That Hughes film you show at an angle within the animated picture of the motorcade turning onto Elm. My question is about the motorcade in the Hughes film, specifically when you see the VP car before it starts to turn onto Elm, will say before it enters the intersection, maybe a car length away from entering the intersection-- is the driver's door or the left backseat door open? And if so isn't that before the driver says he the loud sound
Rear doors partially-opened on Secret Service VP-follow-up-car on Main Street. VP car largely blocked from view but Lady Bird can be seen. |
The VP car had no open doors. The SS followup-car behind it had both back doors partially open since at least Main Street, so as to allow agents to more quickly leave the car if they have to. Their testimony has been examined.
Warren Taylor was on the left side in the back seat.
"Our automobile had just turned a corner (the names of the streets are unknown to me)
when I heard a bang which sounded to me like a possible firecracker--the sound coming
from my right rear. Out of the corner of my eye and off slightly to the right rear of our car,
I noticed what now seems to me might have been a short piece of streamer flying in the
air close to the ground, but due to the confusion of the moment, I thought that it was a
firecracker going off.
As a matter of course, I opened the door and prepared to get out of the car. In the instant
that my left foot touched the ground, I heard two more bangs and realized that they must
be gun shots."
Thomas Johns was on the right-side in the back seat.
"The motorcade had passed through the downtown section of Dallas, and at approximately
12:35 p.m., CST, I heard two "shots," not knowing whether they were firecrackers, backfire,
or gun shots. These two shots were approximately two or three seconds apart, and at this
time we were on a slight downhill curve to the right."
Joe Henry Rich, an officer with the Texas Highway Patrol, was the driver.
"We turned off of Houston Street onto Elm Street and that was when I heard the first shot.
I noticed a lot of confusion up ahead of me, motorcycle policemen and in the President's car
and the President's security car. This Secret Service man in the front seat with me made the
remark, "What the hell was that" and about that time I heard two more shots. There could
have been more shots, but I could not say."
Clifton Carter, assistant to LBJ, was seated in the middle of the front seat.
"At approximately 12:30 p.m., our car had just made the lefthand turn off Houston onto Elm
Street and was right along side of the Texas School Book Depository Building when I heard a
noise which sounded like a firecracker. Special Agent Youngblood, who was seated on the
righthand side of the front seat of Vice President Johnson's car immediately turned and pushed
Vice President Johnson down and in the same motion vaulted over the seat and covered the
Vice President with his body. At that instant Mrs. Johnson and Senator Yarborough, who were
riding in the back seat along with the Vice President, bent forward. Special Agent Youngblood's
action came immediately after the first shot and before the succeeding shots.
I distinctly remember three shots. There was an interval of approximately 5 to 6 seconds from
the first to the last shot, and the three shots were evenly spaced."
Jerry Kivett, SS agent and advance man, was seated on the left-side of the front seat.
"The motorcade was heading slightly downhill toward an underpass. As the motorcade was
approximately 1/3 of the way to the underpass, traveling between 10 and 15 miles per hour,
I heard a loud noise--someone hollered "What was that?" It sounded more like an extremely
large firecracker, in that it did not seem to have the sharp report of a rifle. As I was looking in
the direction of the noise, which was to my right rear, I heard another report--then there was no
doubt in my mind what was happening looked toward the Vice Presidential car, and as I did so,
I could see the spectators, approximately 25-50, scattering--some were falling to the ground,
some were running up a small hill, and some were just standing there stunned--here I heard
the third shot."