Who Had "The Football" on 11/22/63?

[Bernice Moore]

According to Manchester, Gearhart had the football, and he was not left behind at Parkland. Johnson and his men paid no attention to him (I'm sure Johnson knew exactly what was going on and that the Russians had nothing to do with it), but Gearhart took it upon himself to sit on a policeman's lap from Parkland to Love Field.

Manchester says that eyeglasses seen reflecting light from the rear in the photo of Johnson being sworn in are Gearhart's glasses.

Ron

''Manchester says that eyeglasses seen reflecting light from the rear in the photo of Johnson being sworn in are Gearhart's glasses.''...in back on the right..b

Apparently Manchester was wrong........i have been informed...The man wearing glasses is none other than Bill Moyers. He’s accurately identified on the LBJ Library site where all the cabin photos appear and Moyers, himself, has confirmed it.thanks..b

[Guest Tom Scully]

Three guys wearing glasses, Moyers clearly visible, fourth guy holding his eye glasses. Gearhart, if we've found the correct obit, was 53 years old in November, 1963....

http://jfk.hood.edu/Collection/White%20Materials/White%20Assassination%20Clippings%20Folders/Books/Manchester%20William/Manchester%20320.pdf

March 4, 1967

EA45 4.4 Lt ES

MANCHESTER BOOK BJT 1,000

BY GEORGE ESPER

ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER

NEW YORK, MARCH 29 (AP) -THE DEFENSE DEPARTMENT DENIES STATEMENTS

IN WILLIAM MANCHESTER'S BOOK THAT PRESIDENT JOHNSON HAD NOT BEEN

ADVISED ON PROCEDURES FOR ORDERING NUCLEAR RETALIATION IN THE

EVENT OF AN ATTACK FOLLOWING THE KENNEDY ASSASSINATION.

SECURITY OFFICIALS IN THE KENNEDY ADMINISTRATION ALSO DENIED

THAT JOHNSON HAD NOT BEEN BRIEFED, THE U.S. ATOMIC ATTACK CODE

WAS CARRIED IN A FOOTBALL-SHAPED SATCHEL THAT LAY IN THE PRESIDENTIAL

JET WHICH TOOK JOHNSON AND THE BODY OF KENNEDY BACK TO WASHINGTON

FROM DALLAS ON NOV. 22, 1963.

KENNEDY OFFICIALS SAID THAT AT THE LATE PRESIDENT'S INSISTENCE

JOHNSON HAD BEEN FAMILIARIZED THOROUGHLY ON THE CONTENTS OF THE

SATCHEL,

MANCHESTER .SAYS IN THE BOOK, "THE DEATH OF A PRESIDENT":

"THE DIFFICULTY WAS THAT JOHNSON HAD NO IDEA OF WHAT WAS

IN THE BAG. HE KNEW THAT IT EXISTED, BUT HE HADN'T BEEN BRIEFED

ABOUT'THE CONTENTS, AND IF THE THUNDERBOLT OF ALL-OUT WAR STRUCK

THAT AFTERNOON,' THE .COUNTRY'S RETALIATORY ARSENAL COULD BE SPIKED

UNTIL HE HAD BEEN LED THROUGH TAZ SHEPARD'S PRIMERS FOR THE FIRST -

TIME."

CAPT. TAZEWELL SHEPARD WAS A MILITARY AIDE TO PRESIDENT KENNEDY.

MANCHESTER ALSO WRITESt

'HAD RUSSIA ATTACKED ACROSS THE DEW LINE, THE GREATEST MILITARY

ESTABLISHMENT IN THE HISTORY OF THE WORLD MIGHT EASILY HAVE

BEEN MUSCLEBOUND DURING THE 15 FATEFUL MINUTES OF WARNING TIME AND

PERHAPS EVEN AFTERWARD, WHEN SECOND - STRIKE CAPACITY BECAME A

FACTOR.*

A SPOKESMAN FOR THE DEFENSE DEPARTMENT ISSUED A STATEMENT YESTERDAY

SAYING:

£A46

"THE STATEMENTS CARRIED BY THE PRESS SERVICES ATTRIBUTED TO

WILLIAM MANCHESTER BEARING ON THE NUCLEAR READINESS OF THE, UNITED

STATES ON NOV. 22, 1963, WERE UNTRUE.

"ON THAT DATE, LYNDON JOHNSON, AS VICE PRESIDENT AND AS PRESIDENT,

WAS FULLY AWARE OF THE PROCEDURES USED TO AUTHORIZE THE RELEASE

OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS IN RETALIATION AGAINST ATTACK ON THE UNITED

STATES,"

MANCHESTER ALSO SAYS THERE WAS A SLOWDOWN IN COMMERCIAL

TELEPHONE SERVICE BECAUSE OF THE GREAT LOAD OF CALLS IN THE HOURS

IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THE ASSASSINATION. HE SAYS PHONES IN THE SENATE

AND HOUSE OFFICES, THE WHITE HOUSE AND THE SIGNAL CORPS HAD BEEN

PARALYZED TEMPORARILY.

ACCORDING TO MANCHESTER'S ACCOUNT, SEN. EDWARD M. KENNEDY ROAMED

THE STREETS IN WASHINGTON, TRYING THE PHONES OF STRANGERS, UNTIL

HE GOT THROUGH TO THEN-ATTY, GEN, ROBERT F, KENNEDY, TO LEARN,

IF THEIR BROTHER WAS DEAD,

'IT BECAME OBVIOUS THAT IN A NATIONAL EMERGENCY THIS (TELEPHONE

SERVICE) WOULD BE THE FIRST LINK TO SNAP, MANCHESTER WRITES.

REGARDING THE PASSAGES ON THE SLOWDOWN 1M COMMERCIAL TELEPHONE

SERVICE, THE DEFENSE DEPARTMENT SAID:

'GOVERNMENTAL COMMUNICATIONS, MILITARY AND CIVIL, WERE FULLY

OPERATIONAL AT ALL TIMES AND WERE FAR IN EXCESS OF ANY REQUIREMENT

ARISING OUT OF ANY SECURITY EMERGENCY. THOSE SECURE COMMUNICATIONS

OPERATE INDEPENDENTLY OF COMMERCIAL SYSTEMS.'

A SPOKESMAN FOR THE CHESAPEAKE AND POTOMAC TELEPHONE CO, IN

WASHINGTON SAID THAT DUE TO THE UNUSUALLY HEAVY TRAFFIC AFTER THE

ASSASSINATION, "IF YOU PICKED UP THE PHONE YOU MIGHT HAVE TO WAIT

A FEW SECONDS TO GET A DIAL TONE.'

£A47

THE DEFENSE DEPARTMENT ALSO TOOK ISSUE WITH A PASSAGE IN. THE BOOK

WHICH SAYS THAT.......