Report of the President's Commission on the Assassination of President John F. Kennedy

第二章

Chapter II of the report, titled “The Assassination,” describes President Kennedy’s trip to Dallas in November 1963, from its origin through planning, Secret Service preparations, the motorcade, the assassination itself, activities at Parkland Memorial Hospital, and the return of the Presidential party to Washington. The narrative is based largely on participants’ recollections, supplemented by documentary evidence. An evaluation of protective procedures and recommendations appears in chapter VIII.

The Assassination

This introductory section frames the chapter’s scope: it recounts the advance plans and Secret Service preparations for the Texas trip, the motorcade through downtown Dallas, the assassination, the response at Parkland Memorial Hospital, and the return to Washington. The Commission’s account draws primarily on participants’ recollections, with documentary or other evidence used where available. Evaluation of security procedures and recommendations for improvement are deferred to chapter VIII.

PLANNING THE TEXAS TRIP

President Kennedy’s November 1963 trip to Texas was under consideration for nearly a year before it occurred. The President wished to resolve factional controversy within the Texas Democratic Party before the 1964 election, and party leaders saw a fundraising opportunity via a political dinner eventually planned for Austin. The President also valued firsthand contact with citizens and public appearances. The basic decision to travel to Texas in late November 1963 was made at a June 5, 1963 meeting in El Paso between President Kennedy, Vice President Johnson, and Governor Connally. The trip was originally planned for one day covering Dallas, Fort Worth, San Antonio, and Houston, but was later extended from November 21 through the evening of November 22. Governor Connally was left to largely plan the Texas events, with White House Special Assistant Kenneth O’Donnell coordinating the trip. All parties agreed that a motorcade through downtown Dallas was desirable once the schedule was extended, and O’Donnell described motorcades in large cities as automatic for maximizing public exposure.