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U.S. NEWS Tuesday 30 May 2017
Thousands turn out to remember JFK on 100th birthday

By CRYSTAL HILL dent from January 1961
Associated Press until he was assassinated
BOSTON (AP) — Ameri- Nov. 22, 1963. He was 46.
cans turned out by the In Boston, the John F. Ken-
thousands Monday to cel- nedy Presidential Library
ebrate the life and legacy and Museum held a birth-
of President John F. Ken- day celebration that in-
nedy on the day he would cluded a cake made by
have turned 100. the family of the baker who
The United States Postal made the engagement
Service commemorated cake for then-Sen. Ken-
Kennedy’s centennial with nedy and Jacqueline Bou-
a dedication of a JFK post- vier, museum officials said.
age stamp in Brookline, The celebration capped a
Massachusetts, a Boston long Memorial Day holiday
suburb where the late weekend of events to hon-
president was born on or Kennedy’s legacy and
May 29, 1917. drew thousands of visitors
The image on the stamp is on his centennial celebra-
a 1960 photograph by Ted tion.
Spiegel of Kennedy when “There’s no one issue or
he was campaigning for one event that we could
president in Seattle. Bos- do to highlight the different
ton Postmaster Nick Fran- The Army Old Guard color guard stands watch during a wreath laying ceremony, at the grave of facets of (Kennedy),”said
cescucci said the stamp former President John F. Kennedy, to mark the 100th anniversary of his birth, at Arlington National Steven Rothstein, the li-
was selected because Cemetery in Arlington, Va., Monday, May 29, 2017. Kennedy was born May 29, 1917. brary foundation’s execu-
of the way Kennedy was (AP Photo/Cliff Owen) tive director. q
looking up. “His eyes were he said, was a man who
high, they were looking had honest and infectious
to the sky (and) it looked pride. He not only implored
like there was a big bright a generation to serve, but
future ahead of us,” Fran- he promised them a coun-
cescucci said. try worthy of their service,
Democratic U.S. Rep. Joe the congressman said.
Kennedy III gave the key- A wreath-laying ceremony
note speech at the John also was held to honor the
Fitzgerald Kennedy Na- 35th U.S. president at his
tional Historic Site — JFK’s gravesite at Arlington Na-
birthplace and childhood tional Cemetery in Virginia.
home. His great-uncle, Kennedy served as presi-
Ray Pfeifer, firefighter and key

voice for 9/11 health care, dies

NEW YORK (AP) — A retired 11 first responders in 2015.
New York City firefighter Congress ultimately did re-
who spent months dig- authorize the program.
ging through debris after “I was just a poster boy,”
the Sept. 11 terror attacks, Pfeifer said when he was
then became a key voice honored at New York City
in fighting for health care Hall in January 2016. But
for first responders while “we got something done.
wracked with late-stage ... It was hard-fought. We
cancer himself, has died, dealt with people that
the fire department said. didn’t really get it.”
Raymond Pfeifer died Sun- Stewart, meanwhile, said
day after an eight-year he had merely been Pfeif-
fight with the disease, the er’s “wingman” on their
department said. He was trips to Washington.
59. Pfeifer served over 27 years
Pfeifer was among those in the Fire Department be-
who lobbied fiercely for the fore retiring in 2014, ac-
renewal of the Zadroga cording to a Daily News of
Act, which provides health New York profile of him the
benefits to first responders next year.
who fell ill after the attacks “It was exciting from day
in 2001. He and others, in- one up to the last day I
cluding comedian Jon worked, every single min-
Stewart, went to Congress ute,” he told the newspa-
to challenge lawmakers per. “I was proud every
to extend health monitor- day to put that uniform
ing and treatment for Sept. on.”q