Day trip into Boston (06-05-13)

“A man may die, nations may rise and fall, but an idea lives on”  -JFK

We took advantage of the semi-nice weather, picked up Stephen and headed into Boston.  Our destination was the JFK Presidential Library.  After being impressed by the Carter Library, I was interested to see the Kennedy one.

I was 4 years old when he was assassinated and my only real memories of him are of those last few days.  I remember looking at the TV and instead of seeing the cartoons I expected, I saw his funeral procession.   I remember seeing the caparisoned horse with the backwards boot (used to signify a fallen leader), and thinking that maybe everyone was sad because the rider fell off the horse. This picture is of Ronald Reagan’s funeral.

First on the agenda was the introductory movie, which gave a synopsis of JFK’s life up till his run for the presidency.













 

One of the biggest challenges of the JFK administration was, of course, the Cuban Missile Crisis. Unbeknownst to most people, Kennedy secretly recorded many conversations that took place in the Oval office.

This special exhibit had several stations where you could listen to excerpts of conversations recorded during the crisis. The conversations start with discussions about the possibility that the Russians are building a nuclear missile base on Cuba.  In the excerpt, you hear the President receive confirmation from military advisors that photos have shown a base being built.

What followed were conversations over the course of the 13 day crisis, that detailed the decisions that were made in the White House, and what information the decisions were based on. Listening to the debate over what, if any action, should be taken by the U.S. was fascinating.  Ideas ranging from attacking Cuba/Russia to waiting and doing nothing, were debated and discussed.  




In the end, the decision was made to institute a military blockade (called a quarantine because “blockade” was considered to be an act of war). A very tense period ensued, until an agreement was finally reached between the U.S and Russia for the removal of the missiles.

The JFK library sits on prime real estate overlooking Boston harbor. The museum was good, but not in comparison to the Carter Library. After discussing it, I realized it was mostly because Kennedy was not President for very long, and of course, he died at such a young age, there isn’t as much material to showcase.

So, now our daughter Jessica has arrived, and a whirlwind 4 day visit has begun.