The testimony of Thomas Donald McMillon was taken at 10:30 a.m., on
March 25, 1964, in the office of the U.S. attorney, 301 Post Office
Building, Bryan and Ervay Streets, Dallas, Tex., by Mr. Burt W.
Griffin, assistant counsel of the President’s Commission.
Mr. GRIFFIN. How are you? Sit down over here, Tom. I want to explain
to you what we are doing here. Like I said, my name is Burt Griffin
and I am a member of the advisory staff to the General Counsel of the
President’s Commission investigating the assassination of President
Kennedy. This Commission has been set up by virtue of an order of
President Johnson, Executive Order 11130, dated November 29, 1963,
and also under Joint Resolution of Congress 137. Pursuant to these
documents, there have been a series of rules of procedure enacted, and
pursuant to those rules of procedure, I have been authorized to take a
sworn deposition from Officer McMillon here. I want to say initially
that the general nature of the Commission’s inquiry is to ascertain,
evaluate, report upon the facts that relate to the assassination of
President Kennedy, also, of course, the subsequent death of Lee Harvey
Oswald. As far as you are concerned, Mr. McMillon, we are primarily
concerned here with the death of Oswald; although, if there is any
other information that you have that you think would be pertinent
to this inquiry, we would certainly appreciate your coming forward
with it. Now, we have asked you to come here today through a general
request, which was made by the General Counsel of the President’s
Commission, addressed in a letter to Chief Curry. Actually, under the
rules adopted by the Commission, you are entitled to have a 3-day
written notice of any appearance for this purpose, and, however, there
is also a provision that you may waive this written notice if you want
to, and I ask you right now if you would prefer to have us give you a
written notice.
Mr. McMILLON. No.
Mr. GRIFFIN. Or do you want to waive it?
Mr. McMILLON. No; I will waive that. It is okay.
Mr. GRIFFIN. Now, you are also permitted to be represented by counsel
here, and I assume, since you haven’t come with an attorney, that it is
your desire not to have one, but if you do desire one, tell me at this
point. Tell me.
Mr. McMILLON. I don’t feel like I need an attorney here present now,
but I want to reserve the right to have counsel if I feel like I need
it.
Mr. GRIFFIN. Certainly you have that right at that time, and I mean
to cover that. I also mean to tell you that this is not--we are not
involved in a trial, we have no authority to prosecute anybody for
any crime. All of that is to be handled by the State of Texas. The
only crime that can be committed in connection with this investigation
is perjury, and it is very, very important that we find out all of
the facts that surround this and find them out truthfully. This
investigation is more important, I think, than anybody can really
realize to the national security, and if there is any way that I can
impress upon you the importance of this, that our interest is getting
the truth for this purpose and our interest is not in going out and
trying to put anybody in jail or anything like that.
Mr. McMILLON. All right.
Mr. GRIFFIN. If you are willing to be sworn to testify, I would
appreciate your raising your right hand.
Mr. McMILLON. Right.
Mr. GRIFFIN. Do you solemnly swear that the testimony you are about to
give is the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?
Mr. McMILLON. I do.
Mr. GRIFFIN. Will you give us your full name?
Mr. McMILLON. Thomas Donald McMillon. It is [spelling] M-c-M-i-l-l-o-n.
Mr. GRIFFIN. When were you born?
Mr. McMILLON. One April 1935.
Mr. GRIFFIN. Where do you live now?
Mr. McMILLON. 4929 Reiger Street, Apartment 109.
Mr. GRIFFIN. Is that Dallas?
Mr. McMILLON. Dallas, Tex.
Mr. GRIFFIN. All right. What is your occupation?
Mr. McMILLON. I am a police officer for the city of Dallas, Tex.
Mr. GRIFFIN. Are you in any particular division?
Mr. McMILLON. Yes; I am a detective assigned to the auto theft
investigation bureau.
Mr. GRIFFIN. And do you have any particular rank?
Mr. McMILLON. Detective.
Mr. GRIFFIN. How long have you been in the auto theft bureau?
Mr. McMILLON. Nearly 11 months.
Mr. GRIFFIN. Have you been in any other bureaus?
Mr. McMILLON. Patrol division prior to that.
Mr. GRIFFIN. And when you were in the patrol division, whom did you
work under?
Mr. McMILLON. My last captain of patrol was Capt. C. E. Talbert, I
believe it is, Talbert.
Mr. GRIFFIN. Talbert. And, at that time, whose direct supervision were
you under?
Mr. McMILLON. My last sergeant was Sgt. H. A. Amos.
Mr. GRIFFIN. Did you ever work under Sergeant Dean?
Mr. McMILLON. Yes, sir.
Mr. GRIFFIN. When did you work under Sergeant Dean?
Mr. McMILLON. The exact dates, I don’t recall, but I did work the
downtown area while he was the supervisor in that area, in that zone.
Mr. GRIFFIN. I see. And in connection with that employment, did you
become acquainted with Jack Ruby?
Mr. McMILLON. I have seen Jack in the downtown area. I believe that I
have probably answered calls to this Carousel Club down here. I knew
him prior to that, not personally, but I had answered calls at the
Vegas Club when he ran that.
Mr. GRIFFIN. I see. Do you recall when it was that you worked out at
the Vegas Club area?
Mr. McMILLON. Some in 1957 and probably 1958. I am not exactly sure on
those dates, but it should have been in that time.
Mr. GRIFFIN. Did you know Eva Grant when you were out there in the
Vegas Club area?
Mr. McMILLON. I have seen her. I don’t know her personally. I believe I
have seen her in the Vegas Club.
Mr. GRIFFIN. How about Pauline Hall?
Mr. McMILLON. No. I don’t know Pauline Hall.
Mr. GRIFFIN. Now, when you worked the downtown area, did you know
George Senator?
Mr. McMILLON. I don’t know George Senator.
Mr. GRIFFIN. Well, did you know the bartender at the Carousel Club?
Mr. McMILLON. No.
Mr. GRIFFIN. When was the last time that you worked the downtown area?
Mr. McMILLON. Most all of my time in patrol was spent, or the majority
of it, was spent in the downtown area. I believe about 8 or 9 or maybe
10 months before I was promoted to a detective, I worked an area of the
downtown--one of the downtown districts. I believe in August of 1962,
the first of August 1962, I went to what we refer to kindly of a South
Dallas beat. Actually, it is on the edge of downtown.
Mr. GRIFFIN. Uh-huh.
Mr. McMILLON. And most of my time spent on patrol was downtown or in
the downtown area or near by.
Mr. GRIFFIN. Were you on duty Friday, November 22?
Mr. McMILLON. No, sir.
Mr. GRIFFIN. Where were you at the time you learned that President
Kennedy had been shot?
Mr. McMILLON. Home, in bed, asleep.
Mr. GRIFFIN. Well, you weren’t sleeping. Did somebody wake you up to
tell you that the President had been shot? Did somebody wake you up?
Mr. McMILLON. Yes. Phone call.
Mr. GRIFFIN. Who called you?
Mr. McMILLON. A friend of mine did.
Mr. GRIFFIN. What did you do?
Mr. McMILLON. He came to my house.
Mr. GRIFFIN. Who was that?
Mr. McMILLON. Mickey Fuller.
Mr. GRIFFIN. Did you stay home all day Friday?
Mr. McMILLON. Except probably maybe to go out to eat. I was there most
of the day.
Mr. GRIFFIN. Are you married?
Mr. McMILLON. No.
Mr. GRIFFIN. Did you report--did you report for work on Friday?
Mr. McMILLON. No, no.
Mr. GRIFFIN. Was that your regular day off?
Mr. McMILLON. Yes.
Mr. GRIFFIN. How about Saturday?
Mr. McMILLON. I reported at 7 a.m. Saturday.
Mr. GRIFFIN. Did you go down to the police department at any time on
Friday?
Mr. McMILLON. No.
Mr. GRIFFIN. Do you recall, did you visit the scene, did you visit the
School Book Depository or any particular places on the 22d, other than
your home, that you can recall?