The testimony of Tom C. Dillard was taken at 9:15 a.m., on April 1,
1964, in the office of the U.S. attorney, 301 Post Office Building,
Bryan and Ervay Streets, Dallas, Tex., by Mr. Joseph A. Ball, assistant
counsel of the President's Commission.
Mr. BALL. State your name.
Mr. DILLARD. Tom C. Dillard.
Mr. BALL. Will you stand and raise your right hand, please?
Mr. DILLARD (Complying).
Mr. BALL. Do you solemnly swear the testimony given before this
Commission will be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the
truth, so help you God?
Mr. DILLARD. I do.
Mr. BALL. My name is Joseph A. Ball. I am staff counsel for the
President's Commission on the Assassination of President Kennedy. You
have already been requested to be present have you not----
Mr. DILLARD. By letter; yes.
Mr. BALL. By letter which you received last week?
Mr. DILLARD. Yes, sir.
Mr. BALL. What is your occupation?
Mr. DILLARD. I am a photographer.
Mr. BALL. I might state the purpose of questioning you is to ask you
questions as to any knowledge you might have as to the facts concerning
the assassination of President Kennedy on November 22, 1963, at Dallas,
Tex.
Mr. DILLARD. I understand. My occupation is journalist; I am chief
photographer of the Dallas Morning News, do some aviation writing but
my primary job is head of the photographic department and, of course, I
do outside work for the paper on photographic work.
Mr. BALL. How old are you?
Mr. DILLARD. I'm 49.
Mr. BALL. What has been your general education?
Mr. DILLARD. High school, very few college courses.
Mr. BALL. What?
Mr. DILLARD. High school and very few college courses.
Mr. BALL. Where did you go to school?
Mr. DILLARD. I didn't go to school. I graduated Fort Worth, from the
old Central High School, went to the Officer Candidate School in the
Military and Air University.
Mr. BALL. How long have you been with the paper?
Mr. DILLARD. The Dallas News since 1947 and I was with the Star
Telegram, went to work in 1929.
Mr. BALL. Have you been a photographer for the papers all these years?
Mr. DILLARD. Well, yes; of course, the first years, when I was started
at the age of 15, I was a copy boy and did various reporting and
whatever we could do on the paper. I was 15 when I started.
Mr. BALL. On November 22, you were in the motorcade who followed
President Kennedy, weren't you?
Mr. DILLARD. That is correct. I understand our car was about number six
in the line.
Mr. BALL. Did you meet the President at Love Field?
Mr. DILLARD. That's right.
Mr. BALL. And then you rode in the motorcade from Love Field into
Dallas?
Mr. DILLARD. Right.
Mr. BALL. Who was in your car?
Mr. DILLARD. I remember Jim Underwood, he's an announcer for KRLD-TV
and cameraman, acting as a cameraman that day; and Bob Jackson of the
Times-Herald, cameraman; and Couch with our TV station, Channel 8, and
did you have information his name is Couch?