Autopsy of John F. Kennedy
The autopsy of John F. Kennedy, the 35th president of the United States, was performed at the Bethesda Naval Hospital in Bethesda, Maryland. The autopsy began at about 8 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST) on November 22, 1963—the day of Kennedy's assassination—and ended in the early morning of November 23, 1963. The choice of autopsy hospital in the Washington, D.C. area was made by his widow, First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy, who chose the Bethesda as President Kennedy had been a naval officer during World War II.
The former president's autopsy was conducted at Bethesda Naval Hospital (pictured 1977) near Washington, D.C.. It is now known as the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.
The President's limousine brought his body to Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas. It is pictured parked in the ambulance entrance.
General Godfrey McHugh ordered Kennedy's body to be illegally transported to Walter Reed Army Medical Center, before the choice of hospital was given to Jacqueline Kennedy.
The missing bullet—found on a used stretcher at Parkland Memorial Hospital—became the subject of the Warren Commission's single-bullet theory, often derided as the "magic-bullet theory" by conspiracy theorists.
Walter Reed National Military Medical Center
Walter Reed National Military Medical Center is a United States military medical center located in Bethesda, Maryland. It is one of the largest and most prominent military medical centers in the nation and has provided medical care for several United States presidents since its opening in 1940.
Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in June 2011
U.S. President Ronald Reagan and First Lady Nancy Reagan wave from a Walter Reed hospital window after his cancer surgery in 1985
Walter Reed National Military Medical Center looking east
Walter Reed National Military Medical Center looking southwest
