JFK Open Casket And Funeral Details

The Assassination Of John F Kennedy

The assassination of President John F Kennedy (JFK) in 1963 remains one of the most significant events in American history, referenced regularly in pop culture to this day. JFK, who was at the time 46 years old, had been President of the United States for three years and was on an official visit to Dallas, Texas. This historic event occurred almost exactly a century after the assassination of another American President, Abraham Lincoln.

JFK was shot in the head three times while his limousine was on the move by a former US Marine named Lee Harvey Oswald, and he was dead by the time he arrived at Parkland Hospital. Witnesses have reported that the sight of him was ghastly as he had lost a lot of blood and some parts of his brain had begun to ooze out through the wound in his forehead.

What Happened To First Coffin Of JFK?

As soon as President Kennedy was shot, his vehicle was rerouted and he was rushed to Parkland Hospital. Once the President’s death was confirmed by Parkland Hospital, a member of the Secret Service ordered a casket on an urgent basis from an established local funeral home known as O’Neal Funeral Home. The casket chosen was a Handley Britannia bronze casket with a satin lining made by the Elgin Casket Company which was priced at $3,995, which in present times would be equivalent to more than $30,000 when adjusted for inflation. 

O’Neal and his helper rushed the casket to the Parkland Hospital and helped the President’s aides carry it into the room where JFK had been pronounced dead a little earlier. They worked with some nurses to bandage the body as far as possible to prevent further damage to the casket interior, since the body of the President now had to be flown to Washington, DC. However, when the casket arrived in DC it was found that the bandaging had not prevented much seepage and the interior of the coffin was in a horrific condition, making it unfit to be used for any kind of viewing at the funeral.

For this reason another casket was used for JFK’s funeral ceremony. In 1965, the US Government decided that the first casket therefore should be disposed of as it served no real purpose and there were people trying to get their hands on it. The coffin was drilled into with 40 holes and filled with three sandbags weighing 80 pounds each before being dropped into the Atlantic Ocean by an Air Force plane to prevent anyone from stumbling upon it as a kind of souvenir.

Funeral Details Of JFK

On 23 November, an autopsy was performed on JFK’s body at Bethesda Naval Hospital and a team from Gawler’s Funeral Home also went there to embalm the body after the autopsy had been completed. They had brought with them a second mahogany casket more fitting for the President’s funeral - a Marsellus 710 coffin made out of African mahogany. The President’s body was transferred into this casket and it lay in state in the Capitol in DC for two days until the day of the funeral arrived on a Monday. On 25 November, President Kennedy’s body was laid to rest in the Arlington National Cemetery.

The actual funeral service for President Kennedy was held on 25 November, 1963, three days after the date of the assassination. The day of the funeral was also the third birthday of his son John Jr. The funeral also included the playing of “Eternal Father, Strong to Save”, the Navy Hymn, as well as a performance by the Naval Glee Club, as a tribute to JFK’s time serving in the Navy. JFK’s wife Jacqueline Kennedy wished for a closed casket to protect the dignity of her late husband, and the President’s aides agreed based on the condition of JFK’s body. For this reason, the funeral of JFK remained a closed casket event for the public.

Where To Buy An Elegant Metal Casket

A casket made of stainless steel provides a perfect combination of durability and elegance. Thanks to the Internet and the establishment of online casket companies, you can now buy a premium steel casket online at a fraction of the price charged by most funeral homes. The Funeral Rule mandates that no funeral home can force you to purchase a casket or any other services from them, nor can they deny you the right to use a casket you have purchased somewhere else, including online.

At Titan Casket we have several casket models available across a wide price range in more than 20 color options to suit every budget and style preference. We provide free shipping to almost all locations within the United States and ensure a timely delivery to alleviate your troubles during an already challenging time. You can also opt to pre-plan your casket with us and protect your loved ones from the hassle when the time of need arrives.