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Route of the Dallas Motorcade


John Simkin

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I would like to start with a quote from JFK's secretary, Evelyn Lincoln's book, Kennedy & Johnson (1968). Lincoln says that JFK was very reluctant to go on the trip to Texas: “Advance reports from our own staff and from many other people gave us cause to worry about the tense climate in Texas – and, most especially, in Dallas. Dallas was removed and then put back on the planned itinerary several times. Our own advance man urged that the motorcade not take the route through the underpass and past the Book Depository, but he was overruled.”

Lincoln comments on a meeting that took place between JFK and Connally only three days before Bobby Baker resigned. The meeting was about Baker and the proposed trip to Texas. After Connally left JFK told Lincoln: “He sure seemed anxious for me to go to Texas”.

I have been able to find out more about this incident. Kennedy’s advance man was Jerry Bruno. He actually wrote about this in a book called The Advance Man (1972). In October, 1963, Bruno went to Dallas to inspect the route. He met with Ralph Yarborough who warned that Johnson and Connally might be involved in some conspiracy against Kennedy. He told Bruno that they would be “after Kennedy in a minute if they thought they could get away with it.”

After inspecting the route Bruno became convinced that it posed several dangers. He met with Connally and demanded that motorcade route should be changed. Connally refused and the discussion became heated. With this, Connally got on the phone to the White House. From what he heard Connally say, it appeared that the White House gave its backing to the proposed route. Bruno accepted the decision but after the assassination the White House Staff denied the Connally telephone call took place.

I have read many accounts of how LBJ might have been behind or at least had advance knowledge of the whole deal, but I've noticed that anyone seems to have drawn any connection between the story that LBJ wanted Connally - his political protege - to ride with him in the VP car, and for Ralph Yarborough to ride with JFK. The story goes that the two of them - JFK and LBJ - got into a heated argument about this (in Fort Worth?), and that JFK prevailed.

IF LBJ knew about what was going to happen (I've always thought that photo of him standing behind JFK in Fort Worth spoke volumes!), it not only makes sense in light of the above that LBJ would want his buddy away from the gunfire - with Yarborough as acceptable possible "collateral damage" as Connally turned out to be - and it sure sheds a different light on Connally's comment in the car, "My God, they're going to shoot us all [and not just Kennedy]!"

Just some random thoughts ....

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... Mr. STERN. What next occurred on the 22d, Mr. Hosty?

Mr. HOSTY. All right. After the conference that lasted until about 9 a.m, I then left the office and joined an Army Intelligence agent, and an agent of the Alcohol Tax Unit of the Treasury Department. We had a conference concerning a case not related to Lee Oswald. ...

This probably was Frank Ellsworth of the ATF - I don't recall the Intel guy's name - conferring on the Terrell Armory/Fort Hood arms thefts. At least, that's what Ellsworth once had to say. Whether it was related or unrelated to LHO in any way is a matter of debate.
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