Letters to Jackie (9 page)

CHRISTMAS 1963

Dear Mrs. Kennedy

I do not know if you will actually see this yourself but I hope very much that you will read the enclosed copy of a letter I received from my daughter who is teaching English in the Peace Corps in Ethiopia. She expresses what we all feel and I think you would like to read her letter.

I wish you and your wonderful children the very best. I have the greatest admiration for you and know that you will make a fine new life for yourself and your family.

Very sincerely,
(Mrs. John) Anna Lounsbery

November 23

Dear Mom—

Even the Ethiopian sky is in mourning today, and it was raining last night when President Kennedy died. We were having a housewarming party for the nurses when Ron came in with the news. We didn’t believe him until he turned on the radio—we sat in silent horror and each time the words were repeated it was a new shock—and still is today, and will be for a long time to come, for presidents aren’t assassinated in the modern world. I remember that you cried when Roosevelt died, but of course it meant nothing to me. I feel now as if a member of my family had died. In a very real sense he was our idol; he is the reason for our being here—his idealism, his courage. It is difficult being away from home at a time
like this, yet in a way, it is even more meaningful, for we can sense and see the deep sorrow and respect for this great man felt by foreigners—people who never knew him, but know of and about him. Flags are flying at half mast, radios are playing masses and requiems, our Ethiopian friends have come quietly to express their grief, His and Her Highnesses had an audience with us to show their sorrow. The irony of Lincoln, first champion of civil rights and equality, being killed by a maniac, and now Kennedy—so much like him, both being succeeded by Johnson, a hundred years ago it was called the Reconstruction period, and indeed, that is what the years to come will be—a period to reconstruct and attempt to follow the patterns of thought and action so vigorously set down by Kennedy. Truly, the greatest tribute anyone could pay to this man is to shake off complacency, examine one’s own heart and mind, and dedicate oneself to the cause of peace, and the eradication of poverty, disease, and inequality. The world is hurt, angry, and weeps. Shall he have lived and died in vain; shall he be a martyr? Surely history will be changed—I pray that we may all learn from him, and work better because of him.

With Love, Annie

16, JAN. 1964
PITTSBURGH, PA 15227

My dear Mrs. Kennedy;

I realize with the tremendous amount of mail you are receiving—it is impossible for you to read it all.

Never the less—I sincerely hope you will be able to read this one.

Last Nov. 30, we received a letter from our son, who is in the U.S. Army Signal Corps—stationed in Mannheim Germany.

We think it is a beautiful letter, and would like to share it with you.

When we first received it—I considered sending it to you—but didn’t.

Now, at the suggestion of many friends & neighbors who have read it—I am sending you a copy. (I just cant part with the original letter!).

May God Bless You And Your Family,

Respectully,
Mrs. M. F. Melder

Mannheim, Germany
26, Nov. 1963

Dear Mom and Dad,

Now that all the tragedy is over—or at least I pray to the Almighty Spirit that it is over—I begin a letter of condolence. And that is as it should be; for we are Americans.

Any eulogy that I may attempt will fall short of those already made, and also far short of what is necessary. He is dead. The President is dead, and he has just been buried. He now becomes history. I am crying now because my President is dead, final and forever. If he had not gone to Dallas; if he’d been sick that day; if it had rained the bubble would have been up. If, if…we might have had his leadership a little longer. If a cruel, cool, selfish animal had not wanted to rob us of our hope and our temperament, then we would not know this loss.

I had the good fortune to see the funeral walk to the church via Telstar in Christa’s home and I felt pride. Proud of all the world’s leaders paying tribute; proud of the bright sunny day in our Nation’s Capitol; proud of the more than three-quarters of a million Americans paying silent tribute, and proud; deeply proud of his widow, herself proud and strident in grief; as it should be, for she is of a noble family.

We did not see the funeral service, or anything that followed. We were then in Berlin, in a massive square; acres of faces, some young and alert, some old and crying, some straining to see, some with their heads bowed and all quiet, all these
many, many people. Two speakers spoke and although I do not speak good German, I understood. I understood every pause, every choke, and every gesture. I understood the signs in the crowd, reading “Wir haben einen gute freund verloren” (We have lost a good friend), and “J.F.K. er war eine Berliner” (J.F.K. was a Berliner), and I understood the speakers restating the phrase, “Ich bin eine Berliner”—with feeling and grief. A silent large photograph of him, taken during his famous trip, being over the scene and then the speakers stopped, and the camera switched rapidly to an American soldier, in full dress. He slowly lifted the bugle to his lips and played taps, and I was proud. My chin was high and the salt tears flowed, as they are now. Then all the lights went out, and then came suddenly on, lighting up this huge square as John F. Kennedy Platz—which I Will See. An hour later they lit the eternal light over his grave, lighting a way to freedom, and to peace.

This whole hideous thing need not have happened. But it did and we, too, are a part of this history; part of its horrible beginning and part of its peaceful end.

Love, Ray
Lt. Raymond A. Melder

A
s Americans absorbed the shock of President Kennedy’s assassination, the President’s body was brought back to Washington, D.C., on Air Force One, leaving Dallas less than two hours and twenty minutes after the assassination. Vice President Lyndon Johnson took the oath of office as the nation’s thirty-sixth President aboard the aircraft before its departure. The return of Air Force One to Andrews Air Force Base near 6 p.m. (EST) was televised live, and it was a shocking scene for many observers. Jacqueline Kennedy deplaned wearing the same pink suit she had worn in Dallas, her skirt, jacket, and stockings
visibly smeared with her husband’s blood. Throughout the day she had rejected entreaties from those who urged her to change her blood-stained clothing, especially as she stood next to President Johnson during his swearing in. Ignoring a white dress laid out for her on Air Force One, which she expected to wear on the last part of their trip to Austin, she asked herself why she would “want the blood off?” “Let them see what they’ve done,” she later remembered concluding. Now accompanied by Robert Kennedy, who awaited Air Force One’s arrival in Washington, she rode in an ambulance with her husband’s body to Bethesda Naval Hospital, where an autopsy was performed.

In truth, a sense of guilt and responsibility settled quickly upon more than a few Americans within hours of the President’s assassination. Acutely conscious that much attention was focused on Dallas, those who lived in the city expressed particular anguish in letters written on the very day of the assassination. Several anticipated that Texans would be blamed for Kennedy’s murder and expressed sadness at the judgment they expected to be leveled. “Most persons outside the state will bitterly feel that it could only have happened in Texas,” one woman from Midland predicted. Others internalized this expectation and felt terrible remorse. A few Americans imagined that their own actions, or inaction, on the day or night before the President’s death—no matter how small and seemingly unrelated to the tragedy—had caused the murder of the President. “I feel in some way I could have been some what at fault,” one individual explained. “Each night I use to pray for your husband to protect us with God’s help. Last night I stayed late went to bed without saying my prayer. When I heard this about our great leader I was so sorry I did not pray. This I will never do again. God help me.”

NOVEMBER 22, 1963

DALLAS, TEXAS

My dear Mrs. Kennedy:

I have never before written to a Congressman, President or any type of Statesman. In fact, in my thirty some years of living I have never DONE MUCH OF ANYTHING, except vote, toward being an American or making this Country a better place in which to live.

Today, however, my heart is SO HEAVY I feel I must express myself to you. I feel I must tell you how VERY ASHAMED I am to be living in this city. Dallas—a city of cultural background—a city of colleges, schools and supposedly intelligent people. God would that I could move from this place this hour.

I happened to be downtown this noon, and took the time from my work to stand on the street to take a look at a man and woman that I have LOVED for 3 years. I am SO GLAD now that I did, for never in my life have I admired and respected a man more than I did (and do) JOHN F. KENNEDY. In my opinion, he was the most outstanding individual that this Country has been able to produce in hundreds of years.

All of this means nothing to you now, I am sure of that, but my dear lady—I was moved to tell you that there are of us in this terrible city of ours who LOVED your husband very much. We have cried (literally) bitter tears over this day. May God forgive those who brought this shame to our city—to our Country.

I would like to extend to you, Mr. Kennedy’s family, your family the most sincere and heart-felt sorrow that is felt by me, my Mother, and many thousands of others in this hour. I only wish it were possible for a humble, small person such as I to bring this message of sympathy to you in person. Of course this is not possible, but I pray that my letter DOES reach you personally.

Most Sincerely Yours,
Robert L. Wood

DENTON, TEXAS
1:10 P.M.
NOV. 22, 1963

From a student of North Texas State University

The radio sat in the window of the second floor dorm window blaring out the sad news that our President had been shot! People
walking around in twos and threes stopped their happy chattering and stood silently on the street, waiting—listening—wondering—praying. It was a beautiful fall day—it was almost like spring—so balmy and lovely was the day, but a glum palor hung over the campus of NTSU. Cars drove slowly by, some stopped to listen, classes were excused, all activity on NTSU campus halted as we waited. We had thoughts only of our President. All Texans are ashamed of Dallas. God help our President.

He is dead! God receive his soul.

Mrs. Kennedy, I love you and I will pray for you.

God Bless You,
Eileen Mitchell

NOVEMBER 22, 1963

LOWRY AIR FORCE BASE

COLORDA

Dear Mrs. Kennedy

I know this is a time of great stress to you and your family.

I do ask of you to for give my poor attempt of expression.

I am an airman receiving training at Lowry Air Force Base, Colorda. I have served under your husband for four mounth before this tragic happening. The men in my Barracks feel as I do of you and your late husband.

At the news of his death there was a emence silance through out the barracks everyone was sick in side. This sickness was noticable in everyone upon this base. The sickness ranged amoung airmen and officers alike. All showing the stress of the happening.

Mrs Kennedy, the reason I feel that I sould write is because the happenings of today is thirty miles from my home. I feel great stress up on myself it being so close to my home. It has made a great impression that will last my life time.

I feel If I could be a portion of the man your husband was I would thank God
If I could be as fortunate as your husband to have a wife as you, to be able to stand by me and give me strength and willingness that is needed by a man to be able to make the decision of life, love and happiness of millions of Americans. I would be the greatest man that has come along in many years.

You mean as much, as he did. Mrs Kennedy now you stand strong an pure in the eyes of American and God. upon you you have a strength that many men would give everything they have to possest it. I admire your great strength in time of stress and pray to God it will be as easy as possible upon you and your Family. I pray to God your strength will stand as a simbole to American women.

God be with us that we can make of this country what your husband wished it to be. Our prayers are with you and your family.

Mrs Kennedy as myself speeking for everyone in my Barracks and upon Lowry Air Force Base. Through the President John F. Kennedy this country is untied in God to form a strong and better union that will resist communism and all opression that is brought agest it. Through the love of God and my country I write my most Greaving letter of the most Great man who ever lived.

Airman third class
Kenneth R. Wiggs Jr.
Lowry Air Force Base

YOUTH FOR KENNEDY-JOHNSON
AUSTIN, TEXAS 78723
NOVEMBER 25, 1963

Dear Mrs. Kennedy,

There are no words in any language to express truly our grief and the sympathy we wish to extend to you and your family on the death of your husband, the President—our President. We Texans pride ourselves in our state, and that such a perverted act would happen here doubles the weight of grief in our hearts. We in the organization have our own
personal sorrows, too, for we hold a seemingly stronger bond to Mr. Kennedy than others.

Here in Texas—here in our city the sunsets are blood red and the streets flow with tears. The only sound heard is that of crystal silence, rippled occasionally by a single bell that tolls a solemn requiem for our President John F. Kennedy. Our prayers are with you, your small children, and the other members of your family, and also the deepest hope that somewhere in your private heart you can find that enabling you to forgive the twisted mind, to forgive Texas, and to forgive us, the nation.

In deepest sympathy,
The Youth for Kennedy-Johnson
Marcy Wentworth
Deputy Corresponding Secy.