The funeral train for Robert Kennedy

Witness History

BBC

History, Personal Journals, Society & Culture

4.4 • 1.6K Ratings

🗓️ 25 June 2025

⏱️ 11 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

In June 1968, Senator Robert Kennedy was killed during his campaign for the American presidency.

There was nationwide mourning with huge crowds lining the tracks for his funeral train, as it travelled from New York to Washington DC.

In 2012, Simon Watts spoke to Kennedy's former press secretary Frank Mankiewicz and to his former bodyguard Rosey Grier.

Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive. Witness History is for those fascinated by the past. We take you to the events that have shaped our world through the eyes of the people who were there. For nine minutes every day, we take you back in time and all over the world, to examine wars, coups, scientific discoveries, cultural moments and much more.

Recent episodes explore everything from football in Brazil, the history of the ‘Indian Titanic’ and the invention of air fryers, to Public Enemy’s Fight The Power, subway art and the political crisis in Georgia. We look at the lives of some of the most famous leaders, artists, scientists and personalities in history, including: visionary architect Antoni Gaudi and the design of the Sagrada Familia; Michael Jordan and his bespoke Nike trainers; Princess Diana at the Taj Mahal; and Görel Hanser, manager of legendary Swedish pop band Abba on the influence they’ve had on the music industry. You can learn all about fascinating and surprising stories, such as the time an Iraqi journalist hurled his shoes at the President of the United States in protest of America’s occupation of Iraq; the creation of the Hollywood commercial that changed advertising forever; and the ascent of the first Aboriginal MP.

(Photo: Robert Kennedy funeral train. Credit: Getty Images)

Transcript

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0:00.0	Before this BBC podcast kicks off, I'd like to tell you about some others you might enjoy.
0:05.0	My name's Will Wilkin and I Commission Music Podcast for the BBC.
0:08.7	It's a really cool job, but every day we get to tell the incredible stories behind songs, moments and movements.
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0:43.4	Hello and welcome to the Witness History podcast from the BBC World Service. Witness
0:48.6	History takes you to a moment in history to hear the amazing memories of people who were there,
0:55.1	as well as powerful archive recordings. It's just nine minutes long and comes out every weekday, so make sure
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1:07.1	miss a thing. On the 5th of June, 1968, Senator Robert Kennedy was assassinated,
1:14.1	as he prepared to run for the presidency of the United States. In 2012, Simon Watts spoke to
1:20.1	Kennedy's former bodyguard and his press secretary about the funeral train which carried his
1:25.0	body from New York to its final resting place in Washington.
1:37.6	It's June the 8th, 1968. The funeral train carrying the coffin of Senator Robert Kennedy
1:43.8	is beginning its journey from New York to Washington.
1:47.3	Tens of thousands of Americans line the route.
1:50.5	Kennedy's former press secretary, Frank Mankiewicz, is on board.
	...

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