JFK Foreign Policy Saluted 50 Years After His Death

November 19, 2013

November 22nd marks the 50th anniversary of the assassination of President John Kennedy. The anniversary has become a point of reflection for Kennedy’s time in office as part of a special VOA series on his legacy. The world was a vastly different place when Kennedy became president in 1961. The United States and the Soviet Union were engaged in a Cold War where the front lines were Berlin, Cuba and Vietnam. Kennedy came into office determined to counter Communism. But an early foreign policy failure in Cuba got his administration off to a rocky start.

From the beginning of his presidency, John Kennedy made it clear he would not bend in the face of Cold War aggression from the Soviet Union.

“Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe, to assure the survival and success of liberty,” he said.

The administration suffered an early misstep by backing a CIA plan for the invasion of Cuba by anti-Castro exiles at the Bay of Pigs. Author Robert Dallek said the ill-conceived invasion was a debacle and Kennedy learned a valuable lesson.

“It is an utter failure, so much so that Kennedy afterwards said repeatedly, “How could I have been so stupid?” And he is mortified, deeply pained by this and it creates tremendous distrust for him in the military,” he said.