jos ep kennedy jr, the oldest brother, who was expected to rise to prominence, i was killed in 1944 during world war ii when his explain cloded. four years later, his sister died in a plane crash in france. no loss of greater than that of the president. the entire nation seemed to mourn the president back in 1963 when he was felled by an assassin bullet in dallas. who will ever forget this picture of his son john saluting? just recently this tape emerged of the 3-year-old john talking about family historian arthur schlesinger. >> john, what happened to your father? >> um, he's gone to heaven. >> reporter: that boy, who the nation called john-john, of course grew into a dashing man. who himself died tragedically in 1999 behind the wheel of a piper plane he was piloting at the age of just 38 off the family's beloved cape cod. his wife died too that night, and her sister. once again the kennedy clan gathered together to mourn, led by john's uncle. it reminded us again of the whispered phrase, the kennedy curse. >> well, i don't sub skrub to the curse thery. i think the common thread is life i