President John F. Kennedy's whirlwind trip to Texas in Nov., 1963, was supposed to last three days and include a luncheon, a dinner and five speeches in five different cities.
The whirlwind kicked off on Thursday, Nov. 21, when Air Force One arrived in San Antonio. There, Kennedy gave a nine-minute speech at Brooks Air Force Base, dedicating a health center at the Air Force's School of Aerospace Medicine.
In his speech, he focused on one of his top priorities: America's space program.
"Many Americans make the mistake of assuming that space research has no values here on earth. Nothing could be further from the truth," Kennedy said. "Just as the wartime development of radar gave us the transistor, and all that it made possible, so research in space medicine holds the promise of substantial benefit for those of us who are earthbound."
After the speech in San Antonio, Kennedy traveled to Houston, where he spoke at a dinner honoring Rep. Albert Thomas. Again, he talks about the United States' space program -- focusing on how Thomas was a champion of the program.
Kennedy ended the day at the Hotel Texas in Fort Worth, where he spent his final night.
