Activities of SA George W. Hickey, Jr. from the time he arrived at Love Airfield, Dallas, Texas, Thursday, November 21, 1963, to the time he departed from the above Love Airfield, Friday, November 22, 1963

Thursday, November 21, 1963 I arrived at Love Airfield, Dallas, Texas at 6:05 pm via USAF C 130 plane #12373. USAF flight order number 597, dated November 15, 1963 giving the names and rank of the crew of the above plane is attached to this report and initialed by me this date. SA Samuel Kinney was the senior agent aboard this plane which was being used in Presidential support to transport Secret Service Cars 100X and 679X. We were met at the airport by SAIC Forest V. Sorrels of the Dallas Field office and SA Winston G. Lawson, the advance agent for the White House Secret Service Detail. SA Kinney unloaded 679X and I unloaded 100X from the plane. The drivers of the above cars accompanied by agents Sorrels and Lawson then drove to the garage beneath the airport's main terminal building where security was placed on the cars by the Dallas Police Department as arranged by SAIC Sorrels.

Agents Kinney, Hickey, Lawson and Sorrels then drove in a Dallas field office car to the Sheraton Hotel in Dallas where reservations had been made for us. Agent Kinney and I then went to our room to wash and change clothes before dinner.

We met with Agent Lawson, Warrant Officer Arthur Bales of the White House Signal Agency and Jack Puterbaugh, a Democratic National Committee man for that area at about 8:30 pm at the hotel, and drove to the Dallas Trade Mart where the President was to speak the next day. The premises were checked by Agent Lawson for final security details. At about 9: 15 pm we departed and went to dinner. Finished about 11 :00 pm and proceeded back to the Sheraton Hotel where we parted company and went to our respective rooms.

Friday, November 22, 1963. Awoke about 7:00 am, washed, packed suitcase, checked out of hotel and had breakfast. About 8:30 am Agent Sorrels met Agent Kinney and me outside the hotel and drove to the airport arriving about 9:00 am We went directly to the garage and relieved the police of the security of the cars. Washed and cleaned both cars and checked outside, inside and underneath for security violations--none found. We drove the cars to the area where the President was to be met about 11 :00 am Cars were kept under close observation until the arrival of the President, when Agent William Greer of the White House Detail took over control of IWX and Agent Kinney 679X.

The President and his party then proceeded up to the fence holding the crowd back and greeted and shook hands with them. I assisted Agents on the detail to make a path for them and helped Agent Greer keep the cars abreast of the President as he moved along the length of the fence.

After the President and his party entered and were seated in 100X I entered 679X as I had been instructed to do by Agent Lawson. I was seated in the rear left side seat. The shift leader, Emory Roberts, had instructed me to take control of the AR-I5 rifle whenever I was riding in 679X as an extra man. I did this and had the ammunition clip inserted in the rifle and placed the rifle within easy reach of me.

The motorcade then left the airport and proceeded along the parade route. Just prior to the shooting the Presidential car turned left at the intersection and started down an incline toward an underpass followed by 679X. After a very short distance I heard a loud report which sounded like a firecracker. It appeared to come from the right and rear and seemed to me to be at ground level. I stood up and looked to my right and rear in an attempt to identify it. Nothing caught my attention except people shouting and cheering. A disturbance in 679X caused me to look forward toward the President's car. Perhaps 2 or 3 seconds elapsed from the time I looked to the rear and then looked at the President. He was slumped forward and to his left, and was straightening up to an almost erect sitting position as I turned and looked. At the moment he was almost sitting erect I heard two reports which I thought were shots and that appeared to me completely different in sound than the first report and were in such rapid succession that there seemed to be practically no time element between them. It looked to me as if the President was struck in the right upper rear of his head. The first shot of the second two seemed as if it missed because the hair on the right side of his head flew forward and there didn't seem to be any impact against his head. The last shot seemed to hit his head and cause a noise at the point of impact which made him fall forward and to his left again. Possibly four or five seconds elapsed from the time of the first report and the last.

At the end of the last report I reached to the bottom of the car and picked up the AR 15 rifle, cocked and loaded it, and turned to the rear. At this point the cars were passing under the over-pass and as a result we had left the scene of the shooting. I kept the AR 15 rifle ready as we proceeded at a high rate of speed to the hospital.

Agent Clint Hill was riding across the rear and the top of 100X in a horizontal position. He looked into the rear of 100X and turned toward 679X and shook his head several times. I received the impression that the President at the least was very seriously injured. A few moments later shift leader Emory Roberts turned to the rest of us in the car and said words to the effect that when we arrive at the hospital some of us would have to give additional protection to the Vice President and take him to a place of safety. He assigned two of the agents in the car to this duty. I was told to have the AR 15 ready for use if needed.

When we arrived at the hospital the President and Governor Connally were taken inside and about the same time the Vice President had arrived. I requested him to come into the hospital to a place of safety and he was surrounded by his detail and the other assigned agents, and myself and led into the hospital. When he entered I returned the gun to 679X as ordered by Agent Roberts.

By this time a great number of police had arrived with newsmen and others in the motorcade, and Agent Kinney and I stood by the cars. Agent Kinney requested that I go and see if I could find out what was to be done with the cars. As I was on my way into the hospital to do this, Mr. Kenneth O'Donnell asked me to take him to where the President was as he could not get by the police. I did this and he joined Mrs. Kennedy and Mr. Dave Powers outside the President's operating room.

Agent John D. Ready was stationed outside this room and he requested that I take his place for a few moments and to allow no unauthorized persons to enter or linger outside the door and to care for Mrs. Kennedy if necessary. I did this until Agent Ready returned and relieved me.

As I was leaving to go back to the area where Agent Roberts was, Mr. Dave Powers asked me to get a priest which I did. Agent Roberts informed me to wait until later when a decision might be made about the cars. Upon returning to the vehicles, I assisted Agent Kinney to put the tops on the cars.

A short time later Agent Roy Kellerman told Agent Kinney and me to take the cars to the plane and stand by for orders. Agent Kinney drove 679X and I drove 100X to the plane and loaded them and secured the plane, allowing no one to enter except the regular crew.

After Air force #1 left, we received orders to depart for Washington DC and return the cars to the garage and preserve any evidence that might be in them. Departed Love Airfield, Dallas, Texas via USAF plane #12373 at 3:35 pm.

The above report has been initialed by the below signed on each of its four pages, including the attached flight sheet.

/s/ George W. Hickey, Jr., Special Agent, USSS

Just prior to the shooting I was seated in the rear of SS-679-X on the left side. As 100-X made the turn and proceeded a short distance I heard what seemed to me that a firecracker exploded to the right and rear. I stood partially up and turned to the rear to see if I could observe anything. Nothing was observed and I turned around and looked at the President's car. The President was slumped to the left in the car and I observed him come up. I heard what appeared to be two shots and it seemed as if the right side of his head was hit and his hair flew forward. I then reached down, picked up the AR 15, cocked and loaded it and stood part way up in the car and looked about. By this time, 1OO-X and 679-X had passed under the overpass and was proceeding at a high rate of speed towards the hospital.

Clint Hill who was lieing on the trunk of the President's car looked into the car and then looked back at us and shook his head. Emory Roberts then turned around and said to words of this effect that we had to take care of the Vice President. He assigned two agents to go to him the minute we arrived at the hospital. He told me to stand by with the AR 15 in case there was any danger to the Vice President when we arrived at the hospital.

I did this, and after the Vice President was escorted into the hospital, I returned the gun to the car. Kenneth O'Donnell asked me to take him into the hospital. He couldn't get by the local police. I took him into the area where the President was and assisted the agent outside the door to keep the people away who didn't belong there. I was then relieved and went back to the cars where I assisted Agent Kinney to put the plastic top on 100-X. We were then told by Roy Kellerman to take the cars to the plane and stand by. I drove 100-X to the plane, loaded it in company with Agent Kinney. We stood by until the plane took off.

/s/ George W. Hickey Special Agent

UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT