JFK Jr.

[WalnutBaron]

Nineteen years ago today, we learned of the stunning loss of John Kennedy, Jr. in a plane crash off Martha's Vineyard. The Kennedy family has had more than its share of tragedy, and this loss bit deep for many.

What I always found fascinating about John Jr. was his evident humility and quiet grace. He didn't seek the limelight, though he knew that--by virtue of being the son of a President and a prominent member of one of the most famous families in America--he was a target of the paparazzi wherever he went.

I've always loved this story about John:

When he was in his early 30's, a group of Democrat party leaders approached John to run for an open congressional seat in New York. They put forward all of the reasons it made sense for him to formally begin his political career, and one of them finished by saying, "John, you will be a great man!"

To which John Jr. replied, "I don't want to be a great man. I want to be a good man." That small kernel of wisdom is something that has inspired me to reach higher, and to aspire to goodness.

 

[DaveNV]

I'm of an age where I identified closely with John Jr. I was dumbstruck at his death. When he married and launched his publishing company, I felt he was on to something he could make his own, and perhaps step out of the shadow of his father. When it ended so tragically, it was just so very sad.

Dave

 

[b2bailey]

Just reading this still brings a tear to my eye. What I remember, his death coming so close to the loss of Princess Diana, was thinking how fragile life can be. Began to have a better appreciation of my own life.

 

[SmithOp]

Who can forget the iconic photo of him saluting at his father’s funeral. So much tragedy in a short life.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

 

[Patri]

I took this photo at the JFK Museum in Hyannis in June.

 

[bluehende]

Who can forget the iconic photo of him saluting at his father’s funeral. So much tragedy in a short life.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

I was 7 and the day Kennedy is shot is my first real vivid memory. This photo has always been very meaningful for me over the years.

 

[silentg]

Very sad.

 

[CanuckTravlr]

Thanks for this WalnutBaron. Many memories come flooding back. I remember when they finally found the aircraft and recovered the bodies, watching on TV as the recovery vessel docked at the pier in Falsmouth. It was very eerie, because only 10 days earlier my wife and I had stood near that very pier while we were staying in Cape Cod for a week's holiday. John Jr.'s life had come full circle.

I reflected back on his father's funeral and watching John John (as we knew him then) salute his father's casket as it passed by almost 36 years earlier. I was in high school in Ottawa in grade 9 (a freshman to my American cousins) writing a social studies exam in the gym the morning JFK was shot. Towards the end of the exam I noticed some heightened activity and strange reactions by the teachers monitoring the exam. He had just been shot in Dallas. They waited until the end of the exam to make the announcement.

I rushed home and was glued to the TV set for much of the next 3 days. The hopes of a generation around the world seemed to have been lost. I also remember the tears in the eyes of Walter Cronkite later that day when he had to announce JFK's passing. The beat of the drums during the funeral procession is still burned into my memory (dum-dum-dum-dum-da-da-dum-dum-dum-da-da-dum-dum-dum-da-da-dum-te-dum). The entire world was stunned. He had been such an inspirational figure, inspiring people not just in the USA, but all around the world, perhaps best represented by his words at the end of his address in what was then West Berlin: "ich bin ein Berliner!"

That level of inspiration by an American president to an entire generation of peoples everywhere, mired in the Cold War with the nuclear clock just minutes from midnight, seems to be lacking today. I hope my next statement may not be deemed by the moderators as perhaps being political, but is a genuine plea to take sober stock. As a Canadian and a long-time friend and admirer of the USA, but now saddened at the current state of affairs between the USA and its long-time allies, I would politely ask everyone, including the current President, to remember the famous words of JFK during his inaugural address in 1961: "Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country."

 

[Elli]

Thanks for this WalnutBaron. Many memories come flooding back. I remember when they finally found the aircraft and recovered the bodies, watching on TV as the recovery vessel docked at the pier in Falsmouth. It was very eerie, because only 10 days earlier my wife and I had stood near that very pier while we were staying in Cape Cod for a week's holiday. John Jr.'s life had come full circle.

I reflected back on his father's funeral and watching John John (as we knew him then) salute his father's casket as it passed by almost 36 years earlier. I was in high school in Ottawa in grade 9 (a freshman to my American cousins) writing a social studies exam in the gym the morning JFK was shot. Towards the end of the exam I noticed some heightened activity and strange reactions by the teachers monitoring the exam. He had just been shot in Dallas. They waited until the end of the exam to make the announcement.

I rushed home and was glued to the TV set for much of the next 3 days. The hopes of a generation around the world seemed to have been lost. I also remember the tears in the eyes of Walter Cronkite later that day when he had to announce JFK's passing. The beat of the drums during the funeral procession is still burned into my memory (dum-dum-dum-dum-da-da-dum-dum-dum-da-da-dum-dum-dum-da-da-dum-te-dum). The entire world was stunned. He had been such an inspirational figure, inspiring people not just in the USA, but all around the world, perhaps best represented by his words at the end of his address in what was then West Berlin: "ich bin ein Berliner!"

That level of inspiration by an American president to an entire generation of peoples everywhere, mired in the Cold War with the nuclear clock just minutes from midnight, seems to be lacking today. I hope my next statement may not be deemed by the moderators as perhaps being political, but is a genuine plea to take sober stock. As a Canadian and a long-time friend and admirer of the USA, but now saddened at the current state of affairs between the USA and its long-time allies, I would politely ask everyone, including the current President, to remember the famous words of JFK during his inaugural address in 1961: "Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country."

Very well written - I so agree.

 

[Fitts]

Nineteen years ago today, we learned of the stunning loss of John Kennedy, Jr. in a plane crash off Martha's Vineyard. The Kennedy family has had more than its share of tragedy, and this loss bit deep for many.

What I always found fascinating about John Jr. was his evident humility and quiet grace. He didn't seek the limelight, though he knew that--by virtue of being the son of a President and a prominent member of one of the most famous families in America--he was a target of the paparazzi wherever he went.

I've always loved this story about John:

When he was in his early 30's, a group of Democrat party leaders approached John to run for an open congressional seat in New York. They put forward all of the reasons it made sense for him to formally begin his political career, and one of them finished by saying, "John, you will be a great man!"

To which John Jr. replied, "I don't want to be a great man. I want to be a good man." That small kernel of wisdom is something that has inspired me to reach higher, and to aspire to goodness.

 

[Fitts]

I've read on alternative media sites on the internet that JFK, Jr. could have faked his death and still be alive. It's said that he always took his dog and a flight instructor with him, but didn't that time, for example. If you've read of the mysterious "Q", whoever Q is has made references to JFK, Jr. They say he wanted to bring whoever killed his father to justice. Is it possible? Strange things are happening in these days

 

[silentg]

I've read on alternative media sites on the internet that JFK, Jr. could have faked his death and still be alive. It's said that he always took his dog and a flight instructor with him, but didn't that time, for example. If you've read of the mysterious "Q", whoever Q is has made references to JFK, Jr. They say he wanted to bring whoever killed his father to justice. Is it possible? Strange things are happening in these days

So many theories, but don’t think he faked his death. His wife and sister in law died too.
Whoever killed his father is dead now too! Let them all Rest In Peace.
Silentg

 

[CanuckTravlr]

I've read on alternative media sites.....

One of the big problems with many "alternative" media sites today is that they invoke gossip, innuendo, so-called "conspiracy" theories ad nauseum and often "junk" science. There is usually very little truly factual information to back anything up on these sites. In most cases the logic fails. One of the advantages of the internet is the free flow and sharing of information. One of the big disadvantages of the internet is the lack of in-depth fact-checking that was (and mostly still is) done by the traditional mainstream media.

The reason JFK Jr. usually took a flight instructor with him previously was because for most of the time prior he did not have a full licence to fly solo!! At the time of the accident he only had a total of 350 flying hours, of which only about 100 were solo hours. He also was flying a new, faster, more complex aircraft that night, on which he had only logged 36 hours, less than half of them solo. He only had 10 hours of night flying!! Why he flew that night will never truly be known. A more experienced pilot would likely have altered his route or plans, or stayed on the ground.

While he did turn down a flight instructor who offered to accompany him that night, it was probably more likely due to the fact it was a relatively short flight he had made several times before. That is a more logical conclusion than assuming he was intending to fake his death. Also, it is not as if the body was never found. It also wasn't burned to a crisp (or some other equally bizarre Hollywood plot). Because of the crash, an autopsy was required and the body positively identified, together with his wife and sister-in-law. If he wanted to fake his own death, why would he choose to take them with him? It makes no sense.

He should never have flown that night. A more experienced pilot would have likely changed his plans or at least diverted to a clear airfield. My father was an RCAF pilot and instructor for almost 30 years. He always said the most dangerous time in a pilot's career is between about 200 and 800 hours. You have enough experience to overestimate your capabilities, but usually not enough experience to get yourself out of trouble in a serious situation. JFK Jr. was at the bottom end of that range. There were also a number of other factors that piled up that night to create a recipe for disaster.

He was tired, under stress from a number of issues, and felt an obligation to get to the wedding on time. He had also just had a cast removed the day before from a broken ankle. He was flying a faster, more complex aircraft, with little experience on it and without the aid of a more experienced co-pilot. He left late and was therefore flying in darkness, into bad weather, including a heavy haze, over open water. He was completely inexperienced in nighttime or instrument flying and had no one in the right seat to help him. It is easy for an experienced pilot to become disoriented when he loses sight of the horizon, or whatever reference point he is using. For JFK Jr. it would likely prove to be the final straw.

Conspiracy theories can often be intriguing, or even interesting "alternative" histories. However, most are just that...theories. If they are examined more closely, logic and facts normally break them down.

 

[pedro47]

The John F. Kennedy's Family name needs to just RIP IMHO..

 

[bluehende]

One of the big problems with many "alternative" media sites today is that they invoke gossip, innuendo, so-called "conspiracy" theories ad nauseum and often "junk" science. There is usually very little truly factual information to back anything up on these sites. In most cases the logic fails. One of the advantages of the internet is the free flow and sharing of information. One of the big disadvantages of the internet is the lack of in-depth fact-checking that was (and mostly still is) done by the traditional mainstream media.

The reason JFK Jr. usually took a flight instructor with him previously was because for most of the time prior he did not have a full licence to fly solo!! At the time of the accident he only had a total of 350 flying hours, of which only about 100 were solo hours. He also was flying a new, faster, more complex aircraft that night, on which he had only logged 36 hours, less than half of them solo. He only had 10 hours of night flying!! Why he flew that night will never truly be known. A more experienced pilot would likely have altered his route or plans, or stayed on the ground.

While he did turn down a flight instructor who offered to accompany him that night, it was probably more likely due to the fact it was a relatively short flight he had made several times before. That is a more logical conclusion than assuming he was intending to fake his death. Also, it is not as if the body was never found. It also wasn't burned to a crisp (or some other equally bizarre Hollywood plot). Because of the crash, an autopsy was required and the body positively identified, together with his wife and sister-in-law. If he wanted to fake his own death, why would he choose to take them with him? It makes no sense.

He should never have flown that night. A more experienced pilot would have likely changed his plans or at least diverted to a clear airfield. My father was an RCAF pilot and instructor for almost 30 years. He always said the most dangerous time in a pilot's career is between about 200 and 800 hours. You have enough experience to overestimate your capabilities, but usually not enough experience to get yourself out of trouble in a serious situation. JFK Jr. was at the bottom end of that range. There were also a number of other factors that piled up that night to create a recipe for disaster.

He was tired, under stress from a number of issues, and felt an obligation to get to the wedding on time. He had also just had a cast removed the day before from a broken ankle. He was flying a faster, more complex aircraft, with little experience on it and without the aid of a more experienced co-pilot. He left late and was therefore flying in darkness, into bad weather, including a heavy haze, over open water. He was completely inexperienced in nighttime or instrument flying and had no one in the right seat to help him. It is easy for an experienced pilot to become disoriented when he loses sight of the horizon, or whatever reference point he is using. For JFK Jr. it would likely prove to be the final straw.

Conspiracy theories can often be intriguing, or even interesting "alternative" histories. However, most are just that...theories. If they are examined more closely, logic and facts normally break them down.

Unfortunately every time something happens out of the ordinary (early death in this instance) humans want some explanation that is out of the ordinary. You don't want to believe sh!t happens. Look at every big event in history: pearl harbor, moon landing, all Kennedy early deaths, and 9/11. The conspiracy theories start with the slimmest of things that "do not add up" and a small percentage of people believe them and they gain traction. Every time I hear the phrase "some people think" I always reply with "some people are idiots" even if I agree with what was said.