History

Caroline Kennedy shares a sweet memory of JFK aboard the Honey Fitz

President John F. Kennedy sits on a yacht with his daughter, Caroline, off Hyannis Port on August 25, 1963. Cecil Stoughton/The White House/John F. Kennedy Presidential Library

By Dialynn Dwyer

May 25, 2017

1 minute to read

Reflecting on her father’s legacy, Caroline Kennedy recalled how John F. Kennedy used to entertain her while they were sailing aboard the Honey Fitz.“He would point out the white shark and the purple shark who always followed the boat, although I could never quite see them,” Kennedy said. “He would say they especially liked to eat socks and would have his friends throw their socks overboard, which I loved.”The former U.S. Ambassador to Japan shared the memory in a video posted to Facebook on Wednesday, reminiscing about how she hid under her father’s desk in the Oval Office and sat on his lap while sailing on the presidential yacht. “I’ve thought about him and missed him every day of my life,” Kennedy said. “But growing up without him was made easier thanks to all the people who kept him in their hearts, who told me that he inspired them to work and fight and believe in a better world.”Kennedy’s three children — Tatiana, Rose, and Jack Schlossberg — joined their mother in reflecting on President Kennedy’s legacy ahead of what would have been his 100th birthday on Monday.The young members of the Kennedy clan spoke of what inspired them most about their grandfather and connected his work to issues facing the United States today.Rose believes her grandfather would be proud of how far the country has come since 1963. “He’d have been the first one to tell us we have a long way to go” when it comes to addressing issues of injustices and inequality, she said. Her brother, Jack, said climate change is a challenge his grandfather would have been “energized about and eager to solve.”