John F Kennedy
Few presidents in the history of this great country have stood out from the crowd as genuinely remarkable and noteworthy even more than others.
Of course, presidents from the generation of the founding fathers, such as George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, clearly match that description.
Presidents who led the nation through serious crises are also highly revered in history.
But John F. Kennedy is arguably the only president in recent memory to evoke such strong feelings of respect and admiration.
Kennedy appeared to have a special connection with the American people that no other president before or subsequently had. The time period the nation was in when he was elected president of the United States might have played a role in some of it. The largest generation of young people, referred colloquially as the "baby boomers," was coming of age between 1950 and 1970. They brought with them a spirit of optimism, a "can do" mentality, and to some extent, a sense of revolution, thanks to a new youth movement. John F. Kennedy was the ideal candidate to bring the fresh perspectives, futuristic vision, and new leadership they were seeking.
There was so much about Kennedy's presidency that exuded romance and excitement almost like something out of a fairy tale. From the "Camelot" moniker given to his family's estates to the adoration Jack and Jacqueline Kennedy received from the general populace. His younger brother Robert, who was also idolized and almost certainly would have served as president had he not tragically been slain during his early run for that office, was one of the many people in his family who possessed that special touch.
However, this was not meant to imply that Kennedy was a poor leader. He faced significant obstacles. One of the most terrifying nuclear showdowns between a nuclear-armed Russia and a nuclear-armed America in history may have occurred during the Cuban Missile Crisis. There was no time for a weak president when it became apparent that Russia was starting to establish facilities in Cuba and equip them with those awful weapons. It seems probable that the end of the Cold War would have been failure rather than success if Russia had been able to frighten or bully Kennedy and place those weapons in Cuba.But Kennedy was not bullied or intimidated and using the power of his office, Kennedy stood his ground and stood ground for all Americans and forced the Russians to remove those missiles.
However, this was not Kennedy's administration's sole noteworthy achievement. Setting the nation's sights on the moon landing required a leader with enormous vision and the capacity to excite a nation, which no one could do better than John F. Kennedy. Kennedy, however, instilled this passion and this lofty purpose in the minds of his people, and the country united to witness this man ultimately set foot on the moon and utter the immortal words, "This is one step for man, a great leap for mankind." Kennedy served as our nation's greatest inspiration on that day, which ranks among its brightest moments.
As much as John F. Kennedy's life and presidency brilliantly encapsulated the optimism and youthful energy of a generation, his terrible demise also permanently altered the course of the nation. The nation's hearts were forever altered on the tragic day of November 22, 1963, when Lee Harvey Oswald assassinated America's beloved president.
Almost everyone who was alive at the time, from schoolchildren to grandfathers, can recall where they were when they received the news on this particular day. The presidency itself has never been the same since we laid to rest this magnificent leader. Although Americans will always respect their presidents, there is no longer any love for the guy in the White House. However, one thing that persisted was the nation's unwavering admiration for John F. Kennedy, who, in the iconic words of his inauguration speech in 1961, encouraged a generation and a country to look forward to greatness.
"Ask what you can do for your nation, not what your country can do for you."