Jackie Kennedy and her daughter at JFK’s funeral
1963 was a tragic year for Jackie Kennedy. Months before the assassination of the US president, the first lady suffered a trauma that made her travel to Dallas with her husband — where she witnessed his death.
John F. Kennedy was traveling alongside his wife, Jackie, in a campaign car in Dallas, Texas, when he was shot by an assassin on November 22, 1963.
As , the first lady presented, in the days and months that followed, a stance that helped the nation to mourn.” It became a symbol of missed opportunities but also a reminder of perseverance“, says the magazine.
But the sacrifices that Jackie Kennedy had to make to overcome the traumatic event were much greater than is known to the majority of the population: In addition to this mourning, the first lady carried another with her a few months ago.
On August 7, 1963, the couple’s son Patrick Bouvier Kennedy was born — who, born almost six weeks prematurely, did not survive, and ended up dying two days later, on August 9.
Jackie Kennedy couldn’t even attend his son’s funeral because he was still recovering from surgery. This event shook the couple in a very intense way.
For more, Jackie Kennedy had already suffered from miscarriages: before the birth of their two sons, John Jr. and Caroline, the first lady had suffered a miscarriage in 1955 and, a year later, gave birth to Arabella, a stillborn baby.
To overcome her grief, in October, Jackie asked Hill to go with her and her sister to Greece, a trip that was supported by her husbandeven though it could have “political repercussions”. JAckie was happy, and made a point of saying that her husband was “very friendly and understanding”during dinner with friends after his return.
To tease her, as a joke, during that dinner, Kennedy said to his wife: “Maybe now you’ll come with us to Texas next month“. Jackie then wrote in her diary that she really wanted to go on this trip.
According to the secret service agent Clint Hillwho told the magazine about these episodes, Patrick’s death ended up strengthening the couple’s bondswhose relationship became “full of optimism” in the months following the tragedy.
And that’s why Jackie Kennedy was so excited about the trip to Dallas: I wanted to support my husband in his campaign. According to Hill, although the first lady did not like politics, she was determined to “do everything she could” to help her husband get re-elected.
Jackie Kennedy was a popular figure at the time, and his presence could help re-elect JFK, who had narrowly won the state in 1960.
It was with this hope and optimism, and animated by a desire to overcome the grief that had been going on since August, that the couple left for Texas on November 21 of 1963.
The first lady even made one that she wanted to take with her on the trip, and appears in the videos with an excited smile. Moments later, it was all over.
A bullet put an end to complicity of the couple and, although everyone knows this moment, few remember what JFK’s wife had to face — much more than the death of a president.
