JFK LAID TO REST
Arlington, Virginia (JFK+50) On November 25, 1963* the 35th President of the United States, John Fitzgerald Kennedy, was laid to rest at the National Cemetery here in Arlington. The burial spot, located just below Custis-Lee Mansion**, was chosen by Jacqueline Kennedy because it was one of her husband's favorites when he visited the cemetery.
It was originally thought that the late President would be buried in Brookline, Massachusetts, but Mrs. Kennedy's wishes prevailed. She believed that more people would be able to visit the grave if located near the Nation's Capital.
President Kennedy had been at the cemetery just a couple of weeks before his death, on Veteran's Day. While strolling on the green hillside, he looked at the beautiful view of the Capital city below and said...
"I could stay up here forever."
And so he will.
*November 25, 1963 was proclaimed a National Day of Mourning by President Lyndon B. Johnson. It began just after 10 a.m. when JFK's casket was removed from the Capitol Rotunda by a military honor guard & placed on a horse drawn caisson. Funeral services were held at St. Matthew's Cathedral before the procession to Arlington.
**Custis-Lee Mansion is now known as Arlington House. Construction was begun in 1803 by order of George Washington Custis, adopted son of George Washington & only grandson of Martha Custis Washington. It is located in Virginia overlooking the Potomac River.
Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington, Virginia
Photos by John White (2016)
