Report of the President's Commission on the Assassination of President John F. KennedyUnited States. Warren Commission
History
Report of the President's Commission on the Assassination of President John F. Kennedy
United States. Warren Commission
Kennedy, John F. (John Fitzgerald), 1917-1963 -- Assassination; Oswald, Lee Harvey
Seconds later shots resounded in rapid succession. The President’s
hands moved to his neck. He appeared to stiffen momentarily and lurch
slightly forward in his seat. A bullet had entered the base of the back
of his neck slightly to the right of the spine. It traveled downward
and exited from the front of the neck, causing a nick in the left lower
portion of the knot in the President’s necktie. Before the shooting
started, Governor Connally had been facing toward the crowd on the
right. He started to turn toward the left and suddenly felt a blow on
his back. The Governor had been hit by a bullet which entered at the
extreme right side of his back at a point below his right armpit. The
bullet traveled through his chest in a downward and forward direction,
exited below his right nipple, passed through his right wrist which had
been in his lap, and then caused a wound to his left thigh. The force
of the bullet’s impact appeared to spin the Governor to his right, and
Mrs. Connally pulled him down into her lap. Another bullet then struck
President Kennedy in the rear portion of his head, causing a massive
and fatal wound. The President fell to the left into Mrs. Kennedy’s lap.
Secret Service Agent Clinton J. Hill, riding on the left running board
of the “followup” car, heard a noise which sounded like a firecracker
and saw the President suddenly lean forward and to the left. Hill
jumped off the car and raced toward the President’s limousine. In the
front seat of the Vice-Presidential car, Agent Youngblood heard an
explosion and noticed unusual movements in the crowd. He vaulted into
the rear seat and sat on the Vice President in order to protect him.
At the same time Agent Kellerman in the front seat of the Presidential
limousine turned to observe the President. Seeing that the President
was struck, Kellerman instructed the driver, “Let’s get out of here;
we are hit.” He radioed ahead to the lead car, “Get us to the hospital
immediately.” Agent Greer immediately accelerated the Presidential car.
As it gained speed, Agent Hill managed to pull himself onto the back of
the car where Mrs. Kennedy had climbed. Hill pushed her back into the
rear seat and shielded the stricken President and Mrs. Kennedy as the
President’s car proceeded at high speed to Parkland Memorial Hospital,
4 miles away.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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