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Sound recording
White House Audio Collection
JFKWHA-069
Sound recording of the President’s News Conference of January 24, 1962 (News Conference 21). During this press conference President Kennedy answers questions from the press on a variety of topics including legislation, restrictions on public statements by military personnel, radiation in milk, and mail from Communist countries.
Sound recording
White House Audio Collection
JFKWHA-063-005
Sound recording of President John F. Kennedy’s holiday season message to the men and women serving in the United States Armed Forces.
Sound recording
White House Audio Collection
JFKWHA-058-002
Sound recording of President John F. Kennedy’s remarks in the White House Fish Room upon presenting the Harmon Trophy for excellence in aviation to the test pilots of the X-15 rocket plane.
Sound recording
White House Audio Collection
JFKWHA-058-001
Sound recording of President John F. Kennedy’s remarks at an Armistice Day wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery. In his speech President Kennedy discusses the importance of pursuing peace and remembering those who sacrificed their lives for their country on Veterans Day.
Sound recording
White House Audio Collection
JFKWHA-053-005
Sound recording of President John F. Kennedy’s address upon arriving at Fort Smith Airport in Arkansas. In his speech President Kennedy discusses the reopening of Fort Chafee and the increase in defense budget expenditures.
Sound recording
White House Audio Collection
JFKWHA-053-001
Sound recording of President John F. Kennedy’s remarks at the 82nd Airborne Division in Fort Bragg, North Carolina.
Textual folder
David F. Powers Personal Papers
DFPPP-028-027
Textual folder
David F. Powers Personal Papers
DFPPP-028-026
Textual folder
David F. Powers Personal Papers
DFPPP-028-007
Textual folder
Kennedy Family Collection
KFC-077-001
This scrapbook, compiled by John F. “Jack” Kennedy, documents his time serving in the United States Navy during World War II from 1941 through 1944, including his assignment in the Solomon Islands and his command of the motor torpedo boat, PT-109, as well as time spent on leave with family and friends. The gold stamped title on the front cover reads, “J.F.K.” The scrapbook contains photographic prints, newspaper and magazine clippings, several pieces of correspondence, and other types of printed ephemera. Of note are clippings related to the rescue of the PT-109 crew near the Solomon Islands in the Western Pacific Ocean following its sinking by a Japanese destroyer; Jack’s receipt of the Navy and Marine Corps medal for his actions in the aftermath of the attack on PT-109; his brother Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr.’s military service and death while piloting a U.S. Navy aircraft over Blythburgh, East Suffolk, England; the marriage of his sister, Kathleen Kennedy, to William “Billy” Cavendish, Marquess of Hartington; and Billy Hartington’s death while serving in the British Army. Photographs show Jack in the Solomon Islands singly and with fellow U.S. Navy sailors, including George H. R. “Barney” Ross, James A. “Jim” Reed, Paul B. “Red” Fay, Allan “Al” Webb, Leon Emery Drawdy, Edman Edgar Mauer, Edmund T. Drewitch, John Edward Maguire, Charles Albert Harris, Maurice L. Kowal, Andrew Jackson Kirksey, and Leonard "Lenny" Thom. Also pictured is Jack in Hyannis Port, Massachusetts and Palm Beach, Florida, with family, including his mother, Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy; siblings, Joseph, Jr., Kathleen, Eunice Kennedy, Patricia Kennedy, Jean Kennedy, and Edward M. “Ted” Kennedy; cousin, Joseph Francis "Joey" Gargan, Jr.; and friends, Jim Reed, Julia Reed, Lenny Thom, Catherine “Kate” Thom, Barney Ross, Nancy Tenney, Red Fay, Bernie Lyons, Torbert Macdonald, and John "Zeke" Coleman, Jr. Others who are pictured are U.S. Navy commissioned officers who served in the South West Pacific theater, including Commander Henry Charles Farrow, Jr.; Lt. Commander Robert Bolling Kelly; Commodore Edward J. “Mike” Moran; and Admiral William Frederick Halsey, Jr. Of note are two typed letters detailing Jack’s military orders during World War II; clippings related to and photographs of Jack receiving the Navy and Marine Corps Medal from Captain Frederick L. Conklin at the Chelsea Naval Hospital in Chelsea, Massachusetts; a typed letter awarding him a Purple Heart medal for injuries he sustained during his command of PT-109; a typed letter awarding him the Navy and Marine Corps Medal; a printed compilation of news releases issued by the “So-Pac Press,” a publication of the U.S. Naval Command in the South Pacific; a printed list of wartime instructions that American service members could distribute to native peoples in case of an emergency landing on one of the Solomon Islands; and a postcard sent to Jack with a handwritten message from his brother, Robert F. “Bobby” Kennedy, postmarked from Palestine and featuring an image of Jerusalem. This scrapbook contains 66 photographic prints and postcards, 64 newspaper and periodical clippings (including several full periodical pages), four typed letters, and two other printed documents.
Textual folder
Papers of John F. Kennedy. Presidential Papers. National Security Files
JFKNSF-338-016
This file contains a copy of National Security Action Memoranda number 188 (NSAM 188) titled, "Limited Benefits of Bases in Japan," to Secretary of Defense Robert S. McNamara from President John F. Kennedy. Also included is a summary by Military Representative to the President General Maxwell Taylor on his trip to evaluate United States objectives in the Far East.
Textual folder
Papers of John F. Kennedy. Presidential Papers. White House Central Subject Files
JFKWHCSF-0831-008
This folder contains correspondence, press releases, and drafts regarding forewords by President John F. Kennedy for publications on various topics including West Virginia’s Centennial; PT-109 boats for the United States Navy; trade for the General Electric Forum; and the Green Berets for, “Special Warfare, U.S. Army.”
Sound recording
Papers of John F. Kennedy. Presidential Papers. President's Office Files.
JFKPOF-MTG-085-005
Sound recording of a meeting held on May 8, 1963, between President John F. Kennedy and Admiral George W. Anderson. They discuss Admiral Anderson's expiring term as Chief of Naval Operations. It is clear from Admiral Anderson's tone that he believes that Secretary of Defense Robert S. McNamara has been extremely critical of Admiral Anderson’s handling of the TFX affair. (The TFX fighter plane contract was awarded to General Dynamics over Boeing. Members of the military had complained that they had preferred the Boeing plans, and that these recommendations were not taken into account by Secretary McNamara in the final decisions. The United States Senate later began an investigation of this contract award.) Admiral Anderson criticizes Secretary McNamara’s handling of the Department of Defense (DOD) in general. The President is quiet for most of the meeting, but does discuss Admiral Anderson taking an Ambassadorship to Portugal. This sound recording has been excerpted from Tape 85, which contains additional sound recording(s) preceding this one. See Related Records to access Tape 85 in its entirety.
Sound recording
Papers of John F. Kennedy. Presidential Papers. President's Office Files.
JFKPOF-MTG-085-004
Sound recording of an undated meeting, possibly held on May 7, 1963, between President John F. Kennedy and Secretary of Defense Robert S. McNamara. They discuss various issues concerning the Department of Defense (DOD), including the military situation in Vietnam, the Congressional budget fight on military spending in Vietnam and personnel issues in DOD, specifically the nomination of a new Deputy Secretary of Defense. The exact date of this meeting is uncertain since it does not appear in the President’s Appointment Books. Secretary McNamara refers to his discussion "yesterday" on the same issues, which could refer to the SECDEF (Secretary of Defense) Conference in Honolulu, Hawaii, that took place on May 6, 1963. One segment of the recording totaling 1 minute and 50 seconds has been removed for reasons of national security. This sound recording has been excerpted from Tape 85, which contains additional sound recording(s) preceding and following this one. See Related Records to access Tape 85 in its entirety.
Sound recording
Papers of John F. Kennedy. Presidential Papers. President's Office Files.
JFKPOF-MTG-120-003
Sound recording of a meeting on defense contracts held on November 8, 1963, between President John F. Kennedy and Secretary of Defense Robert S. McNamara. This brief discussion touches on a variety of subjects including the TFX aircraft contract issue, the futures of General Thomas Power and General Curtis LeMay, the 1964 presidential campaign, the FY1965 (Fiscal Year 1965) Budget review and stockpile discussion with Congress, and Admiral George W. Anderson’s conduct during the Cuban Missile Crisis. This sound recording has been excerpted from Tape 120/A56, which contains additional sound recording(s) preceding and following this one. See Related Records to access Tape 120/A56 in its entirety.
Sound recording
Papers of John F. Kennedy. Presidential Papers. President's Office Files.
JFKPOF-MTG-116-001
Sound recording of three meetings. First is a meeting held on October 11, 1963, between President John F. Kennedy, Secretary of State Dean Rusk, Secretary of Defense Robert S. McNamara, Special Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs McGeorge Bundy, President Kennedy’s Berlin Representative General Lucius Clay, Press Secretary Pierre Salinger, Military Aide to the President General Chester Clifton, Secretary of the Navy Paul Nitze, Special Military Assistant to the President General Maxwell Taylor, National Security Council (NSC) Assistant for Europe and Canada David Klein, and Executive Secretary of the NSC Bromley Smith. President Kennedy and his staff review in detail recent issues that Allied troops have faced regarding convoy holdups by the Soviet Union in Berlin, Germany. They discuss changes to the dismount instructions for Berlin convoys and also discuss having talks with Allies concerning these changes. One segment of this recording totaling 29 seconds has been removed in accordance with Section 3.4 (b) (1), (3) of Executive Order 13526.Second is an October 16, 1963, meeting on the Dominican Republic. This meeting is closed in full under NLK-10-154a and NLK-01-393-6-4-7: one segment of the recording totaling 38 minutes and 48 seconds has been removed.
Third is a meeting on Berlin, Germany, held on October 21, 1963, between President John F. Kennedy, Secretary of State Dean Rusk, Ambassador-at-Large Llewellyn Thompson, Assistant Secretary of State for European Affairs William Tyler, Under Secretary of State George Ball, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Richard Davis; John Ausland from the Department of State; Secretary of Defense Robert S. McNamara, Secretary of the Navy Paul Nitze, Special Military Assistant to the President General Maxwell Taylor, President Kennedy’s Berlin Representative General Lucius Clay, Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) John McCone, Special Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs McGeorge Bundy, and the following meeting participants listed in the President's schedule: Mr. Janney, Mr. Whitman, Colonel William Smith, and Mr. Diklein. This meeting is similar to a meeting that was held on October 11, 1963. They review recent problems with the Soviets on convoy procedures. They debate further the sorts of discussions that need to be held with officials of the Soviet Union concerning these ongoing problems. One segment of the recording totaling 26 seconds has been removed in accordance with Section 3.4 (b) (1), (3) of Executive Order 13526.
This sound recording has been excerpted from Tape 116/A52, which contains additional sound recording(s) following this one. See Related Records to access Tape 116/A52 in its entirety.
Sound recording
Papers of John F. Kennedy. Presidential Papers. President's Office Files.
JFKPOF-MTG-110-003
Sound recording of a meeting held on September 12, 1963, between President John F. Kennedy and economic advisers. Participating advisers include Secretary of the Treasury C. Douglas Dillon, Under Secretary of the Treasury Robert V. Roosa, Director of the Bureau of the Budget Kermit Gordon, Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers (CEA) Walter Heller, Chairman of the Federal Reserve System Board of Governors William McChesney Martin, CEA member Gardner Ackley, CEA member John Lewis, and Assistant Director of the Bureau of the Budget Charles Schultze. They discuss economic spending, military pay, and the likelihood of a recession. Please note that this meetings was opened in 1983 as part of the Tax Cut tape release package. This sound recording has been excerpted from Tape 110, which contains additional sound recording(s) preceding and following this one. See Related Records to access Tape 110 in its entirety.
Sound recording
Papers of John F. Kennedy. Presidential Papers. President's Office Files.
JFKPOF-MTG-109-004
Sound recording of a meeting about Vietnam held on September 10, 1963, between President John F. Kennedy; former United States Ambassador to Vietnam Frederick Nolting; Defense Secretary Robert S. McNamara; Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) General Maxwell D. Taylor; Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) John McCone; Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs W. Averell Harriman; Deputy Secretary of Defense Roswell Gilpatric; Director of the United States Information Agency (USIA) Edward R. Murrow; Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs Roger Hilsman; Special Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs McGeorge Bundy; National Security Council (NSC) member Michael Forrestal; Specialist on Counterinsurgency for the JCS General Victor Krulak; Executive Secretary of the NSC Bromley Smith; Foreign Service Officer Joseph Mendenhall; Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs Roger Hilsman; Military Aide to the President General Chester Clifton; Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy; USIA Official-Public Affairs Officer at the United States Embassy in Saigon, South Vietnam, John Mecklin; Director of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) David Bell; and Assistant Director for Rural Affairs, Operations Mission in Vietnam Rufus Phillips. This meeting is essentially the platform through which General Krulak and Foreign Service Officer Mendenhall report to President John F. Kennedy on their fact-finding mission to South Vietnam in September 1963. General Krulak and Mendenhall's four-day trip was intended to gain an overview of the military and civilian views of the country. General Krulak’s view, taken from his visits with military leaders, is generally optimistic on the progress of the war. Mendenhall presents the opposite view, one of widespread military and social discontent. After the two men present their views, President Kennedy quips, “You both went to the same country?” In this rather long and involved meeting, they delve into divergent views and possible steps to take. Responding to a question from former Ambassador Frederick Nolting, State Department official Rufus Phillips comments, “This was not a military war, but a political war.” Four segments of the recording totaling 3 minutes and 46 seconds have been removed in accordance with Section 3.4 (b) (1), (3) of Executive Order 13526. This sound recording has been excerpted from Tape 109, which contains additional sound recording(s) preceding this one. See Related Records to access Tape 109 in its entirety.
Sound recording
Papers of John F. Kennedy. Presidential Papers. President's Office Files.
JFKPOF-MTG-098-002
Sound recording of a meeting held on July 16, 1963, between President John F. Kennedy, Secretary of the Treasury C. Douglas Dillon, Secretary of Defense Robert S. McNamara, Under Secretary of State George Ball, Secretary of Commerce Luther Hodges, Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Affairs Richard Holton, Administrator of the Agency for International Development (AID) David Bell, Chief United States Trade Negotiator Christian Herter, member of the Council of Economic Advisers Walter Heller, Director of the Bureau of the Budget Kermit Gordon, Special Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs McGeorge Bundy, Special Counsel to the President Theodore Sorensen, and Under Secretary of Commerce Franklin Roosevelt, Jr. The discussions concerning the balance of payments are similar to discussions in a meeting the previous day, only in a larger group. Actions by the Federal Reserve as well as the President’s Special Message to Congress on the Balance of Payments are also covered. In addition, military budget cuts in personnel and in aid, and export-trade difficulties are discussed in detail. Two segments of the recording totaling 2 minutes have been removed in accordance with Section 3.4 (b) (1), (3) of Executive Order 12958. This sound recording has been excerpted from Tape 98, which contains additional sound recording(s) preceding and following this one. See Related Records to access Tape 98 in its entirety.