Receiving the Congressional Gold Medal in September 1963 from President John F. Kennedy, Bob Hope recalled that he had entertained troops in the South Pacific while Kennedy was stationed there during World War II. “He was a very gay, carefree young man at that time,” Hope quipped, “Of course, all he had to worry about then was the enemy.” Hope later wrote, “What set Kennedy apart from all other presidents was his ability to genuinely laugh at himself. He opened the floodgates for presidential humor, the likes of which had never been seen before.”