Assassination of John F. Kennedy Warning: You are not logged in. Your IP address will be publicly visible if you make any edits. If you log in or create an account, your edits will be attributed to your username, along with other benefits.Anti-spam check. Do not fill this in! ==Immediate aftermath== ===Autopsy=== {{Main|John F. Kennedy autopsy}} {{quote box |bgcolor = MistyRose | width = 25em |align = right | quote = Where bungled autopsies are concerned, President Kennedy's is the exemplar. | source = — Dr. [[Michael Baden]], chairman of the forensic pathology panel of the [[United States House Select Committee on Assassinations|House Select Committee on Assassinations]]<ref name="Bugliosi 2007 p. 382">[[#Bugliosi2007|Bugliosi (2007)]], p. 382.</ref> | style = padding:1.5em | fontsize=85% }} President Kennedy's autopsy was performed at [[National Naval Medical Center|Bethesda Naval Hospital]] in [[Maryland]] on the night of November 22. Jacqueline Kennedy had selected a naval hospital as the postmortem site as President Kennedy had been a [[naval officer]] during World War II.<ref>[[#assoc|Associated Press (1963)]], pp. 29–31.</ref><ref>[[#Sabato|Sabato (2013)]], p. 22.</ref> The autopsy was conducted by three physicians: naval commanders James Humes and J. Thornton Boswell, with assistance from ballistics wound expert Pierre A. Finck; Humes led the procedure.<ref>[[#Bugliosi2007|Bugliosi (2007)]], pp. 139–140.</ref> Under pressure from the Kennedy family and White House staffers to expedite the procedure, the physicians conducted a "rushed" and incomplete autopsy.<ref>[[#Sabato|Sabato (2013)]], p. 213.</ref> Kennedy's personal physician, Rear Admiral George Burkley,<ref>[[#Bugliosi2007|Bugliosi (2007)]], pp. 137–138.</ref> signed a [[death certificate]] on November 23 and recorded that the [[cause of death]] was a gunshot wound to the skull.<ref name="amex">[[#Amex|"Oswald's Ghost". PBS]]</ref><ref>[[#Burkley|Burkley (1963)]]</ref> Three years after the autopsy, Kennedy's brain—which had been removed and preserved for later analysis—was found to be missing when the Kennedy family transferred material to the [[National Archives and Records Administration|National Archives]].<ref name="bug431">[[#Bugliosi2007|Bugliosi (2007)]], p. 431.</ref><ref name="brain"/> Conspiracy theorists often claim that the brain may have shown that the headshot entered from the front. Alternatively, the HSCA concluded that an assistant to Attorney General [[Robert F. Kennedy]], the president's brother, likely removed the footlocker holding the brain and other materials at his direction, and he "either destroyed these materials or otherwise rendered them inaccessible" to prevent "misuse" of said material<ref name="bug432">[[#Bugliosi2007|Bugliosi (2007)]], p. 432</ref> or to hide the extent of the [[John F. Kennedy#Health|president's chronic illnesses]] and consequent medication.<ref name="brain">[[#Saner|Saner (2013)]]</ref> Some autopsy X-rays and photographs have also been lost.<ref>[[#Kurtz|Kurtz (1982)]], p. 9.</ref> Most historians regard the autopsy as the "most botched" segment of the government's investigation.<ref name="Bugliosi 2007 p. 382"/> The HSCA forensic pathology panel concluded that the autopsy had "extensive failings", including failure to take sufficient photographs, failure to determine the exact exit or entry point of the head bullet, not dissecting the back and neck, and neglecting to determine the angles of gunshot injuries relative to [[body axis]].<ref>[[#Bugliosi2007|Bugliosi (2007)]], pp. 382–383.</ref> The panel further concluded that the two doctors were not qualified to have conducted a forensic autopsy. Panel member [[Milton Helpern]]—[[Office of Chief Medical Examiner of the City of New York|Chief Medical Examiner for New York City]]—said that selecting Humes (who had only taken a single course on forensic pathology) to lead the autopsy was "like sending a seven-year-old boy who has taken three lessons on the violin over to the [[New York Philharmonic]] and expecting him to perform a [[Tchaikovsky]] symphony".<ref>[[#Bugliosi2007|Bugliosi (2007)]], p. 384.</ref> ===Funeral=== {{Main|State funeral of John F. Kennedy|List of dignitaries at the state funeral of John F. Kennedy}} [[File:John F. Kennedy Lying in State November 25, 1963 (10965631824).jpg|thumb|alt=Kennedy's coffin in front of the US Capitol|Kennedy's coffin is carried from the [[United States Capitol|Capitol]], November 25.]] Following the autopsy, Kennedy lay in repose in the [[East Room|East Room of the White House]] for 24 hours.<ref>[[#assoc|Associated Press (1963)]], pp. 36–37, 56–57, 68.</ref><ref>[[#nyc|''The New York Times'' (2003)]], pp. 197–201.</ref> President Johnson issued [[s:Proclamation 3561|Presidential Proclamation 3561]], declaring November 25 to be a [[national day of mourning]],<ref name="AssociatedPress-Page40">[[#assoc|Associated Press (1963)]], p. 40.</ref><ref>[[#Heritage|''American Heritage'' (1964)]], pp. 52–53.</ref> and that only essential emergency workers be at their posts.<ref>[[#Closed|"Government Offices Closed by President". ''The Washington Post''.]]</ref> The coffin was then carried on a [[Black Jack (horse)|horse]]-drawn [[Limbers and caissons|caisson]] to the [[United States Capitol|Capitol]] to lie in state. Hundreds of thousands of mourners lined up to view the guarded casket,<ref name="WhitePage16">[[#White|White (1965)]], p. 16.</ref><ref>[[#NBC|NBC News (1966)]], pp. 106–107, 110, 114–115, 119–123, 133–134.</ref> with a quarter million passing through the [[United States Capitol rotunda|rotunda]] during the 18 hours of lying in state.<ref name="WhitePage16"/> Even in the Soviet Union—according to a memo by FBI Director [[J. Edgar Hoover]]—news of the assassination "was greeted by great shock and consternation and church bells were tolled in the memory of President Kennedy".<ref>[[#Neuman|Neuman (2017)]]</ref><ref>[[#Russkies|Hoover (1963)]]</ref> Kennedy's funeral service was held on November 25, at [[Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle|St. Matthew's Cathedral]],<ref name="WhitePage17">[[#White|White (1965)]], p. 17.</ref> with the [[Requiem Mass]] led by Cardinal [[Richard Cushing]].<ref name="WhitePage17"/> About 1,200 guests, including representatives from over 90 countries, attended.<ref>[[#assoc|Associated Press (1963)]], p. 93.</ref><ref name="nbc126">[[#NBC|NBC News (1966)]], p. 126.</ref> Although there was no formal eulogy,<ref>[[#assoc|Associated Press (1963)]], pp. 94, 96.</ref><ref>[[#Spivak|Spivak (1963)]]</ref> Auxiliary Bishop [[Philip M. Hannan]] read excerpts from Kennedy's speeches and writings.<ref name="nbc126"/> After the service, Kennedy was buried at [[Arlington National Cemetery]] in Virginia.<ref>[[#White|White (1965)]], p. 18.</ref> [[John F. Kennedy Eternal Flame|An eternal flame]] was lit at his burial site in 1967.<ref>[[#ANC|"President John Fitzgerald Kennedy Gravesite". Arlington National Cemetery.]]</ref> ===Killing of Oswald=== [[File:Ruby shoots Oswald.jpg|thumb|upright=1.35|alt=Photograph of the moment Jack Ruby shot Oswald|[[Robert H. Jackson (photographer)|Robert H. Jackson]]'s photograph ''[[Jack Ruby Shoots Lee Harvey Oswald]]''. Oswald was being escorted by police detective [[Jim Leavelle]] (tan suit) for the transfer from the city jail to the county jail. Ruby died in prison in 1967.]] On Sunday, November 24, at 11:21 a.m., as Oswald was being escorted to a car in the basement of Dallas Police headquarters for the transfer from the city jail to the county jail, he was shot by Dallas nightclub owner [[Jack Ruby]]. The shooting was broadcast live on television.<ref name="Saturday2"/> [[Robert H. Jackson (photographer)|Robert H. Jackson]] of the ''[[Dallas Times Herald]]'' photographed the shooting which was titled, [[Jack Ruby Shoots Lee Harvey Oswald]] for which he was awarded the 1964 [[Pulitzer Prize for Photography]].<ref name="Fischer">[[#Fischer|Fischer (2003)]], p. 206.</ref> Drifting in and out of consciousness, Oswald was taken by ambulance to Parkland Memorial Hospital; he was treated by the same surgeons who had tried to save Kennedy.<ref>[[#Bugliosi2008|Bugliosi (2008)]], pp. 450–451.</ref> The bullet had entered his lower left chest but had not exited; major heart blood vessels such as the [[aorta]] and [[inferior vena cava]] were severed, and the spleen, kidney, and liver were hit.<ref>[[#Bugliosi2008|Bugliosi (2008)]], pp. 451–452, 458–459.</ref> Despite surgical intervention and [[defibrillation]], Oswald died at 1:07 p.m.<ref>[[#Bugliosi2008|Bugliosi (2008)]], p. 465.</ref> Arrested immediately after the shooting, Ruby testified to the Warren Commission that he had been distraught by Kennedy's death and that killing Oswald would spare "Mrs. Kennedy the discomfiture of coming back to trial". He also stated he shot Oswald on the spur of the moment when the opportunity presented itself, without considering any reason for doing so.<ref name="rubyWC">[[#RubyWC|Testimony of Jack Ruby]], Warren Commission Hearings.</ref> Initially, Ruby wished to {{clarify|text=defend himself|reason=represent himself or testify in his own defense?|date=November 2023}} in his trial until his lawyer [[Melvin Belli]] dissuaded him: Belli argued that Ruby had an episode of [[Temporal lobe epilepsy|psychomotor epilepsy]] and was thus not responsible.<ref name="bug357">[[#Bugliosi2007|Bugliosi (2007)]], p. 357.</ref> Ruby was convicted, but the [[Rubenstein v. State|decision was overturned on appeal]]. While awaiting retrial in 1967,<ref>[[#Bugliosi2007|Bugliosi (2007)]], pp. 351, 1453.</ref> Ruby died of a [[pulmonary embolism]], secondary to cancer. Like Oswald and Kennedy, Ruby was declared dead at Parkland Hospital.<ref>[[#Bugliosi2007|Bugliosi (2007)]], pp. 1019, 1484.</ref> Summary: Please note that all contributions to Christianpedia may be edited, altered, or removed by other contributors. If you do not want your writing to be edited mercilessly, then do not submit it here. You are also promising us that you wrote this yourself, or copied it from a public domain or similar free resource (see Christianpedia:Copyrights for details). Do not submit copyrighted work without permission! Cancel Editing help (opens in new window) Discuss this page