John F Kennedy's Secret Service agent reveals biggest regret and two word message

Clint Hill, 92, inactive thinks astir the time J F Kennedy got shot. The Secret Service cause saved Jacqueline Kennedy's beingness but inactive regrets that helium didn't negociate to halt the President's assassination

At the property of 92, Clint Hill, the Secret Service cause who leapt connected John F Kennedy’s car aft the president was shot, sums up however helium would similar to beryllium remembered, saying: “Two words. I tried.” He continues: “That’s each that needs to beryllium said. I tried.”

Iconic images from the assassination connected November 22, 1963, amusement Clint scrambling connected to the statesmanlike limousine to shield First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy aft her hubby had been changeable by Lee Harvey Oswald.

It was 12 years later, successful 1975, that Clint spoke publically for the archetypal clip astir the assassination, giving an interrogation to Mike Wallace connected the US amusement 60 Minutes, during which helium blamed himself for JFK’s death, saying if helium had acted “five-tenths of a 2nd faster” the president would beryllium alive.

Now, successful a caller podcast titled Secret Service Agent #9 – 60 Minutes: A Second Look, Clint reflects connected the 1975 interrogation and tells however it helped to bring him retired of a acheronian place. I would person conscionable lingered successful a horrible concern and ne'er travel retired of it, probably.

"That was the thing. I didn’t speech to anybody astir the ­situation successful Dallas, different than I testified to the Warren Commission. I gave them the facts. I wrote a connection for the Secret Service. We didn’t sermon it arsenic agents. I ne'er talked to my household astir it.”

On the time of the assassination, Kennedy was successful Dallas for a run travel up of the 1964 election. Clint was connected the moving committee of the follow-up car, down the statesmanlike limo.

As the motorcade entered Dealey Plaza, Clint heard a gunshot and saw the president drawback his throat. Clint sprang from his car and raced toward the limousine. As helium climbed aboard, a slug deed the president’s head.

In a harrowing moment, the First Lady climbed connected to the backmost of the car, and Clint pulled her backmost into the vehicle, utilizing his assemblage arsenic a shield portion the limousine sped to the hospital. Asked if helium inactive blames himself for JFK’s death, Clint says: “Well, possibly determination was thing I could person done. I don’t cognize immoderate more.”

Clint remained assigned to Jackie Kennedy for a twelvemonth but neither of them ever spoke astir her husband’s death. Clint says: “It was hard to walk that twelvemonth aft it happened. No question. We ne'er talked astir it. She ne'er talked astir that astatine all. That happening was avoided and has been avoided by the Kennedy household for years.”

He inactive has not afloat forgiven himself. He says: “My dada drilled into maine that erstwhile you’re fixed an duty to do, you bash it until it’s afloat finished. I had an duty to support the president and Mrs Kennedy alive. I lone kept 1 of them alive. One died connected my watch.”

To perceive to the CBS News Secret Service Agent #9 podcast, spell to https://link.chtbl.com/sVT0RR3d?sid=YT