HURCHEL JACKS

STATEMENT OF HURCHEL JACKS, TEXAS HIGHWAY PATROLMAN, MADE ON NOVEMBER 28, 1963.

My name is Hurchel Jacks, Texas State Highway Patrolman. I was assigned on November 22, 1963, to drive the Vice President Lyndon Johnson in the Motorcade from the Airport to the Trade Mart through downtown Dallas. Just prior to turning off of Main onto Houston, I noticed it was approximately twenty eight minutes past 12 noon. We just turned from Main onto Houston, drove one block, and turned left. My car had just straightened up from making the left turn. I was looking directly at the President's car at that time. At that time I heard a shot ring out which appeared to come from the right rear of the Vice President's car. Mr. Rufus Youngblood, the Secret Service Agent riding in my car asked me what that was and at the name time he advised the Vice President and Mrs. Johnson to get down. He climbed to the rear of the seat with the Vice President and appeared to be shielding the Vice President with his own body. At that time I heard two more shots ring out. At that time he told me to get out of there as fast as possible. I moved my car up directly behind the Secret Service car following the President. We turned onto Stemmons Expressway and proceeded north. Mr Youngblood asked if I could see anybody in the President's car. I told him I could not but that they may be down using protective measures. We drove at a high rate of speed and exited at Wycliff exit off Stemons Expressway. We turned right on Industrial Boulevard. Mr. Yougblood then asked me how far it was to the Trade Mart. I told him that we weren't going to the Trade Mart, that we had already passed the Trade Mart. We turned left onto Harry Hines and he asked if I knew where we might be going. I told him at that time we were turning left into Parkland Hospital. I told him that somebody must have been hit because we were heading for the hospital.

We drove to the emergency entrance of Parkland Memorial Hospital. The President's car was stopped in the ambulance parking place. At that time I saw that the Vice President, Mrs. Johnson and Senator Yarbrough was out of my car and safely in the hospital. I went back to the President's car to see if I might assist. At that time the Secret Service Agents were removing Governor Connally from the jump seat. I could see that Governor Connally had been hit just below the right shoulder blade in the back. They removed Governor Connally, then picked Mrs. Kennedy from over the President's body. At that time one of the Secret Service Agents said he has been hit, put your coat over him. One of the Agents removed his suit coat and spread it over the President's body from his chest up.

Before the President' a body was covered it appeared that the bullet had struck him above the right ear or near the temple. They removed his body at that time. Reporters began to arrive. We were assigned by the Secret Service to prevent any pictures of any nature to be taken of the President's car or the inside.
 

Hurchel W Jacks [s]
Hurchel Jacks

Thomas J. Kelley [s]
Witness