John F. Kennedy: Shaping The Future

Danielle Marks
American Studies
T,TH 9:00
Perry Hornbacher
Shaping the Future John F. Kennedy is not a name easily forgotten. He was known for many things including dealing with foreign affairs, his glamorous lifestyle, and young charisma. He represented a new beginning that America felt it needed when he ran for the presidency in 1961. John F. Kennedy’s lifestyle growing up is the key to understanding how he was so driven and competitive in his life and how that effected his campaigns and presidency.
John, or “Jack”, Kennedy was born in Brookline, Massachusetts in 1917 and was the second oldest of all nine children. Jack stood out from the rest. He was loose with money unconcerned with rules and had a privileged childhood, according to the

But, only after he had to have a fixed exam in order to be able to serve because of his health issues. He was put on PT-109 to do raid missions occasionally getting fired at and firing back (Bellows). This time period was very rough on his back because of the way the boat would hit every wave as they went along (Bellows). When the boat wrecked, Jack hauled an injured sailor by a strap on his life vest and led the remaining survivors to an island three miles away. They were stranded on that island for six days until they were saved (Bellows). Kennedy received a purple heart for the injuries he suffered (John). Jack was sent back home for medical reasons and the story made him a war hero (Bellows). His father was determined to get the story into the press to promote his campaign as a war hero, wrote Herbert Parmet, author of Jack: The Struggles of John F. Kennedy (Parmet 110). The PT-109 story is America’s first look at what Jack can do as a leader, when he later decided to run for office.
Jack had to learn the hard way to stay positive through tough times such as these. This made him be more driven to get what he wants out of life. The pain did not stop in his adolescence. He was in pain every day when he was campaigning because he was so determined to do what he had to, to get as many votes as he could. From sunrise to sunset, he would go door to door to shake hands with future voters up

Kennedy was very dedicated to his career and worked very hard to get to the top. Although he had many advantages such as the Kennedy legacy following him and a supportive father, he did face challenges such as all of his health problems. Competitiveness was encouraged between the siblings and was a healthy. Although Jack’s sickly childhood held him back as a child, he was able to find ways to use his abilities to his advantage. Joseph Kennedy was a big influence in Jack’s life. He sparked his interest in politics and government and was a huge supporter of his son. Kennedy’s lifestyle growing up is the key to understanding how he was so driven and competitive in his life and how that effected his campaigns and