Warren Commission (02 of 26): Hearings Vol. II (of 15)United States. Warren Commission
History
Warren Commission (02 of 26): Hearings Vol. II (of 15)
United States. Warren Commission
Kennedy, John F. (John Fitzgerald), 1917-1963 -- Assassination; Oswald, Lee Harvey
Mr. SPECTER. Do you personally know who was in that car?
Mr. KELLERMAN. No, sir.
Mr. SPECTER. How far ahead of the regular motorcade were they to be?
Mr. KELLERMAN. They could be several blocks ahead of us.
Mr. SPECTER. What is the general purpose of that pilot car?
Mr. KELLERMAN. The purpose of that pilot car is to clear the roadway
and instruct the officers along the route that the President is in
motion and coming in back of them. Next you will find a small group of
motorcycles.
Mr. SPECTER. Do you know how many motorcycles there were in Dallas on
that day?
Mr. KELLERMAN. No; I don't.
Mr. SPECTER. Will you tell us what the custom is with respect to
motorcycles?
Mr. KELLERMAN. Yes, sir; those motorcycles that would be in back of
that police car were to assist any officers along the way in any
disturbance that they would run into before we got to that point, or
secondly, in the event that we needed them back on our car they could
be called, utilized.
Mr. SPECTER. What is the next car in line?
Mr. KELLERMAN. The next car is the lead car. That car on that day was
driven by Chief Curry of the Dallas Police Department.
His occupants in that car was Special Agent Winston Lawson, who was
carrying a portable radio with him. Also in this car was Special Agent
in Charge Verne Sorrels, in charge of our Dallas office. The other
occupant, I believe, was a deputy sheriff.
Mr. SPECTER. Was it Sheriff Decker, perhaps, of Dallas County?
Mr. KELLERMAN. The name doesn't reach me, sir; I am sorry.
Mr. SPECTER. You described a radio. Will you tell us a little more
fully what radio transmission there was in the motorcade, please?
Mr. KELLERMAN. Yes, sir. This lead car which Mr. Lawson was in has a
portable radio. The President's car is next. This is equipped with a
permanent set radio on the same frequency as that gentleman up front.
The next car is our Secret Service followup car which has a permanent
installation. The Secret Service car, as I say, is equipped with a
permanent installation which connects the President's car and the lead
car. The next car in back of our Secret Service car was the then Vice
President Johnson. The Secret Service agent in that car had a portable
radio that he could read all three of us ahead. His car following was a
small Secret Service followup car, and they, too, had a portable set,
which could read all four.
So we had a net of five on our own frequency. In the police cars they
had their own city police frequency radios.
Mr. SPECTER. How many frequencies were used by your own network?
Mr. KELLERMAN. One.
Representative FORD. Do you have an alternative frequency, emergency
frequency?
Mr. KELLERMAN. Yes, sir; we do. We have two of them.
Mr. SPECTER. What automobile came behind the lead automobile?
Mr. KELLERMAN. The President's car.
Mr. SPECTER. Describe the occupants of that car, indicating their
positions, if you can, please.
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