JULY 14, 2012
"JOHNNY, I HARDLY KNEW YE" II
Knoxville, Tennessee (JFK+50) Today we continue our report of Chapter 12 of the book by Kenneth P. O'Donnell & David F. Powers with Joe McCarthy. It is published by Little, Brown & Company.
The title of Chapter 12 is "Johnny, I Hardly Knew Ye"
Kenneth O'Donnell writes that "during that last springtime of his life, (JFK) was busily concerned with his battles over racial segregation in Birmingham & at the University of Alabama, his struggles with Congress on civil rights legislation, & his negotiations with Khrushchev that led to the....nuclear test ban treaty."
But Kenny tells us that still JFK took time to arrange a surprise 50th birthday party for Dave Powers.
The event was held in the Cabinet Room where JFK gave Dave a sweatshirt with "Vigah" stenciled on the the front.
Dave was also given a 50 mile hike certificate 'for hiking to my icebox to drink up all my beer."
In addition, Dave received from the President a silver beer mug with the following quotation from an Indian philosopher:
"There are 3 things which are real, God, human folly & laughter. The first two are beyond our comprehension, so we must do what we can with the third."*
*I have a coffee mug which has this inscription on one side with the JFK Library Logo on the other. I purchased this during my 1st visit to the Library back in 1986.
Kenneth O'Donnell writes that "during that last springtime of his life, (JFK) was busily concerned with his battles over racial segregation in Birmingham & at the University of Alabama, his struggles with Congress on civil rights legislation, & his negotiations with Khrushchev that led to the....nuclear test ban treaty."
But Kenny tells us that still JFK took time to arrange a surprise 50th birthday party for Dave Powers.
The event was held in the Cabinet Room where JFK gave Dave a sweatshirt with "Vigah" stenciled on the the front.
Dave was also given a 50 mile hike certificate 'for hiking to my icebox to drink up all my beer."
In addition, Dave received from the President a silver beer mug with the following quotation from an Indian philosopher:
"There are 3 things which are real, God, human folly & laughter. The first two are beyond our comprehension, so we must do what we can with the third."*
*I have a coffee mug which has this inscription on one side with the JFK Library Logo on the other. I purchased this during my 1st visit to the Library back in 1986.
