John F. Kennedy was assassinated on 11/22/63. Today marks the 60th anniversary of that event that shocked the world. But what was his connection to the elite US Army fighting unit, the Green Berets?
I remember the day vividly. The little black and white TV the teacher wheeled into the classroom to watch the news, and then the principal came to the classroom with tears in his eyes, telling us we were dismissed for the day. The walk home with my little brother asking me why they shot they shot that man.
I remember the TV interrupting our Sunday cartoons to show Jack Ruby shooting Lee Harvey Oswald and my dad cheering that “righteous act of shooting that commie bastard.”
“At 11:21 a.m. on November 24, 1963, as live television cameras covered Oswald's being moved through the basement of Dallas Police Headquarters, he was fatally shot by Dallas nightclub operator Jack Ruby. Like Kennedy, Oswald was taken to Parkland Memorial Hospital, where he soon died.” — The History Channel.
The next day, I remember watching John John offering a salute to his father’s casket as it passed with tears in my eyes. I was six years old. Just three years older than John John.
John John Salutes the Coffin of His Father
The Green Berets, a Specialized US Military Group
Formed in 1952, the US Army Special Forces, famously called the "Green Berets" due to their distinctive headgear, have consistently been entrusted with exceptionally delicate and high-stakes tasks within the military.
Their presence has been witnessed in conflict-ridden territories ranging from Vietnam to Afghanistan.
Setting themselves apart from conventional forces, these highly skilled individuals function in small, closely-knit teams and boast expertise in tactically employing psychological and guerrilla warfare strategies.
These heroes historically conducted unconventional warfare to disrupt enemy governments. They collaborated with local insurgents to overthrow occupying forces.
Their mission has evolved to include counterterrorism, surveillance, and training foreign armies in counterinsurgency.
They also execute quick-strike actions like hostage rescues and in combat search and rescue, counter-narcotics, humanitarian aid, and peacekeeping operations.
The Unit’s Intensive Training
The Green Berets endure 6-week physical fitness and land navigation training. The 3-week Special Forces Assessment and Selection follows.
Candidates who pass move on to the year-long Special Forces Qualification Course, which covers foreign languages, survival techniques, tactical combat skills, and regional cultural training.
The "Q Course" concludes with a 4-week training exercise in North Carolina where candidates assist a “guerrilla force” in overthrowing an illegitimate government in the fictional country of Pineland.
The US Army Special Forces emerged from a special operations unit of the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) that was crucial in supporting resistance movements in Europe and Burma during World War II.
Originally conceptualized during the Cold War, their primary objective was to function as an underground guerrilla force, ready to collaborate with resistance factions in the event of a Soviet takeover in Western Europe.
The early association of recruits consisted of seasoned special forces veterans and Eastern European immigrants with diverse linguistic abilities and a wide range of skills, including skiing, hand-to-hand combat procedures, and parachuting.
“Their skills are an almost-incredible mixture of those needed by the assassin, the frontiersman, and the atomic-age soldier.” — The Pittsburgh Press.
The US Army Special Forces adopted green berets to differentiate these elite troops from regular forces.
The berets were initially worn by elite US Army Rangers during WWII. The Rangers adopted the black beret. They became part of the official uniform in 1961 when President JFK requested them to be worn during his visit to the US Army Special Warfare Center at Fort Bragg.
JFK Championed the Green Berets
Kennedy was a staunch supporter of the Green Berets. He believed they would play a crucial role in the war in Vietnam.
“Kennedy foresaw that wars in the future would not be pitched battles like in World War II and Korea and wanted an elite force of highly trained specialists.” — Mark Leepson in “Ballad of the Green Beret: The Life and Wars of Staff Sergeant Barry Sadler from the Vietnam War and Pop Stardom to Murder and an Unsolved, Violent Death.”
SSG Sadler killed one of his lover’s ex-BF’s in Tennessee. Then, went on the run, finally settling in Guatemala in Central America. He ran guns and reportedly trained guerrillas by day and carousing in the villages there by night.
In 1988, SSG Sadler was shot by a robber in Guatemala. He died of his wounds nearly a year later. The biography recounts the sad and sensational details of an American hero gone wrong.
SSG Barry Sadler - Ballad of the Green Berets 1966
Although this is old and scratchy in some spots, and there are many newer versions of the song, to me, there is no better version than SSG Sadler’s rendition of the song. It still brings a tear to my eye.
What Is the Connection Between JFK & the Green Berets?
President Kennedy wrote in a 1962 memorandum, “The Green Beret is again becoming a symbol of excellence, a badge of courage, a mark of distinction in the fight for freedom.”
After his assassination, Jacqueline Kennedy asked that the Green Berets be allowed to join the US Army honor guard during his funeral to recognize the special bond they had with the President.
After John Kennedy’s burial, Command Sergeant Major (CSM) Francis Ruddy removed his headgear, a green beret and placed it on the President’s grave in respect for a fallen supporter.
“He gave the beret to us; we considered it appropriate that it be given back to him.” — CSM Ruddy.
“CSM Francis Ruddy removed his beret and placed it on Kennedy's grave, a tradition that has continued since. Kennedy holds a special place of honor among the Army's special forces in that he authorized in 1961 the green beret as their official headgear.” — Stars & Stripes the US Army Newspaper.
Each year, the Green Berets remember his death by putting a green beret and a wreath on the former Commander-in-Chief’s grave.
Army Special Forces Wreath Laying Ceremony at President Kennedy's Grave Site
Although this ceremony took place on Veterans Day, 11 November 2023, the anniversary of his internment at Arlington Ceremony is 25 November.
The former President of the United States, one of the most popular, was laid to rest in Arlington National Cemetery with a simple inscribed slate tablet.
“President John Fitzgerald Kennedy and two Kennedy infants are interred in Lot 45, Section 30, Arlington National Cemetery. The permanent graves are located about 20 feet east of the site where the President was temporarily interred on 25 November 1963. Each is marked by a simply inscribed gray slate tablet.” — JFK Library.
Final Thoughts on JFK & the Green Berets
On this, the 60th anniversary of his death, let us turn our thoughts to a much simpler time and remember a fallen hero and an elite fighting force, The Green Berets. You don’t have to agree with war to honor those who served.
“Maine — The Way Life Should Be!”
Want to read local news stories for free?
Sign up using my referral link.
If you want to make a side hustle from writing about local news, sign up using my referral link, and we can both make more. Don’t forget to use your link when you write.
About the author
Stephen Dalton is a native of Old Town, ME, and a retired US Army First Sergeant with a degree in journalism from the University of Maryland. He is a Certified US English Chicago Manual of Style Editor. Top Writer in Travel, Food, Fiction, Transportation, VR, NFL, Design, Creativity, Short Story, and a NewsBreak Community Voice Pro.