While visiting Gettysburg a few years ago, I asked a park ranger to tell me a story about the history of Gettysburg. 

This is what he told me.

President Kennedy loved Gettysburg. He visited there a few times during his presidency. It gave him a perspective on the horrors of war and the history of this country. He was moved by the statues and the memorials that the various states had erected to signify the contributions of the various men who had fought and died at Gettysburg. 

He marveled at the Eternal Light Peace Memorial, erected on the 50th anniversary of Battle at Gettysburg, overlooking Big Round Top and Little Round Top. He especially was impressed with the eternal flame on top of the memorial, which could be seen 20 miles away.

The 100th anniversary of the Gettysburg Address was on November 19, 1963. President Kennedy publicly made the intention that he would be in Gettysburg to give an address, commemorating the anniversary of the monumental speech given by President Abraham Lincoln 100 years earlier.

Some time during the summer of 1963, in Arlington National Cemetery, near Washington D.C. a groundskeeper knocked on the door of the park ranger at the cemetery.

The park ranger opened the door and the groundskeeper told him, "The president is outside and wants to talk with you.”

The park ranger laughed and said, "Sure he is,” thinking someone was pulling a joke on him. There was no way the President of the United States would make an unannounced visit.

The groundskeeper insisted. “The president is standing outside waiting for you.”

The ranger went outside, and indeed saw the president standing there. There was no secret service. There was no announcement. But there he was. There was John F. Kennedy, standing and gazing out at Arlington National Cemetery waiting for the park ranger.

After saying greetings to one another, the park ranger asked President Kennedy, “What brought you here today, sir?”

President Kennedy looked at him and said, “It's been a difficult few weeks. Sometimes I come out here to get away from everything.”

The park ranger, and the president stood and talked for quite a while. The president spoke about the irony that Arlington national cemetery was once the property of Robert E Lee, commander of the Confederate Army.

At one point President Kennedy stood quietly and said to the ranger, "This place is so peaceful. I could spend the rest of my life being here.”

In the fall of 1963, Kennedy reminded his staff of his plan to return to Gettysburg to honor the 100th anniversary of the Gettysburg Address. It was important to him to be there.

Although his staff understood why President Kennedy wanted to return to Gettysburg, they worked hard to talk him out of this plan. They reminded him that the following year was an election year. They told him that in all likelihood he would win Pennsylvania easily, and that it would be a better if he spent time campaigning in states which he was not as popular.

President Kennedy was adamant that he wanted to be at the 100 year anniversary of the Gettysburg address but in the end, he relented and went along with his campaign staff.

They told him the primary state he needed to win in 1964 was Texas and they arranged a meeting with Texas democrats and with Governor John Connally. The plan was for the president to tour 5 cities in Texas over a two day period, November 21 and 22.

Kennedy and Johnson had barely won the state of Texas in 1960, and needed to get more support if they hoped to win in 1964.

On November 21, President Kennedy visited Brooks Air Force Base in San Antonio to dedicate the U.S. Aerospace Medicine. Later that day President and Mrs. Kennedy went on to Houston to attend functions and a dinner. On November 22 he spoke to a crowd in Fort Worth and later attended a breakfast before flying to Dallas, where a parade was to be held prior to attending another luncheon with state dignitaries.

And of course, we all know what happened. 60 years ago today President Kennedy was assassinated, stopped in his tracks at the age of 46.

The nation was in shock. The world is in shock. Just like Abraham Lincoln 100 years earlier, the President of the United States was assassinated.

As the nation mourned, plans were made for the funeral of JFK.

For those alive in November 1963, the memories of this horrible event were etched in time.

The funeral was televised and viewed by millions.

The park ranger who was telling me the story looked at me and paused. 

He said, “And the resting place of President Kennedy? It was the same exact place where he had stood that summer of 1963 talking to that park ranger in Arlington Cemetery, telling him how peaceful he felt there. That he could spend the rest of his life there.”

And Kennedy’s grave was bestowed an eternal flame, in honor the Eternal Light Peace Memorial at Gettysburg.

Full circle.