Joe Bauer Posted September 29, 2023 Share Posted September 29, 2023 SECRET SERVICE CODE NAMES IN THE KENNEDY WHITE HOUSE These days, Secret Service communications are securely encrypted using state-of-the-art technology. But back before transparent encryption of day-to-day electronic communications was a practical reality, a layer of obfuscation was added by assigning code names to the first family, staffers, and locations. Assigned by the White House Communications Agency, these code names also provided a quick and efficient verbal short-hand. JFK’s Secret Service code name was LANCER. In general, subsets begin with a particular letter. L was for the Kennedy family, C for places and logistics, W for White House staff, D for Secret Service Agents, A for Air Force, V for the Vice President, and so on. Secret Service code names don’t usually turn up on the Kennedy tapes, but you can hear them being used in the very earliest Johnson tapes that captured communications from Air Force One as the newly sworn-in President Johnson flew back from Dallas to Washington DC on November 22, 1963. THE PRESIDENT AND HIS FAMILY LANCER President John F. Kennedy LACE Jackie Kennedy (First Lady) LYRIC Caroline Kennedy LARK John F. Kennedy Jr. THE VICE PRESIDENT AND HIS FAMILY VOLUNTEER Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson VICTORIA Lady Bird Johnson VELVET Lynda Bird Johnson VENUS Lucy Baines Johnson ADVISERS, AIDES, AND ADMINISTRATION OFFICIALS FREEDOM Dean Rusk, the Secretary of State WAND Kenny O’Donnell WILLOW Evelyn Lincoln, the President’s Personal Secretary WAYSIDE Pierre Salinger, the White House Press Secretary MARKET Dr. George Burkley, the President’s Personal Physician WATCHMAN General Chester Clifton, the President’s Military Aide SILVER Mr. Hays (Military Aides Office) WARRIOR Malcolm Kilduff WING General Godfrey McHugh, the President’s Air Force Aide WITNESS Captain Tazewell Shepard, the President’s Naval Aide TIGER Colonel James Swindal, the President’s Pilot TULIP MBGT Magan (Corky), the Presidential Pilot OFC VIGILANT Walter Jenkins TOURIST Major Brown (Military Aides Office) PLACES CASTLE The White House (Mansion plus East and West Wing) CROWN White House (Executive Mansion) CENTRAL The Old Executive Office Building CHARCOAL / BASE President’s Temporary Residence CABIN Kennedy Compound at Hyannis Port (Massachusetts) CACTUS Camp David HAMLET Auchincloss Home on O Street (Washington DC) CHATEAU President’s Home at Glen Ora (Virginia) CROSSROADS Middleburg (Virginia) VOLCANO LBJ Ranch (Texas) CALICO The Pentagon (Arlington, Virginia) / Defense Communications Agency CORK FBI Headquarters (Washington DC) TRANSPORTATION ANGEL Air Force One / Aircraft 26000 SS 100 X Presidential Limousine HALFBACK Presidential Follow-Up Car VARSITY Vice Presidential Follow-Up Car CARPET White House Garage ACROBAT Andrews Air Force Base (for Air Force One) ALPHA / CATER / PAT Army Helicopter Operations, Davison Field CHEER Helicopter Operations, Anacostia CADET Exec FLT Det, Davison Field NOMAD USN Honey Fitz, the Presidential Yacht NEPTUNE USN President Yacht #2 NIGHT HAWK Marine Copters, Anacostia NOVICE Crash Boat PT109 ROCKFISH Vice Presidential Speed Boat COMMUNICATIONS CASTLE Signal Corps Shops 26th Street SATCHEL Presidential Courier / Bagman SPECTATOR Gen. Sampson (Defense Communications Agency) SPUD Mr. Nash (Messenger Service White House) SUBWAY DO COMM CEN EAST END WH STAR Colonel George McNally, White House Communications Agency STURDY Art Bales, White House Communications Agency SHADOW Ira Gearhart, White House Communications Agency SECRET SERVICE AGENTS DOMINO James Rowley, Chief of the Secret Service DUPLEX Gerald Behn DEACON Floyd Boring DAZZLE Clint Hill, First Lady Detail DANDY Lem Johns DIGEST Roy Kellerman DAYLIGHT Jerry Kivett DEBUT Paul Landis DUSTY Emory Roberts DAGGER Rufus Youngblood DASHER Tom Wells DRESSER Bob Foster DRUMMER Lynn Meredith DRAGON Agent Campion DAPPER Mr. O’Leary (Muggsy) HERMIT Secret Service Field Office New York City OTHER AND UNIDENTIFIED SMOKEY SMAJ Duffy SUPER MBGT Giordano WINNER Mr. Hatcher Data Source: This list is compiled from ST448-1-62, Still Pictures, John F. Kennedy Library; and William Manchester, The Death of a President: November 20 – November 25, 1963 (New York: Harper & Row, 1967) pp.xv-xvi. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sean Coleman Posted September 29, 2023 Share Posted September 29, 2023 So…..Tiger and Tulip taking Lace and Velvet to the Volcano using an Angel….isn’t as sexy as it sounds anymore…dammit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Bauer Posted September 29, 2023 Author Share Posted September 29, 2023 (edited) Dazzle and Debut tended to Lancer and Lace? Dagger tended to Volunteer in the Varsity? Dusty remained in the halfback? Digest was in the SS 100 X? Where was Deacon during the Dealey Plaza debacle? And where the heck were Domino and Duplex? Back in DC? Deciphering all those "D" letter code names was definitely discombobulating. Edited September 30, 2023 by Joe Bauer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean Ceulemans Posted September 30, 2023 Share Posted September 30, 2023 Wasn't Marina given a code name ? During the investigation when they were moving her from one place to another ? But perhaps also by the CIA as she continued to be a poi for many years post 11/22 I believe ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean Ceulemans Posted September 30, 2023 Share Posted September 30, 2023 13 hours ago, Joe Bauer said: Dazzle and Debut tended to Lancer and Lace? Dagger tended to Volunteer in the Varsity? Dusty remained in the halfback? Digest was in the SS 100 X? Willow stayed back in the Castle? Wait a minute...who the heck was watching Victoria, Velvet and Venus? And where the heck were Domino and Duplex during all this? Man, this is harder to follow than a Bud Abbott and Lou Costello double talk comedy routine. Haha, keep'm coming ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Andrews Posted September 30, 2023 Share Posted September 30, 2023 (edited) I've always wondered about LBJ as the designated Volunteer... Did he retain that title as POTUS? Did they know he'd forced his way onto the ticket? Edited September 30, 2023 by David Andrews Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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