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J. F. Kennedy

On November 22nd, 1963 John Fitzgerald Kennedy, the President of the United States, was assassinated. The man, who was accused of murdering the President, was Lee Harvey Oswald. There are many speculations to whether Oswald did murder the President, and if it was a conspiracy, but it was proven later that it was him acting alone. Kennedy was the youngest man ever elected President in the United States of America. He was the thirty-fifth president of the United States. While President he had many accomplishments; one was the constructing of the Berlin Wall which divided East and West Berlin. Before his presidential campaigning, he was a marine, a very heroic marine at that. He married Jacqueline Lee Bouvier in 1953. They had 3 children, one that was born prematurely and died soon after its birth. On November 22nd 1963 the President was in Dallas, Texas campaigning to get more votes. He was on his way to luncheon riding in a convertible with his wife next to him, the Texas Governor in front of him and two cars behind was the Vice-President Lyndon Johnson. There were large crowds around the motorcade as he passed through the streets. When traveling under an underpass two shots were fired at the motorcade. Kennedy was struck in the neck with the first bullet and it traveled right through his neck, then hit the Governor of Texas in the back. The second bullet struck the President in the head. The President’s wife then put the president’s head on her lap and the vehicle rushed to the nearest hospital. The President had never regained consciousness and approximately thirty minutes later, at 1:00 PM, he was pronounced dead. Lyndon B. Johnson was pronounced the thirty-sixth U.S. President two hours later. The shots that killed Kennedy were shot from a nearby warehouse from the sixth floor. Lee Harvey Oswald was an employee at the warehouse and was taken into custody. Oswald was then charged with the murder of the President and the murder of a police officer who was shot shortly after. Two days after he was arrested, while being transferred to a different jail, he was shot in the chest. Jack Ruby, a nightclub owner, fired the shot. His transfer was being broadcasted on national television, which let millions watch his death. Ironically Oswald died at the same hospital as the President had. Jack Ruby was then charged with murder. The President was buried on November 24th, 1963. He was carried by a horse-drawn caisson from the White House to the Rotunda of the Capitol. Many hundreds of thousands of people walked past the bier of the slain president. A state funeral was held three days later, representatives from ninety-two nations attended. Over a million people stood on the streets while the funeral procession went to Arlington National Cemetery. The grave was marked by a burning torch that his wife and his brothers had lit. President Johnson appointed, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, Earl Warren the chairman of an investigation into the assassination of Kennedy. Their final conclusion was “The shots which killed President Kennedy and wounded the Governor of Texas were fire by Lee Harvey Oswald.” It has been said that it was not Oswald who killed the President or that Oswald was a part of a conspiracy to kill the President. There are not that many facts to back these propositions. In contradiction there are facts that Lee Harvey Oswald did murder the President. The FBI found that Oswald bought a rifle, the rifle that assassinated Kennedy. The FBI also found a mail order application purchasing the rifle that had handwriting on it which matched Oswald’s handwriting. On the mail order application was a return address, which was one that Oswald had held under an assumed name. Later in the investigation police found a photograph of Oswald which answered many questions. It showed the rifle, which was thought to be the one used in the assassination of the President, and the revolver, which was suspected to be the one that killed the police officer. Law enforcement officers had many witnesses that told them Oswald was in the building that the shots came from. Witnesses also say that he had taken a wrapped package, which apparently had the rifle inside. Police said that Oswald bought the rifle for $12.78. While the rifle was being transported to be examined and it was vital that it was kept in sight at all times. For that reason there was a FBI agent who was assigned to not take his eyes off of the rifle. The rifle, when it was examined, went through various tests. Lee Harvey Oswald was rightfully convicted of the murder of the President. The assassination of Kennedy has been referred to, as one of the most debatable murders of 19th century. Interestingly enough the murder itself did not attract as much attention as the investigation. Word Count: 819

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