Clint Hill - Mrs. Kennedy and Me - An Intimate Memoir

When the crowds dissipated, I returned to Halfback.

Crowds spill onto Main Street in Dallas on 11/22/63

As we turned onto Main Street, the spectators really increased. Both sides of the street were packed—ten to twenty people deep on each side, spilling into the street. Bill Greer, driving 100X, kept the car to the left to keep President Kennedy, who was in the right rear, as far away from the crowd as possible. Because of the crowds, the motorcycles were having a hard time staying alongside the president’s car.

That put Mrs. Kennedy, seated in the left rear, right up next to the people. I immediately jumped from Halfback and got on the left rear of 100X to be near Mrs. Kennedy.

I crouched on the step, in an effort to be less conspicuous, yet still be in proximity should anything happen. I constantly scanned the crowd. People were everywhere—yelling, cheering, clapping. There were people on rooftops and balconies and fire escapes. People hanging out of windows. It was a beautiful sunny day, and warm. Windows were open all along the route.

Again I saw the president glance my way but not say anything. I stayed there, on the rear step of the limousine, all the way down Main Street.

Main Street came to an end, and the car turned right, onto Houston. At this point the number of spectators diminished considerably. I noticed on the right side of Houston that there were office buildings, and on the left was what appeared to be a plaza. Some concrete columns and a grassy area with a few people, but not many.

Clint Hill crouches on back of limousine on Main Street, Dallas, 11/22/63

I looked back at Halfback, let go of the handhold, jumped off 100X onto the pavement, and in one fluid motion, jumped back to my position on the left running board.

Immediately in front of us as we traveled down Houston Street was a red brick building about seven floors high. Some windows were open in the building, but there was no indication of any problem. Windows had been open all along the route.

We turned left onto Elm Street. It was an unusually sharp turn, and because 100X was no ordinary vehicle, Greer had to slow down considerably. Halfback had similar problems and Kinney maneuvered slowly through the turn.

The vehicles straightened out and began to return to our normal parade pace of about ten miles per hour. I was scanning to the left at the grassy area when I heard a sudden explosive noise, over my right shoulder, from the back of the motorcade.

I turned my head toward the noise, and as my eyes moved across the president’s car, I saw President Kennedy grab at this throat and lurch to his left.

I jumped off the running board and ran toward 100X. I wasn’t thinking, only reacting. Somebody had fired a shot at the president, and I had to get there. I had to get on the car and get myself between the shooter and the president and Mrs. Kennedy.

I was running as fast as I could. Nothing else mattered.

I have been told there was a second shot, which occurred at this time. I did not hear it. My feet were hitting the pavement; the motorcycle engines were loud in my ears.

I’m almost there. Mrs. Kennedy is leaning toward the president. I’m almost there.

I was almost there. And then I heard the shot. The third shot. The impact was like the sound of something hard hitting something hollow—like the sound of a melon shattering onto cement. In the same instant, blood, brain matter, and bone fragments exploded from the back of the president’s head. The president’s blood, parts of his skull, bits of his brain were splattered all over me—on my face, my clothes, in my hair.

My legs were still moving. I assumed more shots were coming. I reached for the handhold and grabbed it.

Just as I grabbed it, the car lurched forward. Bill Greer had stepped on the gas, and the car reacted with a jolt. I slipped. I was gripping with all my strength, my feet now back on the pavement. My legs kept moving, as I held on, trying to keep up with the rapidly accelerating car. Somehow—I honestly don’t know how—I lunged and pulled my body onto the car, and my foot found the step. In that same instant, Mrs. Kennedy rose up out of her seat and started climbing onto the trunk.

What is she doing? What is she doing?

The car was accelerating—we were really speeding up.

Good God, she’s going to go flying off the back of the car! Her eyes were filled with terror. She didn’t even know I was there. She was reaching for something. She was reaching for a piece of the president’s head.

I thrust myself onto the trunk, grabbed her arm, and pushed her back into the seat.

When I did this, the president’s body fell to the left onto her lap.

As I peered into the backseat of the car, I saw the president’s head, in her lap. His eyes were fixed, and I could see inside the back of his head. I could see inside the back of the president’s head.

“My God! They have shot his head off!” Mrs. Kennedy screamed.

Blood was everywhere. The floor was covered in blood and brain tissue and skull fragments.

“Get us to a hospital! Get us to a hospital!” I screamed at Bill Greer.

I wedged myself between the left and right side of the vehicle, on top of the rear seat, trying to keep my body as high as possible to shield whatever shots might still be coming. I had my left hand on the top of the left door frame and my left foot wedged against the inside of the right frame, my right foot hanging over the top of the car frame on the right.

I twisted around to make eye contact with the follow-up car. They had to know how bad it was. With my one free hand, I gave them the thumbs-down sign and shook my head.

My head turned back to the gruesome scene in the car. Nellie Connally was hunched over the governor. And Mrs. Kennedy had her husband’s head in her lap.

“Jack, Jack, what have they done to you?”

Thoughts swirled in my head. Will we get there in time? Go faster, go faster! He’s not breathing. Hang on Mr. President. Hang on. My God, what more can happen to her?

And then came the thought that haunts me still: How did I let this happen to her?

CHIEF CURRY, DRIVING the lead car, had slowed down to see what happened.

“Take me to the hospital, quick!” Bill Greer yelled.

Curry immediately sped up and got in front of us. We were now traveling on a multilane freeway going very fast. Sixty, seventy, eighty miles an hour. Still wedged up high, I was holding on with every ounce of strength in my arms and legs.

I turned my head and my sunglasses blew off.

Governor Connally lifted up and I realized for the first time that he also had been shot.

All time had stopped. It took an eternity to get to the hospital. Finally, we pulled up to the emergency section of a hospital. The sign said: PARKLAND MEMORIAL HOSPITAL.

It was 12:34, four minutes since the first shot rang out in Dealey Plaza. An eternity.

Sam Kinney had stayed right behind us the entire way. When the cars stopped everyone raced to the presidential car. Emory Roberts took one look at the condition of President Kennedy and said, “I’m taking my men to Johnson.”