Representative BOGGS. That is what I would think.
Governor CONNALLY. We have there a reception room that is open from
about 9:30 to 12 and from 2 to 4 every day, and depending on the time
of the year there are literally hundreds of people who come in there.
There would be as high as 80 at a time that come in groups, and a
tour--this is a very large reception room which, frankly, we can't
use for any other purpose because it is so useful for tourists, and
they literally come in by the hundreds, and some days we will have a
thousand people in that room on any given day. So for me to say he
never was in there, I couldn't do that; and he might well have been
there, and no record of it in the office.
We make no attempt to keep a record of all the people who come in. If
they come in small groups or if they have appointments with me, or one
of my assistants, yes, we do. We keep records of people who come in and
want to leave a card or leave word that they dropped by. But I have no
knowledge that he ever came by.
Mr. SPECTER. Governor Connally, on your recitation of the events on the
day of the assassination, you had come to the point where the shooting
was concluded and the automobile had started to accelerate toward the
hospital. What recollection do you have, if any, of the events on the
way to the hospital from the assassination scene?
Governor CONNALLY. None really. I think at that point I had lost
consciousness because I don't have any recollection, Mr. Specter, of
anything that occurred on the way to the hospital. It was a very short
period of time, but I don't remember it.
Mr. SPECTER. Do you have any recollection of your arrival at the
hospital itself, at the Parkland Hospital?
Governor CONNALLY. Yes. I think when the car stopped the driver was
obviously driving at a very rapid rate of speed, and apparently, as he
threw on the brakes of the car, it brought me back to consciousness.
Again, a strange thing--strange things run through your mind and,
perhaps, not so strange under the circumstances, but I immediately--the
only thought that occurred to me was that I was in the jump seat next
to the door, that everyone concerned, was going to be concerned with
the President; that I had to get out of the way so they could get to
the President. So although I was reclining, and again Mrs. Connally
holding me, I suddenly lurched out of her arms and tried to stand
upright to get myself out of the car.
I got--I don't really know how far I got. They tell me I got almost
upright, and then just collapsed again, and someone then picked me up
and put me on a stretcher. I again was very conscious because this was
the first time that I had any real sensation of pain, and at this point
the pain in the chest was excruciating, and I kept repeating just over
and over, "My God, it hurts, it hurts," and it was hurting, it was
excruciating at that point.
I was conscious then off and on during the time I was in the emergency
room. I don't recall that I remember everything, but I remember quite a
bit. I remember being wheeled down the passageway, I remember doctors
and various people talking in the emergency room. I remember them
asking me a number of questions, too, which I answered, but that was
about it.
Mr. SPECTER. Do you know whether there was any bullet, or bullet
fragments, that remained in your body or in your clothing as you were
placed on the emergency stretcher at Parkland Hospital?
Governor CONNALLY. No.
Mr. SPECTER. Governor Connally, other than that which you have already
testified to, do you know of any events or occurrences either before
the trip or with the President in Texas during his trip, or after his
trip, which could shed any light on the assassination itself?
Governor CONNALLY. None whatever.
Mr. SPECTER. Do you know of any conversations involving anyone at all,
either before the trip, during the trip, or after the trip, other than
those which you have already related, which would shed any light on the
facts surrounding the assassination?
Governor CONNALLY. None whatever.
Mr. SPECTER. Do you have anything to add which you think would be
helpful to the Commission in any way?
Governor CONNALLY. No, sir; Mr. Specter, I don't.
I want to express my gratitude to the Commission for hearing me so
patiently, but I only wish I could have added something more that would
be helpful to the Commission on arriving at the many answers to so many
of these difficult problems, but I don't.
I can only say that it has taken some little time to describe the
events and what happened. It is rather amazing in retrospect when you
think really what a short period of time it took for it to occur, in a
matter of seconds, and if my memory is somewhat vague about precisely
which way I was looking or where my hand or arm was, I can only say I
hope it is understandable in the light of the fact that this was a very
sudden thing. It was a very shocking thing.
I have often wondered myself why I never had the presence of mind
enough--I obviously did say something; I said, "Oh, no, no, no," and
then I said, "My God, they are going to kill us all."
I don't know why I didn't say. "Get down in the car," but I didn't. You
just never know why you react the way you do and why you don't do some
things you ought to do.
But I am again grateful to this Commission as a participant in this
tragedy and as a citizen of this country, and I want to express, I
think in behalf of millions of people, our gratitude for the time and
energy and the dedication that this Commission has devoted to trying
to supply the answers that people, I am sure, will be discussing for
generations to come. I know it has been a difficult, long, laborious
task for you, but I know that generations of the future Americans will
be grateful for your efforts.
Representative BOGGS. Governor, I would like to say that we have had
fine cooperation from all of your Texas officials, from the attorney
general of the State, and from his people and others who have worked
with the Commission.
Governor CONNALLY. Well, we are delighted, and I am very happy that the
attorney general is here with us today.
Senator COOPER. May I ask one question?
The CHAIRMAN. Yes, Senator Cooper.
Senator COOPER. Governor, at the time you all passed the Texas School
Book Depository, did you know that such a building was located there?
Were you familiar with the building at all?
Governor CONNALLY. Just vaguely, Senator.
Senator COOPER. But now when you heard the shot, you turned to your
right because you thought, as you said, that the shot came from that
direction. As you turned, was that in the direction of the Texas School
Book Depository?
Governor CONNALLY. Yes, sir; it was.