Harry Smith:<i>
"He had amazing grace.</i> <i> He accepted who he was,</i> <i> but he cared more
about what he could</i> <i> and should become."</i> <i> The words of
Senator Edward Kennedy,</i> <i> loving words spoken
about his late nephew.</i> <i> ( music playing )</i> Welcome to
a special presentation
of "Biography." This has been
a most extraordinary week, <i> a week that began
last Saturday morning</i> <i> when the news broke
John Kennedy, Jr.'s plane
was missing.</i> <i> There were gallant efforts
to locate the plane,</i> <i> but any hope
of finding him alive
quickly diminished.</i> <i> Americans soon realized
he was dead,</i> <i> along with his wife
Carolyn Bessette Kennedy</i> <i> and her sister Lauren.</i> Each of these
three young people,
Lauren Bessette, Carolyn Bessette Kennedy,
and John F. Kennedy, Jr., was the embodiment
of love, accomplishment, and passion for life. Smith:<i>
Impromptu shrines
sprang up</i> <i> outside John and Carolyn's
apartment,</i> <i> at the airport
from where they took off,</i> <i> even at the site
where his father was killed
in Dallas.</i> Man:<i>
John-John's a national
tragedy for everyone.</i> There isn't any doubt
about that. We watched him grow up.
Everyone here watched him
grow up. Smith:<i> On Thursday,
the three young victims
were buried at sea</i> <i> in a service attended
by just a few family members.</i> <i> Others said goodbye
at memorial services,</i> <i> including the official
ceremony Friday morning</i> <i> in New York City.</i> <i> Throughout this week,
there were eloquent expressions</i> <i> of grief and sympathy.</i> <i> But in the end,
words did little to console</i> <i> two families
whose hearts were broken</i> <i> and many others
who shared their deep sorrow.</i> <i> Millions of Americans
spoke about losing a friend</i> <i> they had never met.</i> I felt so sorry. I am really very,
very sorry deep in my heart. Smith:<i>
In a sense, we all knew
John Kennedy, Jr.</i> <i> since he was a little boy.</i> <i> And we watched him
grow into an adult,</i> <i> who was,
by all accounts,</i> <i> a good and decent man.</i> On this special presentation, we'll look at the lives
of JFK, Jr. and his wife
Carolyn Bessette Kennedy. He was born into
the most public of families. She was a private woman who became
an instant celebrity when they became
husband and wife. We'll also look
at how the Kennedys
erected a political dynasty and family fortune and why they have held
such a powerful grip on the American
imagination. I'll be joined later
by one of Kennedy's
good friends and by some observers who will help
put this extraordinary week into some perspective. First, our biography
of John F. Kennedy, Jr. Helen Thomas:<i>
...The gallant little boy</i> <i> saluting his father
in a farewell.</i> It was very moving. Very touching. He has the name,
he has the charisma, <i> he has a handsome face,
and he has the mystique.</i> Over a quarter century ago, my father
stood before you to accept the nomination for the presidency
of the United States. <i> ( cheering )</i> Pierre Salinger:<i>
I heard that speech
and I suddenly said to myself,</i> "My God, this is
one of the Kennedy children who's going to run
for office someday." Louise Lague:<i>
He was our best-selling
"Sexiest Man Alive" ever.</i> Nobody has sold more copies
of that issue than JFK, Jr. Man:<i>
John F. Kennedy,
his wife Carolyn Bessette,</i> <i> and his sister-in-law
Lauren Bessette</i> were late in arriving
at Martha's Vineyard. If he were
out there floating-- hanging onto a sinking plane,
he'd find a way to
get out of it. Man:<i>
Our generation's
most shining light</i> <i> has been extinguished
too soon.</i> John Fitzgerald Kennedy, Jr. Narrator:<i>
He was the shining star</i> <i> of America's most legendary
political dynasty,</i> <i> a man who embodied the hopes
and dreams of a nation,</i> <i> but in the end,
America's royal son</i> <i> could not escape
a tragic fate</i> <i> that some called
a "family curse."</i> Narrator:<i>
The story of
John F. Kennedy, Jr.,</i> <i> heir to America's
most famous</i> <i> and star-crossed
political family,</i> <i> begins with the marriage
of his parents in 1953.</i> <i> Jack Kennedy
was the junior senator
from Massachusetts,</i> <i> a handsome young man
who had inherited</i> <i> the Kennedy family's
political ambitions</i> <i> when his older brother Joe</i> <i> was killed
in World War II.</i> <i> Kennedy's bride,
Jacqueline Bouvier,</i> <i> was one of America's
most beautiful debutantes.</i> <i> She had worked
as an "inquiring photographer"</i> <i> for the
"Washington Times-Herald"</i> <i> and had met Jack
the year before at
a Washington dinner party.</i> <i> Their wedding was
the social event of the year.</i> <i> Jacqueline Kennedy
suffered a miscarriage</i> <i> and a stillbirth
before John's older sister</i> <i> Caroline was born in 1957.</i> <i> Early in the 1960
presidential campaign,</i> <i> Jackie became
pregnant again,</i> <i> but that did not keep her
off the campaign trail.</i> ( speaking Italian ) ( cheering ) Narrator:<i>
John F. Kennedy was elected</i> <i> President
of the United States.</i> So now
my wife and I prepare
for a new administration and for a new baby.
Thank you. Narrator:<i>
Just two and a half
weeks later,</i> <i> November 25th, 1960,</i> <i> John F. Kennedy, Jr.
was born at Georgetown
University Hospital.</i> <i> His father got the news</i> <i> while on a plane
to Washington with Caroline</i> <i> and he immediately rushed
to Jackie's bedside.</i> How is your wife, sir? She's very well.
She's fine. - And the baby?
- Very good, indeed. We're very grateful
for them both being so well. The cards poured in,
the flowers, and so forth. <i> And Mrs. Kennedy</i> <i> stayed in the hospital
a little longer than usual.</i> Narrator:<i>
The reason was
that John had been born</i> <i> with a minor lung disease</i> <i> that kept him in an incubator
for several days.</i> <i> He was baptized</i> <i> in the hospital chapel
on December 8th</i> <i> in the same christening gown
his father had worn</i> <i> at his baptism in 1917</i> <i> and the bonnet Jackie
had worn at her baptism.</i> do solemnly swear... <i>Fit,</i> That you will
faithfully execute the office
of President of
the United States. That I will
faithfully execute the office of President
of the United States. Narrator:<i>
When President Kennedy's
inauguration took place</i> <i> on January 20th, 1961,</i> <i> baby John and Caroline
were left behind</i> <i> at the Kennedy compound
in Palm Beach, Florida,</i> <i> but they were not
out of sight for long.</i> <i> John was the first baby
in the White House</i> <i> since Grover Cleveland's
daughter in 1893.</i> <i> And all America
fell in love</i> <i> with the new
first family.</i> Wendy Leigh:<i>
It was a wonderful image,
really, for the American public</i> <i> to have this young,
vibrant, beautiful couple
in the White House,</i> this sweet little girl Caroline,
and this new baby boy John. It was a wonderful moment
for the country and for
the Kennedys. Narrator:<i>
He was the son of a glamorous,
charismatic president</i> <i> and a charming,
elegant first lady.</i> <i> And America could not
get enough of young
John Kennedy.</i> <i> The president was delighted
to play the proud father.</i> I think that both children--
both Caroline and John <i> were the absolute joy
of the president's life.</i> <i> They broke the monotony
in the White House.</i> Narrator:<i>
The press dubbed the
president's son "John-John,"</i> <i> but he was never
called that by the family.</i> <i> He was simply "John"
at home.</i> <i> By the time he could walk
at 13 months,</i> <i> John had become a part
of the president's official
daily routine.</i> Salinger:<i>
He loved bringing them
all the way to the Oval Office</i> <i> practically every morning.</i> <i> And I would sometimes
very early walk in</i> and there would be John,
there would be Caroline in the Oval Office
with him. Narrator:<i>
Due to his father's frequent
trips on state business,</i> <i> John developed
a fascination</i> <i> with all kinds
of airplanes--</i> <i> in particular,
helicopters.</i> Cecil Stoughton:<i>
He'd always love to be
on the helicopter.</i> He always called them
"hebbi-choppers" or something like that
because he couldn't say things
very well as a two-year-old. Narrator:<i>
Jackie made great efforts</i> <i> to give her two children
as normal an upbringing
as possible</i> <i> within the confines</i> <i> of overwhelming
public interest in her family.</i> Leigh:<i> Mrs. Kennedy
was always very protective
of the children.</i> <i> Did really not want them
to be used as living
photo opportunities.</i> She guarded them
as much as possible. The president,
on the other hand, <i> was very keen
for his children</i> <i> really to be
part of his image.</i> <i> He adored them.</i> Narrator:<i>
Jackie limited official
photo opportunities,</i> <i> but the personal snapshots
from the White House years</i> <i> were no different
from any other family's.</i> <i> Christmas Eve with
stockings on the chimney,</i> <i> Easter egg coloring
in the kitchen.</i> <i> Even as President Kennedy</i> <i> dealt with potential
atomic war</i> <i> during
the Cuban Missile Crisis</i> <i> in October 1962,</i> <i> he interrupted meetings
to help carve a pumpkin</i> <i> and celebrate Halloween
with John and Caroline.</i> <i> It was not unknown
for young John</i> <i> to pop
into the Oval Office</i> <i> when his father was conducting
affairs of state.</i> <i> Once, while the president
was giving a radio speech,</i> <i> John could not contain</i> <i> his youthful exuberance.</i> Kennedy on recording:<i>
And its complex problems</i> -<i> ( Kennedy, Jr. yelling )</i>
-<i> need the kind of attention--
wait a minute, John.</i> <i> Wait a sec.
Don't say anything 'cause
I gotta give this speech.</i> -<i> Can you sit down over there
now and be a good boy?</i>
- Caroline:<i> John.</i> Kennedy:<i>
Come on now,
be a good boy. John.</i> Narrator:<i>
On August 7th, 1963,</i> <i> Jackie gave birth
to a third child,</i> <i> Patrick Bouvier Kennedy,</i> <i> who was born with
a more severe form</i> <i> of the same lung disease
that had afflicted John
at birth.</i> <i> Patrick died two days later</i> <i> and Jackie withdrew
from public life</i> <i> for the next several months.</i> <i> When she went
on vacation in Europe,</i> <i> the president took advantage
of her absence</i> <i> to indulge his passion</i> <i> for photographs
of the children.</i> President Kennedy
called me in and says, "This is a great chance
for us to get pictures
of the kids <i> because she's not
gonna be here."</i> Leigh:<i>
Mr. Kennedy,
the president,</i> <i> smuggled
a leading photographer
into the White House,</i> <i> whereupon he took those
wonderful pictures of John</i> <i> hiding under
his father's desk.</i> <i> And Mrs. Kennedy said to
the photographer afterwards,</i> "I'm really glad
that we have these because
it's a wonderful record of the president
and his closeness to his son." Narrator:<i>
In fact, as much
as Jackie demanded</i> <i> what privacy she could
for John and Caroline,</i> <i> she was ambivalent,
also wanting a thorough record</i> <i> of their childhood years.</i> Stoughton:<i>
The White House phone
would ring and the operator</i> would say, "Please hold
for Mrs. Kennedy." And then she comes
on the phone and says, "Captain,
I wonder if you..." Narrator:<i>
It was Army Signal Corps
Captain Cecil Stoughton,</i> <i> assigned as
the president's
personal photographer,</i> <i> whom Jackie summoned
to take these home movies</i> <i> of a family weekend
in Virginia</i> <i> in mid-November 1963.</i> <i> John played with the dogs
and walked with his sister</i> <i> in the woods that Sunday.</i> <i> The president tried to give
his left-handed son</i> <i> a golf lesson.</i> <i> John was going through
a typical</i> <i> childhood military phase</i> <i> and he loved
marching around</i> <i> with his toy gun
and tiny Army helmet.</i> <i> John and Caroline
were left in the care
of their nanny</i> <i> in the White House
on November 21st, 1963,</i> <i> when the president
and Mrs. Kennedy left
on a political trip.</i> <i> Stops were planned</i> <i> in San Antonio,
Fort Worth,</i> <i> and Dallas, Texas.</i> <i> ( gunshots crackle )</i> From Dallas, Texas,
the flash, apparently official, President Kennedy died at 1:00 p.m.
Central Standard Time, 2:00 Eastern Standard Time... some 38 minutes ago. Narrator:<i>
As the nation reeled
with shock and disbelief</i> <i> at the news that their
vibrant, young president</i> <i> had been shot
by an assassin,</i> <i> John and Caroline
were put to bed</i> <i> for their naps
by their nanny.</i> <i> A short time later,
while Jackie stood by</i> <i> for Lyndon Johnson's
swearing-in aboard
Air Force One,</i> <i> the children were
bundled off across town</i> <i> to the home
of Jackie's mother,
Janet Auchincloss.</i> <i> It was
a misunderstanding</i> <i> and when Jackie learned
of their whereabouts,</i> <i> she sent word
from the plane</i> <i> that the children were
to return to the White House.</i> <i> There, Caroline,
just a week shy of her
sixth birthday,</i> <i> was told of
her father's death
by the nanny.</i> <i> The president's brother,
Bobby Kennedy,</i> <i> met Jackie
when Air Force One
landed in Washington.</i> <i> Later that evening,</i> <i> it fell to him
to tell young John</i> <i> his father had died.</i> <i> President Kennedy
was buried</i> <i> on John's third birthday,
November 25th.</i> <i> John was too young
to understand the tragedy
before him</i> <i> as he stood outside
St. Matthew's Cathedral</i> <i> with his mother
and sister.</i> <i> When his slain father's
casket was carried by,</i> <i> John raised
his right hand</i> <i> in a little salute
he had practiced</i> <i> so recently in play.</i> Thomas:<i> The gallant
little boy saluting his
father in a farewell.</i> <i> It was very moving,
very touching,</i> <i> very, very painful
for everybody</i> <i> because they knew
what a loss it was.</i> And I think that, definitely,
with Kennedy's death, we lost a lot of hope
in this country. Narrator:<i>
That evening,
John's third birthday party</i> <i> went on as planned</i> <i> with all his aunts
and uncles in attendance.</i> The children were all there.
All of the classmates
that were invited. <i> And the series
of pictures of that</i> <i> are just like
any other time.</i> <i> The only difference
is all the ladies
are dressed</i> <i> in black,
sheath-type dresses.</i> Narrator:<i>
A few days after
her husband's death,</i> <i> Jackie paid
a personal visit</i> <i> to longtime family friend</i> <i> and presidential
Press Secretary</i> <i> Pierre Salinger.</i> When Jackie saw that her husband
had been assassinated, she had made a judgment,
she had made a decision that she was gonna spend
her time with the kids. <i> She said, "You know,
there's only one thing
I can do in life now,</i> <i> only one thing
I can do in life,</i> <i> and that is I've got
to take care of these kids.</i> <i> I've got to make sure
they live well.</i> <i> I've got to make sure
they go forward in life."</i> Narrator:<i>
Two weeks after
the assassination,</i> <i> John left the White House</i> <i> with his mother and sister
for the last time.</i> <i> He was carrying
a small American flag.</i> <i> Soon thereafter,</i> <i> Jackie took John and Caroline
to visit Bill Haddad,</i> <i> Deputy Director
of the Peace Corps.</i> And at one point,
they were playing--
the children were playing cars and the executive's daughter
cried, "Daddy," whereupon
little John looked up at the executive and said,
"Are you a daddy?" And he said,
"Well, yes, I am." <i> And John said,
"Will you lift me
in the air, then?"</i> <i> Because that's what
he thought daddies did</i> <i> 'cause that's what
his daddy did for him.</i> <i> And his daddy wasn't there
anymore, so he was looking
for another daddy.</i> Narrator:<i>
Bobby Kennedy tried hard
to become a surrogate father</i> <i> for young
John and Caroline,</i> <i> but friction developed
between Jackie</i> <i> and Bobby's wife, Ethel.</i> Leigh:<i>
Bobby was spending
so much time</i> <i> with Mrs. Jackie Kennedy
and the children,</i> <i> there was resentment
from Ethel's side,</i> <i> and the visits
were curtailed as a result.</i> Narrator:<i>
To escape the glare
of Washington sightseers,</i> <i> Jackie had settled with
the children in New York City.</i> <i> She bought
a 15-room apartment</i> <i> across the street
from Central Park,</i> <i> which had
plenty of room</i> <i> for young John to play.</i> <i> Except for a few
Kennedy family events</i> <i> and anniversaries
of the assassination,</i> <i> Jackie distanced herself</i> <i> and her children
from the Kennedys.</i> Michael Gross:<i>
What Jacqueline Kennedy did</i> <i> was she made
a very definite decision</i> <i> somewhere along the line,</i> <i> that she was going
to raise her children
not to be Kennedys,</i> <i> but to rather be
normal people.</i> <i> And she kept them
out of the limelight,</i> she kept them
out of danger, she kept them
out of temptation, she kept
them out of Hyannis Port. Narrator:<i>
John entered nursery school,
St. David's,</i> <i> carefully chosen by Jackie
because the school
made a point</i> <i> of accepting
scholarship students</i> <i> from a variety
of social backgrounds.</i> Leigh:<i>
She wanted the schools
to be very mixed.</i> <i> To have a lot of
children of different races,
different religions.</i> She did not want John
to be an isolated, privileged child. Narrator:<i>
Manhattan had everything
any mother could want</i> <i> to entertain
and educate her young son.</i> <i> John occasionally saw
Bobby Kennedy,</i> <i> who had been elected
to the Senate from the state
of New York.</i> <i> He was a major contender</i> <i> in the 1968
presidential campaign,</i> <i> having won the crucial
California primary.</i> My thanks to all of you and now it's on to Chicago
and let's win there. - Thank you very much.
-<i> ( cheering )</i> Narrator:<i>
John was just
seven years old</i> <i> when another
assassin's bullet
struck down his Uncle Bobby.</i> ( voices crying,
shouting ) <i> The Kennedy family
lost their third son,</i> <i> they lost their dream
of a restored</i> <i> Kennedy White House,</i> <i> and for the second time
in his short life,</i> <i> John lost
a beloved companion.</i> Salinger:<i>
John was very close to Bobby.</i> <i> He was shocked
by the death of his uncle</i> <i> because he loved Bobby.</i> Bobby had been
so nice to him after his father
had been killed. Narrator:<i>
"I hate this country,"
cried Jackie Kennedy</i> <i> when Bobby
was assassinated.</i> <i> "If they're killing Kennedys,
my kids are number one
targets."</i> <i> Four months later
in October,</i> <i> Jackie married
Greek shipping magnate
Aristotle Onassis,</i> <i> then said to be
the richest man in the world.</i> Salinger:<i>
When she married Ari Onassis,
she made a deal with him</i> that she would spend
nine months a year in New York because she wanted
to spend time with the kids in their local base
where they were going
to school. Narrator:<i>
Onassis was divorced,</i> <i> the father of
two grown children,</i> <i> but they had been raised
mainly by servants</i> <i> and he had
little experience with kids.</i> <i> Still, on John's
summer vacations in Greece</i> <i> and when Onassis occasionally
visited New York during
the school year,</i> <i> he made an effort
to fulfill</i> <i> the role of stepfather.</i> Leigh:<i> Mr. Onassis
was very, very kind to
John and to Caroline.</i> <i> And he used to take John</i> <i> on board the yacht
"Christina."</i> <i> He went to baseball games
with John,</i> <i> he went to his school play,
he trudged through the mud
at horse shows,</i> and he did his best
for a number of years to be an involved,
good stepfather to John. Narrator:<i>
The same fall that
Jackie married Mr. Onassis,</i> <i> John transferred
to Collegiate,</i> <i> America's oldest
independent private school,</i> <i> founded in 1628.</i> <i> He had lagged behind
academically at St. David's.</i> <i> Some said that
Jackie moved John</i> <i> to prevent him
from having to repeat
second grade.</i> <i> After school,
John took drum lessons</i> <i> and for several years
he took a stab at
learning tennis</i> <i> with his sister
in Central Park.</i> They were never going
to become professionals...
( laughs ) ...but Caroline
was much more serious. Caroline studied tennis. <i> John just had a good time.</i> <i> He used to roll around
the courts.</i> <i> He hit balls
every which way.</i> <i> Usually they spent
a little bit of time
afterwards</i> <i> coming out to the grass
to collect the balls</i> <i> that John hit
over the fence.</i> Narrator:<i>
Secret Service protection
had been extended</i> <i> until John's
16th birthday.</i> <i> He had always despised
the constant scrutiny</i> <i> and made a game of trying
to elude his protectors--</i> <i> a game that led
to a mugging</i> <i> on his way
to a tennis lesson</i> <i> when John
was 13 years old.</i> John was riding his bike
and the Secret Servicemen, who were usually
fairly close to him, had cut up the hill
coming in here and they were a little
ahead of John, apparently. <i> John was stopped,
somebody told him</i> <i> get off his bike,
"Give me your bike,"</i> <i> and John
gave up his bike.</i> Narrator:<i>
John was not hurt,</i> <i> and the mugger,
a 20-year-old cocaine addict,</i> <i> was caught
a short time later.</i> <i> John testified
at the grand jury hearing,</i> <i> but to avoid
any more publicity,</i> <i> Jackie did not
press charges.</i> <i> In 1977</i> <i> when he was 16 years old,</i> <i> John made one of his
first public appearances</i> <i> as a representative
of the Kennedy family.</i> <i> It was the ground breaking
in Boston</i> <i> for the John F. Kennedy
Presidential Library.</i> Well, I'm really glad
it finally happened. I mean, it's been
a while in the making. All I can say
is I'm glad it's
finally come around. Narrator:<i>
John was becoming
a young man</i> <i> with a young man's
interests,</i> <i> and he started dating
during his final two years
of high school</i> <i> at Phillips Academy
in Andover, Massachusetts.</i> The reasons
why we, I believe,
never see revelations <i> about "my night
with John F. Kennedy, Jr."</i> <i> is because John
is very careful</i> <i> about the ladies
with whom he gets involved.</i> Narrator:<i>
In 1979, when John
entered college,</i> <i> he still had
a few more carefree years.</i> <i> But before long,</i> <i> he would feel the weight
of the Kennedy legacy.</i> Leigh:<i>
John led a life of going to
the ballet with his mother,</i> <i> going to the theater,
going to concerts.</i> <i> A lot of horse riding
for his sister.</i> <i> John was actually
allergic to horses,</i> <i> and to his mother's pain--</i> <i> because she, of course,
was a great horsewoman--</i> John didn't like to ride much,
but he liked to play football
in the park and led a very cultured,
interesting, rich life. Narrator:<i>
Jackie believed
there were obligations</i> <i> to being a Kennedy</i> <i> and she made sure
the children understood
what they were.</i> <i> In the summer of 1976,</i> <i> John was
sent to Guatemala</i> <i> to work for the Peace Corps,</i> <i> which his father had founded
when he was president.</i> <i> And he learned a lot
about resourcefulness</i> <i> at an Outward Bound course</i> <i> where he survived alone
for three days</i> <i> in the wilderness.</i> <i> Afterward,
he said with a smile,</i> <i> that he would never
allow himself</i> <i> to be that hungry again.</i> I think Mrs. Kennedy
did a tremendous job of keeping them on the straight and narrow
path, as it were. Narrator:<i>
John was close
to his mother,</i> <i> but the time had come
to spend more time on his own.</i> <i> He had already spent</i> <i> two years away from home
at prep school</i> <i> when in 1979
he had to choose a college.</i> <i> The Kennedy family
was closely associated
with Harvard,</i> <i> but John
broke with tradition</i> <i> to attend Brown University</i> <i> in Providence,
Rhode Island.</i> Why he chose Brown
ultimately over Harvard may have been the fact
that a lot of his friends
were going there. <i> Maybe he felt
the curriculum was a lot
looser than Harvard.</i> John Emigh:<i>
I know he was taking--
from the freshman year--</i> courses in
governance and history
and political science and had a genuine interest
about how things worked and how things had worked. Narrator:<i>
John had become interested
in acting at Collegiate</i> <i> and he began to take
acting seriously at Brown</i> <i> as an extracurricular
activity.</i> Emigh:<i>
I remember his performance
in David Rabe's</i> <i> "In the Boom Boom Room."</i> And there he played a lowlife character, an abusive character, <i> someone not at all
of John's own disposition.</i> <i> I think he took pleasure
in being able to
extend himself</i> <i> into modes of behavior
that are not his.</i> Narrator:<i>
Through his acting,
he met Christina Haag,</i> <i> a girlfriend who became
a longtime friend.</i> <i> And he also dated
Sally Munro.</i> <i> Despite
his obvious appeal,</i> <i> John was not
a ladies' man.</i> <i> John graduated from Brown</i> <i> in June of 1983</i> <i> with a bachelor's degree
in history.</i> <i> He settled back in New York</i> <i> and took his first job
as an assistant</i> <i> to the New York Commissioner
of Business Development.</i> <i> In addition to his new job,</i> <i> John became active
in charity work.</i> <i> ( applause )</i> <i> In 1985,</i> <i> he appeared
at the 20th annual
Christmas party</i> <i> for the Bedford-Stuyvesant
restoration project</i> <i> founded by Robert Kennedy.</i> <i> John Kennedy
had grown into a handsome,
young man-about-New York,</i> <i> drawing the attention
of America's most notorious
femme fatale.</i> <i> Madonna had reached
international stardom
by then,</i> <i> and much of the world</i> <i> hung on her every
outrageous utterance.</i> Leigh:<i>
Madonna really went after
John in a tremendous way.</i> <i> She was incredibly determined
to capture John</i> <i> to add him to her list
of trophies.</i> <i> And one of the things
that was very interesting</i> was that Mrs. Onassis,
at that point, knew about Madonna and very much wanted
to meet her and wanted to know
what Madonna was like. Narrator:<i>
The Madonna fling fizzled,</i> <i> but John was soon squiring</i> <i> other beautiful
young women around town.</i> <i> ( cheering )</i> <i> In July 1986,</i> <i> it was Caroline's turn
to take center stage</i> <i> when she married
Edwin Schlossberg.</i> <i> While Caroline's future
seemed assured,</i> <i> John's was far from certain.</i> <i> Many believed he wanted
to pursue acting.</i> Emigh:<i>
John could have been
a professional actor</i> <i> on the basis of his skills.</i> He had a knack for it. He had a love of it. Narrator:<i>
Jackie was adamant</i> <i> that John find
a more suitable career.</i> <i> Some said that she threatened
to disinherit him</i> <i> unless he gave up the idea
of becoming an actor.</i> <i> So John settled on the law.</i> <i> He enrolled
at New York University
Law School in 1986.</i> Obviously, he was
incredibly close to his mom. His mom was the most important
influence in his life. He went to law school
because that's what his mom
wanted him to do. He became a D.A.
because that's what his mom
wanted him to do. Narrator:<i>
If the law was not
really what he wanted,</i> <i> he kept those feelings
to himself.</i> <i> But it was
the traditional precursor
to a political career</i> <i> and in the next
few years,</i> <i> John Kennedy would take
a few tentative steps</i> <i> onto the political stage.</i> James Wright:<i>
Join me now</i> <i> as I bring
to this podium</i> <i> a young man whom we all</i> <i> clasped to our hearts,</i> John Fitzgerald Kennedy, Jr. <i> ( cheering, applause )</i> Narrator:<i>
John Kennedy made his first</i> <i> important political speech
in 1988</i> <i> when he introduced
Ted Kennedy</i> <i> at the Democratic National
Convention in Atlanta.</i> Over a quarter century ago, my father stood before you to accept the nomination for the presidency
of the United States... <i> ( cheering, applause )</i> Salinger:<i>
I heard that speech
and I suddenly said to myself,</i> "My God, this is one
of the Kennedy children who's
gonna run for office someday because he's got
the right style." America is better because of the leadership
of Edward Kennedy. - ( cheering, applause )
-<i> Thank you.</i> He has shown that an unwavering
commitment to the poor, to the elderly, to those without hope, regardless of fashion
or convention, is the greatest reward
of public service. Gross:<i>
He really electrified
that convention.</i> I think people thought, "Oh, here it goes.
His hat's in the ring." Narrator:<i>
John, as became his habit,</i> <i> sidestepped the question</i> <i> while not ruling out a run
for political office.</i> I wouldn't want to think
too far in the future. I've, ah, just tried to do
the things that interest me and do it
in my own way and, um, I've managed
to consume myself with things other
than politics at the moment. Narrator:<i>
The convention was John's
political coming-out party</i> <i> and the beginning
of the kind of intense
media scrutiny</i> <i> John found uncomfortable.</i> <i> Just two months later,
"People" magazine made John
their cover boy.</i> <i> He was called</i> <i> the "Sexiest Man Alive"
for 1988.</i> And he was our best-selling
"Sexiest Man Alive" ever. Nobody has sold more copies
of that issue than JFK, Jr. <i> He's sort of
the closest thing
we have to royalty,</i> <i> but he's also
the kind of royalty
that we like to have.</i> He was just under
such scrutiny by the media, that he didn't like that
very much and often tried
to find ways that he
could just disappear. Leigh:<i>
Like his mother, he allows
himself to be photographed,</i> but like Greta Garbo
and his mother, he doesn't
speak much. And so he retains
this incredible mystery. Narrator:<i>
The mystery the media
most wanted to uncover</i> <i> was John's love life.</i> <i> One woman with whom
John's name</i> <i> was linked longer
than most</i> <i> was actress Daryl Hannah.</i> Leigh:<i>
John met Daryl Hannah,
in fact,</i> <i> when they were
in their late teens
on the Island of St. Martin.</i> <i> And Daryl Hannah
was very noticeable</i> <i> because she was carrying
a teddy bear even though
she was 17 years old.</i> They only finally
met again in 1988 at the wedding
of John's aunt, Princess Lee Radziwill,
to Herbert Ross and they met
at the wedding dinner <i> and sparks flew.</i> Gross:<i>
She was, first of all,
a stunningly gorgeous woman.</i> An outdoorsy woman
who could share John's interests
with him. <i> She was a patrician
like his mother.</i> <i> She was also
a Hollywood star
just like Marilyn Monroe.</i> <i> So there was an aspect
of what Dad</i> <i> would have looked for
in a woman there, too.</i> Narrator:<i>
While his romance
with Daryl Hannah grew,</i> <i> John graduated
from law school in 1989</i> <i> and signed on
as an assistant district
attorney in Manhattan.</i> <i> When he failed
the New York State
bar examination</i> <i> for the second time,</i> <i> the tabloids
could not resist.</i> Obviously,
I'm very disappointed again, but, you know,
God willing, uh, I'll be back there
in July and I'll pass it then
or I'll pass it the next time or I'll pass it
when I'm 95. Narrator:<i>
John eventually did
pass the bar</i> <i> and although he handled</i> <i> only a few cases
in the next three years,</i> <i> he made successes
of them all.</i> He took cases
that were losers and through his ability
to get information
out of people, he made these cases
into winners. Narrator:<i>
When his cousin
Willie Smith</i> <i> stood trial
on a rape charge</i> <i> in Palm Beach, Florida,
in 1991,</i> <i> John took leave
from his job</i> <i> with the district
attorney's office</i> <i> to lend support
to his childhood chum.</i> Leigh:<i> The tabloids reported
that his mother had made
him do that</i> and that's not true
because John and Willie
were very, very close. They went
to school together. And of all his Kennedy cousins,
it's Willie that John
is closest to. Narrator:<i>
Other Kennedy cousins
besides Willie</i> <i> had gotten into trouble
with the law and with drugs,</i> <i> but John and his sister
Caroline avoided
those problems.</i> <i> Most people attributed
their stability</i> <i> to their mother.</i> <i> Some Kennedy family events,</i> <i> like the Profiles
in Courage Award,</i> <i> were important enough
to merit interviews.</i> Well,
the award this year is being given
specifically for Governor Florio's work on behalf of
the assault rifle ban... Narrator:<i>
The television interview
was a rare opportunity</i> <i> to question John
about his political future.</i> Are we gonna see you
go into politics? Well, it's something that--
not today. It's something that,
you know, you never say never and it's obviously
a source of interest, but I'll just see.
I don't really know. Narrator:<i>
John resigned from
the district attorney's office</i> <i> in July 1993.</i> <i> A few months later,</i> <i> it seemed that he might
make a career move
into television</i> <i> when he hosted a six-part
local New York series,</i> <i> "The Heart of the City."</i> <i> John bowed out of television
after that series.</i> <i> The law had not
worked for him</i> <i> and he was ambivalent
about elective office.</i> <i> At 32,
John F. Kennedy, Jr.</i> <i> was still floundering.</i> <i> But the Kennedy
responsibility loomed</i> <i> and he still had not
answered the question</i> <i> of what he was going to do
with his life.</i> <i> What no one knew</i> <i> was that John
would soon lose the person</i> <i> whose guidance
he most counted on.</i> Narrator:<i> At 34,
John F. Kennedy, Jr.</i> <i> was searching
for a new challenge.</i> <i> His short-lived
law career was over.</i> <i> He had dabbled
in acting and television.</i> <i> John still wasn't ready
for politics.</i> <i> He was at loose ends,</i> <i> struggling with
what to do with his life.</i> <i> Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis
had been John's anchor</i> <i> and his protector for as long
as he could remember.</i> <i> They were as close
as a mother and son could be.</i> Leigh:<i>
John's relationship
with his mother</i> <i> was one
of tremendous deference.</i> He adored her.
And, of course, having
lost his father so young, he felt very protective
of his mother. In fact, at one point
he said, <i> "All my life there's really
only been the three of us--</i> <i> Caroline, my mother,
and me."</i> Narrator:<i>
Early in 1994,</i> <i> reports emerged that Jackie
was extremely ill.</i> <i> In January,
she was diagnosed with
non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.</i> <i> After a hospital stay
in May,</i> <i> Jackie returned home
to spend her last days</i> <i> in the family's
Fifth Avenue apartment.</i> <i> While the media
and the public jammed
the sidewalks,</i> <i> family and friends
gathered.</i> <i> Her companion
Maurice Tempelsman,</i> <i> Caroline's family,</i> <i> and John's girlfriend
Daryl Hannah.</i> <i> Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis</i> <i> died on May 19th.</i> Last night,
at around 10:15, my mother passed on. She was surrounded
by her friends and her family and her books and the people
and the things that she loved. She did it in her own way
and on her own terms and we all feel lucky
for that. <i> And now
she's in God's hands.</i> <i> "We which are alive
and remain</i> <i> shall be caught up together
with them in the clouds</i> to meet the Lord
in the air and so shall we ever be
with the Lord." Narrator:<i>
The nation mourned with John
and the rest of the family</i> <i> as Jackie was laid to rest
in Arlington National Cemetery</i> <i> next to baby Patrick
and President Kennedy.</i> <i> All of the heartbreaking
memories of the Kennedy
tragedies</i> <i> engulfed the world
once again.</i> <i> John was stoic and graceful
in his grief.</i> The morning after
the funeral, he was back
at his desk at 8:30. <i> And as his closest friend
said to me, "That's just what
his mother would have done."</i> Narrator:<i>
With Jackie's death,</i> <i> the weight of
the Kennedy legend
descended on John's shoulders.</i> <i> He ended his
five-and-a-half-year
relationship with Daryl Hannah.</i> <i> Before long,
he was seen around New York</i> <i> dating Carolyn Bessette,</i> <i> a friend who worked
as a publicity director
for Calvin Klein.</i> <i> Kennedy's professional life
also gained focus.</i> <i> He went into business
with a friend, Michael Berman.</i> Gross:<i>
They decided
to form a company</i> <i> and they called it
Random Ventures.</i> And suddenly,
John F. Kennedy, Jr.'s life
wasn't random anymore. Narrator:<i>
One of their first projects</i> <i> was a new political
magazine.</i> <i> "George," as it was called,
was unveiled to the press</i> <i> on September 7th, 1995.</i> Ladies and gentlemen,
meet "George." <i> ( applause )</i> Narrator:<i>
It was a John Kennedy like
no one had ever seen before.</i> <i> Confident, well spoken,
and convincing.</i> Gross:<i>
What you're seeing
is John finding a way</i> <i> to fit his own desires in</i> with the dynastic desires
of being a Kennedy. And with the personal desire
of being his mother's son. Man:<i>
Would you share your
home phone number with us?</i> - I can't hear-- share what?
-<i> ( crowd laughing )</i> Share my what? Narrator:<i>
But John's new
high-profile career</i> <i> kept him in the public eye.</i> <i> During the 1996 presidential
nominating conventions,</i> <i> invitations to
the "George" magazine parties
were in great demand.</i> <i> John attracted celebrities.</i> Man:<i>
What's gonna happen tonight?</i> I don't know, you tell me,
you're on the outside. I think
good things, though. Narrator:<i>
As a celebrity himself,</i> <i> John continued to be hounded
by photographers.</i> <i> The scrutiny
was especially relentless</i> <i> when it came
to John's love life.</i> <i> Cameras dogged
the world's most
sought-after bachelor</i> <i> and now steady girlfriend
Carolyn Bessette.</i> <i> Some reports
said they were engaged.</i> <i> One very public argument
in 1996,</i> <i> a screaming match,
kept the tabloids busy.</i> - Woman:<i> John.</i>
- Man:<i> Mr. Kennedy.</i> Narrator:<i>
The couple then attempted</i> <i> to keep their romance
under wraps.</i> <i> John began to appear alone
at public events</i> <i> and gossip columnists reported
they had broken up.</i> <i> But it had all been
an elaborate cover.</i> <i> On September 21st, 1996,</i> <i> John secretly married
Carolyn</i> <i> in a very small,
very private ceremony</i> <i> on Cumberland Island
off the Georgia coast.</i> <i> The news was
a clever surprise</i> <i> to most of their family
and closest friends.</i> <i> The newlyweds had finally
outfoxed the media</i> <i> and escaped
on a honeymoon to Turkey.</i> <i> John's marriage</i> <i> appeared to give him
new confidence.</i> <i> "George" began to thrive
amid some staffing shake-ups.</i> <i> Kennedy assumed
more responsibility
at the magazine.</i> Kerry McCarthy:<i>
I think John is emerging more</i> <i> as his own person.</i> I think when he no longer
depends on advisors and trusts himself, <i> I think that John's finding
that life is fun.</i> Narrator:<i>
1997 was a difficult year
for the Kennedys.</i> <i> On New Year's Eve,
Michael Kennedy</i> <i> slammed into a tree</i> <i> while playing football
on the ski slopes of Aspen.</i> <i> He was killed instantly.</i> <i> John and the rest
of the family</i> <i> gathered in Hyannis
to bury one of their own.</i> <i> Like too many times before,</i> <i> grief had united them.</i> <i> John returned
to his successful life
in New York.</i> <i> By 1998, he had rebuffed
several attempts</i> <i> to interest him
in elected office.</i> <i> In April of that year,</i> <i> John fulfilled
a childhood dream,</i> <i> earning his private
pilot's license.</i> <i> The little boy
who loved to fly in
helicopters with his dad</i> <i> could now escape
into the sky... alone.</i> Lloyd Howard:<i>
I think it gave him freedom.</i> <i> Freedom from press,
freedom from pictures,</i> freedom from people
wanting autographs, freedom from being pressed
by the things around him. Narrator:<i>
By the following summer,
John had accumulated</i> <i> more than 100 hours
as a pilot.</i> <i> He had also purchased
an airplane of his own.</i> <i> A single-engine,
six-seat Piper Saratoga.</i> <i> Late in the afternoon
of July 16th, 1999,</i> <i> John and his sister-in-law
Lauren Bessette</i> <i> left New York City
to meet Carolyn</i> <i> at the small
New Jersey airfield</i> <i> where John kept his plane.</i> <i> Their destination--</i> <i> a family wedding
the next day in Hyannis.</i> <i> John planned
to drop Lauren off</i> <i> on Martha's Vineyard first.</i> <i> At 8:38 p.m.,</i> <i> the Piper Saratoga took off
and turned to the east.</i> <i> Ahead, a heavy haze
was gathering</i> <i> in the skies
off Martha's Vineyard.</i> I don't think
John realized-- if he had realized
it was going-- the fog
was going to close in and it was going to get dark
on him, I don't think John
would have done it. <i> I think he was
too conscientious of a pilot
to have done that.</i> Narrator:<i>
John never made it
to the Vineyard.</i> <i> His plane had vanished
somewhere over the ocean.</i> Man:<i>
They're looking
at airfields...</i> Narrator:<i>
At dawn, a massive search
and rescue mission began.</i> <i> From inside
the Kennedy compound
in Hyannis,</i> <i> the family issued
positive statements.</i> The mood inside
is upbeat and hopeful. People are hoping
for the best. If he were out there
floating-- hanging onto a sinking plane,
he'd find a way to
get out of it. Narrator:<i>
The world held its breath.</i> Maybe he's still alive.
Maybe there will be a miracle.
We don't know right now. Narrator:<i>
But with each passing day,</i> <i> hope faded that
the three young people
were still alive.</i> <i> On July 21st,</i> <i> divers finally located
the wreckage of John's plane.</i> <i> Near the broken fuselage,
they found the bodies of</i> <i> Carolyn Bessette Kennedy
and her sister Lauren.</i> <i> Inside,
still in his pilot's seat,</i> <i> was John F. Kennedy, Jr.,</i> <i> dead at the age of 38.</i> ( siren blurts ) <i> As news that the bodies
had been recovered
began to spread,</i> <i> an outpouring
of grief and sorrow
overtook the nation.</i> <i> On July 22nd, 1999,</i> <i> John F. Kennedy, Jr.
and his wife</i> <i> were buried at sea.</i> <i> The son
of a slain president,</i> <i> he had lived his life
in the national spotlight.</i> <i> John F. Kennedy, Jr. bore it
with a brand of humility,</i> <i> charm, and humor</i> <i> that earned him
a special place in
America's heart.</i> Gross:<i> He figured it out.
It took him a long time
to figure out a way</i> that he could both
be a Kennedy, live up to what
was expected of him, but also
take himself out <i> of the sort of destiny</i> <i> that we as a society</i> <i> have laid
on the Kennedys.</i> Leigh:<i>
To some degree, America
will never know John Kennedy.</i> I think in our
consciousness, we vacillate
between the image <i> of the little boy
saluting his father's coffin</i> <i> on that tragic day,
and the hunk.</i> Lague:<i>
He's kind of
an American prince.</i> He's sort of the closest thing
we have to royalty, but he kind of
belongs to everybody. <i> I think that's part
of the charm.</i> He had a will to complete,
or to survive, if you will.
It was enough for
three people. <i> He would inspire
all of us.</i> <i> To this day,
I still have not</i> <i> completely accepted
that he's gone.</i> Harry Smith:<i>
People knew about
Carolyn Bessette</i> <i> because she was
John Kennedy's wife.</i> <i> But even before
her marriage,</i> <i> she was nothing short
of a standout.</i> <i> Born in 1966,</i> <i> she was raised in
the affluent New York suburb</i> <i> of Greenwich, Connecticut,</i> <i> the youngest
of three girls.</i> <i> Her father William,
an architectural engineer,</i> <i> and her mother Ann,
a public school
administrator,</i> <i> divorced
when she was eight.</i> <i> And she grew up with
her mother and stepfather,</i> <i> a successful
orthopedic surgeon.</i> <i> Carolyn attended
Connecticut public schools</i> <i> until her parents
pulled her out</i> <i> and enrolled her in
St. Mary's, a Catholic school,</i> <i> because,
as she once explained,</i> <i> she was having
"too much fun."</i> <i> Although no academic wiz,</i> <i> she made her mark there
nonetheless.</i> Carolyn was
a very popular lady with both the guys
and the girls. She was just
a very nice person. Everybody liked her.
She had a great spirit. <i> Very friendly,
very outgoing.</i> She was always smiling
and joking around. There was never a day
that you can remember Carolyn Bessette
being down. Smith:<i>
What already impressed
her classmates</i> <i> was her sense of style.</i> <i> Even in a drab
school uniform,</i> <i> she managed
to look stunning.</i> <i> Her senior year,
Carolyn's classmates
voted her</i> <i> the "Ultimate
Beautiful Person."</i> <i> Following
her mother's footsteps,</i> <i> Carolyn went to college
at Boston University,</i> <i> where she majored
in elementary education.</i> <i> But after spending some time
with children in a classroom,</i> <i> she decided that teaching
wasn't for her.</i> I think after her first year
when school was over, I remember her telling me
that all the little kids
in her class started crying and being upset
that she was leaving and it was the end
of the school year. She was just so upset.
She knew she couldn't deal
with that every year. Smith:<i>
At Boston University,</i> <i> she was decidedly
high-profile.</i> <i> She dated the captain
of the hockey team</i> <i> as well as
the Italian heir to
the Benetton fashion fortune.</i> <i> She even worked briefly
as a model as a favor
to a friend.</i> DiMarzo:<i>
She was great.</i> <i> She was really good
in front of a camera.</i> I knew she was destined
for something just great. She was just
a really great girl. Smith:<i>
Following graduation,</i> <i> Carolyn took a job
in marketing</i> <i> for a company that owned
a string of nightclubs
in New England.</i> <i> True to form,
she did not go unnoticed.</i> Mindy d'Arbeloff:<i>
Carolyn was the kind
of woman who</i> walked into a room
and between her looks and her electricity and her--
just overall presence, the rest of the women
in the room might as well
have been wallpaper. There was just no question,
we dissolved into
the background. Smith:<i>
But Carolyn
was not to remain</i> <i> in the nightclub business
for long.</i> I absolutely
remember the day that she came
breathlessly into the office
with this business card that somebody had handed her
on Newberry Street and said,
"It's Calvin Klein and they want me to come
and work for them." Smith:<i>
Sure enough, someone
from Calvin Klein</i> <i> had spotted her
walking down the street.</i> <i> Soon after, she was
working as a salesclerk</i> <i> in their Boston store.</i> <i> Within a year,
yet another Klein executive
took notice of her</i> <i> and she was on her way
to New York.</i> Smith:<i>
In 1989, Carolyn Bessette
came to New York</i> <i> to interview for a job.</i> Paul Wilmot:<i>
The first time I met Carolyn,</i> <i> the initial impression</i> <i> was those beautiful eyes.</i> <i> And then
you talked to her.</i> And you realize
here's someone who is well-educated,
she was a wordsmith, she had a wonderful command
of the English language, she was obviously
from a nice family
and had lovely manners and a great
diplomatic presence
for a young person. And remember,
when I first met her,
she was 23 years old. And I'm a senior
vice president of a big fashion company and she was
totally at ease talking to me
in the interview. And I knew that
we had to hire her within a minute
of her being in the office. Smith:<i>
Carolyn moved to Manhattan</i> <i> and was put in charge of
selling to celebrity clients</i> <i> such as Faye Dunaway
and Diane Sawyer.</i> <i> She sold millions of dollars'
worth of clothes.</i> Mark Ganem:<i> Carolyn,
from what I understand,</i> was very down-to-earth
with Calvin Klein's
VIP clients, which she handled
when they would come
into the showroom. Smith:<i>
Carolyn quickly graduated
to publicist</i> <i> for Klein's high-end
collection line,</i> <i> where she developed
a reputation for
shouting matches</i> <i> with models
and underlings.</i> <i> Insiders say
she was very demanding
and opinionated.</i> <i> They also say
she was a huge asset
to the company.</i> Ganem:<i>
Carolyn had a real knack
for picking up on trends</i> <i> even before they happened
at Calvin Klein,</i> <i> which is really important
for a designer.</i> She was also
an incredible advertisement for Calvin Klein itself because she had
this wonderful, <i> American
fresh-faced look.</i> <i> And she looked fantastic
in his clothes.</i> Smith:<i>
During this period,
Carolyn frequented</i> <i> trendy downtown night spots
and dated models and actors.</i> <i> She also came up
with a completely new look</i> <i> to reflect her new life.</i> Ann Gerhart:<i>
She had made herself over.</i> If you look at
photographs of her from high school
and from college, she has luxuriant,
bountiful <i> manes of brunette hair.</i> <i> She's a little bit
more curvy.</i> Somewhere along the way, she got a lot thinner,
more angular. <i> Her hair
became really blonde.</i> Smith:<i>
Carolyn became part of
Calvin Klein's inner circle.</i> <i> She also became close
to Klein's wife, Kelly.</i> <i> And friends say
that it was Kelly
who introduced Carolyn</i> <i> to John Kennedy
in the fall of 1993.</i> <i> The man who
"People" magazine called
the "Sexiest Man Alive"</i> <i> was dating actress
Daryl Hannah</i> <i> when he first started
seeing Carolyn.</i> <i> By the spring,
his relationship
with Hannah was over</i> <i> and he was dating
Carolyn exclusively.</i> She always had
such great respect for John, for how John
was able to handle the onus
and the responsibilities
of his birthright. And I think that
was maybe the greatest thing that Carolyn felt about John
was that he had always handled
himself so impeccably. Smith:<i>
People were immediately
struck by her resemblance</i> <i> to his late mother
Jackie Onassis.</i> They were cut out
of the same cloth
in many respects. They were terribly
cultured women who had made names
for themselves before they met
Kennedy men. They were fairly shy. They were certainly
upper class and had a sort of
upper-class distance from the media culture
that their husbands
were steeped in. And they had similar
artistic interests as well. Smith:<i>
John and Carolyn dated
for a year and a half</i> <i> before she moved
into his loft in
downtown Manhattan.</i> <i> By this time,
the press was on their trail,</i> <i> turning even the slightest
spat into front-page news.</i> Since their whole
courtship was chronicled so heavily
in the New York media... perhaps the passion
of that relationship was misinterpreted
as negative turbulence. In fact, I think her friends suggested
at the time, that he was
attracted to her because she was not docile and accepting that he was
this crowned prince and the "Sexiest Man Alive" and therefore she needed to do
everything he said. He pushed,
she pushed back. He liked that. Smith:<i>
In the summer of 1996,</i> <i> Carolyn and John
were rarely seen together.</i> <i> And it was assumed by many
that the two had broken up.</i> <i> It came as a huge surprise
to even close friends</i> <i> when news of
their top secret wedding
was announced.</i> <i> They were married
on a remote island
off the coast of Georgia.</i> <i> The ceremony was held
in a tiny wooden chapel</i> <i> decorated with
wildflowers and vines.</i> <i> Only 40 people
were invited</i> <i> and all were
sworn to secrecy.</i> <i> When the pictures
were released,</i> <i> one thing was certain,</i> <i> the new Queen of Camelot
had been crowned</i> <i> and a new fashion icon
had been born.</i> <i> Suddenly, everyone was talking
about her wedding dress</i> <i> and the man who designed it,
Narciso Rodriguez.</i> He created a dress that, I think,
sort of spoke volumes about her own
understanding of how a single image could really define
who you are to the public. I mean,
she said very little, but people looked
at those pictures of her
in that dress and they
immediately thought, you know,
this was a sexy, elegant-- you know,
unusual woman. Smith:<i>
From that moment on,</i> <i> Carolyn became
the fashion world's darling.</i> <i> Magazine editors begged her
to be on their covers.</i> <i> Designers craved
her patronage</i> <i> and the world watched</i> <i> to see what Carolyn
was wearing.</i> There are a few women
that the fashion world
really follows because they have the ability
to create fashion. It's not just because
they're beautiful and striking,
it's really a combination. It's really kind of
their spirit that people can see
even in photographs. Jacqueline Onassis
was a prime example of this. <i> Whatever she wore,</i> <i> how she wore it,
became fashion.</i> And Carolyn Bessette
was one of these people. Not just because she was
married to John Kennedy, Jr., but because of her own
personal style, which is very ephemeral,
difficult to describe. Smith:<i>
Carolyn was known to favor</i> <i> cutting-edge designers.</i> Givhan:<i>
Here was a woman
who was becoming part of</i> a very sort of old-line
socialite world. And yet
she was wearing clothes that were not
lunching ladies' clothes
at all. I mean, these were
very avant-garde styles. They were
the kinds of clothes that sort of
fashion insiders adored because they were
kind of edgy and they sort of
gave you a sense of where fashion
was going in the future. Smith:<i>
But all this attention
came at a huge price.</i> <i> From the day
that Carolyn and John</i> <i> returned from
their honeymoon in Turkey,</i> <i> the paparazzi siege
had begun.</i> <i> Even her husband's pleas
were to no avail.</i> <i> Carolyn hated being hounded
by the press.</i> <i> An intensely
private person,</i> <i> she granted no interviews</i> <i> and refused to pose
for photographers.</i> Please, don't get
so close to me. Ganem:<i>
She's told friends
about instances</i> <i> where people will
just grab her on the street</i> <i> and talk to her
or try to photograph her.</i> And she
had a feeling, too, that photographers were trying to catch her
in a bad light. In many respects, she was quite
like Jacqueline Kennedy in the sense
that she wanted to live
an important life, but live it
in the sidelight. Not live it
directly in the limelight and she was uncomfortable
being in the limelight. I think it's sort of fabulous.
I hope they're all
sitting with me. Smith:<i>
In recent months, though,</i> <i> Carolyn appeared to be
more relaxed around the press.</i> <i> Sometimes
she was even playful.</i> <i> Finally, she seemed
to have made her peace</i> <i> with the public role
her marriage</i> <i> into American royalty
demanded.</i> Wilmot:<i>
What she was
was someone who was</i> very comfortable
in her own skin, very comfortable
in the relationship
that they had together, and very happy
to be his full partner. Not, you know,
majority partner, <i> not minority partner,</i> <i> she was his full partner
and very, very warm
to their friends.</i> <i> And the loss,
you have--</i> <i> we will be speaking
about this loss</i> <i> for many,
many years to come.</i> When you talk about
a tragedy like this in a family that's borne
so much tragedy, you're almost tempted
to resort to Greek myths and the notion
of "the Hand of God" and the "fateful family"
and all that. Smith:<i>
It's a family that realized
the ultimate American dream.</i> <i> A family in which
greatness was expected.</i> <i> The patriarch
was a modern buccaneer</i> <i> who ranks among the century's
most ambitious men.</i> <i> Ambitious for himself
and for his children.</i> <i> Joe Kennedy,
born to a saloon owner,</i> <i> was a born politician.</i> <i> Admired by men,
adored by women.</i> <i> He attended the right schools
and married the right woman,</i> <i> Rose Fitzgerald,
the daughter of Boston's mayor.</i> <i> The first and favorite son
was Joe, Jr.,</i> <i> born 84 years ago today</i> <i> on July 25th, 1915.</i> <i> Eight children followed,
including future politicians</i> <i> Robert, John, and Ted.</i> <i> Joseph Kennedy, Sr.
made millions</i> <i> on Wall Street
and in Hollywood,</i> <i> where his amorous conquests</i> <i> included Gloria Swanson.</i> <i> But he craved
the power and respect
that came from politics.</i> <i> His political
contributions helped
elect Franklin Roosevelt,</i> <i> who later appointed Kennedy
ambassador to England.</i> <i> The patriarch demanded
even bigger things
from his children.</i> <i> He groomed Joe, Jr.
for nothing less than
the presidency,</i> <i> but his hopes were
shattered when Joe died
during World War II.</i> <i> He then turned
to his second son, John.</i> <i> Like his father,
he was dashing, bright,</i> <i> overflowing with confidence
and sex appeal.</i> <i> Joe Kennedy used
his money and influence</i> <i> to help his son win votes</i> <i> and election
to the House and Senate,</i> <i> not that charismatic JFK</i> <i> needed that much help.</i> <i> Before a stroke
left him an invalid,</i> <i> Joe Kennedy realized
his greatest dream</i> <i> when JFK
won the presidency.</i> I, John Fitzgerald Kennedy
do solemnly swear... That you will
faithfully execute the office of President
of the United States. That I will
faithfully execute the office of President
of the United States. Smith:<i>
Then an assassin
turned the Kennedy torch</i> <i> into an eternal flame.</i> <i> It was number three son
Bobby's turn.</i> <i> He was the likely
Democratic presidential
nominee</i> <i> when he was shot down
in 1968.</i> Be remembered simply
as a good and decent man... who saw wrong
and tried to right it... saw suffering
and tried to heal it... saw war
and tried to stop it. Smith:<i>
The next year, Ted drove off
the bridge at Chappaquiddick,</i> <i> killing a young woman
and his own chances
for the presidency.</i> <i> Some of the next generation
of Kennedys chose politics.</i> <i> Others concentrated
on making money</i> <i> or cleaning up
the environment.</i> <i> But the shining star
of the third generation</i> <i> was always John, Jr.</i> <i> He won
the genetic lottery</i> <i> inheriting the looks and charm
of his father and mother.</i> <i> Many who knew him
had no doubt</i> <i> he would someday
follow the family path.</i> John was a guy
who really, I think, eventually would've gone
into politics. He talked about it some. He said he wanted to go
into administrative office, not run for Senate
or not run for Congress
if he ever did so. <i> He loved the notion
of someday--</i> <i> and he knew
he wasn't ready for it yet--</i> <i> being mayor,
maybe being governor,
maybe being president.</i> There are some members
of my family that have gone
directly into public life. For me, that's
a very loaded situation. It's not a situation
that one should step into casually. I think you, you know,
better be ready for it. So I'm enjoying accumulating
the experiences that I am. And I've never
really been a sort of a long horizon
type of person. Harry Smith:<i>
John Fitzgerald Kennedy, Jr.</i> <i> had a fascination
with flight</i> <i> that began almost as soon
as he learned to talk.</i> Kennedy:<i> Do you know we're
going by helicopter to the
airport tomorrow morning?</i> -<i> Do you wanna do that?</i>
- Kennedy, Jr.:<i> I'm gonna go
in the helicopter tomorrow.</i> Arthur Marx:<i>
It was a passion.</i> <i> He loved to fly.</i> <i> When he wasn't
in an airplane, he was
probably thinking about it.</i> <i> Thinking about what plane
he might buy when he got
his license.</i> Smith:<i>
John did get
his license in 1998</i> <i> and bought his own plane
almost immediately.</i> <i> Soon, though,</i> <i> he bought a bigger
Piper Saratoga.</i> <i> A cast had just been removed
from John's ankle.</i> <i> He'd broken it in a recent
paragliding accident.</i> <i> He'd even piloted his plane
in the cast</i> <i> with an instructor helping.</i> <i> This would be his first flight
since the accident</i> <i> without the cast
or the instructor.</i> <i> John was not required</i> <i> to file a flight plan
and did not.</i> <i> It was well-known
that he was heading
to Hyannis Port</i> <i> for the joyous occasion
of the wedding of
his cousin Rory.</i> <i> First, he planned to stop
in Martha's Vineyard</i> <i> to drop off
his sister-in-law Lauren.</i> Arthur Marx:<i>
I've probably seen him
every weekend</i> <i> for the last month or two.</i> He's made the trip a lot.
He knows the route. Smith:<i>
At 8:38 p.m.</i> <i> on the evening
of July 16th, 1999,</i> John Kennedy, Jr.,
his wife Carolyn, <i> and her sister Lauren</i> <i> take flight into
the hazy evening skies.</i> Marx:<i>
The visibility
wasn't that good.</i> I know there
wasn't a moon out, so it was probably
a pretty dark night. Smith:<i>
John has been
licensed to fly</i> <i> under "visual flight rules,"</i> <i> which means
he can legally fly</i> <i> only when there is
a visual frame of reference.</i> <i> He is not licensed to fly
under "instrument
flight rules,"</i> <i> which require 40 hours
of special training</i> <i> for conditions that make
visual navigation impossible--</i> <i> clouds, haze,
and bad weather.</i> <i> After takeoff,</i> <i> Kennedy's plane
is tracked on radar</i> <i> as it climbs
to 5,600 feet,</i> <i> passing north of the airport
in New Jersey,</i> <i> then heading east towards
Martha's Vineyard.</i> <i> He could have flown
in a straight line over water,</i> <i> but chooses
a conservative course</i> <i> following the lights
of the southern Connecticut
coastline.</i> <i> The plane
is next tracked on radar</i> <i> at Westerly,
Rhode Island.</i> <i> At 9:26 p.m.,</i> <i> radar tracks Kennedy</i> <i> steering towards
Martha's Vineyard,</i> <i> traveling at an altitude
of 5,600 feet.</i> <i> At about 34 miles
out from Martha's Vineyard,</i> <i> the plane begins a descent.</i> <i> Shortly after,
the airplane begins
to turn to the right,</i> <i> but rises back up again</i> <i> to 2,600 feet.</i> 30 seconds
into the maneuver, the airplane started
a turn to the right and descended
at a rapid rate of decent. The rate of descent
may have been greater than
5,000 feet per minute. Smith:<i>
At the final radar contact,</i> <i> the plane is at 1,100 feet.</i> <i> Just 16 miles
from the airport.</i> <i> At 2:15 a.m.,</i> <i> a worried friend
of the Kennedys</i> <i> calls the Coast Guard station
in Woods Hole, Massachusetts.</i> <i> In the early hours
before dawn,</i> <i> the Coast Guard
and the Civil Air Patrol</i> <i> search the ocean
to no avail.</i> <i> At first light,
the skies fill with aircraft.</i> <i> The Air Force provides
15 single-engine planes</i> <i> and the Coast Guard
deploys two H-60 Jayhawk
helicopters.</i> <i> The National Guard
sends the same C-130</i> <i> that was used
in the TWA Flight 800 search.</i> <i> At 7:00 Saturday morning,</i> <i> President Clinton is informed
of the plane's disappearance.</i> <i> He calls several members
of the Kennedy family.</i> Reporter:<i>
We are interrupting
your program this morning</i> for some information
involving John F. Kennedy, Jr., the son
of the slain president. "ABC News" has reports
that his plane is missing
this morning... Smith:<i>
Americans awake</i> <i> on a summery Saturday morning
to the chilling news</i> <i> that John F. Kennedy, Jr.'s
plane is missing.</i> <i> The news has
a surreal feeling</i> <i> as if it will
soon be retracted--</i> <i> an impossible mistake.</i> <i> The Kennedy family
is in seclusion</i> <i> and has issued
no statement.</i> <i> Rory Kennedy's wedding
is indefinitely postponed.</i> <i> The search on land
and sea widens</i> <i> and by
mid-afternoon Saturday,</i> <i> the first traces
of wreckage have been found.</i> Lt. Gary Jones:<i>
We have found debris,
we have found luggage,</i> and we're still pursuing an active
search-and-rescue mission. <i> There is always hope.</i> Smith:<i>
John and Carolyn's
New York apartment building</i> <i> in the neighborhood
of Tribeca</i> <i> becomes a street-side
shrine as word is awaited.</i> <i> The search resumes
at dawn on Sunday.</i> <i> A flotilla of Coast Guard
cutters is joined by the Rude,</i> <i> a research vessel
also deployed in
the TWA search.</i> <i> It scours the ocean floor</i> <i> with ultrasensitive
sonar equipment.</i> Robert Byrd:<i>
We found a number of pieces
of foam insulation.</i> This insulation
would be consistent with what would surround
the cabin of an aircraft. Smith:<i>
The National Transportation
Safety Board</i> <i> warns the investigation
could take more than
six months.</i> James Hall:<i>
At this point,
we do not know.</i> We will not know
for some time. There is even a possibility
we will never know. Smith:<i>
The sad news that
the chances of survival</i> <i> are next to nothing</i> <i> comes from Coast Guard
Admiral Larrabee</i> <i> late Sunday evening.</i> We know that this case
is now 48 hours old. We know that
the water temperature
is about 68 degrees. <i> Survivability
is probably not gonna be</i> <i> much greater than 12 hours</i> <i> and certainly no more
than 18 hours in the water.</i> <i> We know that the aircraft
was not equipped</i> <i> with any survival
equipment,</i> <i> life rafts, life jackets,
anything of that nature.</i> I have... spent some
very painful moments with the families tonight. <i> They have been
very understanding all along</i> <i> and very appreciative
of what we have been
trying to do.</i> <i> And it was very
difficult for me to share
this information with them.</i> Smith:<i>
On Sunday night,</i> <i> the authorities
officially change
their mission</i> <i> from rescue to recovery.</i> <i> The Kennedy family</i> <i> lowers the American flag
in Hyannis Port</i> <i> to half-staff.</i> <i> By Monday morning,</i> <i> the sight
of state police divers</i> <i> makes the new focus
of the investigation clear.</i> <i> They are searching
for remains.</i> <i> The family
of Carolyn Bessette Kennedy
and her sister Lauren</i> <i> has a family friend
read a short statement.</i> John and Carolyn
were true soul mates and we hope to honor them
in death in the simple manner in which they chose
to live their lives. Smith:<i>
Later Tuesday evening,</i> <i> Senator Ted Kennedy
releases a statement
that says,</i> <i> "The family is filled
with unspeakable grief
and sadness</i> <i> by the loss
of John and Carolyn
and of Lauren Bessette."</i> <i> The public sees
only brief glimpses
of the Kennedy family.</i> <i> John's sister Caroline</i> <i> is photographed
on a short bicycle ride
with her husband.</i> <i> Funeral plans
on are on hold</i> <i> while the search
for the bodies continues.</i> <i> The public expression
of grief swells.</i> <i> In the dark of night
on Tuesday,</i> <i> the naval ship USS Grasp</i> <i> deploys a robotic camera
underwater</i> <i> at the site targeted
by the Coast Guard.</i> <i> At long last,</i> <i> the fuselage of the plane
is sighted.</i> <i> The camera can read
the tail number</i> <i> and positively identifies
the lost Piper Saratoga.</i> <i> At 2:30 in the morning
on Wednesday,</i> <i> the camera locates the body
of John Kennedy</i> <i> still strapped
into his seat.</i> <i> The bodies of his wife
Carolyn and her sister Lauren</i> <i> are found within hours.</i> <i> The victims
have been discovered</i> <i> about seven miles off
the coast of Martha's Vineyard</i> <i> near a beach
John's mother Jacqueline</i> <i> had left to her children.</i> <i> Once more in his life</i> <i> as the patriarch of a family
marked by tragedy,</i> <i> Senator Ted Kennedy
is called</i> <i> to identify the bodies
of those he loves.</i> <i> He is accompanied on
the naval ship by his sons</i> <i> Patrick and Edward, Jr.,
John's first cousins.</i> <i> The vast resources
invested in the search</i> <i> have produced
the desired results,</i> <i> but there is criticism
amid public awareness</i> <i> of special efforts
for a favorite son.</i> If anyone believes
that was wrong, the Coast Guard
is not at fault, I am. It was because I thought
it was the right thing to do under the circumstances. Smith:<i>
The bodies of the victims
are identified</i> <i> and then brought to shore
for autopsy and cremation.</i> <i> Late Wednesday evening,</i> <i> the public learns that John
had expressed wishes</i> <i> for a burial at sea,</i> <i> where the Bessette sisters
will be put to rest as well.</i> <i> Caroline Kennedy
Schlossberg</i> <i> has ensured
that the final rite,</i> <i> the committing
of the ashes to the sea,</i> <i> will be handled
with dignity and privacy.</i> <i> The press must maintain
a distance of five miles.</i> <i> Only those closest to John,
Carolyn, and Lauren</i> <i> are invited
to make the journey
for the private farewell.</i> <i> A funeral is held
in New York the next day,</i> <i> closed to cameras
and the public.</i> <i> But it is
on the open sea,</i> <i> beneath the heavens
he loved so well,</i> <i> that John F. Kennedy, Jr.</i> <i> finds his final rest.</i> How is it we feel so deeply
about someone we hardly knew? As it became clear
there were no survivors in the plane crash
off Martha's Vineyard, our shock turned
to a weary grief. "When will all these
horrible things stop happening
to the Kennedys?"
we wondered. Even the substantial number
of people who detest the Kennedys
wondered that. In John, Jr.,
Kennedy lovers got the best
of his famous lineage. He had looks and charm and brilliantly used his fame
for the good of others and to build
his magazine. John and his sister
were models of the ideals born generations ago in the brutal slums
of Boston's North End. A place where to be Catholic,
to be Irish, to be poor,
to be an immigrant meant to be
discriminated against. It meant death and despair
kept you close company. It also meant to fight
the injustice of those things was a noble,
even righteous calling. John, Jr. was known
as a champion of the underdog. He was a populist
who despite his
tier in life, empathized deeply with those who struggled
many rungs lower. We all know that now
a lot better than a week ago. A week ago,
it was a celebrity Kennedy
who was missing-- a celebrity Kennedy along
with his wife and her sister. We in the media
help make him that--
a celebrity. When he and Carolyn
granted the rare interview, they always wanted to talk
about issues of substance, we always wanted
to talk about other things. Now he's gone. Already mythologized. Already part
of a family legend people centuries from now
will not believe. They won't be able to
because it's so sad. For "Biography,"
I'm Harry Smith.