President John F. Kennedy didn’t just acknowledge unconventional warfare, he embraced it, understood it, and reshaped America’s military around it. To JFK, the Cold War wasn’t going to be won by mass formations or nuclear deterrence alone. It demanded adaptable forces, asymmetric thinking, and elite soldiers capable of operating in the shadows. And as Dr. Jared Tracy and Dr. Troy Sacquety explain, Kennedy saw Army Special Forces as the nation’s natural answer to that challenge. From Fort Bragg,

In honor of JFK on his assassination day: William Cooper consistently stated that the key to understanding the JFK assassination was careful, frame-by-frame review of the Zapruder film, which he believed revealed actions hidden in plain sight. According to his interpretation, the film showed that Secret Service agent William Greer, who was driving the presidential limousine, turned around at the critical moment and fired the fatal shot. Cooper argued that Greer’s movements in the film were too d

Honoring legacy isn’t symbolic, it’s a responsibility. And when President John F. Kennedy was inducted as a Distinguished Member of the Special Forces Regiment (DMOR), it wasn’t just a ceremonial moment. It was a recognition that JFK didn’t just authorize the Green Beret, he fundamentally shaped what Army Special Forces would become. Dr. Jared Tracy and Dr. Troy Sacquety, the USASOC historians charged with preserving this lineage, join Fran Racioppi to break down why JFK’s DMOR induction matters

President Kennedy’s state funeral was held on November 25, 1963. Historian Fredrik Logevall describes one of the personal touches Mrs. Kennedy arranged for the ceremony from our special podcast, Let Us Begin. | JFK Library Foundation