Mr. YOUNGBLOOD. The preceding Tuesday before the 22d; yes, sir.
Mr. SPECTER. Now, outline in a general way Vice President Johnson's
activities on the morning of November 22d, before he arrived in Dallas,
if you would, please.
Mr. YOUNGBLOOD. Well, our day began at the hotel in Fort Worth, where
we had stayed overnight. And that morning we went down to a mezzanine
floor where we met with President Kennedy and a group of White House
people. We went across from this hotel to a parking lot across the
street, and they had a speaker stand there, and they addressed an
assembled gathering.
Then they returned to the hotel, and there was a breakfast meeting in
the hotel. They attended that. And, after that, we formed a motorcade
and went to the field nearby in Fort Worth and boarded Air Force 2, and
flew into Dallas.
Mr. SPECTER. Approximately what time did the Vice Presidential plane
arrive in Dallas?
Mr. YOUNGBLOOD. About 11:35.
Mr. SPECTER. Now, will you tell the Commission in general terms what
Vice President Johnson did upon arrival at the Love Field?
Mr. YOUNGBLOOD. All right, sir.
This plane, Air Force 2, had on board the Vice President and Mrs.
Johnson and other officials. And we disembarked from the plane and were
met by a welcoming committee composed of local dignitaries. And then we
moved from that area where we disembarked over to the area of the ramp,
which would be pushed out when Air Force 1, the President's plane,
arrived. And when his plane did arrive, which was just a few minutes
after ours, roughly 10 minutes, we went out to the foot of the ramp and
Vice President Johnson and Mrs. Johnson headed the reception committee
to greet the people who came off of Air Force 1.
Mr. SPECTER. Approximately how long did the activities in greeting the
crowd and the general reception last at Love Field on that morning?
Mr. YOUNGBLOOD. Do you mean from the time we arrived on Air Force 2
until we left?
Mr. SPECTER. Yes.
Mr. YOUNGBLOOD. I think it was about 15 minutes.
Mr. SPECTER. Now, in what position in the motorcade was Vice President
Johnson's automobile?
Mr. YOUNGBLOOD. We were following the Presidential followup car, and
the motorcade up to our point--there was a lead car, the President's
car, the Presidential followup car, and then our car.
Mr. SPECTER. Was there, to your knowledge, in advance of the lead car a
car known as the pilot car?
Mr. YOUNGBLOOD. Yes, sir; in all probability. This is a normal police
arrangement.
Mr. SPECTER. And would you identify the occupants of Vice President
Johnson's car, indicating the positions in the car of each individual?
Mr. YOUNGBLOOD. All right, sir. The driver of this car was Hurchel
Jacks, and he is with the State Highway Patrol. And behind him was
Senator Ralph Yarborough, from Texas. And in the middle back seat was
Mrs. Johnson. And on the right-hand side of the back seat, behind me,
was the Vice President. And I was in the front seat on the right-hand
side.
Mr. SPECTER. And what kind of an automobile was it?
Mr. YOUNGBLOOD. This was a Lincoln convertible, a four-door convertible.
Mr. SPECTER. Is this a specially constructed automobile, or was it
obtained locally for use during this trip?
Mr. YOUNGBLOOD. It was obtained locally for use during the trip.
Mr. SPECTER. And what car immediately followed the Vice President's
automobile?
Mr. YOUNGBLOOD. The Vice Presidential detail had a followup car which
followed our car.
Mr. SPECTER. What kind of an automobile was that?
Mr. YOUNGBLOOD. It was either a Lincoln or a Mercury, I don't know the
exact make. It was a Ford product, and it was a four-door car. But it
was closed.
Mr. SPECTER. Can you identify the occupants of that car, stating where
each sat?
Mr. YOUNGBLOOD. The front seat, the driver, I think his name is Rich.
He is always on the Texas Highway Patrol. In the front seat in the
middle is Cliff Carter. He is an assistant to the Vice President's
staff.
(At this point, Representative Boggs withdrew from the hearing room.)
Mr. YOUNGBLOOD. On the right-front side was Jerry Kivett. He is one
of the agents on the Vice Presidential detail. And in the back seat,
behind the driver, was Warren Taylor, and in the back seat on the other
side was my agent, Lem Johns.
Mr. SPECTER. Do you know how many cars there were in the balance of the
motorcade?
Mr. YOUNGBLOOD. No, sir; I don't.
Mr. SPECTER. What was the maximum speed at which the motorcade
proceeded from Love Field down to the downtown area of Dallas?
Mr. YOUNGBLOOD. I doubt if the motorcade ever exceeded 20 miles or 25
miles an hour, and most of the time it was going slower than that.
Mr. SPECTER. What was the minimum speed, would you estimate, during
that time?
Mr. YOUNGBLOOD. We actually came to stops during this time.
Mr. SPECTER. How many stops?
Mr. YOUNGBLOOD. More than one. Two or more.
Mr. SPECTER. What occurred during the course of those stops, or what
prompted them?
Mr. YOUNGBLOOD. Well, these stops were made by the Presidential car
to greet well-wishers, students on one particular occasion, and other
groups of well-wishers, that were assembled along the streets.
Mr. SPECTER. Did Vice President Johnson greet anyone at those stops?
Mr. YOUNGBLOOD. He did greet them, but he didn't leave the car, I
think. He remained in the car. I got out of the car and stood by the
side of it on more than one occasion. He waved at people, and some did
run over, and I think he did touch some. But he didn't leave the car.
Mr. SPECTER. How far behind the President's followup car did the Vice
President's followup car drive?
Mr. YOUNGBLOOD. The Vice President's followup car?
Mr. SPECTER. Pardon me--the Vice President's automobile.
Mr. YOUNGBLOOD. We usually stayed on motorcades like this about two or
three car lengths behind.
Mr. SPECTER. And did your distance on this occasion conform to your
customary practice of being that distance behind?
Mr. YOUNGBLOOD. Yes, sir.
Mr. SPECTER. And what is the reason, if any, for staying that distance
behind the President's followup car?
Mr. YOUNGBLOOD. Well, mainly so the crowd can see the Vice President,
and he can see them. If you are too close behind the Presidential
group, the crowd will be watching the President and will watch him
as he goes by, and then they will miss the next man. So it gives the
people a chance to recover and look back and see him, and they to see
each other.
Mr. SPECTER. I show you a photograph which has been marked as
Commission Exhibit No. 354, and ask you if you are able to identify
what that is a picture of.
Mr. YOUNGBLOOD. Yes, sir.
Mr. SPECTER. And what does that depict?
Mr. YOUNGBLOOD. Well, it is a picture showing the main street, Houston
Street and Elm Street, and the assassination occurred on Elm Street.
Mr. SPECTER. Are you familiar at this time with the identities of Main,
Houston, and Elm?
Mr. YOUNGBLOOD. Yes, sir; when I have a map such as this ahead of me.
Mr. SPECTER. All right. How far behind the President's automobile was
the Vice President's automobile in which you were riding when the Vice
President's automobile turned right off of Main Street onto Houston?
Mr. YOUNGBLOOD. You ask again how far were we behind the President's
car? Did you mean, sir, how far were we behind the Presidential
followup car?
Mr. SPECTER. No; I meant the President's car on that occasion.
Mr. YOUNGBLOOD. Well, we were a distance of about two car lengths
behind the followup car, and they were probably one car length behind
the Presidential car. But this would be a guess on my part.
Mr. SPECTER. What was the situation with respect to the crowd which was
lined up on Houston and Elm as you approached that intersection?
Mr. YOUNGBLOOD. On Houston Street, on the side where the tall building
is, the crowd was still somewhat continuous. On the side which is the
park side, the crowd was smaller. They did have some people there, but
it wasn't continuous in the same way it was on the building side.
Mr. SPECTER. What is your best estimate of the speed of the Vice
President's car as you proceeded down Houston Street toward Elm Street?
Mr. YOUNGBLOOD. Well, our speed, of course, was governed by the
vehicles in front of us, but I would say we had just made one turn, and
it was only a block there before we would make another turn. It was
approximately 10 miles an hour, between 10 and 15.
Mr. SPECTER. I show you a photograph which has been marked as
Commission Exhibit No. 348, and I ask you if you are now able to
identify what that building is?
Mr. YOUNGBLOOD. Yes, sir; I am now able to identify it.
Mr. SPECTER. What is that building, sir?
Mr. YOUNGBLOOD. That is the School Book Depository Building.
Mr. SPECTER. Where, as best you can recollect, was the Vice President's
car at the time the first shots were heard? And would you take
Commission Exhibit No. 354 and take the red pencil and mark as closely
as you can the exact position on Commission Exhibit 354 of the Vice
President's car with the capital letter "A" there?
Mr. YOUNGBLOOD. At the time of the first shot, did you say?
Mr. SPECTER. Yes, sir.
Mr. YOUNGBLOOD. It will be in this area here, I should think.
Mr. SPECTER. I want the Vice President's car at this time.
Mr. YOUNGBLOOD. Well, this is what I am attempting to locate. It would
be in the vicinity of this "X" right here, I do believe.