Anatomy of the Second Floor Lunchroom Encounter

[Ray Mitcham]

G'Day, Mr. Mitcham

Back later today sir with more revelations running counter to the phantom 2nd floor encounter with the wrongly accused, starring Mrs. Reid, etc. Meanwhile, to your knowledge--given your vast research experience and invaluable contributions on this five decades old murder mystery, Do you know where someone interested in the composition of the official parade procession participates that afternoon could find that information?

This may be of some use, Alan.
Motorcade vehicles and personnel[edit]

The following lists the order of the vehicles in the Nov. 22, 1963 Dallas Presidential motorcade, along with their occupants:[SUP][18][/SUP]

• The lead car, an unmarked white 4-door Ford Mercury sedan:
  • Dallas Police Chief Jesse Curry (driver)
    
  • SA (Advance Agent) Winston Lawson (right front)
    
  • Dallas County Sheriff Bill Decker (left rear)
    
  • SAIC Forrest Sorrels (right rear)
    
  
  
• Presidential limousine, a midnight blue 4-door 1961 Lincoln Continental Convertible (modified) (SS-100-X):
  • Driver Agent William Greer (driver)
    
  • ASAIC Roy Kellerman, in charge of the White House detail for the Texas trip (right front),
    
  • Nellie Connally (left middle)
    
  • Governor John Connally (right middle)
    
  • First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy (left rear)
    
  • President John F. Kennedy (right rear)
    
  
  
• Motorcycle escorts for the Presidential limousine
  • Dallas Police Officer Billy Joe Martin (left)
    
  • Dallas Police Officer Robert W. "Bobby" Hargis (left)
    
  • Dallas Police Officer James M. Chaney (right)
    
  • Dallas Police Officer Douglas L. Jackson (right)
    
  
  
• Presidential Secret Service follow-up car, a black 4-door 1956 Cadillac Touring convertible (SS-679-X) code-named "Halfback":[SUP][19][/SUP]
  • Driver Agent Sam Kinney (driver)
    
  • ATSAIC Emory Roberts (right front)
    
  • SA Clint Hill, in charge of the First Lady's security (left front running board)
    
  • SA William T. McIntyre (left rear running board)
    
  • SA Jack Ready (right front running board)
    
  • SA Paul Landis (right rear running board)
    
  • Presidential aide Kenneth O'Donnell (left middle)
    
  • Presidential aide David Powers (right middle)
    
  • Driver Agent George Hickey (left rear)
    
  • SA Glen Bennett (right rear)
    
  
  
• Vice Presidential car, a steel grey 4-door 1964 Lincoln convertible:
  • Texas State Policeman Hurchel Jacks (Driver)
    
  • ASAIC Rufus Youngblood (Front Passenger)
    
  • Senator Ralph Yarborough (Left rear)
    
  • Second Lady Lady Bird Johnson (Middle Rear)
    
  • Vice-President Lyndon B. Johnson (Right Rear)
    
  
  
• Vice Presidential Secret Service follow-up car, a yellow 4-door 1964 Ford Mercury sedan, model 54A Monterey with Breezeway design hardtop code-named "Varsity":
  • Texas State Policeman Joe Henry Rich (driver)
    
  • Vice Presidential aide Cliff Carter (front middle)
    
  • SA Jerry Kivett (right front),
    
  • SA Woody Taylor (left rear)
    
  • ATSAIC Lem Johns (right rear)
    
  
  
• Mayor's car, a white 2-door 1964 Ford Mercury Comet Caliente convertible, model 76B with red interior:
  • Texas State Policeman Milton T. Wright (driver)
    
  • Dallas Mayor, Earle Cabell (front right)
    
  • Mrs. Earle (Elizabeth "Dearie") Cabell (left rear)
    
  • Texas Congressman, Ray Roberts (right rear)
    
  
  
• National press pool car, a greyblue 2-door 1960 Chevrolet Bel Air sedan hardtop (on loan from Southwestern Bell telephone company):[SUP][20][/SUP]
  • Telephone company employee (driver)
    
  • Malcolm Kilduff, White House assistant press secretary (right front)
    • For this trip, Kilduff was substituting for Pierre Salinger, who was traveling to Japan with several cabinet officers, including Secretary of State Dean Rusk.[SUP][21][/SUP][SUP][22][/SUP][SUP][23][/SUP]
      
    
    
  • Merriman Smith, UPI (middle front)[SUP][20][/SUP]
    
  • Robert Baskin, The Dallas Morning News (left rear)
    
  • Jack Bell, AP (middle rear)[SUP][24][/SUP]
    
  • Bob Clark, ABC (right rear)
    
  
  
• Camera car #1, national motion picture cameras, a yellow 2-door 1964 Chevrolet Impala Super Sport (SS) convertible:
  • Texas State Policeman Harlan E. Veasey (driver)
    
  • John Hofan, NBC sound (middle front)
    
  • Dave Wiegman, Jr., NBC Black & White movie (right front)
    
  • Thomas J. Craven, CBS Black & White movie (left rear)
    
  • Cleveland Ryan, lighting technician (middle rear)
    
  • Thomas "Ollie" Atkins, U.S. Navy, White House color movie (right rear)
    
  
  
• Camera car #2, national still cameras, a silver 2-door 1964 Chevrolet Impala convertible:
  • Driver
    
  • Clint Grant, Dallas Morning News Black & White still (right front)
    
  • Frank Cancellare, UPI Black & White still (middle right)
    
  • Cecil Stoughton, White House Communications Agency, White House color still (left rear)
    
  • Arthur B. Rickerby, Life Black & White still (middle rear)
    
  • Henry Burroughs, AP Black & White still (right rear)
    
  
  
• Camera car #3, local cameras, a grey 2-door 1964 Chevrolet Impala convertible:
  • An employee of the Department of Public Safety (driver)
    
  • James H. Underwood, assistant news director for KRLD-TV and KRLD radio, (CBS) Black & White movie (middle front)
    
  • Thomas C. Dillard, The Dallas Morning News Black & White still (right front)
    
  • James Darnell, WBAP-TV Channel 8 (NBC) Black & White movie (left rear)
    
  • Malcolm O. Couch, WFAA-TV Channel 5 (ABC) Black & White movie (middle rear)
    
  • Bob Jackson, The Dallas Times Herald Black & White still (right rear)
    
  
  
• Congressman's car #1, a white 2-door 1964 Ford Mercury Comet Caliente convertible, model 76B with red top:
  • Driver
    
  • Congressman George H. Mahon, Lubbock, Texas (right front)
    
  • Congressman Walter E. Rogers, Pampa, Texas (left rear)
    
  • Congressman Homer Thornberry, Austin, Texas (middle rear)
    
  • Larry O'Brien, Special Assistant to the President (right rear)
    
  
  
• Congressman's car #2, a white 2-door Ford Mercury Comet Caliente, model 76D convertible:
  • Driver
    
  • Congressman Albert Thomas, Houston, Texas (middle front)
    
  • Congressman Jack Brooks, Beaumont, Texas (right front)
    
  • Congressman Lindley Beckworth, Gladewater, Texas (left rear)
    
  • Congressman Olin E. Teague, College Station, Texas (middle rear)
    
  • Congressman Jim Wright, Fort Worth, Texas (right rear)
    
  
  
• Congressman's car #3, a grey 1964 Lincoln sedan:
  • Driver
    
  • Congressman John Young, Corpus Christi, Texas (right front)
    
  • Congressman Henry B. Gonzalez, San Antonio, Texas, Black & White still camera (left rear)
    
  • State Senator William Neff Patman (middle rear)
    
  • Congressman Graham Purcell (right rear)
    
  
  
• VIP car, a 4-door 1964 Ford Colony Park Station Wagon, model 71D (9 passenger):
  • Maj. General Ted Clifton, U.S. Army, Presidential Military Aid (driver)
    
  • Maj. General Godfrey McHugh, USAF, Presidential Military Aid (right front)
    
  • Julian Reed, Gov. Connolly's Press Secretary (left rear)
    
  
  
• Two Continental Trailways press buses, a local press car (4-door Chevrolet hardtop), a Western Union car (black 1957 Ford hardtop), the White House Signal Corps car (a white 4-door 1964 Chevrolet Impala Sedan hardtop) (carrying Warrant Officer Ira Gearhart, who carried the President's Emergency Satchel, aka the "nuclear football"), the Official Party bus (Continental Trailways bus) (carrying Evelyn Lincoln, the President's Personal Secretary, and Rear Admiral George G. Burkley, MD, the President's Physician), several extra cars, and police escorts follow.
  
• Abbreviations used above include:
  • SA: Secret Service Special Agent
    
  • SAIC: Special Agent in Charge
    
  • ASAIC: Assistant Special Agent in Charge
    
  • ATSAIC: Assistant to the Special Agent in Charge
    
  • Driver Agent: Secret Service driver agents operated through their own command chain. Driver agents were typically recruited from the uniformed White House Police Force.[SUP][25][/SUP]
    

Presidential motorcade route
The route scheduled to be driven was as follows: left turn from the south end of Love Field to West Mockingbird Lane, right on Lemmon Ave., right at the "Y" on Turtle Creek Blvd, straight on Cedar Springs Rd, left on North Harwood St, right on Main St, right on Houston St, sharp left on Elm St, through Triple Underpass, right turn up ramp to North Stemmons Freeway, to Dallas Trade Mart at 2100 North Stemmons (This same exact route cannot be driven today; there is a "No right turn" sign on the corner of Main and Houston as well as highway progressions in other areas)