WILLIAM MANCHESTER/ AGENTS ON THE LIMO--- A JFK "DESIRE"?!:
by Vincent Palamara
RUFUS YOUNGBLOOD (interviews by VMP 10/22/92 and 2/8/94):
Youngblood denounced the Manchester book:  "As a historian, he flunked
the course...don't read Manchester!"  He also reiterated an earlier
comment (corroborated by several of his colleagues) - President Kennedy
"wasn't a hard ass" and, as far as any alleged Presidential requests
(like asking to get the agents off the limousine, for example), JFK
"never said anything like that. There was not a standing order...they
(the agents) had assigned posts and positions on the presidential car"
["NEVER"];
JERRY BEHN (interviewed 3 times by VMP on 9/27/92):
"I don't remember Kennedy ever saying that he didn't want anybody on the
back of his car. I think if you watch the newsreel pictures and whatnot
[sic] you'll find agents on there from time to time" ["DON'T...EVER"];
FLOYD BORING (interviewed twice by VMP, 9/22/93 and 3/4/94; corresponded
11/22/97):
  The quote attributed to Boring in Manchester's book [p.37 of 1988
  edition] is false: Boring was NOT interviewed by Manchester, as also
  confirmed by that book's source notes. Boring told me "He quotes me? I
  never told him that". As for the merit of the quote, Boring said "No,
  no, no---that's not true; not true. He (JFK) was a very nice man; he
  never interfered with us at all."
Newsreels, Cecil Stoughton photos, and THE TAMPA TRIBUNE from 11/19/63 
depict agents Donald Lawton and Charles Zboril on the rear of JFK's limo, 
in the city and the suburban areas.

Boring reiterated: "He (JFK) was a very eay-going guy; he didn't
interfere with our actions at all...President Kennedy was very
cooperative with the Secret Service" ["NEVER"; "NOT TRUE"];
ARTHUR GODFREY (interviewed twice by VMP 5/30/96 and 6/7/96;
corresponded 11/24/97): Did JFK ever order the agents around, inc.
having them dismount the rear area of the limo? Art responded: "That's a
bunch of baloney; that's not true. He never ordered us to do anything.
He was a very nice man...cooperative. President Kennedy never asked me
to have my shift leave the limo when we were working it" ["NEVER", "NOT
TRUE", "BALONEY"]; SAM KINNEY ( interviewed by VMP 10/19/92, 3/5/94, 
4/15/94): Same question, as posed to Art above and to all the agents I
interviewed---his response :" That is absolutely, positively false...no,
no, no he (JFK) had nothing to do with that (ordering agents off
limo)...no, never-the AGENTS say, 'o.k., men, fall back on your posts'.
President Kennedy was one of the easiest presidents to ever protect...99
percent of the agents would agree (Sam also told me he was SOLELY
responsible for the bubbletop's removal on 11/22/63 and that JFK had
NOTHING to do with that, as well) ["FALSE"; "NEVER"];
ROBERT LILLEY (interviewed by VMP 9/27/92, 9/21/93, and 6/7/96):
Did JFK ever order the agents to do anything, inc, having them dismount
the rear of the limo? "Oh, I'm sure he didn't. He was very cooperative
with us once he became president. Basically, 'whatever you guys want is
the way it will be'" ["SURE HE DIDN'T"];
DONALD LAWTON (interviewed by VMP 11/15/95; corresponded 11/22/97):
Lawton TOTALLY endorsed his very admired colleague above, Bob Lilley, as
well as Kinney and all the above-mentioned agents:" I didn't hear the
president say it, no. He (JFK) was very personable; warm. Who knows, if
they had left guys on the back of the car (in Dallas)..." ["NO"]
MARTY UNDERWOOD, ROBERT BOUCK, MAURICE MARTINEAU, CECIL STOUGHTON,
ABRAHAM BOLDEN, AND JOHN NORRIS ALSO ENDORSED THE ABOVE-MENTIONED
AGENTS/ COLLEAGUES!

DID O'DONNELL ORDER THE AGENTS TO DO ANYTHING, SECURITY-WISE?
SAM KINNEY: "No; nobody ordered anyone around" ["NO"];
ART GODFREY: "He (O'Donnell) did not order anyone around" ["DID NOT"];
FLOYD BORING: "Not true" {"NOT"]

ALSO, FLOYD BORING WAS IN CHARGE OF ALL OF THE ADVANCE WORK DURING THE
JFK YEARS [BORING ORAL HISTORY, TRUMAN LIBRARY; BORING ORAL HISTORY, JFK

LIBRARY] AND HE WAS IN CHARGE OF PLANNING THE TEXAS TRIP, FROM THE
SECRET SERVICE'S PERSPECTIVE [BISHOP, P. 558; INTERVIEWS WITH BORING AND
KINNEY]

VINCE PALAMARA