Jackie Kennedy's Bravery on JFK's Assassination Day Is Still Applauded 60 Years After His Death
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This year marks the 60th anniversary of John F. Kennedy’s assassination in Dallas, Texas. The Nov. 22 date is etched in many Americans’ memories for the shocking and devastating loss of the 35th President of the United States, and it’s First Lady Jackie Kennedy’s bravery on that tragic day that is still being praised.
Jackie was sitting next to her husband when the motorcade traveled through the streets of the city in an open-topped limo. Lee Harvey Oswald fired three shots from the sixth floor of the Texas School Book Depository with two shots hitting the president. The country was in turmoil and the first lady understood how important it was to calm everyone’s fears — she had to be the most courageous one of all. Wearing her blood-stained pink suit on Air Force One, Jackie stood by Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson as he was sworn in as the 36th President of the United States. She famously said, “Let them see what they have done” amid her overwhelming grief.
Historian Steve Gillon, author of The Kennedy Assassination–24 Hours After: Lyndon B. Johnson’s Pivotal First Day as President, told People just how meaningful it was for Americans to have Jackie stand by Lyndon B. Johnson after losing her beloved husband. She set aside her grief for the stability of the nation. “She went out in her blood-stained suit and stood next to Lyndon Johnson,” he said. “Despite these horrible circumstances, she was willing to stand for a photo because she understood what it meant for the nation to have continuity in government. She understood that she had a role to play in helping the nation transition to a new president.”
That powerful image symbolized the strength of a nation and “reassured the American people that we had a new president.” Jackie put Americans ahead of her own well-being after witnessing her world change in an instant.
Before you go, click here to see photos of JFK and Jackie O.’s grown-up grandkids.