R.I.P. Secret Service Agent John "Jack" Ready

[Vince Palamara]

Another follow-up car agent has passed. Now only Winston Lawson (lead car), Paul Landis, Tim McIntyre, Clint Hill, Lem Johns, and Warren Taylor are left from the motorcade (agents)

Secret Service Agent John D. "Jack" Ready passed away Monday 2/24/14. Ready rode on the follow-up car on 11/22/63 and was one of the 9 agents who drank the night before. Ready went on to guard the Watergate tapes and Henry Kissinger (I kid you not)- from my blog: (born 8/12/27; assigned to Secret Service Spring 1961: assigned to WHD, with temporary assignments at Hyannis port and P...alm Beach; WHD: 1961-1968; 1968-1978: San Diego office, V.P. Agnew Detail, Dr. Kissinger Detail, Watergate & White House tapes; 1978, ASAIC, Nixon Protective Division) interviewed by HSCA [3/1/78]; contacted by author of “Mortal Error” 1992: refused to discuss matter; p. 226 of Darwin Horn’s book). I spoke to Ready in June 2005- see my book. From what I gathered, he was guilt ridden and greatly disturbed by the movie "In The Line of Fire", wherein the Altgens photo depicting Ready was superimposed with a photo of actor Clint Eastwood. The backdrop of this movie- Eastwood's (Horrigan's) guilt over 11/22/63- bothered Ready to no end. He was one of a few agents who did NOT participate in Blaine's propaganda.

Jack entered on duty with the U. S. Secret Service at the Richmond, VA Field Office on October 31, 1960. He was reassigned to the White House Detail on May 7, 1961 where he served in a variety of positions until transfer to the Vice Presidential Protective Division on January 21, 1969. After promotion to ATSAIC on the VPPD, he was reassigned to the Protective Support Division where helped plan and execute the classified trips of Dr. Henry Kissinger to the People’s Republic of China resulting in the establishment of relations with the United States in 1972. Jack was later reassigned to Liaison Division as the ASAIC in 1975, the Nixon Protective Division in 1977, the Office of Protective Operations in 1979 and Forgery Division in 1980 where he retired on October 31, 1981.

Prior to his career in the Secret Service, Jack served in the U. S. Navy at the end of World War II and also saw service on board the USS Macon during the Korean War. He was employed by the U. S. Post Office while completing his Bachelor Degree.

Jack was preceded in death by his wife, Paula last April 2013 and is survived by his daughter, Jane Louise Ready.