If the situation develops, I will take Caroline and John, and we will walk hand in hand out onto the south grounds. We will stand there like brave soldiers, and face the fate of every other American.
Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy
Like Brave Soldiers
Topic: Courage, Integrity, & Purpose
If the situation develops [a nuclear missile attack], I will take Caroline and John, and we will walk hand in hand out onto the south grounds. We will stand there like brave soldiers, and face the fate of every other American.
Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy was born on July 28, 1929, in Southampton, New York, to John Vernou Bouvier III and Janet Lee Bouvier. Raised in a privileged yet turbulent household, she developed a love for literature, art, and equestrian sports. She studied at Vassar College before transferring to George Washington University, earning a degree in French literature in 1951. After graduation, she worked as a journalist for the Washington Times-Herald before meeting John F. Kennedy, then a U.S. senator. They married in 1953, and she soon took on the role of political partner, supporting his successful 1960 presidential campaign. At 31, she became First Lady, bringing attention to the arts, historic preservation, and diplomacy, notably overseeing the White House restoration and promoting American culture abroad.
As First Lady, Jacqueline Kennedy became an influential figure, admired for her intelligence, grace, and commitment to public service. Fluent in multiple languages, she played a key role in diplomatic visits, earning international admiration. She worked to preserve American heritage, establishing the White House Historical Association and advocating for historic landmarks. She also navigated moments of crisis, including the Cuban Missile Crisis. On November 22, 1963, she was at her husband’s side when he was assassinated in Dallas. In the aftermath, she orchestrated a funeral rich in historical symbolism and worked to shape John F. Kennedy’s legacy.
In 1968, Jacqueline Kennedy married Greek shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis, seeking privacy and security for herself and her children. After his death in 1975, she built a career as a book editor in New York City, working at Viking Press and later Doubleday. She remained engaged in historic preservation, playing a role in saving Grand Central Terminal. In her later years, she led a private life while continuing to support cultural and political causes. She died from cancer on May 19, 1994, at age 64, and was buried at Arlington National Cemetery alongside President Kennedy. She remains one of the most recognizable First Ladies, remembered for her contributions to American culture and history.
Kennedy, Jacqueline Bouvier. Brower, Kate Andersen. First Women: The Grace and Power of America’s Modern First Ladies. HarperCollins, 2016, p. 88.
Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy
Theme: Moral Courage
About This Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Quotation [Commentary]
Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy’s words reflect remarkable moral courage in the face of potential catastrophe—a Soviet missile attack. She rejected the idea of seeking refuge with her children in the White House bomb shelter, instead choosing solidarity with the American people. “If the situation develops, I will take Caroline and John, and we will walk hand in hand out onto the south grounds.” Her decision was not impulsive but deliberate—she refused special protection, embracing the same fate as every other American. In a moment of profound uncertainty, she responded with clarity and resolve.
Her statement, “We will stand there like brave soldiers, and face the fate of every other American,” conveys an unshaken sense of duty. Though not a soldier, she met the crisis with the same fortitude expected of those who serve. Her choice was not about defiance but about honor—an unwavering commitment to presence and dignity. When speaking with Secret Service agent Clint Hill, she did not hesitate. Her mind was made up, shaped by a deep sense of responsibility rather than fear.
Her words during the Cuban Missile Crisis also reveal her devotion to family and country. “I just want to be with you, and I want to die with you, and the children do too—than live without you.” This was not resignation but a statement of loyalty and love. In a time of great uncertainty, her quiet strength spoke for itself—choosing unity over self-preservation, facing the unknown with courage rather than retreat.
Profiles In Courage, The Cuban Missile Crisis
During a private meeting with her Secret Service agent, Clint Hill, Hill reached out to Jackie and gently touched her elbow. “You know about the bomb shelter here, under the White House. I know that [Chief Usher] J. B. West gave you a brief tour of the facility a few months ago. In the event a situation develops… where we don’t have time to leave the area, we would take you and the children into the shelter for protection.” But Jackie had already made up her mind and she would not be told what to do. She abruptly pulled her arm away.
“Mr. Hill, if the situation develops that requires the children and me to go to the shelter, let me tell you what you can expect.” She lowered her already soft, sweet voice into an even deeper whisper and said, “If the situation develops, I will take Caroline and John, and we will walk hand in hand out onto the south grounds. We will stand there like brave soldiers, and face the fate of every other American.”
Hill was stunned. “Well, Mrs. Kennedy, let’s just pray to God that we will never be in that situation.”
—Brower, Kate Andersen. First Women: The Grace and Power of America’s Modern First Ladies. HarperCollins, 2016, p. 88.
“If anything happens, we’re all going to stay right here with you… I just want to be with you, and I want to die with you, and the children do too—than live without you.”
—Kennedy, Jacqueline. Jacqueline Kennedy: Historic Conversations on Life with John F. Kennedy. Interviews with Arthur M. Schlesinger Jr., 1964. Foreword by Caroline Kennedy, Hyperion, 2011.
Additional Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Quotations
“I want to be there when he dies.”
—Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy. The Death of a President: November 20–November 25, 1963. By William Manchester, Harper & Row, 1967, p. 482. [When told she couldn’t access President Kennedy’s hospital room (22 November 1963).]
“You and he were adversaries, but you were allied in a determination that the world should not be blown up. The danger which troubled my husband was that war might be started not so much by the big men as by the little ones. While big men know the need for self-control and restraint, little men are sometimes moved more by fear and pride.*.”
—Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy. The Death of a President: November 20–November 25, 1963. By William Manchester, Harper & Row, 1967, p. 482.
*[Jacqueline Kennedy wrote a letter to Nikita Khrushchev dated December 1, 1963. (Letter to Nikita Khrushchev after JFK assassination, as quoted in One Minute to Midnight: Kennedy, Khrushchev, and Castro on the Brink of Nuclear War (2009) by Michael Dobbs)].
“I have to think there is a God—or I have no hope of finding Jack again.”
—Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy, In a letter to Father Joseph Leonard in 1952, [Her reliance on faith during a period of profound grief.]
“I think the major role of the First Lady is to take care of the President so that he can best serve the people. And not to fail her family, her husband, and children.”
—Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy. The Eloquent Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis: A Portrait in Her Own Words. Edited by Bill Adler, HarperCollins, 2004, p. 174.
“The deep desire to inspire people, to take an active part in the life of the country … attracts our best people to political life … We should all do something to right the wrongs that we see and not just complain about them. We owe that to our country.”
—Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy. The Eloquent Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis: A Portrait in Her Own Words. Edited by Bill Adler, HarperCollins, 2004, p. 174.
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