# Question about JFK Jr. at his dads funeral...

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-jfk-jr-at-his-dads-funeral/284334>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [January 12, 2005, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-jfk-jr-at-his-dads-funeral/284334 "2005-01-12T04:16:31Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![McDeath\_the\_Mad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a3d4f5/32.png) [@McDeath\_the\_Mad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/McDeath_the_Mad)\
**Post date:** [January 12, 2005, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-jfk-jr-at-his-dads-funeral/284334/1 "2005-01-12T04:16:31Z")

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Just what the heck is he wearing?

Everytime I see him saluting, it totally looks like he’s wearing a dress!

Is it a dress, or is he wearing shorts and a puffy jacket?

MtM

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**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\
**Post date:** [January 12, 2005, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-jfk-jr-at-his-dads-funeral/284334/2 "2005-01-12T04:28:19Z")

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It looks like a [very short overcoat](http://www.time.com/time/daily/special/photo/jfk/2.html) to me.

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**Author:** ![Blueapple](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a183cd/32.png) [@Blueapple](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blueapple)\
**Post date:** [January 12, 2005, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-jfk-jr-at-his-dads-funeral/284334/3 "2005-01-12T04:29:05Z")

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[Link to hi-res picture](http://teaching.arts.usyd.edu.au/history/hsty3080/StudentWebSites/AMELIA/My%20Webs/AMELIA%20RFK%20WEB/images/photoalbum/images/john%20jr%20saluting_jpg.jpg)

From [CNN](http://www.cnn.com/US/9907/17/kennedy.profile/)

> [@](#):
>
> Videotape showing Kennedy on his third birthday, dressed in a blue coat and shorts for his father’s funeral and saluting the casket outside St. Matthew’s Cathedral, has been shown repeatedly over the last 35 years as a symbol of the nation’s grief over the assassination.

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**Author:** ![CrankyAsAnOldMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crankyasanoldman/32/11670_2.png) [@CrankyAsAnOldMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CrankyAsAnOldMan)\
**Post date:** [January 12, 2005, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-jfk-jr-at-his-dads-funeral/284334/4 "2005-01-12T05:09:27Z")

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It’s a somewhat traditional and old-fashioned coat style for little boys. I bought my son one very similar when he was a tot.

Here’s a link to a website that sells something similar (I’m not posting it as a commercial ad, just an example so you can see one in color)

[http://www.snipsnsnails.com/bb161lb.html](http://www.snipsnsnails.com/bb161lb.html)

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**Author:** ![rocking\_chair](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocking_chair/32/2918_2.png) [@rocking\_chair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rocking_chair)\
**Post date:** [January 13, 2005, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-jfk-jr-at-his-dads-funeral/284334/5 "2005-01-13T00:16:01Z")

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in the olden days boys wore short pants; 'till about 8 - 10 years old. jfk was on the tail end of that era.

there would have been a cute little hat that matched the coat. looked a bit like a beanie, with earflaps and strings to tie. i reckon he didn’t want to wear it that day.

it is interesting that as he got older he wore quite a few hats.