Johnson’s Remarks Upon Arrival at Andrews Air Force Base

On November 22, 1963, during a planned two-day, five-city tour of Texas, President John F. Kennedy was assassinated while traveling in a motorcade through Dallas, Texas. This statement by President Lyndon B. Johnson was written aboard Air Force One during the flight back to the nation’s capital, just hours after the assassination, and after the the oath of office was administered to Johnson. The President delivered the statement upon landing at Andrews Air Force Base outside Washington, DC.

The edited text reads:

"This is a sad time for all people and we have suffered a loss that cannot be weighed. For me it is a deep personal tragedy. I know the world, shares the sorrow that Mrs. Kennedy and her family bears.

I will do my best. That is all I can do. I ask only for your help and God's."