</s>August 5, 1968 Central Files: This file should be treated as "sensitive." Muriel Hartley 2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14176

Summary  
The documents detail logistical arrangements for Senator Robert F. Kennedy’s funeral following his assassination on June 5, 1968, including coordination between the White House, military agencies, and the Kennedy family to transport his body from Los Angeles to New York via a presidential jet. They outline challenges such as casket size modifications, procurement of candles for the ceremony, and security planning for the funeral procession and interment at Arlington National Cemetery adjacent to John F. Kennedy’s burial plot. Military support involved the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Secret Service, D.C. National Guard, and Metropolitan Police Department. Funeral events in New York (June 7–8) and Washington (June 8) included motorcades, press coverage, and ceremonial details such as gravestone placement at Arlington. Additional content includes letters of condolence from Brazil, administrative records on funeral logistics, and discussions about gun control legislation post-assassination. International reactions to the assassination are documented through telegrams and memos, highlighting media coverage in Nigeria, Israel, Kenya, and other countries, along with diplomatic condolences from leaders like King Hussein of Jordan and President Kenneth Kaunda of Zambia. The documents also reference political debates on societal unrest, violence, and legislative responses, as well as administrative notes on document declassification under Executive Order 14176.  

Key People  
- Robert F. Kennedy (assassinated)  
- Lyndon B. Johnson (President)  
- Hubert Humphrey (Vice President)  
- Robert McNamara (Secretary of Defense)  
- James Salinger (Kennedy family liaison)  
- Tom Johnson (White House aide)  
- Colonel Hugh Robinson (military representative)  
- Nicholas Katzenbach (Under Secretary of State)  
- John F. Kennedy (buried alongside RFK in Arlington)  
- Ethel Kennedy (wife of RFK)  
- Joseph Califano (Special Assistant to the President)  
- George Christian (advisor discussing political ramifications)  
- Victor Franklin (writer expressing support for gun control)  
- Bishara Sirhan (father of assassin Sirhan Bishara)  
- King Hussein of Jordan  
- President Kenneth Kaunda (Zambia)  
- Rev. Edward B. Lewis (pastor, submitted prayer to Johnson)  

Key Locations  
- Los Angeles International Airport  
- Andrews Air Force Base  
- LaGuardia Airport (New York)  
- Saint Patrick’s Cathedral (New York)  
 - Arlington National Cemetery (Washington, D.C.)  
- Union Station (Washington, D.C.)  
- Pease Air Force Base (New Hampshire)  
- Kaduna, Nigeria  
- Tel Aviv, Israel  
- Nairobi, Kenya  
- Paris, France  
- Ottawa, Canada  
- Tripoli, Libya  
- Wellington, New Zealand  
- Tegucigalpa, Honduras  
- Lima, Peru  
- Warsaw, Poland  
- Addis Ababa, Ethiopia  
- San Salvador (El Salvador)  
- Accra, Ghana  
- Nicosia, Cyprus  

Key Events  
- Assassination of Robert F. Kennedy on June 5, 1968  
- Coordination of presidential aircraft use to transport Kennedy family members  
- Funeral arrangements and interment at Arlington National Cemetery  
- International media coverage and editorial responses in Nigeria, Israel, Kenya, and other countries  
- Diplomatic condolences from Jordanian leaders and U.S. embassy staff  
- Formation of a federal commission to study violence in America announced by President Johnson  
- Press coverage of the assassination’s impact on global perceptions of American society  
- Memorial services in Lima, Peru; Warsaw, Poland; and Conakry, Guinea  
- Prayer submitted to President Johnson by Rev. Edward B. Lewis on June 6, 1968  

Key Organizations  
- Department of State (U.S.)  
- White House staff and military aides (e.g., General Robert Gaskuburg, Major Gully)  
- U.S. Embassies/Consulates (Ottawa, Helsinki, Lisbon, Reykjavik, Budapest)  
- Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)  
- United States Information Agency (USIA)  
- Federal Commission on Violence (proposed)  
- Arab Student Organizations (Munich conference)  
- Democratic National Committee (DNC)  
- All-African Trade Union Federation (Tanzania)  
- Arab Liberation Front (Saudi Arabia)  
- Yugoslav diplomatic corps  
- U.S. Information Agency (USIA)

RFK Declassified Files

591583_lbj_whcf_subject_files_on_judicial_and_legal_matters_b33_f6.pdf

Document Summary

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