July 5, 1963 - Like the father who takes over the Christmas train, President Kennedy spent part of this afternoon playing with his son’s toy sailboat. Two-year-old John Jr. was not around for the fun, although his five-year-old sister Caroline got in on it. The black-hulled, three-foot-long model schooner, with a blue and red mainsail and a green and yellow jib, was a gift to young John that Mr. Kennedy received during his European trip from President Antonio Segni of Italy. The toy boat episode came about after Mr. Kennedy, some of his family, and a guest had returned from a two-hour trip on Nantucket Sound aboard the White House yacht Honey Fitz. Lemoyne Billings, an old friend of the President, turned up with the sailboat and served as a navigator. The President did the launching. The little craft took off toward the Cape Cod shoreline and finally beached itself 100 yards away. Caroline and a couple of cousins ran down the dock and along the beach to intercept it, and the President and Mr. Billings trailed along. Caroline and Mr. Billings waded out and sent the boat sailing again. Finally, a Secret Service agent took the boat for safekeeping.
Comments