Given the busy day in the life of a president, it is almost impossible to find the time to write letters to each person affected by the various misfortunes that occur in the world. Mrs. John Kirksey Jr. was one of these fortunate people who received a personal letter from President John F. Kennedy. Her husband, who was also the President's fellow shipmate, had gone missing after a devastating ship collision. Assumed to be dead, and with no trace of his body, the President wrote Mr. John Kirksey's wife a letter expressing his sympathy.
He included all the elements of a typical sympathy letter such as stating that he understands how she must feel, telling a story about John Kirksey that he remembers, and reminiscing about his strong qualities indicating that he will not be forgotten. This was the first of four letters that he sent to Mrs. Kirksey. The second included a picture of her husband and the rest of his PT-109 crew. The third informed Mrs. Kirksey that proceeds from the article written about the PT-109 would be sent to her as their participation in the memory of her husband. Nearly two decades after his death, a fourth letter was sent including a picture of the Manila American Cemetery. The memorial wall of this cemetery had her husband's name on it.
These letters were put up for auction and were eventually bought by David Kirshenbaum from the Carnegie Book Shop for $9,500. He states that he is unsure how high of an amount he was willing to pay, but he was not going to miss out on the opportunity to obtain these rare letters from the President.
President John F. Kennedy clearly demonstrated his heartfelt sympathy for Mrs. Kirksey. To send not only one letter, but several and over the course of two decades, is evident of the fact that she was constantly in his thoughts throughout this difficult time. He did not hesitate in sending pictures of her husband in fear that she will become more upset over his loss. He instead, used the pictures of him to show that people are sympathizing with her and that they still do care.
The President also indirectly assisted her, with the sympathy letters, financially. If people who receive letters from the president keep their letters for sometime after having received them, who knows how much they will be worth in the future? In this case, sympathy does have some dollar amount. It is amazing how many ripple effects come from what could be seen as a simple gesture of sympathy.
