Hersey’s narrative devoted remarkably couple words on the PT-109 collision itself—a minimum of partially as the writer was fascinated by what Kennedy and his Adult men did to survive.
Jim Wright: As we turned, heading west…we looked and noticed pandemonium inside the automobiles and Jacqueline Kennedy on her knees from the again seat, looking out guiding, and we couldn’t picture what was happening.
” And he nodded his head….By this time the stretcher is there. I get inside of on one aspect of him, and Agent Hill on the opposite. Someone is Keeping his feet, and we clear away the governor and set him over the stretcher and so they get him in. We then get in and assistance Mrs. Connally out. Our next shift is for getting Mrs. Kennedy off in the seat, which was a little bit hard, but she was eradicated. Then Mr. Hill eradicated his coat and laid it more than the president’s face and shoulder.
Kennedy expended A lot of August in sickbay. Cluster made available to send out the younger lieutenant residence, but he refused. He also place a end to his father’s initiatives to provide him home.
What transpired?” It seemed that they had heard a shot Nevertheless they didn’t know what precisely experienced happened as the car sped away, And that i held on just yelling: “They killed him! They killed him!” And eventually I bought to my Business and my secretary—I explained to her to get in touch with the police or The key Services…I just went to my desk and stopped there till the police arrived, and after that we were needed to have a location to establish the films. I understood I had something, I figured it would be of some assistance—I didn’t really know what.
Brantingham fired his torpedoes but missed. At some time, one of his torpedo tubes caught fire, illuminating his boat being a focus on. Liebenow fired twice and in addition skipped. With that, the two American boats built a hasty retreat.
I was startled through the sharp report or explosion, but I had no time to take a position concerning its origin since Agent Youngblood turned inside of a flash, quickly after the primary explosion, hitting me over the shoulder, and shouted to all of us in the back again seat to acquire down.
Kennedy, a turning point in American historical past and the subject of persistent conspiracy theories, Regardless of the official governing administration conclusion that Lee Harvey Oswald, performing by yourself, shot him to Loss of life.
Supporters of The brand new president liked his Power and perception of hope. In his most famed line, Kennedy stated, “Ask not what your place can do for yourself – inquire what you can do for your personal state.”
Agent Hill: I assisted Mrs. Kennedy as well as legal professional standard, who experienced joined her at that time, into your ambulance bearing the president’s body….I entered the auto quickly guiding the ambulance….
“I'd agree along with you that it was Fortunate The complete thing transpired if The 2 fellows had not been killed.” That, he reported, “alternatively spoils The entire thing for me.”
I didn’t Feel almost nothing about this; you are aware of, the law enforcement are nice and friendly. In a couple of minutes…this guy place his arms up, leaned around, and he drew back, and he stepped back again about two steps.
Jacqueline Kennedy: I used to be looking…for the still left, and I listened to these awful noises. And my husband under no circumstances created any sound. So I turned to the right. And all I keep in mind is seeing my husband, he had this kind of quizzical glimpse on his confront, and his hand was up, click here it ought to are his left hand. And just as I turned and checked out him, I could see a piece of his cranium and I bear in mind it had been flesh coloured.
Whenever we received into the Dallas Law enforcement Station, this tale grew to become even stranger. I had been carrying my snap-brim hat like I always wore…I took her in and I advised the very first uniformed cop, “I’m the one that introduced Oswald’s mother more than here, where by can we set her so these reporters gained’t be talking to her?” He observed a spot for us, and so I put her in there and went in there along with her. By that point, we [Star-Telegram] experienced 17 reporters within the scene. Well, given that the evening wore on, they introduced Oswald’s spouse in And at last, Mrs. Oswald, the mother, asked Captain Fritz…if he could prepare for her to find out her son, and he reported he’d see what he could do. And another issue I'm sure, they’re ushering her and his wife and me into this holding place next to the jail, and I’m just kind of sitting there thinking, “When is this intending to finish?