The Blaine. G, and L. McCubbin (2011)  Kennedy detail, New York: Simon & Schuster/ Paperback 427 pages.

Six seconds many years ago,  American’s innocence was ripped to shreds. President Kennedy riding in an open convertible was shot in the back of his head. How many books, movies, and related have told us that? Today, any right thinking president rides around in a tank-limousine. They still take chances shaking hands in crowds, but it is limited by the Secret Service. Let’s see,  Truman was almost shot, Kennedy was killed, Nixon almost knifed, Ford nearly shot, Reagan severely wounded and on and on.

The easiest to defend was Ike. He was at a time in his life when he would not bother with crowds. As a military man Agents were just that. They were non-persons who protected you.

Most military and police by many variables are order oriented Republicans. It took two days to win over some thirty agents to Kennedy Republicanism.

Their first day, most were dressed in wool and   were sweating in the Florida sun. Out comes the president with tons of brand new or near new short shirts. The agents got comfortable with their new apparel. He called them by their first names. If some screw ball game was going on, his buddy agents were invited. Jackie would give dresses to agents for their wives. “How were the kids? ” Jacqueline called them “Mister.” Jack called them over for a consultation on something. Jackie would sneak a smoke with an agent. The two children saw them as uncles.

Work became play. Ike was distant. The Kennedy’s were family. At a party, a movie star would be with Jack and near an agent. Jack would introduce the agent by first name to the cinema hero. Jack may also know where the agent originated and names of family of the agent. This stuff was the magic of the Camelot myth. Both Jack and Jacqueline would borrow money from the agents and pay back with interest. If there was room, agents sat with family. The Kennedy you saw on television was the same in person.

Quite soon for the agents, work turned into an organized form of play. The president asks you if you want a drink. The agent can not drink on the job. However, there is an incredible feeling when you are invited. Will you take a bullet for these folks? They all would.

Given that most of us have become more   coarsened, if we are important, we don’t drive in open cars. For conspiracy buffs, here is a new variable. Kennedy wants to touch people. In selected areas the two agents on the back running board were told to drop back and jump off the car in certain places so folks could see the president. Everyone is a possible vote.

As the agents leave their place on the car and  drop back, three bullets killed the President and wounded the Governor of Texas. Jackie reached back first to get part of her husband’s brains and then the agent.

When asked to testify at the Warren Commission, all the agents lied. Kennedy did not ask to go unprotected. Of course, he did and consulted with them before hand.

Further, the first conspiracy theory by a prominent tabloid politico said that most of the agents were on a drunken binge the night before. It was a lie, but that started the hundred of various Kennedy conspiracies even up to today.

The account is told by Blaine (an agent) and a co-author and professional journal to make this a page turner. Please remember that a great man with a thin legislative record, and yet saved the planet in the Cuban crisis is given some cover. Their president humbled himself before them and took comfort in their presence. So we don’t hear much about girl friends and recreational drugs. Each actually reaches out to say that he did not have a relationship with Marilyn Monroe. Hardened Kennedy supporters grant his human frailties and indicated that he did womanize.

The agents were stunned. The authors tell the story from the point of view of an agent name Clint Hill. He was near the president when the bullet disengaged the bottom portion of  right brain. (Pictures can be seen on Google images.)  All felt

guilty and given the hidden rules of presidential openness and an open convertible had to hide the facts until now.

Not one agent wasn’t traumatized and it affected all of them all the rest of their life until now. You find that “Mr. Hill” goes through terrible trauma and we leave him telling his story on CBS’s 60 MINUTES.

Most of the rest of the agents were transferred to President Johnson. Metaphorically, they were unsure how they left Heaven’s gate to Purgatory.

LBJ was situated in the middle of nowhere in geographically rough tough area of Texas. One mistake and the President would scream. Here are hardened professional peace officers being grabbed by the lapels, shaken, and terrorized. The president’s language was filthy. Regardless of

nearly everywhere and in mixed company, LBJ would pull out his penis and urinate in front of them.

The Kennedy’s treated them like buddies. LBJ supervision was so foul and offensive, that it appeared that they were on “war duty.” If the Kennedy’s were fantastic, now they became angelic in comparison to the big tough Texan.

The remaining portions of this book talk about a

time incredibly different from today. As you turn each page, you wonder how accurate it is. Was Kennedy that good? Most of us would take half of the accolades and feel like we had arrived in paradise.

However, you should make that judgment after you read the book which is now in e-book form.

Prof. Joel Snell

Emeritus

Kirkwood College