Five Days in November: In Commemoration of the 60th Anniversary of JFK's Assassination

by Clint Hill, Lisa McCubbin Hill

Overview

Secret Service agent Clint Hill reveals the stories behind the iconic images of the five tragic days surrounding President John F. Kennedy’s assassination in this 60th anniversary edition of the New York Times bestseller.

On November 22, 1963, three shots were fired in Dallas, President John F. Kennedy was assassinated, and the world stopped for four days. For an entire generation, it was the end of an age of innocence.

That evening, a photo ran on the front pages of newspapers across the world, showing a Secret Service agent jumping on the back of the presidential limousine in a desperate attempt to protect the President and Mrs. Kennedy. That agent was Clint Hill.

Now Hill commemorates the sixtieth anniversary of the tragedy with this stunning book containing more than 150 photos, each accompanied by his incomparable insider account of those terrible days. A story that has taken Hill half a century to tell, this is a “riveting, stunning narrative” (Herald & Review, Illinois) of personal and historical scope. Besides the unbearable grief of a nation and the monumental consequences of the event, the death of JFK was a personal blow to a man sworn to protect the first family, and who knew, from the moment the shots rang out in Dallas, that nothing would ever be the same.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781668035757
Publisher:	Gallery Books
Publication date:	11/14/2023
Pages:	288
Sales rank:	149,446
Product dimensions:	7.60(w) x 9.10(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

Clint Hill is the New York Times bestselling author of Mrs. Kennedy and Me; Five Days in November; Five Presidents: My Extraordinary Journey with Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, and Ford; and My Travels with Mrs. Kennedy. A United States Secret Service Agent from 1958 to 1975, Clint Hill was assigned to First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy and was in the motorcade in Dallas on November 22, 1963, when President John F. Kennedy was assassinated. For his courage and swift actions that day, Hill received the nation’s highest civilian award for bravery. Starting out as a Special Agent, Clint Hill served as Agent in Charge of the First Lady Detail, the Vice Presidential Protective Division, the Presidential Protective Division, and when he was retired in 1975, he was Assistant Director responsible for all protective activity. Hill married coauthor Lisa McCubbin in 2021. Find out more at ClintHillSecretService.com.

Lisa McCubbin Hill is an award-winning journalist and New York Times bestselling author. She is the author of the acclaimed biography Betty Ford: First Lady Women’s Advocate, Survivor, Trailblazer and coauthor (with Clint Hill) of the New York Times bestsellers Mrs. Kennedy and Me; Five Days in November; Five Presidents: My Extraordinary Journey with Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, and Ford; and My Travels with Mrs. Kennedy. She met Clint Hill while writing her first book, The Kennedy Detail: JFK’s Secret Service Agents Break Their Silence (with Gerald Blaine). Previously, Lisa was a television news anchor, reporter, and talk-radio host. In 2021, Lisa McCubbin married coauthor Clint Hill. Visit her at LisaMcCubbin.com.

Read an Excerpt

Five Days in November

The day we left for Texas begins like countless other presidential trips. People hustling through the halls to get last-minute changes to speeches typed; secretaries and press staff clamoring to be added to the manifest of authorized personnel; the presidential staff and assistants coordinating all the details for the president and the first lady. Everyone wants to make sure this trip goes without a hitch. Not only because this unofficial start to the 1964 campaign is critically important politically, but also because First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy will be accompanying her husband on the three-day swing through the Lone Star State. Mrs. Kennedy prefers to stay out of politics and, in the three years of the administration thus far, never before has she traveled with the president on a domestic political trip. This is a first. As the Special Agent in Charge of Mrs. Kennedy’s Secret Service Detail, it is my job to make sure nothing happens to her.

As with every trip the President of the United States takes, the schedule is planned to the minute. The political staff has designed the trip to maximize President Kennedy’s exposure to the press and the general public, while simultaneously adding funds to the campaign coffer: grand Air Force One arrivals with plenty of pomp and circumstance; multiple motorcades through the main streets of each city; and breakfasts, luncheons, and dinners reserved for deep-pocketed donors.

Typical politics.

It was just yesterday that I returned to Washington with Mrs. Kennedy. She’s spent the past several days riding her beloved horse, Sardar, at the Kennedys’ newly finished residence near Middleburg, Virginia. After reviewing the typewritten schedule for the trip to Texas, she made some handwritten notes—both for her benefit and mine—about a couple of events she will not attend, and one in which she plans to make a short speech in Spanish. She uses her initials—JBK—for Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy. This is typical of the way she and I operate. We have been together for three years, day in and day out, and have developed a trusting and comfortable relationship. While she prefers to be spontaneous, she knows I don’t like surprises, and she knows that the more information she gives me in advance, the smoother things will go.

She also recognizes how important this trip is to her husband’s reelection bid and she is eager to make a good impression. But when I see the rigorous schedule that’s planned, I am concerned about her physical and emotional stamina.

It has been less than four months since Mrs. Kennedy gave birth to a baby boy—Patrick Bouvier Kennedy—who lived for just two days. The trauma of losing this son has taken its toll on both the president and Mrs. Kennedy. He, being President of the United States, has had no choice but to carry on—the world does not stop because of the death of a president’s son. She, on the other hand, after spiraling into a deep depression, has finally started to return to her normal activities. The three-week cruise in the Mediterranean on the yacht Christina, back in October, helped her immensely, and I must admit, it was nice for me, too.

The death of Patrick was hard on all of us who are close to the family. And while the president and Mrs. Kennedy appear to be much closer since the tragedy—going so far as to hold hands in public—I know how stressful campaigning can be, and I certainly don’t want anything to happen that might send her back to those dark days of depression. She’s only just begun to smile again.

This morning, I arrive at the White House at eight o’clock, drop off my luggage with the transportation department in the West Wing basement, and head straight to my office. It isn’t really an actual office, but a corner of the Map Room where I’ve set up a desk and a typewriter. Space in the White House is at a premium. Sitting at my desk, I have a clear view of the hallway and elevator that lead to the Kennedys’ private residence.

Looking over Mrs. Kennedy’s schedule, I realize there is a mistake. Her schedule indicates Air Force One will arrive at Brooks Air Force Base in San Antonio, while my schedule, which is far more detailed with Secret Service agents’ assignments and hotel room numbers for everyone in the presidential party, indicates we land at San Antonio International Airport. I am almost certain that my schedule has the correct information, but to verify, I call Eve Dempsher. As the secretary to Jerry Behn, the Special Agent in Charge of the White House Secret Service Detail, Eve has every detail for the trip at her fingertips.

Sure enough, Eve says, we are landing at San Antonio International Airport. Whoever typed up Mrs. Kennedy’s schedule made an error. It happens. But at least now I feel comfortable with the schedule.

The buzzer system sounds three times, indicating the president is moving throughout the residence, and moments later, President Kennedy walks out of the elevator. Seeing me through the doorway, he calls out, “Good morning, Clint.”

“Good morning, Mr. President,” I answer, as I snuff my cigarette into the already full ashtray on my desk.

The president strides toward my open door and says, “Clint, just so you know, John will be riding with us to Andrews.”

“Yes, sir. I figured that might be the case. I’ll make sure Agent Foster is aware.” It has almost become routine for two-year-old John Jr. to ride along on the helicopter to Andrews Air Force Base whenever the president departs for a trip, and Agent Bob Foster is one of three agents on the Secret Service detail for the children—the Kiddie Detail. John loves helicopters. I mean, he really loves helicopters. Recently, Mrs. Kennedy told me she wouldn’t be at all surprised if John becomes a pilot when he grows up. His excitement is contagious, and no one gets a bigger kick out of it than his father. Due to the demands of the job, President Kennedy’s time with his son is often limited, and the short rides in the chopper together are precious.

President Kennedy’s schedule is light this morning, with just one official meeting in the Oval Office—five minutes allotted for the U.S. ambassadors to the African republics of Upper Volta and Gabon. White House photographer Cecil Stoughton is summoned to take a photo as a memento for the guests, and a visual document of the meeting. Who could imagine that this mundane photo of President Kennedy sitting so relaxed in his rocking chair, speaking with two ambassadors, would be the last image of him alive in the White House.



Meanwhile, upstairs, Providencia Paredes, Mrs. Kennedy’s personal assistant, scurries around to make sure Mrs. Kennedy has everything she needs. Normally, Provi, as everyone calls her, would be traveling with Mrs. Kennedy, but this weekend Provi’s son Gustavo is being confirmed into the Catholic Church. Not wanting Provi to miss such an important event, Mrs. Kennedy has asked her personal secretary, Mary Gallagher, to take Provi’s place. President Kennedy’s personal valet, George Thomas, will be in charge of the president’s clothing and belongings, and he, too, will be part of the entourage.

Being Thursday, it is a school day, so Caroline—who will turn six on November 27—has already said good-bye to her parents, and is settled into her normal routine with classmates in the small, private White House school on the third floor.

At around 10:40 A.M., the sound of the helicopter arriving on the South Lawn is the signal that it’s departure time. I slip the schedule into my briefcase, double-check my suit coat pockets to make sure I’ve got everything—sunglasses, wallet, and the leather bifold commission book that proves I’m a Special Agent in the United States Secret Service, “worthy of trust and confidence”—and stuff my .38-caliber snub-nosed revolver into the holster on my hip.

It is a select few who ride as passengers on the presidential helicopter—the president, Mrs. Kennedy, and John; top staff members like Ken O’Donnell, Dave Powers, and Evelyn Lincoln; a military aide; Roy Kellerman, the Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the White House Detail; myself; and Agent Bob Foster, who will accompany young John on the short flight, and then return with him to the White House when the rest of us transfer to Air Force One.

At exactly 10:50 A.M. we lift off the White House grounds and the trip to Texas begins.

John sits by the window, wriggly and animated, with a constant grin on his face throughout the entire six-minute flight. When the chopper lands gently on the tarmac alongside the presidential plane, however, his whole demeanor changes. He has been told he can’t go on the trip with Mummy and Daddy, and suddenly it hits him that now it’s time to say good-bye.

“Good-bye, John,” President Kennedy says as he gives John a hug.

“Can’t I come?” John begs with quivering lips, tears welling in his eyes. “I want to come.”

Mrs. Kennedy holds him close and says, “It’s just a few days, John. And when we come back, it will be your birthday.” On November 25, John will turn three years old. Both children have birthdays coming up in the busy week ahead.

But the promise of a birthday party does nothing to appease John. I feel sorry for him, and it hits me, too, because earlier this morning I said good-bye to my own two sons, Chris and Corey, who are nearly the same ages as John and Caroline. My job requires me to be with Mrs. Kennedy wherever she goes, and for the past three years that has meant I’ve spent more time with Caroline and John than with my own sons.

Finally, despite the tears, we can delay no longer. The president gives his son one last hug and starts for the door of the chopper. He turns and looks at Agent Foster, who has slid into the seat next to John, and says something I will never forget.

“Take care of John for me, won’t you, Mr. Foster?”

I’ve witnessed many tearful good-byes between the president and his children, but he’s never said anything like this before.

“Yes, sir, Mr. President,” Foster replies. “I’ll be glad to do that.”

As I follow Mrs. Kennedy out of the chopper, I turn to John and, trying to sound as cheerful as possible, I say, “Bye-bye, John. You have fun with Mr. Foster, now, okay? We’ll be back in a few days.”

His sobs grow louder and louder as we walk toward the portable staircase leading to Air Force One. After all they’ve been through, I know John’s cries tug at President and Mrs. Kennedy’s hearts. Just before they enter the door of the plane, they each turn to their son, and wave.

Table of Contents

Introduction ix

Day 1 November 21, 1963

1 Leaving the White House 5

2 Air Force One 13

3 San Antonio Arrival 17

4 San Antonio Motorcade 21

5 Brooks Air Force Base 27

6 Kelly Air Force Base 37

7 Houston Airport Arrival 39

8 Rice Hotel 45

9 Houston Coliseum: Congressman Albert Thomas Dinner 51

10 Fort Worth: Carswell Air Force Base Arrival 55

Day 2 November 22, 1963

11 Fort Worth: Hotel Texas 63

12 Dallas: Love Field Arrival 79

13 Dallas Motorcade 89

14 The Shots 103

15 Parkland Hospital 111

16 A New President 121

17 Return to Washington 129

Day 3 November 23, 1963

18 Autopsy at Bethesda Naval Hospital 137

19 Return to the White House 141

20 Choosing a Burial Site 149

Day 4 November 24, 1963

21 Final Private Moments 157

22 President Kennedy Lies in State 167

Day 5 November 25, 1963

23 Procession to the White House 185

24 Walking to St. Matthew's 193

25 The Salute 205

26 Burial at Arlington Cemetery 215

27 Return to the White House 227

Epilogue 233

Acknowledgments 239

Photo Credits 242

Editorial Reviews

08/19/2013
What this book—whose contents we’ve waited 50 years for—lacks in artistry, it makes up for in immediacy. Hill was one of the Secret Service agents beside J.F.K.’s car at the time of his assassination, and he managed to clamber onto the trunk in an attempt to protect the chief executive and his wife. Hill continues to feel guilty over the president’s death. His account offers new, minute details of the events in Dallas and Washington, D.C., immediately before and after J.F.K.’s death. Sometimes those details are unnecessary and his precise recollection of them seems difficult to believe. But the book’s photographs—some rare, some probably never seen before—are a particular strength. Astonishingly, however, none of them is captioned, nor are any of the locations, figures, or events in them identified. This inexplicable omission is unlikely to dent the book’s appeal to aficionados of the period. But for those less knowledgeable about the Camelot era and its tragic end, the lack of captions represents a lost opportunity. (Nov.)

Publishers Weekly

"Talk about being unable to put a book down; I was enthralled with this memoir from start to finish."

Liz Smith on Mrs. Kennedy and Me

"A riveting, stunning narrative...among hundreds of books about the assassination, this is the most compelling because Hill lived it."

Herald-Review

"[Mrs. Kennedy and Me] conveys a sense of honesty and proves to be an insightful and lovingly penetrating portrait of the Jacqueline Kennedy that Hill came to know.

USA Today (3 1/2 stars)

"Talk about being unable to put a book down; I was enthralled with this memoir from start to finish."

Liz Smith

"[Mrs. Kennedy and Me] conveys a sense of honesty and proves to be an insightful and lovingly penetrating portrait of the Jacqueline Kennedy that Hill came to know.

USA Today

"[Mrs. Kennedy and Me] conveys a sense of honesty and proves to be an insightful and lovingly penetrating portrait of the Jacqueline Kennedy that Hill came to know.

USA Today

As Jacqueline Kennedy's secret service guard, Hill leapt onto the car in Dallas after shots resounded and hung on for the race to the hospital. Here he offers a minute-by-minute insider's account of unfolding events. Interest is building; note that Hill has also authored the best-selling Mrs. Kennedy and Me.

Library Journal

2013-10-01
Jackie Kennedy's secret service agent Hill and co-author McCubbin team up for a follow-up to Mrs. Kennedy and Me (2012) in this well-illustrated narrative of those five days 50 years ago when President John F. Kennedy was assassinated. Since Hill was part of the secret service detail assigned to protect the president and his wife, his firsthand account of those days is unique. The chronological approach, beginning before the presidential party even left the nation's capital on Nov. 21, shows Kennedy promoting his "New Frontier" policy and how he was received by Texans in San Antonio, Houston and Fort Worth before his arrival in Dallas. A crowd of more than 8,000 greeted him in Houston, and thousands more waited until 11 p.m. to greet the president at his stop in Fort Worth. Photographs highlight the enthusiasm of those who came to the airports and the routes the motorcades followed on that first day. At the Houston Coliseum, Kennedy addressed the leaders who were building NASA for the planned moon landing he had initiated. Hostile ads and flyers circulated in Dallas, but the president and his wife stopped their motorcade to respond to schoolchildren who held up a banner asking the president to stop and shake their hands. Hill recounts how, after Lee Harvey Oswald fired his fatal shots, he jumped onto the back of the presidential limousine. He was present at Parkland Hospital, where the president was declared dead, and on the plane when Lyndon Johnson was sworn in. Hill also reports the funeral procession and the ceremony in Arlington National Cemetery. "[Kennedy] would have not wanted his legacy, fifty years later, to be a debate about the details of his death," writes the author. "Rather, he would want people to focus on the values and ideals in which he so passionately believed." Chronology, photographs and personal knowledge combine to make a memorable commemorative presentation.

Kirkus Reviews