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 Obama and his wife, Michelle, will be accompanied by former
President Bill Clinton and his wife, Hillary, at a wreath-laying
ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery on Wednesday afternoon. Also
that day, Obama will be joined by scores of prominent Americans who
have received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in paying tribute to
Kennedy's legacy.
Kennedy established the modern version of the medal, the highest
award the U.S. bestows on civilians, in the months before his death.
He was killed two weeks before he planned to honor the inaugural
group of recipients, and it fell to President Lyndon Johnson to
preside over the ceremony at the White House on the day Kennedy's
family was moving out.
Since then more than 500 have received the medal.
Obama will present the award Wednesday to the 2013 recipients,
including Bill Clinton, Oprah Winfrey, the late astronaut Sally
Ride, women's rights activist Gloria Steinem, baseball Hall of Famer
Ernie Banks, country music singer Loretta Lynn and 10 others.
On Wednesday evening, Obama plans a speech on Kennedy's legacy of
service with a dinner at the Smithsonian American History Museum
attended by current and past recipients of the medal, including
baseball's Hank Aaron, astronaut Buzz Aldrin, singer Aretha
Franklin, economist Alan Greenspan, activist Jesse Jackson and
former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger.
Kennedy's grandson, Jack Schlossberg, is to introduce Obama at the
dinner. Other Kennedy members plan to attend, including Robert
Kennedy's daughter Kathleen Kennedy Townsend and former diplomat
Jean Kennedy Smith, a former medal winner and John Kennedy's last
surviving sibling.
Friday marks 50 years to the day since Kennedy was killed by a
gunman in Dallas. Obama will meet privately at the White House that
day with leaders and volunteers from the Peace Corps program Kennedy
established.
Details of Obama's plans were provided by the White House to The
Associated Press.
The Clintons' presence at the eternal flame where Kennedy is buried
is sure to spark speculation about whether Obama has a favorite in
the 2016 race to succeed him.
For Hillary Clinton, his former secretary of state, her every move
is examined for signs of whether she'll run. Vice President Joe
Biden, another potential candidate, plans to be at the medal
ceremony and dinner but will not be at the grave.
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President Harry Truman established an early version of the Medal of
Freedom in 1945 to recognize those whose actions overseas advanced
the national security of the United States or its allies, but it
also could be bestowed by other top U.S. officials.
By executive order in February 1963, Kennedy made bestowing the
Medal of Freedom a presidential privilege and expanded its scope to
honor contributions to world peace, culture and other public
interests.
According to the White House, Kennedy announced the inaugural list
of 31 awardees on July 4, 1963, selecting opera singers, diplomats,
academics and civic leaders. The medal design was finalized in the
fall, and a ceremony was scheduled for Dec. 6. On Nov. 21, the day
before the assassination, Kennedy's special assistant forwarded a
request to have the Marine String Orchestra play at the awards
reception.
Johnson decided to move forward with the lunchtime ceremony in the
State Dining Room and surprised the dignitaries in attendance by
adding Kennedy and the recently deceased Pope John XXIII as
posthumous recipients.
"In the shattering sequence of events that began 14 days ago, we
encountered in its full horror man's capacity for hatred and
destruction," Johnson said at the ceremony. "There is little we do
not know of evil, but it is time to turn once more to the pursuits
of honor and excellence and of achievement that have always marked
the true direction of the American people."
Jacqueline Kennedy declined Johnson's plans to also award a medal to
her. She watched from an anteroom as Attorney General Robert Kennedy
accepted the medal on his brother's behalf. That afternoon, Mrs.
Kennedy and her children moved out of the White House.
[Associated
Press; NEDRA PICKLER]
Follow Nedra Pickler on
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Copyright 2013 The Associated
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