Presidential Visits to Antietam Battlefield-- Part 6: FDR and JFK's Visit

After Theodore Roosevelt's visit to Antietam, several years passed before the next presidential visit.  It wasn't until September 17, 1937, the 75th anniversary of the battle, that President Franklin Delano Roosevelt delivered an eloquent speech in front of an estimated crowd of 50,000, including some Civil War veterans with whom he shook hands.

Since 1944, only two U.S. presidents have visited Antietam Battlefield:  John F. Kennedy and Jimmy Carter.

Kennedy toured the battlefield with his wife, Jackie and brother Ted, on April 3, 1963, just six months before his fateful ride in Dallas.  They made the trip from Camp David to the battlefield in a helicopter.  Of particular interest to the Kennedys were stories of the Irish Brigade and the role of Massachusetts soldiers.

--Old Secesh