"The flash....now official...."

Chris Oakley · Sep 5, 2005

"President John F. Kennedy,First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy,Vice President Lyndon Johnson,and the President's children John Jr. and Caroline have been confirmed dead within the last few minutes,killed when Air Force One apparently crashed in the Gulf of Mexico en route to Dallas.There is no information as of yet as to the whereabouts of House Speaker John McCormack..."

What happens next?

Archangel Michael · Sep 5, 2005

If Speaker McCormack can't be found, then the president pro tempore of the senate, Carl T. Hayden (D-AZ), is temprorarily president. However, Hayden was in his nineties. Maybe if Hayden dies of a heart attack after hearing this, Secretary of State Dean Rusk is now temporary president.

drakkon · Sep 5, 2005

What is the exact date of the crash? And do we know the cause?

Is sabatoge a possibilty?

Scomerger · Sep 5, 2005

Does it happens on November 22nd, 1963?

Chris Oakley · Sep 6, 2005

drakkon said:
What is the exact date of the crash? And do we know the cause?

Is sabatoge a possibilty?

November 21st,1963;the investigation into the crash will take weeks if not months to make a final determination,but all the preliminary signs suggest Air Force One dived to avoid a flock of oncoming geese and got caught in a tailspin from which it couldn't recover.Sabotage is considered possible but highly unlikely.

Chris Oakley · Sep 6, 2005

Dojo said:
Does it happens on November 22nd, 1963?

November 21st,as I mentioned in my previous post--sometime between 12:15 and 12:30,to be more precise.

Now then,anyone care to speculate what the international fallout from the crash might be?

ShawnEndresen · Sep 6, 2005

How did it happen that Kennedy and Johnson were on the same plane? That, er, doesn't happen.

Mr_ Bondoc · Sep 6, 2005

Some Initial Concerns...

Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara is going to be flying over the Pacific , en route to Japan at the time the news of Air Force One is received. He will demand an immediate return to Washington D.C., stopping only to refuel at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. There will be constant rumors spreading, as in OTL, that the events involved are the precursors to a military coup by more conservative elements of the Pentagon staff. DEFCON level has been raised to Level 2 with the fears by the Joint Chiefs of Staff....

faubert · Sep 7, 2005

I will try it

Just before President Kennedy leaves for Texas he asks the Vice President to secretly board Air Force One with him. A suprised Vice President agrees over the objections of the Secret Service. When Air Force One crashes everyone assues that the blame lies with Cuba.

WHen he is found the Speaker is sowrn in and has a conference with the cabinet which is on board another plane. Miltary forces are placed on alert and plans are made for an attack on CUba. When American forces go on alert the Soviets also go on alert and the world is again on the brink of nuclear war.

As tenisons grow the wrekage of Air Force one is found and evidence is found that the cause of the crash was not the result of an attack or satobage.

Tenisons eventually die down but to this day people still refuse to believe that the crash was the result of an accident with the focus being on why the Vice President was on Air Force one that day.

Wendell · Sep 7, 2005

faubert said:
I will try it

Just before President Kennedy leaves for Texas he asks the Vice President to secretly board Air Force One with him. A suprised Vice President agrees over the objections of the Secret Service. When Air Force One crashes everyone assues that the blame lies with Cuba.

WHen he is found the Speaker is sowrn in and has a conference with the cabinet which is on board another plane. Miltary forces are placed on alert and plans are made for an attack on CUba. When American forces go on alert the Soviets also go on alert and the world is again on the brink of nuclear war.

As tenisons grow the wrekage of Air Force one is found and evidence is found that the cause of the crash was not the result of an attack or satobage.

Tenisons eventually die down but to this day people still refuse to believe that the crash was the result of an accident with the focus being on why the Vice President was on Air Force one that day.

That to me is a reasonable analysis. I don't see nucear war commencing.

Derek Jackson · Sep 7, 2005

Chris Oakley said:
"President John F. Kennedy,First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy,Vice President Lyndon Johnson,and the President's children John Jr. and Caroline have been confirmed dead within the last few minutes,killed when Air Force One apparently crashed in the Gulf of Mexico en route to Dallas.There is no information as of yet as to the whereabouts of House Speaker John McCormack..."

What happens next?

Did they allow the Presiden and Vice President to fly on the same plane. I thought that there was a rule like that?

The deaths of the Pres and VP at the same time in separate incidents would cause a lot of fear and suspicion especially in the Cold War.

Chris Oakley · Sep 7, 2005

Derek Jackson said:
Did they allow the Presiden and Vice President to fly on the same plane. I thought that there was a rule like that?

The deaths of the Pres and VP at the same time in separate incidents would cause a lot of fear and suspicion especially in the Cold War.

Well,I was working under the premise that LBJ hitched a ride on Air Force One on this occasion because a mechanical problem had grounded Air Force Two.

Chris Oakley · Sep 9, 2005

"We interrupt this program to bring you the following special news bulletin...."

"White House spokesmen have just announced that House Speaker John McCormack has been located in New York City and is being flown back to Washington to take the oath of office as the new President of the United States.There is no word yet as to who McCormack will choose to be his vice-president,but according to informed sources in Congress the most likely candidate to assume the post is current Senate Majority Leader Mike Mansfield...
In other news,just a few minutes ago Dallas police found the body of a local nightclub owner in Dealey Plaza dead from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head.The deceased's name is being withheld pending notification of his family...."

So then,what's President McCormack's first official act when he takes over the Oval Office?
Who ends up the new VP?
What drove Jack Ruby to commit suicide?