A story about JFK and the safety of the President

[Raven]

When I was in high school John F. Kennedy was elected President of the United States. He and my father had been close friends for years and he asked my Dad to find a site and establish the necessary organization for his Presidential Library. Some time after that, Boston College asked Kennedy to speak at the University's 100th Anniversary celebration. He agreed and wanted to see various sites in Boston that my Dad had picked out for his Library. Weeks before the event, the Secret Service contacted my Dad and they scoped out the various routes the Presidential motorcade could take to and from the event. Kennedy wanted my Father to ride with him from the event back to Logan Airport and, on their way, they would look at the Library sites.

The Secret Service arranged that my Father would present himself to an Agent at the event and would be escourted to the President's limo. This was all top secret and very exciting!

I went to the event with my Dad which was held at the BC football Stadium, and when it ended, he waded through the crowd (with me tagging behind him) looking for an Agent. He found one, identified himself by saying "I'm Edward Hanify and I am supposed to ride with the President". He was not asked for identification and was escourted to the car. The Stadium sits high above the parking lot where the President's limo was parked. I followed my Dad as far as I could and then found myself at a fence looking DOWN at the limo, the President and my Father. The limo was OPEN.

I remember, as a 17 year old kid, looking down on them and thinking to myself, "they could be shot...anyone up here would have a perfect shot".

I think about that day often now and I think about Dallas and the open car. I have to believe that the Secret Service has learned many hard lessons since the 60's and that Barack Obama will be the most carefully protected President in the history of the Country.

Soory for the length of this.

[Captain Hilts]

1. Just as the USN learned how to protect submariners better after THRESHER...

sometimes you learn from your mistakes.

Interesting story!

Go BC!!!