Next month marks the 61st anniversary of John F. Kennedy’s assassination in Dallas, Texas, and one of the last surviving witnesses is Clint Hill, a former Secret Service agent who was on duty that day.
Lingered for Six Decades
Now 92 years old, Hill recently shared his reflections in a podcast titled Secret Service Agent #9 – 60 Minutes: A Second Look, breaking a silence he maintained since a 1975 interview on 60 Minutes, according to 20minutos.
During that original interview, Hill expressed profound guilt, claiming that if he had acted “five-tenths of a second faster,” he could have saved Kennedy. Now, he reflects on how this guilt has lingered for more than six decades.
Hill was positioned on the running board of the car directly behind Kennedy’s limousine as the motorcade moved through Dealey Plaza on November 22, 1963.
When Hill heard the first gunshot and saw Kennedy clutch his throat, he immediately jumped from his vehicle and sprinted toward the president’s car. Tragically, a second shot struck Kennedy in the head just moments later.
Continued With Secret Service
In his reflections, Hill recounted how Jackie Kennedy climbed into the back seat to be with her husband, and he shielded her with his body as the limousine rushed to the hospital.
Even though he was able to protect the First Lady, Hill has never forgiven himself for failing to save the president. He said, “I had a job to do, and I only saved one of them.”
After the assassination, Hill continued to serve in the Secret Service, remaining with Jackie Kennedy for a year.
He noted that they never discussed the tragedy, which cast a long shadow over both their lives.
“It was tough going through that year,” Hill reflected. “We never talked about it. It was avoided by the Kennedy family for years.”
