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John F. Kennedy

by Connor from Granite Bay

"Let us not seek the Republican answer or the Democratic answer, but the right answer. Let us not seek to fix the blame for the past. Let us accept our own responsibility for the future."

On a brisk day, an inauguration speech was presented by John F. Kennedy "And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you--ask what you can do for your country." This speech set a clear expectation of his presidency, and a call to the citizens to be a part of the government. Many people believe that John Fitzgerald Kennedy was famous for being a young, handsome, and charismatic president however he also did many other heroic deeds before he was the 35th president.





At the age of 26 Kennedy commanded a PT 109 boat and his mission was to patrol and intercept the Japanese warships in the Straits near the Islands of Kolumbangara. When Kennedy killed the engine, to avoid detection, he was struck by the warship, The Amagiri, and the PT 109 and within 10 seconds the boat was split in half. However the destroyer never noticed them. While the crew was thrown into dark cold water and Kennedy dived into the water to save three of his crew mates, while swallowing a toxic mixture found in the water. After waiting 12 hours and clinging to the hull of the ship Kennedy ordered everybody to abandon ship and swim to an island just over the horizon. One of his crew mates, McMahon, was injured and unable to swim. Kennedy took it upon himself to tow him three miles to the island. To do so he gave him a life-jacket, put the strap between his teeth and towed McMahon. When he arrived to the island he waited and soon found another island with coconuts, and nutrients to survive, and again towed McMahon. Six days later PT 157 arrived, found them and greeted them warmly. Soon after he was awarded by the Navy and Marine Corps heroism, and received the Purple Heart Medal. This was heroic because he saved the lives of his crew mates and brought them to safety. He even saved his injured crew mate, and risked his own life in the process. He also brought it upon himself to save the crew and bring them to safety. This showed that he was a natural born leader.


Kennedy established the Peace Corps in the 1960 because he believed in assisting developing countries and help limit the spread of communism. He went into the University of Michigan Union and challenged the students to give two years of there life to the Peace Corps. Kennedy thought that if the students led by example then there would be a better tomorrow. The goal of the Peace Corps were to have volunteers go to third world countries and build houses and give essential items to the countries in need. Today, the Peace Corps teach, help agriculture, help fight disease, help build houses, build wells for drinkable water and much more. The Peace Corps are important because they offer and give opportunities to third world countries that would not be presented otherwise. Since 1960, approximately 210,000 Peace Corps volunteers have served in 139 countries including South America, Africa, Latin America, Russia and China. John F. Kennedy is heroic because he understood poor human conditions and poverty in other countries and wanted to help.

In 1962 George Wallace was elected governor promoting his "ultra-segregation platform." This very person said in his inauguration address,"Segregation now! Segregation tomorrow! Segregation forever!" In 1963 he stopped two African American students from enrolling in the University of Alabama by sending state troops to block the enrollment office, that's were John F. Kennedy drew the line. He sent Federalized National Guard Troops to the University and overruled the state troops. Soon after the two students enrolled. This was a extreme stand to segregation. This was a very brave stand because many people still wanted segregation, and it was a very unpopular among them. This could have been one of the leading causes of Kennedy's death. John F. Kennedy set a presidency that believed in human rights, and equality. This also gave hope to African Americans, that one day they might free from segregation.

In a matter of a night the 96 mile Berlin Wall was set up to separate East and West Berlin. Families were separated, and jobs were lost, and wherever you were that night was where you stay the next 28 years. The German Democratic Republic (east) set the Berlin wall up because West Berlin apparently "threatened" their way of eastern way of life. Germany had set up a "capitalist society" and soon after experienced a boom in the economy on the west side. However the Eastern side was communists (west side democracy), and it lacked an economy and basic freedoms. This wall made it so people could not flee from non-communists countries. President Kennedy addressed this and was proud and praised the Berliners for their pursuit of freedom. "Today in the world of freedom, the proudest boast is "Ich bin ein Berliner (I am a Berliner)!" Kennedy related this to the U.S. and their long struggle to gain freedom from Britain. John was proud and said that he had, "known no town, no city that has been besieged for 18 years, and still lives with the vitality and the force and hope... as the city of West Berlin." He was trying to tell West Berlin that the U.S. respected them, and the wall was "an offence to humanity." Kennedy did this because he wanted and felt like it was his duty to help fellow countries into freedom. It also tethered the citizens to a new found hope that maybe they would be free because a huge country was backing them up. 

What is a hero may you ask? A hero is, "a person..., who is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities." For me, I think that a hero is somebody that has insane courage, bravery, leadership,who is not afraid to stand up for people, and has done something that no one has ever done. John Kennedy is a no better example of both definitions. He brought it upon himself to save 11 lives while risking his own, giving hope to citizens of Berlin that one day may be free from communism, by creating world peace program, and by standing up to segregation. For these great deeds I consider John Fitzgerald Kennedy, a hero, and my hero.

Page created on 1/6/2014 12:00:00 AM

Last edited 1/6/2014 12:00:00 AM

The beliefs, viewpoints and opinions expressed in this hero submission on the website are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the beliefs, viewpoints and opinions of The MY HERO Project and its staff.

Related Links

Live speech from Berlin - JFK Speech to Berlin
Facts about JFK - JFK Library
JFK Library - All speeches made by JFK

Extra Info

  • John F. Kennedy is the head side of the half dollar. On January of 1964, two months after Kennedy was assassinated,the first Half Dollar was created bearing the head of John F. Kennedy
  • John F. Kennedy was the youngest president of the U.S. Also he was the first Roman Catholic to become President.
  • 40,000 books have been written about him
  • President Kennedy's assassination was the fourth presidential assassination in a nation that was less than 200 years old.
  • Term of Office: January 20, 1961 - November 22, 1963
  • Timeline of Major Events: Peace Corps created (1961),Bay of Pigs (1961), Berlin Wall built (1961), first American in space (1961), Cuban Missile Crisis (1962)
  • Presidents Kennedy's salary was $100,000/year with a $50,000 expense account however he refused to take it and donated it to charity

    • Bibliography

    history.navy.mil. Naval History and Heritage Command. 18 June 2002.

    jfklibrary.org. "John F. Kennedy Library and Museum." [Online] Available http://www.jfklibrary.org/.

    about.com. "20th Century History." [Online] Available www.about.com.

    Kennedy, John. ""Ich bin ein Berliner" Speech (June 26, 1963). "

    Unlisted. Google Definition Quote. Google inc.

     

    Author Info

    John F. Kennedy was born into large Roman Catholic family on May 29, 1917. He enrolled to Princeton but soon after he got gastrointestinal illness, illness in the stomach, and it forced him not to go to the college. After his recovery he went to Harvard, and in his junior year, he traveled to Europe and witnessed firsthand at the political tensions. He soon wrote a book about this named,"Why England Slept." At age 36 John married Jacqueline Bouvier, and became Senator of Massachusetts. He wrote another book, "Profiles in Courage," about eight United States Senators and it won the Pulitzer Prize for biography in 1957. In 1961 John F. Kennedy then became the 35th president of the United States. Finally in 1960 Kennedy became President, and was assassinated on November 21, 1963, while driving to give a speech in Texas only two years and ten months into his presidency.