A Time For Greatness: The Alternate Presidency of John F. Kennedy and beyond

[Ogrebear]

Superb speech there @PickledFish - very well crafted. Hopefully JFK can get gender equality in there somehow.

"...to embarrass the South" - the fact you are horrible racist dinosaurs perhaps is embarrassing enough....

Glad Mercury is going well. Now about those female astronauts NASA?

Hopefully Britain/Commonwealth has kept her own rocket/space program ITTL. As I recall the govt had the choice of Concorde or Satellite launching at one point and picked the plane that went over its budget by miles over a longer term cash cow...

SE Asia is going to become an explosive mess soon- though replacing leaders by coup does America no favours with the locals.

 

[PickledFish]

Superb speech there @PickledFish - very well crafted. Hopefully JFK can get gender equality in there somehow.

It's worth noting that the words I used for Kennedy's address on civil rights in June of 1963 and added sections to make it appropriate to the timeline.

However, I do have a purely original JFK speech I wrote myself somewhere down the line. You shall see.

 

[techno]

As @Ogrebear said, superb speech and a great chapter! im eagerly waiting for the next.

 

[PickledFish]

Tying Up A Loose End ​

On June 1st, 1963, the USNS Sgt. Joseph E. Muller, stationed in the Caribbean Sea, intercepted a radio transmission from south Venezuela that they believed gave them the location of Che Guevara.

US intelligence services had suspected that Che was present at Puerto Inírida and may have fled into Venezuela to avoid being killed or captured. Now, they had the proof to back up this claim.

In the past, intercepted radio transmissions would always come from Che’s couriers, at locations far away from Guevara actual positions.

But now, the internal infrastructure of the Latin American Liberation Front was in chaos after the Battle of Puerto Inírida. The CIA, led by recently appointed director John McCone, believed that Che would be desperate and more prone to making mistakes.

McCone’s hunch had proven correct.

Further intelligence gathering from US spy planes proved that the transmission had come from a camp based out of the Federal Territory Amazonas, which was almost certainly Che Guevara’s present location.

On the President’s orders, members of the Venezuelan military, alongside CIA Paramilitary Operations Officers, and Free Cuban special forces (many of whom were part of Brigade 2506), were sent into the area to hunt down and capture or kill Che Guevara.

Unlike the bombastic and complex Operation Lion Tamer, this military action, code named Operation Tiebreaker, would be far more covert.

This was as close to Guevara as they had ever gotten, Kennedy would not let him slip away again.

Sectarian tension in Vietnam​

As 1963 progressed, it was clear that South Vietnam would face another obstacle on its path to long-term stability – the tension between the Buddhist majority and its Catholic government.

Tensions began after eight unarmed civilians were shot and killed while protesting the ban on Buddhist flag.

This event sparked nationwide protests against the anti-Buddhist policies of Diem’s government.

Even as land reform, anti-guerrilla operations and the strategic hamlet program progressed smoothly, none of these things would matter if the Buddhist/Catholic divide ripped South Vietnam apart.

The State Department had already been making moves to slow the increase in tensions.

Ngô Đình Nhu, the South Vietnamese Ambassador to the United States and Diem’s brother, had sent several telegrams back to his homeland, telling South Vietnamese leader to crack down the Buddhist majority and that compromising with them would be disastrous.

The State Department had intercepted these messages, altering them, or otherwise preventing them to reach South Vietnam entirely.

President Kennedy ordered a swift and firm response to resolve the emerging sectarian conflict.

Ambassador Hillsman made clear to Diem that further persecution of Buddhists would see aid and military assistance cut off.

At the behest of the United States, the South Vietnamese government immediately fired those involved in the shooting and entered negotiations with Buddhist leaders.

As negotiations continued, South Vietnamese troops were expressly prohibited from surprising protests, unless they turned violent. American military advisors kept a close eye on the South Vietnamese soldiers they oversaw, and beyond a few instances of beatings and minor injuries, no more deaths or major attacks on protestors occurred.

The US discreetly pressured Diem to accept at least some of terms of the Buddhist community in Vietnam.

On June 9th, Diem announced to the South Vietnamese public that he had amended Decree Number 10 by presidential decree, giving Buddhists the freedom to display their flags. He would also provide compensation for the families of the victims killed, end the 9 PM curfew, and to ease off on the arbitrary arrest Buddhists. Most protestors would be quietly released.

However, Diem drew the line at punishing those responsible for the officials responsible, saying it was time to “move past this difficult time and abandon disunity”.

The Buddhist protestors, under the leadership of Thích Trí Quang, largely agreed to these demands and ceased mass protests. However, some younger monks were disappointed with the result of the negotiations and believed Diem’s regime had not been held accountable.

For the moment however, crisis in South Vietnam had been averted.

The Equal Pay Act​

On June 10th, John F. Kennedy signed into law The Equal Pay Act of 1963.

This law amended the Fair Labor Standards Act so as to enshrine in law the principle that women should be paid the same amount of money for jobs ‘the performance of which requires equal skill, effort, and responsibility, and which are performed under similar working conditions, except where such payment is made pursuant to (i) a seniority system; (ii) a merit system; (iii) a system which measures earnings by quantity or quality of production; or (iv) a differential based on any other factor other than sex’.

Kennedy signed the law surrounded by members of the American Association of University Women and gave his remarks on the passage of the bill:

"I am delighted today to approve the Equal Pay Act of 1963, which prohibits arbitrary discrimination against women in the payment of wages. This act represents many years of effort by labor, management, and several private organizations unassociated with labor or management, to call attention to the unconscionable practice of paying female employees less wages than male employees for the same job. This measure adds to our laws another structure basic to democracy. It will add protection at the working place to the women, the same rights at the working place in a sense that they have enjoyed at the polling place.

While much remains to be done to achieve full equality of economic opportunity--for the average woman worker earns only 60 percent of the average wage for men--this legislation is a significant step forward.

Our economy today depends upon women in the labor force. One out of three workers is a woman. Today, there are almost 25 million women employed, and their number is rising faster than the number of men in the labor force.

It is extremely important that adequate provision be made for reasonable levels of income to them, for the care of the children which they must leave at home or in school, and for protection of the family unit. One of the prime objectives of the Commission on the Status of Women, which I appointed 18 months ago, is to develop a program to accomplish these purposes.

The lower the family income, the higher the probability that the mother must work. Today, 1 out of 5 of these working mothers has children under 3. Two out of 5 have children of school age. Among the remainder, about 50 percent have husbands who earn less than $5,000 a year--many of them much less. I believe they bear the heaviest burden of any group in our Nation. Where the mother is the sole support of the family, she often must face the hard choice of either accepting public assistance or taking a position at a pay rate which averages less than two-thirds of the pay rate for men.

It is for these reasons that I believe we must expand day-care centers and provide other assistance which I have recommended to the Congress. At present, the total facilities of all the licensed day-care centers in the Nation can take care of only 185,000 children. Nearly 500,000 children under 12 must take care of themselves while their mothers work. This, it seems to me, is a formula for disaster.

I am glad that Congress has recently authorized $800,000 to State welfare agencies to expand their day-care services during the remainder of this fiscal year. But we need much more. We need the $8 million in the 1965 budget for the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare allocated to this purpose.

We also need the provisions in the tax bill that will permit working mothers to increase the deduction from income tax liability for costs incurred in providing care for their children while the mothers are working. In October the Commission on the Status of Women will report to me. This problem should have a high priority, and I think that whatever we leave undone this year we must move on this in January.

I am grateful to those Members of Congress who worked so diligently to guide the Equal Pay Act through. It is a first step. It affirms our determination that when women enter the labor force they will find equality in their pay envelopes.

We have some of the most influential Members of Congress here today, and I do hope that we can get this appropriation for these day-care centers, which seems to me to be money very wisely spent, and also under consideration of the tax bill, that we can consider the needs of the working mothers, and both of these will be very helpful, and I would like to lobby in their behalf.”

This was yet another example of Kennedy’s New Frontier agenda making it through Congress. Such an achievement would be a boon to Kennedy as he approached re-election.

In the jungles of Venezuela ​

Che Guevara had survived worse than this. Or at least, that’s what he told himself.

Dysentery, hunger and sickness had emaciated him. Mosquitos and other pests fed on him. The delirium of sleeplessness and the pain of his wounds tortured him. And the ever-present US surveillance planes and American foot soldiers hunted him.

But none of this had broken him.

His cause was too important. The revolution that began in Cuba would not die with him in a foreign jungle.

Even if they could kill Che Guevara, the revolution was immortal. As long as people were oppressed anywhere in the world, the revolution would live on.

Still, if Che Guevara was destined to die here, he would go down as a martyr for the cause. They would not capture him for some grotesque show trial the way they had Fidel.

So he had fought, and his men had fought with him. They had complained and desired to go back to Colombia, but his forces there were in tatters.

Puerto Inírida had been their last refuge, turned last stand. And Che was lucky to have escaped.

In his escape, he decided to slip over the border. He and his fellow survivors would go into Venezuela, they would recruit the oppressed indigenous peoples of this land to overthrow those who kept them enslaved and in poverty.

And the revolution would be born anew, rising like a phoenix and spreading across the rest of this continent. Eventually, they would retake Cuba. Spread into Mexico and then…the United States itself.

Che was sure of it. It would take more than in just his lifetime, but it would happen. The fires of revolution were too strong. He had heard and seen reports of America’s youth becoming inspired by his writings.

Whether he lived or died in this jungle, it did not matter – he had already won.

Or at least, that is what he wanted to believe.

In these miserable weeks in the Venezuelan jungle, Che had barely seen, and certainly had not recruited, anyone at all.

The first large group of people he had seen were those who were hunting him, and he had fought them in sporadic engagements for the past number of days.

They were made up of a patchwork of Americans, Venezuelan soldiers, and the leftovers of Batista’s military.

Even though they were his enemy, Che had to respect their tactics and skilled. Slowly over the days, his forces had dwindled, and they continued hunting him relentlessly, day and night.

Che could not remember the last time he slept for more than a few minutes at a time. He began to see movement in the corner of his eye that wasn’t truly there. He’d turn to face it, gun at the ready, and nothing was there.

Only a few hours ago, Che and his men attempted an ambush, and in the ensuing firefight a stray bullet had struck Che below the knuckle of his left hand, blowing his ring and pinkie finger off.

Still, he had fought on. He was down to less than a dozen men now. All tired, wounded, and hungry, the same as him.

Suddenly, he saw it.

There was that movement again, out of the corner of his eye.

Che turned to face it, expecting to see another phantom generated by his own fatigued mind.

But instead, he looked face first down the barrel of an American’s rifle. It would be the last thing he’d ever see.

He never heard the crack of the gunfire or saw the bullet that killed him.

He would never see his remaining men throw down their arms and surrender as they realize their leader had been killed.

He would never hear the triumphant boasting of those who killed them or see the ways they would defile his body.

In that instant, the man known as Che Guevara was dead. But Che, the revolutionary figure of both controversy and worship, would live forever in myth and legend, for better or worse.

 

[Ogrebear]

Bye Guevara! I suspect your ending up on any t-shirts!

"see the ways they would defile his body." I hope these are not American troops doing that. They will need it intact for verification regardless of circumstances.

Buddhist freedom in S. Vietnam will help lessen tensions a lot. Diem is an idiot for not seeing this. I hope the Americans can see an alternative leader who is not a tyrant.

Equal Pay Act of 1963 - great move. Isn't there a constitution amendment on equal pay still going round the States or am I getting that from another timeline?

 

[marktaha]

Bye Guevara! I suspect your ending up on any t-shirts!

"see the ways they would defile his body." I hope these are not American troops doing that. They will need it intact for verification regardless of circumstances.

Buddhist freedom in S. Vietnam will help lessen tensions a lot. Diem is an idiot for not seeing this. I hope the Americans can see an alternative leader who is not a tyrant.

Equal Pay Act of 1963 - great move. Isn't there a constitution amendment on equal pay still going round the States or am I getting that from another timeline?

The Equal Rights Amendment- never got through.

 

[PickledFish]

Kennedy’s major announcement​

“Good evening, my fellow Americans.

Che Guevara, the last surviving member of Fidel Castro’s government and the terrorist who has killed thousands in Latin America, is dead.

His death was the result of a joint operation between the American, Venezuelan, and Free Cuban forces, and is the greater culmination of 2 years of work by America and its allies to secure this hemisphere from Communist aggression.

Our mission is now complete, but this does not mean the end of use involvement with our Southern Neighbours. The last of Castro’s regime has been brought to justice and the work of building a better Latin America begins.

While the bulk of our forces shall now return home, a contingent of United States military forces shall remain engaged in Latin America, to defend our key interests, and train allied troops to defend against any remaining communist insurgency groups, as part of the Alliance of Pan-American States.

However, the United States’ involvement in the affairs of South and Central America extends beyond any military alliances. Through the Alliance for Progress, we shall build a stronger continent and secure peace, prosperity, and freedom for all our people.”

-- An excerpt of President John F. Kennedy’s Address to the American public following the death of Che Guevara on the 16th of June, 1963

The death of Che Guevara saw a considerable outpouring of support for Kennedy, particularly amongst Cuban immigrants who remained Florida.

However, it also saw considerable protest by anti-war activists, particularly those on college campuses, who derided Kennedy as an “imperialist” and distributed copies of Che Guevara’s Manifesto amongst each other.

Kennedy couldn’t help but imagine how they would feel if they heard how Guevara’s body was treated.

Following his death, a Free Cuban soldier had cut off the deceased rebel leader’s disfigured left hand, to quote “match with the two fingers he’d recovered on the battlefield”. Photos were taken by Free Cuban soldiers who gleefully posed with Guevara’s corpse. His body was looted of items such us a watch and other personal effects.

Guevara's body was taken to a US military facility for identification, and this, along with testimony from the other LALF members captured at the time, confirmed that the body recovered was indeed Che.

Guevara’s body would be returned to his birth country of Argentina where it would be buried in an unmarked grave, the location of which is still unknown to the public.

Internationally, reactions to Che’s death were split amongst the nations allied with the United States and those allied with the Soviet Union.

There were celebrations among the leadership in Cuba, and among the Florida Cuban community, but many sympathetic Cuban citizens privately mourned for Che.

His death marked the end of an era for Latin America, and the world generally.

The student protest movement ​

Following Kennedy’s announcement of the death of Che Guevara, politicians, activists, and public figures all made their voices heard.

Domestically, perhaps no voice mattered more than Governor Richard Nixon, who was perceived as the de facto leader of the Republican Party.

“This evening is a cause for celebration for all Americans. Che Guevara, a man responsible for the death and repression of thousands, and for the murder of hundreds of Americans, has been brought to justice. I know I speak for all patriotic Americans in congratulating our fine servicemen in uniform, as well as our allies who have fought beside us in our campaign against communism in the Western Hemisphere. I commend also, President Kennedy, for his leadership at this time.”

However, California’s college campuses saw an outpouring of protests from student activists who identified with Guevara’s revolutionary ideas. Mass protests were organized at Berkley, UCLA, and Stanford by groups such as the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee.

Nixon criticized the protestors claiming:

“With regard to the people we see protesting today, I respect their right to free expression. But I would also encourage them to learn about the atrocities committed by Che Guevara and the Castro regime. Then they’ll see that much of the anger and resentment we see today toward our Latin American policy is fuelled by false information. Misinformation, I believe, spread by a select few who may be sympathetic to the cause that Che Guevara used to justify his terrorism – that being communism. They do not represent the wider opinion of young Americans, most of whom are firmly patriotic.”

Many institutions actively worked to stifle these student protests and nowhere was this more prevalent than at the University of California, Berkeley.

Berkley had strict rules that restricted on-campus political activity, which included prohibiting advocacy of political causes or candidates, outside political speakers, recruitment of members, and fundraising by student organizations at the intersection of Bancroft and Telegraph Avenues.

Eventually, these rules and regulations themselves would form the basis for student activism, and thus began the Free Speech Movement at Berkley.

War, peace and civil rights​

On the 18th of June 1963, the University of Alabama was integrated with the admission of two black students, James Hood and Vivian Malone. The event had to be pushed back a week due to security concerns but occurred peacefully. Kennedy praised the university administration, as well as the student body for allowing a peaceful transition to integration.

On the 19th of June, 1963, President Kennedy gave approval for the CIA to conduct covert operations in Laos to impede communist forces in the civil war.

That same day, Kennedy would send the Civil Rights Act of 1963 to the Congress, which would end segregation in the United States. Kennedy knew that Lyndon Johnson would prove indispensable if this legislation was to pass.

On the 20th, The Moscow–Washington hotline was authorized, which allowed a direct line of communication between the governments of the US and USSR, to prevent or quickly resolve future international crises as had occurred during the Great Standoff of October 1962.

By the 23rd of June, several nations agreed to attend The Global Conference for Peace in mid-November. These nations include the USA, USSR, The People’s Republic of China, Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, Canada, Free Cuba, Japan, South Vietnam, North Vietnam, West Germany, East Germany, Laos and Cambodia.

Notably, North Korea rejected the idea of attending the summit and said they would refuse to participate.

On the 26th, John F. Kennedy would deliver another memorable speech, this time in West Berlin on a platform that allowed him to look out into East.

“I am proud to come to this city as the guest of your distinguished Mayor, who has symbolized throughout the world the fighting spirit of West Berlin. And I am proud to visit the Federal Republic with your distinguished Chancellor who for so many years has committed Germany to democracy and freedom and progress, and to come here in the company of my fellow American, General Clay, who has been in this city during its great moments of crisis and will come again if ever needed.

Two thousand years ago the proudest boast was "civis Romanus sum". Today, in the world of freedom, the proudest boast is "Ich bin ein Berliner".

I appreciate my interpreter translating my German!

There are many people in the world who really don't understand, or say they don't, what is the great issue between the free world and the Communist world. Let them come to Berlin. There are some who say that communism is the wave of the future. Let them come to Berlin. And there are some who say in Europe and elsewhere we can work with the Communists. Let them come to Berlin. And there are even a few who say that it is true that communism is an evil system, but it permits us to make economic progress. Lass' sie nach Berlin kommen. Let them come to Berlin.

…

Freedom is indivisible, and when one man is enslaved, all are not free. When all are free, then we can look forward to that day when this city will be joined as one and this country and this great Continent of Europe in a peaceful and hopeful globe. When that day finally comes, as it will, the people of West Berlin can take sober satisfaction in the fact that they were in the front lines for almost two decades.

All free men, wherever they may live, are citizens of Berlin, and, therefore, as a free man, I take pride in the words "Ich bin ein Berliner".

Two days later, Brezhnev would deliver his response while at an East Berlin tool making factory:

“Comrades, the American President has said “let them come to Berlin”. Well, we agree. Let them come, and they will see Berlin for themselves. Let the American negro come and experience just treatment, far from the horrors of his life in the United States. Let the American woman come and find a land where she is treated with respect as an equal and does not need to beg for her emancipation. Let the American worker come and see a land where the common man is not exploited by the greed of the bourgeoise.”

As June transitioned to July, President Kennedy prepared for his civil rights tour into the South.

 

[Ogrebear]

Not sure what JFK or Nixon can do about University protests that does not stamp on Free Speech- as long as the protests remain peaceful. If an aspiring politician wants to win the youth voice they might try sitting down the with protesters and listening to them. But that might be a turn off for the more conservative votes....

Hot Line is good. Brezhnev seems to be more willing to play détente with the US.

Civil Rights tour- I really think someone should invent the 'popemobile' early here- glass topped open limo so Presidents are a lot safer from lone gunmen...

 

[Deleted member 146578]

Wonder whether Nixon might make a presidential run in ‘64.

 

[justatron]

Hopefully the assassinations of Walker and Connor will make the Kennedy admin more wary about potential attempts.

 

[PickledFish]

William Westmoreland considers his options ​

General William Westmoreland was at a crossroads.

He had been appointed to oversee US involvement in Latin America, with the goal of capturing or killing Che Guevara.

As he would later write in his autobiography, Kennedy had done everything possible to undercut him in his role. Micromanaging, ordering his men away from the battlefield, relying on foreign troops and CIA operatives.

“Our strategy in Colombia and Panama was working, not just against Che Guevarra but against all insurgent forces in that region. But politicians in Latin America decided to alter it. We may have gotten Che Guevara eventually, but that did very little to stem the growing tide of communist guerrilla movements in Latin America. Had the President trusted the military leadership, the lower half of the Americas may be a far more stable place today.”

-- William Westmoreland’s autobiography “A Leader’s Path”, 1971.

Kennedy proved that he didn’t respect the military, if his treatment of Curtis LeMay wasn’t enough, Westmoreland’s own experiences confirmed it. Westmoreland had been denied a position commanding forces in Vietnam or Cuba, and his chance to prove himself by taking down Guevara had been stolen by Washington bureaucrats.

William Westmoreland has ambitions well beyond military success – he sought the Presidency itself and dead-end positions in Kennedy’s armed forces would not get him there.

So, William Westmoreland came to a decision – he would retire from the Army and run for Congress in the upcoming election in 1964.

With any luck, Nixon would jump into the race and the Republicans could sweep into power in 1964.

While the Presidency was Westmoreland’s ultimate goal, for now, he would settle for playing some small role in ending Kennedy’s reign.

Kennedy goes down south to Dixie ​

On July 1st, 1963, John F. Kennedy began his multi-day trip through the American South, to raise support for the Civil Rights Bill that was currently sitting in Congress.

Kennedy intended to visit every state that had congressional representatives or senators who signed the Southern Manifesto.

It began well enough. Kennedy took a motorcade tour through Richmond, Virginia where he was greeted by thousands of cheering constituents. He gave a brief speech at the Virginia Chamber of Commerce, highlighting the damage that segregation and discrimination due to the business climate.

This was followed up with a luncheon in honour of Senator Harry F. Byrd, where the President would privately meet with Virginia’s congressional delegation shortly after.

That evening, Kennedy flew to North Carolina on Air Force One for a dinner with the state’s Governor, Senators and congressmen.

The next morning, on July 2nd, Kennedy attended a breakfast with religious and civil rights leaders and gave a major speech, where he called for an end to segregation and that “the rights of all God’s children be affirmed by the law of the United States”.

South Carolina was not as welcoming as its northern counterpart. When Kennedy arrived and gave a major speech in Charleston, South Carolina, he was met with boos, catcalls and abuse.

Still, Kennedy wore the abuse well and the national media agreed. The President seemed like a poised, dignified leader in response to the thuggish behaviour of southern segregationists.

Kennedy’s private meeting with South Carolina leaders did not go well either. Led by Strom Thurmond, they affirmed their absolute commitment to any legislation that would weaken or remove Jim Crow.

Kennedy left South Carolina disappointed, but not surprised. Still, he was heartened by the media reporting that painted him positively.

Shaking off his experience at South Carolina, the President arrived in Knoxville, Tennessee that night, for a brief photo op with city officials before resting. Kenendy’s aides reported that the President seemed particularly exhausted after his South Carolina.

Tennessee proved to be a much more pleasant experience for Kennedy. The next morning on July 3rd, he spoke at a breakfast hosted to honor Senator Estes Kefauver, a giant in the Democratic party and a former vice-presidential nominee in 1956.

Here, Kennedy was amongst a much friendlier crowd – Governor Frank G. Clement, Senator Kefauver, Senator Albert Gore, as well as Representatives Joe L. Evins, and Ross Bass, had all refused to sign the Southern Manifesto.

This warmer reception extended to the people of the state, with Kennedy receiving a cordial welcome at the University of Tennessee.

There, Kennedy gave a speech on the inherent injustice in segregated education, and asked anyone still resistant to the idea of segregation to consider how they would be viewed by future generations:

“For those of you who still feel resistant about an end to segregation, I ask you to think about the future. Not to 1965, but to the year 2005. How will history view those who vacillated and delayed on the great moral issue of this generation? You, the young students of this great institution, will be alive to see that time.

Will you tell your children, and grandchildren, that you stood still on the march toward justice, or worse - against the tide of change?

Or will you tell them that you were apart of history, when America was called to finish the crusade championed by Lincoln, and other great men of history?

It has been said that history is only as heroic as those who make it, so I encourage you to be an active partisant in the tide of change sweeping nation.”

-- An excerpt of President Kennedy’s speech at the University of Tennessee

Buoyed by a successful trip to Tennessee, Kennedy would next go to Georgia.

Kennedy would go to Atlanta, Georgia, to attend a dinner hosted by Atlanta Mayor Ivan Allen Jr. However, Georgia’s senate and congressional members refused to meet with the President.

The day, Kennedy attended a breakfast with local civil rights and religious leaders, before attending a day of 4th of July celebration events in Atlanta.

He rode in a motorcade as part of a parade, before giving a major speech at Chastain Park:

“It has been said by your esteemed mayor that Atlanta, Georgia is “A city too busy to hate”. And that is an envious distinction to have, for any city in this nation. Because hate is a poison that stifles the productivity and ingenuity of man. Hate divides the people of this wonderful nation. Hate fuels violence and injustice.

The people of this city embody the notion that there is no place for hate in a productive, prosperous, and free land. We can only hope that one day, as Atlanta is too busy to hate, so too will the world itself be too busy to hate.

But before that day comes, we must work to end hatred here at home, in these United States.

On this 4th of July, let us celebrate and savor the greatness of our nation. Yet let us also reflect, that for millions of Americans, they cannot share fully in that greatness.

It is only when hate is extinguished from our hearts, and discrimination is stricken from our lawbooks, that we can truly embody the words of our founding document:

‘We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.’

In attempting to live up to these ideals more fully, we are practicing the most pure and noble form of patriotism.”

-- President John F. Kennedy’s speech at Chastain Park on July 4th

Kennedy would continue to participate in various 4th on July events, before retiring late in the evening and departing for Florida the following morning.

The President looked forward to Florida greatly, and had a packed schedule for the day of the 5th, before a more relaxed day on the 6th.

The 5th saw him meet with Cuban-American groups in Miami, mingle with Congressmen and Senators, meet and greet businessmen, clergymen and civil rights leaders and cap it off with a major event at the Orange Bowl Stadium that focused on black veterans of the Cuban War.

The next day, Kennedy would meet with various public officials before relaxing with Senator George Smathers and other personal friends.

Kennedy enjoyed his brief respite, in anticipation of his trip to Alabama.

Alabama ​

Kennedy would first arrive in Birmingham, Alabama on the 7th of July.

The atmosphere was tense, and the Secret Service were on high alert in the event something occurred.

Kennedy would speak at Birmingham City Hall and the 6th Street Baptist Church. These speeches were delivered to different audiences, but the general theme was the same.

“There has been far too much violence directed toward, and in, this community. Far too much violence in response to people peacefully protesting. Far too much violence by those who would use a peaceful demonstration an excuse to carry out their sick fantasies of violence. Far too much violence associated with a cause that is right and just.

Ending the injustice of segregation is the great moral test of our time, but it is one believe that our government, and our society, is ready to face. In truth, the century long wait between this moment and the Emancipation Proclamation has been far too long.”

-- An excerpt of President Kennedy’s address to the 6th Street Baptist Church, 7th of July, 1963.

Angry pro-segregation protestors got as close as possible to the church to protest, but the area was heavily guarded.

Alabama Governor George Wallace had deployed state troopers to preside over Kennedy’s visit, along with traditional Secret Service protection for the President.

The last thing he wanted was a major outbreak of violence with the President and international media present.

An event like a riot or bombing did not occur. However, several black churchgoers were beaten after leaving the 6th Street Baptist Church, and state troopers did very little to stop this.

Kennedy would arrive at Birmingham the next day, for an outside event near the spot where the protests began.

President Kennedy, at an event alongside Martin Luther King and other civil rights, as well as organized labor leaders such as Walter Reuther, gave speeches to commemorate the lives lost due to recent violence in Birmingham. A common theme of all speeches was on the necessity of Congress to act on the Civil Rights Act of 1963, and for local officials to end segregation in Birmingham.

The event went off without an act of sabotage or violence, likely due to both the high security present and the international/national media presence.

Kennedy would follow that up with a private meeting between himself, Martin Luther King, local business leaders, Walter Reuther and the city’s mayor, Albert Boutwell. King received concessions from the mayor to ensure that segregation would be phased out in Birmingham.

Kennedy’s tour through the South was long, but the end was in sight. Mississippi was next.

Mississippi ​

President Kennedy arrived at Oxford, Mississippi to another frosty reception from the local populace.

At around midday, he spoke at the University of Mississippi, focusing on the implications of desegregation in education:

“If the United States is to continue to thrive as we move towards the 21st century, we must take advantage of the intelligence, determination, and ingenuity of all our citizens. Not all of our citizens of a particular race, or only men, or those from a privileged family background.

The only barrier to success in the United States should be ones’ own ability. That is why favor a unitary school system, whereby all students, at every level of our education, have access to the same opportunities and can thrive with no barriers imposed on them.

It is both morally right, and right for our development and improvement of our nation.

Institutions like your own are on the cutting edge of America’s march toward the future, where all men and woman are free, and none are held back by circumstances of birth.”

-- John F. Kennedy’s Address at Ole Mass, 8th of July, 1963.

That evening, President Kennedy would then travel to Jackson, for a private meeting with Governor Ross Barnett.

Barnett was bitter toward Kennedy, blaming the President for “caving into and encouraging communist agitators”.

The two men departed, having accomplished very little.

The next morning, President Kennedy addressed an audience of local faith leaders at a breakfast at the King Edward Hotel.

In his speech, Kennedy made direct references to religious morality scripture when discussing the effort to desegregate the United States.

However, the words of Kennedy’s speech would be lost in the chaos that would soon follow the event.

As Kennedy exited the King Edward Hotel and headed toward his limousine, a series of cracks filled the air. The Secret Service agents immediately dived toward the President, seeking to shield him from harm. But the scene was chaos almost immediately.

Once again, there was violence in the south, but this time, the President was the victim.

News of the shooting exploded across national and international media.

A special CBS News bulletin, delivered by Walter Cronkite, would summarize what little was known about the harrowing time:

“This is Walter Cronkite is our newsroom [inaudible] the President has been shot. We repeat, there has been an attempt on the life of President Kennedy. He was wounded shortly after an event at the King Edward Hotel in Jackson, Mississippi. He has been taken to Baptist Medical Center, where is current condition is…unknown”

 

[Hulkster'01]

Oh god..

 

[FiendslayerPrime1976]

Oh holy hell no, somebody just shot President Kennedy! This is not going to go well for the pro-segregationists at all, in fact, they've shot themselves in their collective feet with this action:
If JFK survives he'll be able to use the attempt on his life to push Congress to hop to it and pass the Civil Rights Act chop-chop so he can sign it into law; and if JFK dies he'll end up becoming a martyr to civil rights, Vice President Stu Symington will become president and he'll be able to push Congress to hop to it and pass the Civil Rights Act chop-chop so he can sign it into law!
In either case, the Civil Rights Act will probably end up getting passed because the majority of the American people are undoubtably going to be furious with the Jim Crow South and are going to demand Congress support strong civil rights and get tough on the segregationists' continued violence and terrorist actions - you can bet Senate Majority Leader Lyndon Johnson is going to be very busy getting certain members of Congress to push the Civil Rights Act through!

 

[farmerted555]

I have faith that Kennedy will pull through. After all, he's chock full of Pinnacle Fluids.

 

[NotBigBrother]

Bye Guevara! I suspect your ending up on any t-shirts!

IOTL he ended up on t-shirts because of one good photo. Has he such ITTL?

 

[Deleted member 146578]

Another great update as usual. I just hope JFK survives the attempt on his life.

 

[Ogrebear]

IOTL he ended up on t-shirts because of one good photo. Has he such ITTL?

I suspect the circumstances are different and the shot does not get taken.

 

[Ogrebear]

Wanting JFK to make a full recovery here, be great to see how he would finish his term ITTL.

Wonder if Westmoreland may change his mind if Kennedy survives? I suspect JFK will get an election bounce up from this.

Even if the shooter is not caught, the hostile mob and such is likely to play badly for the South here.

 

[PickledFish]

The Plot to Kill Kennedy​

“We come to you now with an update on the status of President Kennedy. He is said, by White House Officials, to be awake and talking with hospital staff at the Baptist Medical Center. The decision is being made now by surgeons, whether they will operate on President Kennedy, or not.

We will relay more information as it becomes available, but we must repeat – by the latest reports, he was conscious and reportedly speaking to medical staff at the Baptist Medical Center.

The alleged gunmen, now in custody, has been identified as 42-year-old Byron De La Beckwith Jr of Greenwood, Mississippi.”

-- Walter Cronkite’s coverage following the attempt on President Kennedy’s life

Byron De La Beckwith Jr was arrested shortly following Kennedy’s shooting, while wearing the garb of a Jackson Police officer.

He had perched himself at a window across from the King Edward Hotel, at the Jackson Station building and fired at the President using a scoped Enfield rifle.

In the chaos, he abandoned his weapon and attempted to blend into the crowd, but Secret Service agents around the building noticed Beckwith due to the wound around his eye, which was consistent with a scope hitting him as the rifle experienced recoil.

The notion that Beckwith had assistance from members of the local police force meant that all Jackson police were forbidden from being anywhere near the President, and federal troops were brought in to ensure Kennedy’s safety.

The FBI would also lead the investigation into both Byron’s attempt on the President’s life, and on the wider conspiracy that he may have had the assistance of members of the local police.

Beckwith refused to answer when questioned by FBI Agents.

However, a raid of his house quickly revealed his connection to groups such as the White Citizens' Council and Klu Klux Klan.

Material from this groups suggested that Kennedy was the leader of “a conspiracy orchestrated Jews, Catholics and Negroes to control and enslave the people of the United States”.

It would quickly be determined that Beckwith had aborted an attempted assassination of civil rights leader Medgar Evers, choosing instead to focus on President Kennedy.

Investigators had what they believed to be a motive, and they would pursue it relentlessly.

The fate of Kennedy ​

On the 9th of July, 1963, John F. Kennedy was the victim of an assassin’s bullet.

The day began as ordinarily as any day in the life of a President could – Kennedy gave a speech to religious leaders in Jackson, Mississippi drawing a direct line between tenants of Judaeo-Christian morality and in the effort to end segregation:

“…for it is written in the scripture, “Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and no city or house divided against itself will stand.”

The time for division in the United States is over. The time for reconciliation between all people, whether they be white or negro, as at hand.

In this effort, the work of church leaders such as yourselves is essential.”

Naturally, only those faith leaders already predisposed to agree with Kennedy’s thoughts of desegregation did attend, but Kennedy still considered it a good speech.

As he left the venue, Kennedy waved to the crowd that had converged around the event, to a mix of cheers and jeers from the crowd.

However, in the next instant he felt an intense pain in his abdomen area. The distinct sound of a gunshot reverberated a millisecond later, and Kennedy felt a sea of bodies – the Secret Service – converge on him.

What followed was a blur. The President would later recall being hurried, virtually carried, into his waiting limousine. He would recall being carried into the emergency room and speaking with staff there, trying to maintain a buoyant spirit in the face of danger, recalling the courage it took to survive the destruction of PT Boat 109.

He recalled a doctor, or surgeon, telling him he had been shot in the chest. More specifically, the bullet had pierced his right lung.

Pain was a familiar companion to John F. Kennedy – throughout his life he’d been stricken with terrible illnesses that had nearly claimed his life, and the injuries he suffered in World War 2 had exacerbated these.

But this pain he now felt was different – with every breath he took, he seemed less capable of taking in oxygen.

Thus, a thoracotomy was carried out on the Commander-in-Chief, to remove the still intact bullet from his lung.

The operation, and Kennedy’s post-operative course, was complicated by Addison’s Disease.

Still, the surgery and cocktail of drugs given to him would do their work.

The surgery just over two hours, and Kennedy’s recovery would take even longer, but he had survived this latest brush with death.

Reactions at home and abroad ​

The White House was immediately thrown into chaos at the news of Kennedy’s shooting.

DEFCON was immediately raised as precautionary measure, and a press conference was called where Vice President Symington, who was in Washington, DC at the time, assured the public that the business of government would continue.

Robert Kennedy flew out to Jackson, Mississippi to be with his brother shortly after hearing he had been shot. The First Lady would also fly from Hyannis Port to Jackson, to be with her husband.

There was an immediate outpouring of support for the President, following the news of his shooting.

Prime Ministers Macmillan, Calwell, Eshkol, of the UK, Australia and Israel all sent messages of support to the recovering President, as did the leadership of France, Italy, Turkey, New Zealand and elsewhere.

Even countries not aligned with the US, like the PRC and Soviet Union, sent there well wishes to Kennedy and his family.

Valentine Zorin, a Soviet political commentator, released a statement saying that the Soviet people were “hoping for President Kennedy’s swift recovery” and he also condemned “the racist, fascistic scum of the American South”.

This statement by a Soviet journalist proved controversial, but a significant amount of anger was directed at the South, and segregationist politicians by the American public all the same.

Even the most hard-line segregationists, such as George Wallace, came out statements expressing regret over the attempt on the President’s life, and virtually all mentioned that this conduct did not reflect the wishes of the average citizen of the South.

This attempt on the President’s life was sure to alter the landscape of the 60s significantly. Time would tell exactly how much.

 

[classyjackie]

Great update! also wanted to add Jackie in real life was pregnant during this time and sadly lost the baby.

Maybe in this timeline she also loses the baby because of the attempt on her husband's life?? maybe that also gives a extra push to the Civil Rights bill and also helps him out in the election??