Arlington National Cemetery, Virginia, USA (2012), Part I

 Grave of William Howard Taft (1857-1930), 27th President of the United States of America (1909-1913) and later 10th Chief Justice (1931-1930), and of his wife Helen Herron Taft (1861-1943).

 Another Taft grave close to the presidential tomb. No relations to the president, it turned out later. A nephew of President Taft, William M. Taft, is buried in section 69, but I didn't get the time to visit his grave. President Taft's grave is in section 30, by the way.

 Grave of Senator Robert F. Kennedy (1925-1968).

 Improvements at Senator Edward M. Kennedy's gravesite was under construction when I visited the cemetery. The work is planned to be done by the end of October 2012, cf. The Washington Post. See also Arlington National Cemetery's press release 22 June 2012.

 The temporary grave of Senator Edward M. Kennedy (1932-2009).

 The eternal flame at the Kennedy gravesite.

 Grave of John F. Kennedy (1917-1963), 35th President of the United States of America (1961-1963).

 Grave of President Kennedy's wife, Jacqueline Lee Bouvier Kennedy Onassis (1929-1994).

 Grave of President Kennedy and Jackie Kennedy's stillborn daughter (1956).

 Grave of President Kenendy and Jackie Kennedy's son Patrick Bouvier Kennedy (1963).

 The Armored Forces Memorial at Avenue of the Heroes on Memorial Drive. Go to DCmemorials.com for more (and better) pictures and details.

I visited the Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia outside Washington D.C. during my first visit to the United States in September 1999, as I have already mentioned in my previous blog article. I didn't get any time to visit the cemetery during my visit to D.C. in 2006, but this year I made sure to find the time. My aim was to take better photos with my digital camera as well as to visit more graves. In 1999 I had for instance not learned that President Taft was also laid to rest in the cemetery.

I remember that the weather was warm back in September 1999 as well, but this year it was much worse (and humid!), and because of other plans on the day I visited the cemetery (14 July 2012), I didn't get as much time as I had wanted to to. When I arrived at the cemetery, I went directly to section 53 where I remembered that my Hoelseth relative was buried,  but when I arrived, I discovered that my notes with the exact grave number was in my rental car, which was parked at the Fashion Center at Pentagon City. There were too many graves - and the weather was too hot - so I decided against making a random look, and it was also too crowded and I had too little time to get the details at the Visitors Center, so I decided to return to the cemetery on my last day of the visit to the US instead. That's why my blog article on Arlington National Cemetery (2012) will have two parts. Part II will most likely be published after my visit to England next weekend, though.

Updated on Sunday 9 September 2012 at 23.30 (link added).

Arlington National Cemetery, Virginia, USA (1999)

 Grave of Grace Sigrid Hoelseth White (1894-1979), my great-grandfather Oscar M. Hoelseth's first cousin.

 Grave of Grace's husband George Robert White (1893-1980), a captain in the US Air Force who served in both world wars.

 Grave of President John F. Kennedy (1917-1963). The eternal flame is invisable on the photo, though.

 Grave of Senator Robert F. Kennedy (1925-1968).

 View of Washington D.C.

 Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

I visited Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia twice this summer and plan to publish some photos from my visit later. The first time I visited the cemetery was back in September 1999 during my first trip to the United States. I thought it would be an idea (how good it is I am not so sure about!) to scan some photos taken with my old (non-digital) camera and publish them first. I didn't manage to get rid of the dust of some of the paper photos, so the quality will vary a bit. Some of the motives will reappear in my next ANC article, but not all.

I plan to deliver (most of) my old negatives to get them digitalized in a not too distant future, meaning that I will be able to use photos taken with my old camera (before November 2004) without worrying so much about the quality. I will only have myself to blame then, and not the scanning!

See also Arlington National Cemetery, Virginia, USA (2012), Part I.

Updated on Sunday 9 September 2012 at 22.20 (link added).

Joe Kennedy III to run for Congress?

The Boston Globe reported on Thursday 5 January 2012* that Joe Kennedy III, son of Joe Kennedy II by his first wife Sheila Brewster Rauch, and thus a grandson of Robert Kennedy and a great nephew of John F. Kennedy, has created an exploratory committee as a first step in the process of running for Congress later this year. A final decision will be made in the next few weeks. Kennedy has already resigned from his job as assistant district attorney in Middlesex, Massachusetts.

If Kennedy decides to run, he will fight for the Democratic nomination in the redrawn Newton and Brookline district. Barney Frank, the current US Representative of Massachusett's 4th district since 1981, announced on 29 November 2011 that he would not seek re-election, so it his seat that Kennedy might fight for, although I am not sure if the redrawn district of Newton and Brookline will still have the number four.

After Joe Kennedy III's first cousin once removed, Patrick Kennedy, son of Ted Kennedy, left Congress in January 2011, many wondered if this marked the end of "the Kennedy era" in US American politics. Well, now we know. It has been speculated earlier that Joe Kennedy III was the most likely Kennedy family member of his generation to pursue a political career, cf. among others The Boston Globe 14 February 2010 and Mail Online 2 September 2011, so I guess people who have an interest in the matter are not too surprised by the news. There are of course a few ifs here. Joe Kennedy III first has to decide to run (I think he will), then he has to win his party's nomination (more an open question) and finally he has to win the election in November. The Democratic party usually does well in this area, so I think that the fight for party nomination will be the biggest challenge. Well, time will show...

I can't help still being fascinated by the Kennedy family and the involvement in politics and other profiled areas. I guess it is first of all the dynastic aspect of it...

* For some reason if you click on the URL http://bostonglobe.com/metro/2012/01/05/joseph-kennedy-iii-launch-exploratory-committee/XSSFMt5wLN7pVrujuG90RM/story.html dated 5 January 2012 (I copied it on Thursday planning to write about it the same day, but in the end didn't get the time) you will automatically be transferred to the URL http://articles.boston.com/2012-01-06/metro/30592085_1_kennedy-family-robert-f-kennedy-edward-m-kennedy dated 6 January 2012. One mistake - the allegation that the US Congress had been without a Kennedy family member since the death of Ted Kennedy in 2009 - has been corrected. Patrick Kennedy left Congress in January 2011.

The future Kennedys

Following Patrick J. Kennedy's decision to not seek re-election to the Congress, many has asked if this means the political end of the Kennedy dynasty, although Patrick Kennedy himself has said that "I wouldn’t count us out for good".

The Boston Globe claims in today's edition that "Kennedy's political future is murky", but mentions Joseph P. Kennedy III - a grandson of Robert F. Kennedy - as a possible prospect. Joe's elder twin brother Matthew Rauch Kennedy is, by the way, working in the Obama administration as an administrator to the counsel's office, but is said to be more inclined to pursue a business career.

Sources

• Press release from the White House 28 January 2009
• The Boston Globe 28 January 2009
• The Boston Globe 14 February 2010

Patrick Kennedy to leave Congress

It became public yesterday that Patrick Kennedy, the youngest son of the late Edward Moore Kennedy, will not seek re-election to the House of Representatives this fall. His retirement means that the Congress for the first time since 1962 - when Ted Kennedy filled the gap by being elected to the Senate two years after his brother John F. Kennedy was elected president - will not have at least one representative from the Kennedy family.

Many will ask if Patrick Kennedy's decision to step down represents the political end of the Kennedy dynasty. Others have commented somewhat sarcastically that the political dynasty ended already at Chappaquiddick. A rather strange comment considering how many members of the family that have been involved in national and regional politics since 1969. Even if Ted Kennedy's hopes of becoming President died following the Chappaquiddick tragedy, both he and other members have been rather influential on the political scene in the USA. Patrick Kennedy has himself commented to the Boston Globe that "I wouldn't count us out for good". Only time will show.

The 42 years old Patrick Kennedy became a Rhode Island state representative in 1988 while attending Providence College and was re-elected twice before heading for the Congress in 1994, representing the First District of Rhode Island. His eight period in Washington will in other words be his last. According to the Boston Globe his greatest contributions as a lawmaker were on mental health issues.

References

• Official website of Representative Patrick J. Kennedy
• The Boston Globe 12 February 2010
• Bloomberg.com 12 February 2010

Joe Kennedy II will not run for US Senate

Joe Kennedy II, son of Robert F. Kennedy, has in a statement tonight informed that he will not take part in the Massachusetts special election for Senate in January 2010 following the death of his uncle, Edward Moore Kennedy.

See also The Boston Globe 7 September 2009.

Hyannis Port, Massachusetts

John F. Kennedy Memorial

Cape and Islands Korea War Memorial

For the rich and famous

Hyannis Port is situated at Cape Cod in Massachusetts and is maybe first of all known for housing the Kennedy Compound and other Kennedy residences, which might become a museum following the death of Senator Edward Moore Kennedy.

Hyannis Port is a great tourist destination and the second largest commercial fishing port at Cape Cod. In the village you will find among others the JFK Hyannis Museum, which mainly focuses on President John F. Kennedy’s relationship with Hyannis. On the Lewis Bay waterfront you will also find the JFK Memorial (see top picture).

Links

• Hyannis Area Chamber of Commerce
• Wikipedia article
• Town of Barnstable
• Hyannis Holiday Motel

«Give it another go, Joe!»

The race for the vacant seat in the US Senate following the death of Edward M. Kennedy has already started, and the Boston Globe columnist Scot Lehigh has set the tone by writing a rather sarcastic article titled «Give it another go, Joe!». Lehigh is of course referring to Joe Kennedy II, son of the late Robert F. Kennedy and nephew of Ted. Joe Kennedy served in the House of Representatives for 6 periods from Massachusetts’ 8th district before leaving politics at national level in 1999. Since then he has worked for the Citizens Energy Corporation which is aimed to provide discounted heating oil to low-income families. He considered running for Governor of Massachusetts in 1998, but gave it up when family members became too much an issue. Lehigh goes on listing all of Kennedy’s weaknesses, obviously hoping that his participation in the senatorial race will make the campaign far more entertaining.

Massachusetts law requires that a vacant senate seat be filled through a special election to be held between 145 and 160 days after the vacancy. Governor Deval Patrick has already set the election date to 19 January 2010.

The Kennedys have represented Massachusetts in the Senate ever since 1953, if we ignore the short period from 1960 to 1962 when Benjamin A. Smith warmed the seat for Edward M. Kennedy. Many seem to think it is only natural that Ted’s successors comes from his own family. But maybe the citizens of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts now will say that enough is enough of the Kennedy dynasty?

The Boston Globe has made a list of possible Kennedy successors. One candidate might be the late senator’s widow Victoria, but rumors say that she is not interested in the job. The experienced but vulnerable Joe Kennedy II has already been mentioned. Attorney General Martha Coakley on the other hand has already done the paper work and is ready for the race. Other possible candidates are Michael Capuano, who succeeded Joe Kennedy as member of the US House of Representatives in 1999; Stephen Lynch, yet another member of the House of Representatives; former US Congress man Marty Meehan, Republican State Senator Scott Brown and former US Attorney Michael Sullivan, yet another Republican.

Wikipedia lists other possible candidates in the article «United States Senate special election in Massachusetts, 2010» Besides the candidates mentioned by the Globe, Wikipedia suggests Ed Markey (US Representative for Massachusetts’ 7th congressional district), Jim McGovern (3rd district) and Attorney Ed O’Reilly on the Democratic side, while among others Jeff Beatty (former Senate candidate and Cape Cod businessman), former White House Chief of Staff Andrew Card, Chris Egan (former Ambassador to OECD), former Lieutenant Governor Kerry Healey and former Governor William Weld are potential Republican candidates.

Just for the record, Edward M. Kennedy’s sons – Edward Jr. and Patrick – seem to be ruled out altogether. The former lives in Connecticut and has no political experience, while the latter is already a US Representative from Rhode Island’s 1st district.

The list will probably grow, but the number of candidates with a realistic hope to win the empty senatorial seat is limited. If Joe Kennedy II decides to run, it will probably be a close race between him and Martha Coakley. I sincerely doubt that a Republican candidate will give the Democrats much trouble.

Kennedy Family Genealogy

In my article about the death of Senator Ted Kennedy yesterday, I used the website «Kennedy Family Genealogy»as a source for information about Ted’s grandchildren.

I have noted, however, that the website has not been updated since 23 September 1999, and that is quite a while ago. There must have been many changes to the survey of the descendants of Joseph P. and Rose F. Kennedy since then. The genealogy does not - naturally enough - include the sixth child of Robert Francis Kennedy Jr., for instance (that is Aidan Vieques Kennedy, born 2001, if you wonder).

I have googled around, but haven’t found any other website that gives a similar and updated survey of the Kennedy family and which is trustworthy and well organized (the survey at Babylon, for instance, isn’t! And the survey at Wikipedia does not give many sources). If you know of any website that I have overlooked, please tell!

I have several Kennedy books in my library, including the New York Times bestseller «Sons of Camelot. The Fate of An American Dynasty» by Laurence Leamer, published in 2004. Has any genealogy been published in print since then? If not, is anyone up for the job? :-)

Ted Kennedy (1932-2009)

Senator Edward Moore «Ted» Kennedy – «the patriarch of the Kennedy clan», «Lion of the Senate», «the liberal stalwart», «the greatest United States Senator of our time» – died of brain cancer at his home in Hyannis Port, Massachusetts, on 25 August 2009. He was born at St. Margaret’s Hospital in Dorchester, Massachusetts on 22 February 1932 as the 9th and youngest child of Joseph P. Kennedy (1888-1969) and Rose Fitzgerald (1890-1995).

Ted Kennedy left behind his wife Victoria, his children Kara, Edward Jr. and Patrick, grandchildren Kiley, Edward III, Grace and Max (Allen) and stepchildren Curran and Caroline Raclin. His sister Jean Kennedy Smith is now the only surviving child of Joseph and Rose Kennedy’s nine children.

Ted Kennedy served as Senator from 1962 to 2009, following in the footsteps of his elder brothers John F. Kennedy (1917-1963) and Robert F. Kennedy (1925-1968). When Robert was killed in 1968, Ted was offered to take his place in the campaign for the Democratic nomination, but declined. Everyone expected him to become his party’s candidate in the 1972 election, but his presidential ambitions were destroyed by the Chappaquiddick incident in 1969, something his unsuccessful challenge to President Carter in 1980 confirmed. Serving in the Senate for so many years, he probably got far more influence on American politics, especially in the fields of health and education, than he ever would have if he had become President.

In a statement on Wednesday morning 26 August, President Barack Obama said that he and his wife «were heartbroken to learn this morning of the death of our dear friend, Senator Ted Kennedy». «For five decades, virtually every major piece of legislation to advance the civil rights, health and economic well being of the American people bore his name and resulted from his efforts». In a public speech held at Chilmark, Massachusetts later on Wednesday President Obama said that Ted Kennedy «became not only one of the greatest senators of our time, but one of the most accomplished Americans ever to serve our democracy».

In a tribute to Ted Kennedy Vice President Joe Biden Jr. said that he «changed the circumstances of tens of millions of Americans -- in the literal sense, literally -- literally changed the circumstances».

The news of Edward Kennedy’s death has also dominated the news here in Norway. In the obituary by the Norwegian Telegraphic Agency, NTB, published in among others VG, Kennedy was described as the most influential politician in the Democratic Party. NTB mentions among others the late senator’s fight to increase the minimum wage and his opposition to the war in Iraq.

One Norwegian expert on American politics, Professor Ole Moen, characterizes Kennedy as a political giant and a "welfare democrat". - His death must be a great loss to Obama, as he was an important voice in the work for reforming the health service. To Aftenposten Ole Moen says that Kennedy’s death "er som en vegg som faller ut av senatet" ("is like a wall of the senate falling down"). - A dynasty has disappeared from American politics.

Other articles and obituaries:

• CNN
  
• The Guardian (UK)
• The Times (UK)
• The Daily Telegraph (UK)
  

Ted Kennedy will be laid to rest at the Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia near the graves of his elder brothers John and Robert.

Other sources:

• Senator Edward M. Kennedy
• Wikipedia article
• Kennedy Family Genealogy
• Peter S. Canellos. «Last Lion. The Fall and Rise of Ted Kennedy», Simon & Schuster, 2009.