On Wednesday, Clint Hill, a former Secret Service agent who served five presidents, published a series of tweets describing the timeline of the assassination of John F. Kennedy. Presidential historian, Michael Beschloss, filled in some gaps.
Hill is best remembered for his actions after Lee Harvey Oswald fired upon the presidential motorcade on November 22, 1963.
While standing on the lip of the vehicle driving behind President Kennedy and First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy, Hill heard Oswald’s first gunshot, and saw the president “[grab] at his throat.” Without thinking, he bolted toward the scene. Despite his speed, he was unable to reach the president before the final, fatal shot was fired. Hill then used his body to shield the First Lady in the event of further gunfire.
Hill is, in every sense of the word, a hero. H/T to The Right Scoop for picking up on this story.
More tweets are likely forthcoming, but as of publication, this is where the story ends 54 years ago today.