After Jackie Page 5

  In Mexico City Lee Oswald contacted agents of Fidel Castro's Cuban Communist government. The FBI suspected that Oswald was attempting to make some kind of deal whereby he would either defect to Cuba or work for them as a secret agent. Whatever the case, the deal apparently fell through because Oswald was denied entry to Cuba and quickly shuttled out of Mexico. He returned to New Orleans, subsequently moving to Dallas where he got a $1.25 an hour job working at the Texas School Book Depository. Weeks later, shots were fired at President Kennedy's motorcade from the Depository building. The President escaped serious harm but of course, Jacqueline Kennedy was killed.

  All of this only convinced the FBI's agents that they had the right man. But they were also convinced that Oswald was just the trigger man. He wasn't smart enough or committed enough or motivated enough or connected enough to have planned the whole thing on his own. Someone was behind this man and his assassination attempt someone big, very big. The FBI had a pretty good idea of who that someone was. They were determined to keep working on Lee Oswald until all their suspicions were confirmed. He would break eventually. It was just a matter of time.

  While the FBI did not get Oswald to admit his role in Jackie's killing, a deeply troubled youth was uncovered – the kind of childhood which could set a boy on a course of madness.

  CHAPTER 7

  Olympic Moment

  As February approached the President and his advisors thought that it was time to go abroad. Foreign policy always enhanced an election year and even though the President had a commanding approval rating in the polls, everyone agreed there was no such thing as too much of a lead.

  The 1964 Winter Olympics were scheduled to begin in Innsbruck, Austria on January 29 and run through February 9. What better venue, Robert Kennedy proposed, for an American President than visiting with a group of the greatest American athletes as they competed in these games? John Kennedy readily agreed.

  President Kennedy arrived in Vienna the first week in February. He was met at the airport by Austrian Chancellor Alfons Gorbach who would be hosting an elaborate state dinner in his honor later that evening. A limousine carried JFK to the American Embassy where he was promptly ushered into the Presidential Suite for a rest after his long plane ride from Washington, D.C. A few hours later he was awakened for the dinner and dressed quickly for the affair.

  As he was seated at the Austrian Chancellor's table he realized that the chair next to him was still vacant. But not for long! As if on cue, the President looked up and spotted a familiar face approaching his table. Jack stood while Julie Andrews offered him a curtsey -the same gesture which had so charmed him several months before at the White House state dinner for Prime Minister Macmillan.

  "Well," Jack said to her as they took their seats, "Imagine seeing you in a place like this!"

  "I've been here in Austria for a couple of weeks now,” Julie explained. "We're doing preproduction for the film version of The Sound of Music not far from here."

  "Yes," Jack said, nodding, "I heard you were offered that role. I think that you will be a delightful Maria."

  "And I am delighted to see you again Mr. President," she replied.

  As the orchestra struck up a lively tune, Chancellor and Frau Gorbach rose for the first dance - a waltz of course, the national dance of Austria. The President of the United States, who suddenly realized that he had not danced in what to him seemed like forever, stood and extended his hand to Miss Andrews.

  "Would you care to dance with me?" he asked.

  "Why yes, Mr. President," she said, smiling and grasping his hand as she rose.

  "He's 'Mr. President' here," Jack said, pointing to Adolf Scharf, the Austrian Chief Executive sitting at a nearby table. Please call me Jack."

  "Fine....Jack." And with that, the young English actress and the handsome American President began to waltz.

  "You know," Jack said as they spun around the dance floor, "this little waltz of ours is fraught with significance."

  "What do you mean?" Julie asked.

  "This is my first public coming out since, uh, since..."

  "I know. It's all right."

  There was an awkward silence. To break the ice once again, Julie drew back her head, looked into Jack's eyes and smiled. "I have a confession to make," she said.

  "Oh, yes?"

  "I pulled a few strings to get myself invited to your state dinner back in December."

  "Oh really?" Jack smiled devilishly. "Beautiful and resourceful. I like that.

  "And I thank your mother for the introduction.”

  "But she was so....goofy, wasn't she?"

  "She was perfectly charming, Mr. President!"

  "That's Jack, remember? So tell me more about this movie you're making," he said as they spun faster to the music.

  For Jack, the evening sped by in a blur. The food was sumptuous, the music baroque and the company - especially the vivacious and glamorous Miss Andrews extremely entertaining. As the dinner was drawing to a close, Jack asked Julie if she needed a ride. Immediately she answered in the affirmative and in unison they rose and made their way to the door.

  Entering the Presidential limousine, the President and the Broadway star sat close together. As the car sped through the charming old streets of Vienna, Jack turned toward Julie. They looked into each others' eyes.

  "Would you like," Jack asked, "to come back to the Embassy with me?"

  Julie smiled coyly, "Why yes, Mr. President," she said, breathlessly and immediately. "I mean ....Jack."

  JFK directed his driver to use the Embassy's underground entrance. There was no one there to look on as the leader of the United States and the star of the Sound of Music went to the President's bedroom to get better acquainted.

  *

  Early the next morning a smiling Julie Andrews was escorted back to the Embassy's underground motor pool. She discreetly returned to her hotel in an unmarked Embassy car, went upstairs to her suite and readied herself for another day's work humming "Edelweiss" to herself all the while.

  Meanwhile the President was already on his way to Innsbruck to visit with America's Olympic athletes. As Air Force One touched down in Innsbruck and a staircase was wheeled up to the plane's door it was surrounded by reporters and photographers. Disembarking, President John F. Kennedy waved to the crowd and flashed that famous smile of his. The crowd went wild screaming with glee at the sight of this young, vibrant, powerful man.

  As the President's limousine sped toward the Olympic Village, the streets were lined deep with well wishers. Emerging from the car wearing an Olympic cap, Kennedy was temporarily blinded by hundreds of bulbs flashing from every angle. For the better part of an hour the President posed for photographs with America's Olympic athletes, one on one and in groups. With the majestic Alps towering in the background, photographers snapped an endless string of pictures of President Kennedy shaking hands with the shining youth of a generation known as Camelot. Then the President was escorted inside for lunch with the entire American contingent to the games.

  That afternoon Jack chose to attend the finals of the speed skating competition and was seated prominently near the finish line. While American gold medals in the Olympics were still basically a dream, the American speed skater Terry McDermitt, was a distinct favorite in the 500 meter competition. As McDermitt approached the finish line with a slim lead, the President still wearing his Olympic hat stood up , waved a small American flag and cheered the skater on to victory.

  At the medal ceremony, the President who had since changed into a navy blue blazer and red, while and blue striped tie for the occasion, stood proud as the "Star Spangled Banner" was played to herald the gold medal performance of Terry McDermitt. When the music stopped President Kennedy remained standing and saluted this outstanding representative of American youth. Then, in an unexpected and certainly unscripted moment, Terry McDermitt stepped down from the medal platform and without hesitation walked purposefully toward the President. Instinctively, the Secret Service agents surrounding the President closed in tightly around him. Smiling, Jack pushed them aside and stepped forward to greet the speed skater. As he reached the edge of the ice, McDermitt reached behind his neck and removed the gold medal. Then reaching with outstretched arms he presented the medal to the President. Thousands of flash bulbs lit up the air at this poignant moment. Clutching the gold medal in his hand the President embraced the young athlete. He then took a step back and hung the medal around McDermitt's neck once more. The President's smile twinkled as did the gold medal now hanging securely on the speed skater's chest.

  •

  Leaving Austria, President Kennedy had one more European stop before he returned to America. In a move which would have been inconceivable even six months before, the first Catholic President of the United States was going to visit the Pope in Vatican City.

  Air Force One touched down in Rome. Jack looked out the window at the cheering crowds around the airstrip and smiled. Although he almost lost the 1960 Presidential election due to his religion, Kennedy's current popularity in the polls was so high that he could afford to meet with the leader of the world's Catholics without fear of alienating prospective voters.

  As the American President's armored limousine made its way from the airport to the Vatican, the streets were lined with cheering Italian men, women, and children many waving American flags and clutching roses in remembrance of the fallen First Lady. Entering Vatican City, Jack gazed in wonder upon St. Peter's Square and the Sistine Chapel, crossing himself almost subconsciously. The limousine pulled up in front of the Pope's residence. The President stepped out and was greeted by an assembly of American Cardinals, Archbishops, and priests gathered there in his honor. Kennedy was escorted inside and a few minutes later was presented to His Holiness Pope Paul VI. The Pontiff approached with a smile and extended his hand. Instantly dropping to one knee, Jack took the Pope's hand and kissed his ring. The Pope motioned for Jack to rise and the two of them were left alone with just an interpreter.

  They spoke cordially for nearly an hour. Toward the end of their meeting, the Pope said, "I want you to know that I approve very much of what you are doing on some important issues."

  "What issues are those, Your Holiness?"

  "I think what you are doing in Vietnam is the right thing to do. Communism is indeed evil but the shedding of innocent blood is an even greater evil."

  "Thank you, Your Holiness."

  "And I very much approve of the stand you have taken on civil rights with your -

  what is it called again? - Oh yes, The Lincoln Agenda. We are all truly children of God and equal in His eyes. It wasn't so long ago that our people - yours and mine - were also the victims of prejudice in America, The United States is a land of wonderful ideas and freedoms. I have no doubt but that your country may yet prove to be the nearest we can come to a Kingdom of God on Earth. But there is still a distance to go. As long as Negroes are debased in your country, we are all debased."

  "I understand, Your Holiness. And I am proud that you approve of my policies."

  "And I am proud that a Catholic is leading such a superpower so well. With such dignity and righteousness. Your mother, I understand she is a very religious woman."

  "That she is, Your Holiness."

  "Well, she has done a fine job in raising you with the teachings of the Church."

  "Thank you again, Your Holiness."

  The Pope rose to his feet. "Come Mr. President. Let us go celebrate Mass in honor of this occasion." And with that, the Pope and the President left the chambers and, followed by the large group of assembled clergymen, strolled across St. Peter's Square to the Sistine Chapel. The Pope celebrated mass dedicating it to the memory of Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy.

  Visibly moved, the President walked with the Pope from the Sistine Chapel to his private balcony overlooking Vatican Square. As he and the Pontiff approached the balcony Jack leaned over and whispered into the Holy Father's ear, "Your Holiness," he said, "I believe that it may be time for a Pope to visit the United States at last."

  "Yes," the Pope said in heavily accented English. "You are right. We will start planning just such a trip."

  Before a crowd of many thousands, the Pope delivered a short address praising the American President for introducing the Civil Rights legislation he spoke of in the recent State of the Union Address and for ending the conflict in South Vietnam before it could develop into a full fledged war that could cost tens of thousands of lives, maybe more.

  On the balcony, as the elderly Pope and the youthful President waved to the crowd assembled in Vatican Square, the cheering and applause could be heard all the way back to Washington D.C.

  CHAPTER 8

  Earthquake

  On March 27,1964 the ground trembled violently in Alaska. It was a massive earthquake measuring 9.2 on the Richter Scale -one of the greatest ever to rock American soil. Among other things, the quake generated a 220 foot tidal wave, the largest ever recorded that crashed into the southwestern part of the state. When it was all over, 66 people lost their lives and property damage was estimated to be in excess of $500 million.

  That afternoon President John Fitzgerald Kennedy was sitting at his desk in the Oval Office when his long time secretary Evelyn Lincoln buzzed the intercom. "Secretary Udall is here to see you," she said. "He said that it's urgent."

  "Send him right in", JFK said. Interior Secretary Stewart Udall was one of his favorite Cabinet members, the scion of an old Utah Mormon family who did his job well and rarely asked the President for anything. If Stew Udall said it was urgent, Jack knew that there must be a real problem somewhere.

  "Stew!", Jack said rising to his feet and extending his hand as the Secretary entered his office. "Good to see you!"

  "Thank you Mr. President," Udall said, clutching JFK's hand. "I only wish it could be under different circumstances."

  "What's the matter?"

  "There's been a serious earthquake in Alaska. A lot of lives have been lost."

  "That's terrible!" Jack exclaimed. "What should we be doing, right now?"

  "Governor Egan will let us know as soon as he has a chance to survey the damage."

  "OK. Fine. Let him know that he and his constituents have our prayers and

  whatever help they need. And keep me up to speed."

  "I will Mr. President. Thank you."

  "Thank you, Mr. Secretary."

  •

  Robert Kennedy had a 4 p.m. appointment in the Oval Office and as always he showed up a few minutes early. Jack discussed the Alaskan disaster with his brother and they both agreed that a high level visit to the scene of the earthquake was in order.

  "You could send Stew Udall," Bobby offered. "He's the obvious candidate."

  "His profile's not high enough," Jack said.

  "Well you could always go, "Bobby said. "Nothing would show greater concern to the American people."

  "I do have a great regard and concern for the citizens of Alaska," the President said with a smile, "but not quite enough to actually go there in the middle of the winter. I could send my Attorney General!"

  Bobby smiled back at his brother. "Sorry Mr. President. I've got my hands full with this Lincoln Agenda of yours."

  "Well then, who can we send?" The two brothers looked at each other for a few seconds. Then two small smiles grew into wide toothy grins, as they both uttered the same word at once: "LYNDON!"

  As Bobby was leaving the Oval Office, Evelyn Lincoln was placing a call to the Vice President telling him that the President wanted to see him at 5 p.m. sharp. At

  5:15 p.m., an annoyed Lyndon Baines Johnson trudged into the Oval Office. "I had a massage scheduled for 5:00," he said to the President by way of a greeting. "I had to cancel it because of this 'emergency' meeting of yours."

  "Lyndon come in, sit down," Jack said with a gracious gesture. "As you may have heard there's been a terrible earthquake in Alaska. A lot of people have died and a lot of property has been destroyed. I don't have to tell you how important it is to have a representative of this office visit the scene and show our concern for the victims."

  LBJ, never really very slow on the uptake, stared at Kennedy for a few seconds his eyes narrowing. "Let me tell you something Mr. President," he said, his voice growing ever louder. "It will be a cold day in Hell when I go to Alaska in the dead of winter!" And with that he rose to his feet, turned on his heels and stormed out of the Oval Office.

  Jack sat silent for a few seconds. Then, smiling, he rang Mrs. Lincoln and told her to make arrangements for the Vice President to fly to Alaska the following day.

  *

  "Alaska!" LBJ shouted. "He expects me to go to goddamn Alaska in the middle of the goddamned winter! Can you believe that guy?"

  "Actually, Daddy," said daughter Lynda Bird, ''winter ended about a week ago."

  "Down here maybe," Lyndon fumed, "but up there it's January until it's fucking July! I'll freeze my ass off!"

  "Dear," offered Lady Byrd, "he is the President and you are the Vice President. We really don't have much of a choice."

  "You know what I should do? I should just quit on him right now!"

  "Now dear," Lady Byrd said, putting her hand on her husband's arm, "I know how you feel. But think about everything we've worked for. You'll just be throwing it all away if you quit now."

  "You know what I'd really love to do is run against the son of a bitch this November. Then we'd see who's boss. But the bastard's approval ratings are just too damned high. I don't think Jesus Christ could beat him at the polls right now."

  "Lyndon!" Lady Byrd said. "Your language!"

  "I'm sorry Byrd," the Vice President said hanging his head. "I'm just frustrated. I guess I need to consider my options for this fall."