State funeral of John F. Kennedy

The state funeral of U.S. President John F. Kennedy took place in Washington, D.C., during the three days that followed his assassination on Friday, November 22, 1963, in Dallas, Texas.

Early on November 23, six military pallbearers carried the flag-draped coffin into the East Room of the White House,[1] where he lay in repose for 24 hours.

Throughout the day and night, hundreds of thousands lined up to view the guarded casket,[4][5] with a quarter million passing through the rotunda during the 18 hours of lying in state.

After President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, his body was flown back to Washington,[9] and taken to Bethesda Naval Hospital for the autopsy.

[26][27] Several elements of the state funeral paid tribute to President Kennedy's service in the Navy during World War II.

[36][37][38] The motorcade bearing the remains was met at the White House gate by a U.S. Marine Corps honor guard, which escorted it to the North Portico.

[40] The shot to President Kennedy's head left a gaping wound,[41] and religious leaders said that a closed casket minimized morbid concentration on the body.

[45] President Kennedy's body lay in repose in the East Room for 24 hours,[2] attended by an honor guard including troops from the 3rd Infantry and from the Army's Special Forces (Green Berets).

[46][47] The Special Forces troops had been brought hurriedly from Fort Bragg in North Carolina, at the request of U.S. Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy, who was aware of his brother's particular interest in them.

[50] Defense Secretary Robert McNamara visited Arlington National Cemetery to inspect a possible gravesite for Kennedy at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday, November 23.

[55][58] In Lafayette Park, across the street from the White House, crowds stood in the rain,[59][38][60] keeping the vigil they began the day before and would continue through the funeral.

[62][63][64] On Sunday afternoon, about 300,000 people watched a horse-drawn caisson, which had borne the body of Franklin D. Roosevelt and the Unknown Soldier,[65][52] carry President Kennedy's flag-covered casket down the White House drive, past parallel rows of soldiers bearing the flags of the 50 states of the Union,[66][67] then along Pennsylvania Avenue to the Capitol Rotunda to lie in state.

[77] Brief eulogies were delivered inside the rotunda by Senate Majority Leader Mike Mansfield of Montana, Chief Justice Earl Warren, and Speaker McCormack.

[91] While anchoring the Today show from an NBC Washington studio the next day, Hugh Downs said that the numbers made it "the greatest and most solemn wake in history.

"[92] Mudd said of the numbers: "This outpouring of affection and sympathy for the late president is probably the most majestic and stately ceremony the American people can perform.

"[61] Jersey Joe Walcott, a former heavyweight boxing champion, passed by the bier at 2:30 a.m. and agreed with Mudd, saying of President Kennedy, "He was a great man.

"[88][93] As people were viewing the casket, military authorities held meetings at the White House, at MDW headquarters, and at Arlington National Cemetery to plan Monday's events.

[94] They agreed that the Marine Band should lead the funeral procession,[94][30] which would include two foreign military units—10 pipers from the Scottish Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) marching from the White House to St. Matthew's Roman Catholic Cathedral,[102][103] a group of 30 Irish Defence Forces cadets—at the request of Mrs. Kennedy—performing silent drill at the grave site, and placement of an eternal flame at the grave.

[107] Approximately one million people lined the route of the funeral procession, from the Capitol back to the White House, then to St. Matthew's Cathedral, and finally to Arlington National Cemetery.

[121] The newly sworn in U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson, his wife Lady Bird, and their two daughters Luci and Lynda also marched in the procession.

The FBI...and the Secret Service felt...it would be injudicious and unwise for the American president to expose himself by walking along the avenue with all the buildings on each side...I...concluded...that it was something I wanted to do, should do, and would do, and did so.

[122] As the dignitaries marched, there was a heavy security presence because of concerns for the potential assassination of so many world leaders,[126] the greatest being for French President Charles de Gaulle, who had specific threats against his life.

[128] He recounted in his memoirs, The Past Has Another Pattern, that he "felt that it was imperative that a responsible official remain at the center of communications, ready to deal with such an emergency.

[127] The widow, wearing a black veil, led the way up the steps of the cathedral holding the hands of her two children,[6] with John Jr., whose third birthday fell on the day of his father's funeral,[129] on her left, and Caroline on her right.

[8] The Archbishop of Boston, Richard Cardinal Cushing, celebrated the funeral Mass at the cathedral where Kennedy, a practicing Catholic, often worshipped.

[140] Moments after the casket was carried down the front steps of the cathedral, Jacqueline Kennedy whispered to her son, after which he saluted his father's coffin;[137][118] the image, taken by photographer Stan Stearns,[141] became an iconic representation of the 1960s.

[127][151][128] With so many foreign dignitaires attending the funeral, some law enforcement officials, including MPDC Chief Robert V. Murray, later said that it was the biggest security nightmare they ever faced.

[164][165][166] Johnson would meet with several world leaders the following day when he moved into the Oval Office of the White House, including Ludwig Erhard and Haile Selassie.

[159][167] After the reception for foreign dignitaries, Johnson met with the governors who came to the funeral,[168] followed by a meeting with Treasury Secretary C. Douglas Dillon and other economic advisers to discuss the new budget to be sent to Congress in January.