Remarks in Bonn at the Signing of a Charter Establishing the German Peace Corps, 24 June 1963 – President Kennedy

The JFK Library is shut down,but its website remains operational. Many more Peace Corps items have been digitalized from the Kennedy years and can be read, heard or viewed. Among them is this gem: Kennedy speaking about the creation of the German Peace Corps. It is all the more powerful because it occurred during JFK’s trip to Europe at the height of the Cold War. Surrounded by displays of military machinery and flanked by armed soldiers, JFK spoke of Peace and how unarmed Volunteers might win it, not with  bombs, but with helping hands. To listen to the audio, here is the link

http://www.jfklibrary.org/Asset-Viewer/Archives/JFKWHA-196-004.aspx

Kennedy’s tour of Europe, June 23 to July 2, 1963, is captured on film and available to view. Kennedy visited Germany, Ireland, Britain and Italy.

The film records his “Ich bin ein Berliner” speech. No one knew that this was to be Kennedy’s farewell tour.

The film runs about 80 minutes. Here is the link:

http://www.jfklibrary.org/Asset-Viewer/Archives/JFKWHF-WHS1.aspx

Because the Library is closed, there is no technical help available. This film did stall. I solved the problem by escaping out and starting all over.

To see all the Peace Corps items that have been digitalized, here is the link:

http://www.jfklibrary.org/Search.aspx?nav=Ntk:SearchAll%7cPeace+Corps%7c1%7c,Nrc:id-14,N:16

At this time, I think it is good to be reminded of Robert Frost’s charge at the Inauguration:  “We were the land’s before the land was ours” and

that there is still much work to be done to fulfill  the promise of “what we are to become.”