tc?-- ~\ ~L"- ~/!?
SELECT CO~~ITTEE TO STUDY
GOVE~~ENTAL OPERATIONS "I p,: .: J
WITH RESPECT TO INTELLI
GENCE OPERATIONS . ,
- ., , II,':" j
-------------------------
Re: Charles E. Taylor AFFIDAVIT
I, Charles E. Taylor, being duly sworn, hereby depose,
('")
('")
N and say/:
~ On November 22, 1973, I was assigned to the Washington Field
~ Office of the United States Secret Service. On that date, ASAIC
u
U)
.:x:: Floyd M. Boring of the White House detail, requested assistance
..
C from the Washington Field Office in providing security for the
o
•..-i
+J President's car (lOO-X) and the follow-up car (679-X) on their
()
Q)
r-4 return to Washington, D.C. from Dallas, Texas. The Special Agent
r-4
o
U In Charge of the Washington Field Office, Mr. Harry W. Geiglein,
charged me with the responsibility of providing security on these
vehicles. I was advised by Mr. Geiglein that President John F.
Kennedy occupied the rear seat of SS-lOO-X when he ~s assassinated
and that SS-679-X was directly behind the Presidential limousine
at the time of the assassination. I was also advised that these
two vehicles were driven to Love Field, Dallas, Texas, for
immediate transportation to Andrews Air Force Base, Washington, D.C.
At 8:00 p.m. on November 22, 1963, SS-lOO-X and SS-679-X
arrived at Andrews Air Force Base on Air Force Cargo Plane No.
612373 (C-130-E), which plane was assigned to the 76th Air Transport
Squadron from Charleston Air Force Base and piloted by Captain
Thomason. The plane was taxied to a point just off of Runway 1028,
approximately 100 yards from the Control Tower at Andrews AFB, and
a security cordon was placed around the aircraft while these
vehicles were being unloaded.
On the plane accompanying these vehicles were.~~~ci~l Ag~nts Jr
'II ~ ,~\')\j~ v*'\'"\--- ~~
Kinney and Hickey. '" I.J'. \ Cl 1\'\.\
I.'u:J.,....... l -~, ~
' : ) J \.J'
.--J
;-~ .IL n/
1\
\;V' .,'-,'lJ\l,,,"J..I
-2
The Presidential vehicles were driven under escort to the
White House Garage at 22nd and M Streets, N.W., Washington, D.C.,
arriving at approximately 9:00 p.m. SS-lOO-X was driven by SA
Kinney. accompanied by me, and SS-679-X was driven by SA Hickey,
accompanied by Special Agents Keiser and Brett.
During the trip from Andrews Air Force Base to the White
House Garage, I noted what appeared to be a hole in the windshield
of SS-lOO-X. However, I never examined this apparent hole to
determine if there had been any penetration of the glass, nor did
~
........
I even get a good look at the windshield in well-lighted surroundings .
~ On arrival, SS-lOO-X was backed into the designated parking
()
U')
::t: bin and SS-679-X, was locked and secured. Special Agents Keiser,
..
I::: Brett, and the reporting Special Agent effected security, assisted by
o
.,-4
+.J White House Policernent Synder and Rubenstal.
oQ)
......
...... Since my responsibilities were strictly confined to the security
o
()
aspects of the operations I was not involved in any phase of the
examination of the Presidential. limousine. The following are a
result of personal observation and discussion with those more
directly involved in the actual examination of the vehicle on the
evening of November 22 and early morning of November 23, 1963.
At 10:10 p.m .. Deputy Chief Paterni, ASAIC Boring, and
representatives from Dr. Burkley's office at the White House,
William Martinell and Thomas Mills, inspected 55-100-X.
At 12:01 a.m., November 23, 1963, the security detail was
relieved by Special Agents Paraschos and Kennedy and wnite House
Policeman J. W. Edwards.
At 1:00 a,m., as per arrangements by Deputy Chief Paterni, a
team of FBI Agents examined the Presidential limousi~~. This teao
was comprised of Orrin H. Bartlett, Charles L. Killian, Cortlandt
Cunningham, Rebert A. Frazer, and Walter E. Frazer.
Hr. Orrin Bartlett drove the Pres idential vehicle out of the . '(0(
bin. The team of FBI Agents, assisted by the Secret
r(
Service Agents-t\Y
':0,\-. 'J
on duty, removed the lea theret te convertible top and the plexi- (\ \'.~A ).~
, \:." - ~~l
-J
glass bubbletop; also, the molding strips that secure the floor
matting, and the rear seat. What appeared to be bullet fragments
were removed from the windshield and the floor rug in the rear
of the car.
The two blankets on the left and right rear doors were
removed, ~nspected, and returned to the vehicle. The trunk of the
vehicle was opened and the contents examined, and nothing was
("')
("') removed. An examination was made of the back seat of the car and
N
the floor rug, and no evidence was found. In addition, the agents
~
removed what appeared to be bullet fragments from what I then
~
U
til thought was a hole in the windshield. The team of agents also
::r::
noted that the chrome molding strip above the windshield, inside
~
o
.~
the car, just right of center, was dented. The FBI Agents stated
+J
U
Q)
r-l
that this dent was made by the bullet fragment which was found
r-l
o imbedded in the front cushion.
U
During the course of this examination, a number of photos
were taken by this search team. They concluded their examination
at 4:30 a.m. and the car was reassembled and put back in the
storage bin.
At 8:00 a.m. on November 23, the security detail was relieved
by Special Agents Hancock and Davis and White House Policeman
J. C. Rowe. SA Gonzalez relieved SA Hancock at noon and at 4:00
p.m., Messrs. Fox and Norton, Protective Research Section, photo
graphed the Presidential limousine. At 4:30 p.m., SA Gonzalez
contacted SAIC Bouck and Deputy Chief Paterni and, at their request,
the flowers, torn pieces of paper, and other miscellaneous debris
were removed from the floor of the rear of the car (58-lOa-X) and
taken to the Wa~hington Field Office. At that time, the special
detail securing the Presidential limousine and the follow-up car
. '0!
\\~'\\vk
was discontinued.
ItDV''/-,\\'
.' , ,AJ Y/'
\f\\l \l \~0-'~)-\~";'
\ " ~ ~., '-, 0,c,l ..;
\"\
"
' ' \ 1,,'-
~
l'.r
'\;\., '\
'r
-4
In my contemporaneous report dated November 27, 1963, on the
measures taken to effect security of the Presidential limousine
SS-lOO-X and the follow-up car 679-X, I referred to a "hole" in
the windshield from which what appeared to be bullet fragments
were removed. However, it was not until December 19, 1975, at the
National Archives that I ever exa~ined the windshield -- or even
C""l got a close look in well-lit conditions.
C""l
The windshield I examined at the Archives had several large
~
p::
cracks extending the height and width of the glass. There was
~
C)
U)
also a circle marked in red wax pencil which enclosed a portion of
.:r:
the windshield. This circle contained cracks emanating from a
focal point. To the best of my recollection -- as aided by
contemporaneous FBI photographs of the windshield shown to me by
members of the Senate Committee~ I have no doubt that the cracks
contained in the circle -- cracks in the inner layers of the glass
only, are the ones I noticed on the trip from Andrews Air Force
I Base (AAFB) described above. It is clear to me that my use of the
I word "hole" to describe the flaw in the windshield was incorrect.
I also wish to state at this time that I have never seen nor
have any firsthand knowledge that the photographs which I referred
to in my contemporaneous report were, in fact, color photographs.
Other than the two points which I have clarified above, my
report dated 11/27/63 is true and accurate to the best of my
knu-... [Link].
Signed: Cka.. fe.s E: .1Q {or, J(.
1 I
Sworn before me this the Id.- +t... day of MQJrc..l~ , 1976.
,Jus. Lo,~ c.o~J.t A)c>+a. r<0[' ~
1