald behaved in an incredibly suspicious fashion. His suspicious behavior caught a nearby shoe store’s employee’s attention. His name was Johnny Brewer. He had heard sirens in the vicinity. Because of this, Brewer decided to follow Oswald. Oswald became aware of the fact that he was being followed and he rushed into the nearest movie theater without paying for a ticket. Brewer followed and informed the theater management. This resulted in the management calling the police.

Dallas police reached the theater. The movie showing was stopped, and the lights were turned on. A patrolman named Nick McDonald sent in a few patrons and finally managed to make his way to the wall beside which Oswald was seated. The moment Oswald was asked to stand up, he started shouting “it is all over now!” He then jumped at the officer and punched him several times while trying to get a hold of the officer’s gun with the other hand. Oswald was taken out of the theater as other officers managed to pull him away from Nick McDonald. The authorities had already started assembling the clues of the president’s assassination and putting them together with Oswald’s odd and suspicious behavior.

Photo Credits: Reddit

Friday, November 22nd, 1963–2:38 pm

Sarah T. Hughes — a Federal Judge appointed by John F. Kennedy a few months earlier — swore in Lyndon Baines Johnson as the 36th President of the United States of America.

Friday, November 22nd, 1963–6:00 pm

Air Force One arrived at Andrews Airforce Base. The president’s coffin was removed from the plane and loaded into an ambulance while the whole country watched it happen live. Robert Kennedy managed to reach his family and exited the plane with Jackie. Johnson spoke to the reporters for a while. At this point in time, Jackie was still in the same outfit she had been wearing her husband was shot. It was covered in dry blood particularly the blood super visible on her skirt.

Friday, November 22nd, 1963 — night

Oswald was officially charged for the shooting of Officer Tippet.

Saturday, November 23rd, 1963 — morning

Since Oswald had been formally charged the previous night, a hearing occurred regarding the murder of the president. Lee Oswald claimed during a news conference that he was being charged without being guilty and that he was not to be blamed for the president’s murder. He dusted the blame off on the ground that the only thing he had done was carry a pistol in a movie theater and that is not equivalent to being charged for the president’s assassination. To quote his own words: “I am just a patsy.” He kept pleading his innocence but the conspiracy theories were spreading like wildfire.

Photo Credits: Pinterest

Having said that, Lee Harvey Oswald’s suspicious attitude was seen as way more magnified due to particularly three alarming things. Oswald was found to have been a marine sharpshooter back in the day. He was also found to be a former resident of the Soviet Union. Moreover, the fact that Oswald had been a Marxist agitator further fostered the cloud of suspicion around him. Oswald, however, upheld his innocence throughout his time in jail.

Sunday, November 24th, 1963

President Kennedy’s dead body — in the casket — was brought to the US Capitol building. A funeral procession accompanied it which included members of the Kennedy family, hundreds of government dignitaries, and members of the Armed Forces. A rough estimate of the number of people who were present to watch the funeral is said to be around one million. Over two hundred and fifty thousand general public members were allowed to pay respects over the next twenty-four hours. Despite extremely cold temperatures and a freezing environment, the line of people who showed up to pay their respects stretched to over two miles. Thousands of people were unable to get access once the viewing concluded and left waiting, unfortunately.

The Dallas police decided to transfer Oswald to another jail location from their downtown headquarters. As much as it was done for his safety, it ultimately led to his death. Ironic, indeed. On his way to the basement of this new jail, despite being accompanied by officers, he was shot by a Dallas nightclub owner called Jack Ruby. The entire country witnessed the shooting because it was broadcasted live on television.

Oswald died on the operating table at the Parkland Hospital after briefly fighting for his life. It was the same hospital President John Kennedy had died in a few days earlier. While it is safe to say that Ruby’s behavior has been seen and observed in a ridiculously suspicious light, it is also evident that there have been less mysterious descriptions defending his actions. Many people believe that killing Oswald was Ruby’s impulsive decision on the ground that it would perhaps make him a hero.

Monday, November 25th, 1963

John F. Kennedy’s mass funeral took place at Saint Matthew’s Cathedral. More than twelve hundred guests were present. Just when the funeral was about to end, the casket was brought down the steps of the Cathedral to give a glimpse of it to the members of the Kennedy family. Since the children were too young to be allowed to attend the burial, it was heartbreaking to realize that this moment was the final time the children saw their father’s casket. As it passed by, the little son saluted his father’s casket upon Jackie whispering something into his ear. This gesture became a definitive visual moment for the generations of the 20th century. It is remembered as an incredibly iconic and heartfelt moment between a son and his father.

Photo Credits: Pinterest

The casket was transported to the Arlington National Cemetery. It was accompanied by leaders of ninety-nine different countries in a parade. While many people insisted that Kennedy should be buried in his birthplace of Brookline Massachusetts, Jackie believed otherwise after having toured Arlington on the grounds that the president belonged to the people of his state. Kennedy was buried on a dominant slope beside the Custis Lee mansion.

During the funeral, a flame was constantly lit as a memorial to the murdered president. The year that followed the burial witnessed three thousand people visit the fallen president’s grave each hour. Three years later, an estimate of about sixteen million people was noted to have visited to pay their respects.

While JFK’s funeral was seen by the entire nation and he was being buried under the light of the nation’s respects and prayers, Oswald’s funeral was being hurriedly managed in Texas the same day. Oswald’s funeral ceremony was attended by his wife, mother, brother, and two young children alone. The presidential assassin was buried at the Rose Hill Cemetery. The funeral, however, was also largely attended by federal agents, police, and reporters to cover the burial. His rest has not been peaceful even after his death.

There have been unfortunate incidents that exemplify his unrest even after he died. Oswald’s gravestone was stolen as a prank in 1967. In 1981, there were rumors surrounding the conspiracy theories that Oswald’s grave had someone else’s body in it instead of his own. His buried body was exhumed because his ex-wife insisted on verifying his presence in the grave. A childhood scar and dental records confirmed that it was Oswald’s body in the grave.

Final Thoughts

In conclusion, there are varying views about the assassination. Some people are of the belief that Oswald died the death he deserved, while others question if he was really given the right to prove himself innocent to even begin with. Having said that, it is true that Kennedy’s murder has gone down in history and it will be remembered forever. Kennedy’s murder has stirred conversations because his death constituted dramatic and alarming moments ranging from his funeral to finding the person who assassinated him. The fallout of these events has had political, historical, and social implications that are relevant even today.