The testimony of Dr. Kenneth Everett Salyer was taken at 6:15 p.m., on
March 25, 1964, at Parkland Memorial Hospital, Dallas, Tex., by Mr.
Arlen Specter, assistant counsel of the President's Commission.
Mr. SPECTER. May the record show that Dr. Kenneth Salyer is present
in response to an inquiry that he appear to have his deposition taken
in connection with the inquiries being conducted by the President's
Commission on the Assassination of President Kennedy, which is looking
into all facts of the shooting, including the wounds of the President
and the care he received at Parkland Hospital.
With that preliminary statement of purpose, Dr. Salyer, will you stand
up and raise your right hand?
Do you solemnly swear that the testimony you will give before the
President's Commission in the course of this deposition will be the
truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God?
Dr. SALYER. I do.
Mr. SPECTER. Have you had an opportunity to examine the document or the
Executive order creating the President's Commission and Rules for the
taking of testimony?
Dr. SALYER. Yes; I have.
Mr. SPECTER. And are you willing to have your deposition taken today
without having the formal three days of written notice, which you have
a right to, if you wish?
Dr. SALYER. Yes.
Mr. SPECTER. You are willing to waive that right, is that right?
Dr. SALYER. Yes.
Mr. SPECTER. Would you state your full name for the record, please?
Dr. SALYER. Kenneth Everett Salyer.
Mr. SPECTER. What is your profession?
Dr. SALYER. Physician.
Mr. SPECTER. Are you duly licensed to practice medicine by the State of
Texas?
Dr. SALYER. Yes; I am.
Mr. SPECTER. And would you outline briefly your educational background,
please?
Dr. SALYER. A B.S. degree at the University of Kansas, an M.D. degree
at the University of Kansas, and internship at Parkland, and now a
first year resident in surgery at Parkland Hospital.
Mr. SPECTER. In what year did you graduate from the University of
Kansas Medical School?
Dr. SALYER. 1962.
Mr. SPECTER. And how old are you, Dr. Salyer?
Dr. SALYER. I am 27.
Mr. SPECTER. Will you relate briefly the circumstances surrounding your
being called in to assist in the treatment of President Kennedy?
Dr. SALYER. Well, for the month of November, as part of our rotation
on surgery, I spent that month on neurosurgery, and being on call that
day for any emergencies which come in to our emergency room related to
neurosurgical problems, we would be called down to the emergency room
to see these, and I was upstairs viewing a movie when I heard that
the President had arrived and so I thought I should go down to the
emergency room and see what the situation was.
Mr. SPECTER. And, upon your arrival at the emergency room, who was
present?
Dr. SALYER. Oh, I don't recall--I know that there were a room full of
doctors--I could list specific ones that I remember if you would like.
Mr. SPECTER. Would you please?
Dr. SALYER. I don't really think I could give you every one, but I
remember Dr. Jenkins and Dr. Perry and Dr. Baxter, and also Dr. Bob
McClelland and Dr. Carrico and Dr. Crenshaw, and I think a Dr. Gene
Akin was there also--at that time, when I first came in.
Mr. SPECTER. Can you think of any others?
Dr. SALYER. No; I don't recall any others--there could have been some,
there were a lot of people sort of moving in and out. There certainly
were a lot of nurses in there at that time.
Mr. SPECTER. Can you identify any of the nurses who were there?
Dr. SALYER. No; I can't.
Mr. SPECTER. What was the President's condition at the time you arrived?
Dr. SALYER. It was critical.
Mr. SPECTER. What did you observe about him with respect to any wounds
he may have sustained?
Dr. SALYER. Well, I observed that he did have some sucking wound of
some type on his neck, and that he also had a wound of his right
temporal region--these were the two main wounds.
Mr. SPECTER. Did you have an opportunity to observe his throat?
Dr. SALYER. No; I really did not. I think there were a lot of people--a
lot of doctors more closely around him. I might mention also, I think
just right after I came in the room Dr. Clark and Dr. Grossman also
arrived.
Mr. SPECTER. Doctor who?
Dr. SALYER. Dr. Grossman, just briefly. He's a neurosurgeon also.
Mr. SPECTER. What is his name?
Dr. SALYER. Dr. Grossman--Bob Grossman. He was just there, I think,
briefly.
Mr. SPECTER. How long was he there?
Dr. SALYER. I couldn't say--I'm not sure he came in the room. I know
they were together--I cannot say that for sure.
Mr. SPECTER. To what extent did Dr. Crenshaw participate?
Dr. SALYER. Dr. Crenshaw participated about the extent that I did. We
were occupied in making sure an I.V. was going and hanging up a bottle
of blood.
Mr. SPECTER. Is the--is Dr. Crenshaw a resident?
Dr. SALYER. Yes, he is third-year resident. That's the reason I
remember him specifically because we were sort of working there
together on that.
Mr. SPECTER. I had asked you a moment ago whether you had an
opportunity to observe the condition of the President's throat.
Dr. SALYER. Right.
Mr. SPECTER. What was your answer to that question?
Dr. SALYER. The answer was--there were a lot of doctors standing
around, and I didn't really get to observe the nature of the wound in
the throat.
Mr. SPECTER. At approximately what time did you arrive at the emergency
room where the President was situated?
Dr. SALYER. I really don't know.
Mr. SPECTER. What was done for the President by way of treatment that
you observed?
Dr. SALYER. Well, an adequate airway eventually, of course, some
external cardiac massage--he had I.V.'s--intravenous fluids going in a
number of sites, and all of the acute measures we administered him.
Mr. SPECTER. I didn't hear you at the end of your answer.
Dr. SALYER. I said--all of the many other measures that we
administered--I don't recall specifically some of the other details as
far as medications and so forth.
Mr. SPECTER. What did you observe with respect to the head wound?
Dr. SALYER. I came in on the left side of him and noticed that his
major wound seemed to be in his right temporal area, at least from the
point of view that I could see him, and other than that--nothing other
than he did have a gaping scalp wound--cranial wound.
Mr. SPECTER. Has anyone from the Federal Government talked to you about
your observations of this matter?
Dr. SALYER. No one has.
Mr. SPECTER. Do you have anything to add which you think may be of aid
to the President's Commission in its inquiry?
Dr. SALYER. No, I believe not.
Dr. SPECTER. Thank you very much, Dr. Salyer.
Dr. SALYER. Thank you.