The Secret Burial of JFK’s First Casket

Watched by widowed First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy, JFK's casket is carried aboard Air Force One for its flight from Dallas to Washington DC

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As the attempt to save President Kennedy’s life at Parkland Memorial Hospital proved futile, Secret Service agent Clint Hill, famous for leaping onto the back of the limousine in a desperate effort to shield the First Lady and the wounded President, was tasked with securing a casket. The call went out to Vernon O’Neal, a Dallas undertaker, who delivered a Handley Britannia model from the Elgin Casket Company. This was no ordinary coffin—it was a solid bronze structure lined with white satin, weighing over 400 pounds and costing $3,995 (the equivalent of over $36,000 today). It was, in every sense, fit for a head of state.

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The Kennedy family, appalled by the idea of the casket becoming a sideshow attraction, intervened. They requested the U.S. government take possession of it and ensure its disposal in a manner befitting the dignity of the late President.

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On 18th February 1966, the Air Force executed a discreet and carefully planned disposal of the casket. First, it was filled with sandbags to add weight, then encased in a solid pine box. More than 40 holes were drilled into the structure to guarantee that it would sink. To ensure it remained secure, metal banding tape was wrapped around the entire box. As a final precaution, parachutes were affixed to the casket to control its descent into the ocean.

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Aboard a C-130 transport plane, the casket was flown to an undisclosed location in the Atlantic Ocean, approximately 100 miles off the coast, at a depth of around 9,000 feet. At precisely 10:00 AM, the rear hatch was opened, and the casket was pushed out. The parachutes softened its landing, and as planned, the weight of the sandbags and the drilled holes ensured that it sank immediately. The plane circled the area for 20 minutes to confirm that no debris or remnants resurfaced. The operation was a complete success, ensuring that the casket would never be recovered.

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Never heard about this in all my 55 years.