Despite the light rainfall, a multitude had gathered around the Kennedy’s hotel and their president commended them for not being faint of heart. A president should be a man of the people, as he knew the people expected, so he graciously played to the crowd.


Waiting for Jackie to make an appearance, he said, “It takes longer, but, of course, she looks better than we do when she does it.” When he saw her, JFK told her she looked “smashing” in the pink suit.


He gave the obligatory comments about the need for America to be “second to none” in both defense and aerospace and reminded the thousands of well-wishers of the need for the “willingness of citizens of the United States to assume the burdens of leadership.”


***


After several minutes of handshaking with supporters at Love Field, the President and First Lady—looking as elegant and stately as ever with a bouquet of red roses—entered the limousine. The Kennedy’s sat behind Governor John Connally and his wife Nellie, who were already seated in the convertible. The rain had ceased, so the top was down. The Vice President and Mrs. Johnson rode in another car.


As the motorcade rolled down Main Street, a flood of new, future memories rushed into Kennedy’s mind, filling it with outrageous visions of tens-of-thousands of Americans dead, an insect-like creature in the Oval Office, and a devastating war with an alien race looming on the horizon. 


The open limo turned off Main Street at Dealey Plaza around 12:30 as JFK cast a longing gaze over his supportive wife and told her how much he loved her. “I love you too, Jack,” she warmly replied.


The Texas Governor’s wife smiled at the adoration of the crowd. “You certainly can’t say the people of Dallas haven’t given you a nice welcome.”

This was it! With greater realism than any déjà vu, he remembered this moment—that comment, leaning forward to reply, the gunshot that nearly killed him. More than any previous globally impactful decision he had made, he knew what he had to do.


Without bringing his head toward Mrs. Connally, President John F. Kennedy smiled contently and replied, “No, you certainly can’t.”