The “eternal flame” on JFK’s grave has only been shut down twice in 55 years due to a group of Catholic schoolchildren accidentally dousing it with holy water and a flood damaging the transformer. JFK was the only Purple Heart recipient and Pulitzer Prize winner to be elected President, and donated his salary to charity.
The “eternal flame” that burns on the grave of John F. Kennedy at Arlington National Cemetery hasn’t lived up to the name, but has had only a few minor setbacks since it began burning in 1963. The flame is been shut down twice in 55 years. The first time came with a bit of irony, when a group of Catholic schoolchildren accidentally doused him with holy water just a month after he was lit at Kennedy’s temporary grave. The second incident occurred in 1967, soon after the opening of the permanent monument, when a heavy flood not only extinguished the flames but also damaged the transformer which otherwise would have re-lit it immediately. Since then, though, the flame has been flawless and has continued to symbolize Kennedy’s lasting legacy.
Remembering the 35th President of the United States:
John F. Kennedy is the only Purple Heart recipient and the only Pulitzer Prize winner to be elected President of the United States.
By some accounts, Kennedy expected Lyndon Johnson to turn down the offer to be his running mate in the 1960 election. He then sent his brother, Robert F. Kennedy, to try to change Johnson’s mind after he accepted.
During his time as a US congressman and later as president, Kennedy donated all of his salary to charity.
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