reply to post by KilgoreTrout
Howdy KilgoreTrout,
The Secret Service "drinking incident" is fully covered on pages 246-249 in my book Crossfire. But allow me to clarify some points for you. The
incident took place in Fort Worth the night before the assassination. The Dallas motorcade was the second motorcade of Nov. 22, 1963. The first was
that morning when the Kennedys were driven in a motorcade from the Hotel Texas in downtown Fort Worth to Carswell AFB, where they boarded Air Force
One for the short hop to Dallas' Love Field, where it landed about 11:45 a.m..
So it was the Fort Worth Press Club involved. As you noted, I once was president of the Fort Worth Press Club and you are correct in stating that this
whole affair was "swept under the carpet," with the argument that losing the president was punishment enough for the SS men involved. I could tell
you much detail about this incident but here is neither the time nor place. I will just say that although Pat Kirkwood's Cellar technically did not
serve alcohol, any one who was any one could get a gratis alcoholic drink. I know because I did. Also, the agents who were to protect JFK the next day
did not "party." They simply sat by themselves drinking heavily and talking quietly amongst themselves. Their actions have been described as
commandos bracing themselves for the next day's op. And it is true that when the shots rang out in Dealey Plaza, only SS Agent Clint Hill reacted.
Hill was not at the Cellar nor was he originally supposed to be on the JFK tour. He was assigned to Jackie Kennedy and was brought along at the last
minute due to her insistence.
Jim Marrs


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