Remembering Seymour Johnson's participation in JFK's funeral flyover

  • Published
  • By Ross Tweten
  • 4th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
SEYMOUR JOHNSON AIR FORCE BASE, N.C. --  On Nov. 25, 1963, a solemn funeral procession carried President John F. Kennedy to his final resting place at Arlington National Cemetery.

As Kennedy family members made their way to their graveside positions, just before Jacqueline Kennedy lit the eternal flame, a contingency of 50 fighter aircraft streaked across a somber sky, spouting their own flames.

Of those 50 fighter aircraft, 30 F-105s from the 4th Tactical Fighter Wing called the flightline of Seymour Johnson Air Force Base home. Twenty Navy F-4Bs rounded out the succession of fighter aircraft passing overhead. Then, Air Force One followed the fighters, concluding the flyover.

According to Dr. Roy Heidicker, 4th Fighter Wing historian, putting that many planes in the air at one time was a fitting way to honor a great man who was taken away from the country far too soon.

"It was a time when, as a nation, our collective hearts stopped beating for a moment," he said. "The funeral, and everything that accompanied it, to include the flyover, was extremely important to help the nation along the process of healing. The Airmen who participated in this undertaking contributed something very special to the betterment of the nation. This flyover will always be a point of pride for the 4th Fighter Wing."

Dr. Heidicker notes the flyover was not only a tribute to John F. Kennedy, but also a testament to the legacy and ability of the 4th Fighter Wing.

"When you've got a big job to do and you need an organization that's going to do it right, you call the 4th Fighter Wing," he said. "The fact that 50 aircraft were put in the air with one of our sister services--and by all accounts it went off flawlessly--serves to prove the 4th Fighter Wing has a long tradition of being up to any task."

Over the years, Seymour Johnson has been no stranger to presidential funeral flyovers. Along with the flyover for President Kennedy's funeral, the wing has been called upon to participate in the funeral flyovers for Presidents Gerald Ford and Ronald Reagan.

"From an operational standpoint, it takes a huge effort from the Airmen on the ground to get that many aircraft in the air at one time," said Col. Michael Koscheski, 4th Operations Group commander. "The pilots, maintainers, and crews involved were part of one of the most significant moments in the history of the United States. The F-105 was an amazing aircraft, and I'm sure that flyover was a great source of pride for the Airmen involved."

Dr. Heidicker posits John F. Kennedy's death was one of the three 'where were you when' moments in recent American history, to include the attack on Pearl Harbor and 9/11.

"Here was a man who had taken us through some extraordinary times as a nation, most notably the Cuban missile crisis," said Dr. Heidicker. "He was a tremendous war hero in his own right as the commander of PT-109 and he was just an amazing man. A special tribute was necessary, and the 4th Fighter Wing was central to one of the most notable events in our nation's history."