Authors of 'The Kennedy Detail'

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>>> white house press secretary, malcolm guida, has just announced that president kennedy died at approximately 1:00 central standard time, about 35 minutes ago after being shot by an unknown assailant during a motorcade drive through downtown dallas.

>> it was 47 years ago today. nbc news man, frank mcgee, relaying the news to the nation as robin mckneel, then of nbc, reported from the hospital in dallas. now, the secret service agents that were there on that tragic day, are providing new insights about what happened. in a new book called "the kennedy detail." jerry blaine is the author. kent hill served on jacqueline kennedy's detail and is former director of the secret service. it is an honor to see you. this is a day burned in the memory of all of us who were alive in those days. first of all, to you, jerry, what are you reporting in the book that you think people would learn something knew about the assassination and what happened in dallas and after dallas.

>> the primary motive was to set the record straight. it seems like history has been run away with on the part of what i call a cottage industry, of conspiracy theory. when the conspiracies reached the point where they were accusing our fellow agents of being part of a conspiracy or shotting the president, we shotting -- shooting the president, with he decided there are not that many of us left and those that are left are getting elderly and we felt it was time to speak out now.

>> clint hill, you were there in that famous picture. you were climbing in the video and in the film as well. you were climbing on to the back of the car and can you tell us more about the emotions as you were responding to this crisis?

>> it was strictly a reaction, rather than emotion. i was trying to get there in time to get up on top of the car to provide cover for both president and mrs. kennedy so that no additional shots could be taken but unfortunately, i got there a little bit too late. i didn't realize until i got up on top of the car and got mrs. kennedy back in the seat and the president fell into her lap how extremely serious the situation was. then, it became somewhat emotional and they notified the follow-up car crew with a thumb's down sign that we were in a dire situation.

>> when you were interviewed by mike wallace back in 1975, i was just reading a transcript to have. it was quite a memorable interview. he asked you, surely, you don't feel any guilt about that? you said, i certainly do. i have a great deal of guilt about that. had i turned in a different dre direction, i would have had it. it's my fault. you said you would have preferred to take the bullet from him.

>> in looking back, you realize there is nothing you could have done to feel this horror from happening?

>> i still feel a sense of responsibility, because i was the only agent that had an opportunity to do anything. none of the other agents in the follow-up car were in a position to see exactly what happened or to respond in any manner. so i feel responsible for not being able to get there in time and fulfill our responsibility and protect the president.

>> there are new details. immediately, of course, you were transferred over or the detail was transferred to protect lyndon johnson. what happened the first night or the second time when you were at the lbj house and weren't as used to his habits?

>> well, i came back from austin where the president was going to be that night. i hadn't slept in about 40 hours. we were concerned, because we didn't know whether it was a conspiracy or not. so the kennedy detail agents manned the elm's residence, which was vice president johnson and now president johnson's residence. when president kennedy would go outside, he would notify the command post. we had a regular procedure for keeping track of where he was. vice president johnson hoenl a couple of agents with him. so when he would go outdoors, he would have one of the agents inside and the other agent outside. so that was no problem. well, he decided to go for a walk, i guess, about 2:15 in the morning. i heard the noise coming around from the wrong direction and i picked up a thompson submachine gun and activated it and put it to my shoulder and had my finger on the trigger. all of the sudden, around the house came a profile i recognized. he stopped in his tracks. i swear he turned white in the darkness of night. walked into the house. after he left, i unloaded that gun and put it as far away from me as i possibly could and i had nightmares for weeks about that.

>> it's an extraordinary story. clint hill, before i let you go, the ride back, that very, very rapid ride back to love field, were you still with mrs. kennedy then and for the swearing in that took place on the old air force one, 26,000.

>> yes. on the ride back, we went to love field. mrs. kennedy, admiral berkley and myself rode in the back of the hearst with the casket containing the president's body. i rode on air force one with mrs. kennedy back from love field to andrews air force base in maryland.

>> did you ever see, by the way, the movie "in the line of fire" with clint eastwood portraying a former secret service the portrayal was of another agent that was working the opposite side from where i was working.

>> and your reaction to that fictional portrayal?

>> just you said it, it was fictional. it was a story made up about the possibility of how agents would act under certain conditions. not much fact in it.

>> well, we know how the two of you acted under all conditions. and what service the see secrcret service provides. thanks for sharing your thoughts