You May Also Like "The Man Who Lived"

0:04 What happens when the man who was supposed to become a memory keeps living a nation still demanding miracles, the moon, peace certainty from a man who can no longer pretend he's untouched. Behind closed doors, the whispers begin. Some wonder what would have been easier, the myth or the man. In this new podcast from Calaroga Shark Media, John F. Kennedy is the man who lived Coming President's Day, the man who lived Wherever you get your podcasts and now. A scene from episode one.

0:48 At the Justice Department, a small, boxy television had been wheeled into Robert Kennedy's office. The picture wobbled, the sound buzzed. It did not matter. Were clear. Three shots motorcade seriously wounded Parkland Hospital, condition unknown. Bobby stood in the middle of the room, one hand jammed into his pocket, the other resting on the back of a chair. His face was set, but the tendons in his neck strained. The outer office was chaos. Phones rang without stopping, Shoes thudded up and down the corridor. Voices overlapped, each one a little louder than the last, feeding in scraps of information that contradicted whatever had just been said, sir. Dallas police say two shots. No wait, there are reports of three, maybe more. Sir. Someone is saying the governor is down.

1:56 We cannot confirm that, sir. The Secret Service is trying to secure the scene. They are not on this line yet, Sir. The Pentagon is asking about continuity procedures. If sir stop. Bobby did not shout the word, but it cut the room clean in half. He turned slowly, eyes hard. One at a time, he said, one voice, one fact at a time. If you do not know, do not say it. The room fell quiet, except for the phones. An aid with a legal pad stepped forward, swallowing, Sir, Dallas confirmed shots were fired at the motorcade. They are not confirming the president's condition. Parkland has him. That is all they will say so far. Who are you talking to in Dallas?

2:55 Bobby asked local police liaison at the hospital. The Secret Service field office is overwhelmed. Another phone rang, a younger staffer grabbed it. He listened for a moment, then held the receiver against his chest. Sir, the Vice President's staff is trying to get through. They want to be put through to you directly. Bobby stared at him. No, The aid blinked, Sir, I am not taking that call right now. He says it is urgent. So is this, Bobby said, pointing at the television. Tell them we will return the call when we have something real to say. The aid nodded weakly and backed away. Bobby turned back toward the set on screen, Cronkite was receiving more paper. He took off his glasses, rubbed the bridge of his nose, and put them back on. His face was still composed, but his eyes looked older in that moment than most viewers had ever seen. We are expecting additional reports out of Dallas, he said. At this time, we can only confirm that shots were fired at President Kennedy's motorcade and that he is at Parkland Hospital. We do not yet know his condition.

4:22 We do not know the extent of his injuries. We will bring you more information as it is confirmed. Behind Bobby, the hallway noise swelled again. Someone mentioned the word defcon and was told sharply to stop. Someone else asked which legal authority covered a situation where the president might be incapacitated but not dead. No one liked that question. Everyone quiet, Bobby said, without turning He walked closer to the television until the edges of the p picture blurred. He watched Cronkite's mouth form the same words again, Parkland shots unknown.

5:10 He felt the anger sit in his chest like a stone. How he said, softly, more to himself than to anyone, does something like this happen in broad daylight? No one answered. No one in that room knew if the president was alive. No one in that room knew if they were watching the death of a brother, or of a presidency, or of something bigger than either of those. No one in that room knew yet how close the world had just come to breaking. The man who lived Coming President's Day. Wherever you get your podcasts