Mr. STERN. What did you tell him about the Trade Mart?
Mr. SORRELS. I told him that there were many entrances there and that
it would pose a problem manpowerwise to have the proper security there.
Mr. STERN. But did you indicate to him that this could be handled?
Mr. SORRELS. I don't recall whether I specifically said it could be
or not. Definitely I was under the impression that if the place was
chosen, we would take the necessary precautions and would have it
properly manned.
Mr. STERN. You did not, in any event, tell him that you didn't think
the Trade Mart would be a safe place?
Mr. SORRELS. No, I don't recall I told him it would not be a safe
place, no, sir.
Mr. STERN. When did all this happen, Mr. Sorrels? Was it immediately
after November 4?
Mr. SORRELS. Yes, it was on November 4.
Mr. STERN. What was the next event in your advance preparations for the
President's trip?
Mr. SORRELS. On November 13, Special Agent Winston G. Lawson, from the
White House detail, and Mr. Jack Puterbaugh, had arrived at Dallas the
evening before, and they came to my office, and we then went to the
office of Mr. A. W. Cullum, President of the Chamber of Commerce, and
we then went to the Trade Mart, and then to the Women's Building at the
State Fairgrounds.
Mr. STERN. Mr. Sorrels, would you look at this Xerox copy of a two-page
memorandum which appears to be signed by you, dated November 30, 1963,
and carries the identifying number CO-2-34030. Can you identify that
for me, please?
Mr. SORRELS. Yes, sir; that is a memorandum which was prepared by me on
November 30, 1963.
Mr. STERN. Did you make this memorandum in the ordinary course of your
work, or were you specially instructed to make it?
Mr. SORRELS. As I recall it, I was instructed to make the report, but
it is a procedure we ordinarily follow in making memorandums of such
surveys, in confirmation of the phone calls.
Mr. STERN. Did you make it from notes that you had or from memory?
Mr. SORRELS. Both, sir.
Mr. STERN. Did you preserve the notes from which this was made, or
destroy them?
Mr. SORRELS. No, I preserved them. I have them here--regarding the
phone call and the notes that I made, regarding the survey at the Trade
Mart and Women's Club.
Mr. STERN. May I see them, please?
Mr. SORRELS. Yes, sir.
Mr. STERN. And this covers what you have just been telling us about in
connection with the selection of the luncheon site for the President's
visit?
Mr. SORRELS. Yes, sir.
Mr. STERN. Have you reviewed your memorandum of November 30 recently,
Mr. Sorrels, in preparation for your testimony here?
Mr. SORRELS. Yes, sir.
Mr. STERN. Is there any respect in which you would like to change
anything that is in the memorandum in view of your further
consideration of the events described?
Mr. SORRELS. There is only one point there, about the date that we went
by the police station.
Mr. STERN. Where is that covered in your memorandum?
Mr. SORRELS. That is in the last paragraph on the first page, where it
is stated that on November 15, that we went to the office of the Chief
of Police Curry.
I was under the impression that it was possibly the day before. I could
be in error on that.
Mr. STERN. In any event, it was after Mr. Lawson had arrived, and that
was on November 13?
Mr. SORRELS. Yes. I might state here that I had previously received two
phone calls from Chief of Police Jesse Curry about the President's trip
there. He was, of course, wanting to get the information as soon as
possible, so that they could start their preparations. And he actually
called me before Mr. Lawson got there, and he called me again after Mr.
Lawson had gotten there, before we had gone to see him. And I explained
to the chief that, on the first call, there would be someone from the
White House detail coming to Dallas, and he requested that I get in
touch with him just as soon as he got there.
On the second call, I told him that the man from the White House detail
had arrived, but that we were still working on the plans, that it was
not definitely known at that time where the luncheon was going to be,
and that just as soon as it was determined where the luncheon was going
to be, that we would then get in touch with him.
And it was at my suggestion to Mr. Lawson that we go by the Police
Department on the first time, because I did not want the chief to
feel that we were leaving him out in the dark, so to speak. And, for
that reason, I suggested that we go by at the time we did--because,
actually, we were still in the process of having these meetings to work
out the final plans, and so forth.
Mr. STERN. That is the visit you refer to in this last paragraph on
page 1?
Mr. SORRELS. That is right.
Mr. STERN. Your memorandum, Mr. Sorrels, gives me enough information on
many of the points we are interested in, and I don't think we have to
cover those, unless you would like to add something to them.
I would like to have you tell us about the selection of the motorcade
route, what you had to do with that, and what you know of that.
Mr. SORRELS. After it was determined that there was going to be a
motorcade, which was actually after Mr. Lawson got there, we had
discussed the ways to get to the Trade Mart, and one of my questions
was why don't we bring the President from the Texas Hotel to the Trade
Mart by motorcade.