Who Said What?
"Oh, my God, I've been shot!"
or "Oh, my God, he's been shot!"
"Oh, my God, I've been shot!"
or "Oh, my God, he's been shot!"
One of the arguments that Kennedy had not been mortally wounded with the first shot was that Roy Kellerman told the Warren Commission that he "firmly believed" the President had said, "Oh, my God, I've been hit!" If the President had spoken, he was not injured to the point where he was unable to speak.
But did Kellerman really hear the President say anything?
Or did someone other than the President said, "Oh, my God, he's been shot!"
Sections:
But did Kellerman really hear the President say anything?
Or did someone other than the President said, "Oh, my God, he's been shot!"
Sections:
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Mr. KELLERMAN. As we turned off Houston onto Elm and made the short little dip to the left going down grade, as I said, we were away from buildings, and were there was a sign on the side of the road which I don't recall what it was or what it said, but we no more than passed that and you are out in the open, and there is a report like a firecracker, pop. And I turned my head to the right because whatever this noise was I was sure that it came from the right and perhaps into the rear, and as I turned my head to the right to view whatever it was or see whatever it was, I heard a voice from the back seat and I firmly believe it was the President's, "My God, I am hit," and I turned around and he has got his hands up here like this.
Mr. SPECTER. Indicating right hand up toward his neck?
Mr. KELLERMAN. That is right, sir. In fact, both hands were up in that direction.
Senator COOPER. Which side of his neck?
Mr. KELLERMAN. Beg pardon?
Senator COOPER. Which side of his neck?
Mr. KELLERMAN. Both hands were up, sir; this one is like this here and here we are with the hands--
Mr. SPECTER. Indicating the left hand is up above the head.
Mr. KELLERMAN. In the collar section.
Mr. SPECTER. As you are positioning yourself in the witness chair, your right hand is up with the finger at the ear level as if clutching from the right of the head; would that be an accurate description of the position you pictured there?
Mr. KELLERMAN. Yes. Good. There was enough for me to verify that the man was hit. So, in the same motion I come right back and grabbed the speaker and said to the driver, "Let's get out of here; we are hit," and grabbed the mike and I said, "Lawson, this is Kellerman,"--this is Lawson, who is in the front car. "We are hit; get us to the hospital immediately." Now, in the seconds that I talked just now, a flurry of shells come into the car. I then looked back and this time Mr. Hill, who was riding on the left front bumper of our followup car, was on the back trunk of that car; the President was sideways down into. the back seat.
...
Mr. SPECTER. With relationship to that first noise that you have described, when did you hear the voice?
Mr. KELLERMAN. His voice?
Mr. SPECTER. We will start with his voice.
Mr. KELLERMAN. Ok. From the noise of which I was in the process of turning to determine where it was or what it was, it carried on right then. Why I am so positive, gentlemen, that it was his voice there is only one man in that back seat that was from Boston, and the accents carried very clearly.
Mr. SPECTER. Well, had you become familiar with the President's voice prior to that day?
Mr. KELLERMAN. Yes; very much so.
Mr. SPECTER. And what was the basis for your becoming familiar with his voice prior to that day?
Mr. KELLERMAN. I had been with him for 3 years.
Mr. SPECTER. And had you talked with him on a very frequent basis during the course of that association?
Mr. KELLERMAN. He was a very free man to talk to; yes. He knew most all the men, most everybody who worked in the White House as well as everywhere, and he would call you.
Mr. SPECTER. And from your experience would you say that you could recognize the voice?
Mr. KELLERMAN. Very much, sir; I would.
...
Mr. SPECTER. Now, did President Kennedy say anything beside, "My God, I am hit."
Mr. KELLERMAN. That is the last words he said, sir.
Mr. SPECTER. Did Mrs. Kennedy say anything at that specific time?
Mr. KELLERMAN. Mr. Specter, there was an awful lot of confusion in that back seat. She did a lot of talking which I can't recall all the phrases.
Mr. SPECTER. Well, pinpoint--
Mr. KELLERMAN. But after the flurry of shots, I recall her saying, "What are they doing to you?" Now again, of course, my comparison of the voice of her speech--certainly, I have heard it many times, and in the car there was conversation she was carrying on through shock, I am sure.
Mr. SPECTER. Well, going back to the precise time that you heard the President say, "My God, I am hit," do you recollect whether she said anything at that time?
Mr. KELLERMAN. No.
Mr. SPECTER. Whether or not you can re-create what she said?
Mr. KELLERMAN. Not that I can recall right then sir. This statement, or whatever she said, happened after all the shooting was over.
Mr. SPECTER. Indicating right hand up toward his neck?
Mr. KELLERMAN. That is right, sir. In fact, both hands were up in that direction.
Senator COOPER. Which side of his neck?
Mr. KELLERMAN. Beg pardon?
Senator COOPER. Which side of his neck?
Mr. KELLERMAN. Both hands were up, sir; this one is like this here and here we are with the hands--
Mr. SPECTER. Indicating the left hand is up above the head.
Mr. KELLERMAN. In the collar section.
Mr. SPECTER. As you are positioning yourself in the witness chair, your right hand is up with the finger at the ear level as if clutching from the right of the head; would that be an accurate description of the position you pictured there?
Mr. KELLERMAN. Yes. Good. There was enough for me to verify that the man was hit. So, in the same motion I come right back and grabbed the speaker and said to the driver, "Let's get out of here; we are hit," and grabbed the mike and I said, "Lawson, this is Kellerman,"--this is Lawson, who is in the front car. "We are hit; get us to the hospital immediately." Now, in the seconds that I talked just now, a flurry of shells come into the car. I then looked back and this time Mr. Hill, who was riding on the left front bumper of our followup car, was on the back trunk of that car; the President was sideways down into. the back seat.
...
Mr. SPECTER. With relationship to that first noise that you have described, when did you hear the voice?
Mr. KELLERMAN. His voice?
Mr. SPECTER. We will start with his voice.
Mr. KELLERMAN. Ok. From the noise of which I was in the process of turning to determine where it was or what it was, it carried on right then. Why I am so positive, gentlemen, that it was his voice there is only one man in that back seat that was from Boston, and the accents carried very clearly.
Mr. SPECTER. Well, had you become familiar with the President's voice prior to that day?
Mr. KELLERMAN. Yes; very much so.
Mr. SPECTER. And what was the basis for your becoming familiar with his voice prior to that day?
Mr. KELLERMAN. I had been with him for 3 years.
Mr. SPECTER. And had you talked with him on a very frequent basis during the course of that association?
Mr. KELLERMAN. He was a very free man to talk to; yes. He knew most all the men, most everybody who worked in the White House as well as everywhere, and he would call you.
Mr. SPECTER. And from your experience would you say that you could recognize the voice?
Mr. KELLERMAN. Very much, sir; I would.
...
Mr. SPECTER. Now, did President Kennedy say anything beside, "My God, I am hit."
Mr. KELLERMAN. That is the last words he said, sir.
Mr. SPECTER. Did Mrs. Kennedy say anything at that specific time?
Mr. KELLERMAN. Mr. Specter, there was an awful lot of confusion in that back seat. She did a lot of talking which I can't recall all the phrases.
Mr. SPECTER. Well, pinpoint--
Mr. KELLERMAN. But after the flurry of shots, I recall her saying, "What are they doing to you?" Now again, of course, my comparison of the voice of her speech--certainly, I have heard it many times, and in the car there was conversation she was carrying on through shock, I am sure.
Mr. SPECTER. Well, going back to the precise time that you heard the President say, "My God, I am hit," do you recollect whether she said anything at that time?
Mr. KELLERMAN. No.
Mr. SPECTER. Whether or not you can re-create what she said?
Mr. KELLERMAN. Not that I can recall right then sir. This statement, or whatever she said, happened after all the shooting was over.
This testimony has led some, including Howard Donahue and Doug Max Stone, to assume that because Kennedy "spoke" after the first shot, he was not yet grievously wounded.
But note how Specter asks whether Mrs. Kennedy spoke "at that specific time,, and if Kellerman could "re-create what she said," and he could not. Notice how much time Specter spends with Kellerman on the voice that Kellerman heard, as if Specter knew something that Kellerman didn't, and that it was the "Boston accent" that "carried so well" that convinced Kellerman it was the "President's" voice he heard.
Something similar, about Kellerman reporting, "My God I've been hit!" and the questioned reaction to it, can be found in Francis O'Neill, Jr.'s book, A Fox Among Wolves:
But note how Specter asks whether Mrs. Kennedy spoke "at that specific time,, and if Kellerman could "re-create what she said," and he could not. Notice how much time Specter spends with Kellerman on the voice that Kellerman heard, as if Specter knew something that Kellerman didn't, and that it was the "Boston accent" that "carried so well" that convinced Kellerman it was the "President's" voice he heard.
Something similar, about Kellerman reporting, "My God I've been hit!" and the questioned reaction to it, can be found in Francis O'Neill, Jr.'s book, A Fox Among Wolves:
Kellerman insisted that there were three shots, and only three shots. Right after the first shot, Kellerman said he heard the President cry out, "My God I've been hit!" I asked him how he could be so sure it was the President speaking. Kellerman answered, "Frank, there was only one man in the back seat that spoke with a Boston accent, and that man was Jack Kennedy." He said he had known Kennedy for three years of daily contact, and knew him to be a fun-loving, sociable, gregarious person with his Secret Service agents. All of the agents on the White House detail readily recognized Kennedy's voice. There was not the slightest doubt in Kellerman's mind that he had heard the President speak. (pp. 18-19)
This exchange shows that O'Neill seemed to have some doubt about Kennedy saying "My God, I've been hit!" because O'Neill asked him how he could be so sure it was the President speaking. And Kellerman's conviction that it was the President who said that was based on the fact that "there was only one man in the back seat that spoke with a Boston accent, and that man was Jack Kennedy."
Well, Kennedy may have been the only "man" in the car who had a Boston accent, but he wasn't the only person who had a Boston accent.
Despite Kellerman's "firm belief" that the voice he heard belonged to the President, a belief based mainly on the "Boston accent," I contend that the truth is, Kennedy did not speak after the first shot.
I contend that Kennedy said nothing, and that the words Kellerman heard were spoken by another occupant of the car, someone else who had a "Boston accent," someone who said that "he" had been shot, not Kennedy himself saying that "I" had been shot.
Before I get into exactly who said what, let's look at what some of the other occupants of the car, the Connally's, said about Kennedy "speaking."
Well, Kennedy may have been the only "man" in the car who had a Boston accent, but he wasn't the only person who had a Boston accent.
Despite Kellerman's "firm belief" that the voice he heard belonged to the President, a belief based mainly on the "Boston accent," I contend that the truth is, Kennedy did not speak after the first shot.
I contend that Kennedy said nothing, and that the words Kellerman heard were spoken by another occupant of the car, someone else who had a "Boston accent," someone who said that "he" had been shot, not Kennedy himself saying that "I" had been shot.
Before I get into exactly who said what, let's look at what some of the other occupants of the car, the Connally's, said about Kennedy "speaking."
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JFK Didn't Speak--The Connally's
The Connally's were in the same car as the President and First Lady. In fact, they were even physically closer to the Kennedy's than Kellerman (in the front row) was. Both of the Connally's commented on whether or not Kennedy spoke after the first shot, and both of them said he had not.
From his hospital bed, John Connally gave a press interview on November 27, 1963. In that interview, the Governor said, "The President had slumped. He had said nothing."
The Connally's were in the same car as the President and First Lady. In fact, they were even physically closer to the Kennedy's than Kellerman (in the front row) was. Both of the Connally's commented on whether or not Kennedy spoke after the first shot, and both of them said he had not.
From his hospital bed, John Connally gave a press interview on November 27, 1963. In that interview, the Governor said, "The President had slumped. He had said nothing."
Neither the Governor nor Nellie Connally mentioned the "I've been hit" or "He's been shot" utterance in their Warren Commission testimonies, nor were they asked, and the Governor did not specifically testify to the Commission that the President said nothing, but Nellie Connally did testify to the Commission that the President "made no utterance, no cry." From her Warren Commission testimony:
Mrs. CONNALLY. In fact the receptions had been. so good every place that I had showed much restraint by not mentioning something about it before.
I could resist no longer. When we got past this area I did turn to the President and said, "Mr. President, you can't say Dallas doesn't love you." Then I don't know how soon, it seems to me it was very soon, that I heard a noise, and not being an expert rifleman, I was not aware that it was a rifle. It was just a frightening noise, and it came from the right. I turned over my right shoulder and looked back, and saw the President as he had both hands at his neck.
Mr. SPECTER. And you are indicating with your own hands, two hands crossing over gripping your own neck?
Mrs. CONNALLY. Yes; and it seemed to me there was--he made no utterance, no cry. I saw no blood, no anything. It was just sort of nothing, the expression on his face, and he just sort of slumped down. Then very soon there was the second shot that hit John. As the first shot was hit, and I turned to look at the same time, I recall John saying, "Oh, no, no, no." Then there was a second shot, and it hit John, and as he recoiled to the right, just crumpled like a wounded animal to the right, he said, "My God, they are going to kill us all." I never again----
I could resist no longer. When we got past this area I did turn to the President and said, "Mr. President, you can't say Dallas doesn't love you." Then I don't know how soon, it seems to me it was very soon, that I heard a noise, and not being an expert rifleman, I was not aware that it was a rifle. It was just a frightening noise, and it came from the right. I turned over my right shoulder and looked back, and saw the President as he had both hands at his neck.
Mr. SPECTER. And you are indicating with your own hands, two hands crossing over gripping your own neck?
Mrs. CONNALLY. Yes; and it seemed to me there was--he made no utterance, no cry. I saw no blood, no anything. It was just sort of nothing, the expression on his face, and he just sort of slumped down. Then very soon there was the second shot that hit John. As the first shot was hit, and I turned to look at the same time, I recall John saying, "Oh, no, no, no." Then there was a second shot, and it hit John, and as he recoiled to the right, just crumpled like a wounded animal to the right, he said, "My God, they are going to kill us all." I never again----
To the HSCA, Nellie Connally testified that, "He said nothing. He just sort of slumped down in the seat":
Mrs. CONNALLY. I heard--you know how we were seated in the car, the President and Mrs. Kennedy, John was in front of the President and I was seated in front of Mrs. Kennedy--I heard a noise that I didn't think of as a gunshot. I just heard a disturbing noise and turned to my right from where I thought the noise had come and looked in the back and saw the President clutch his neck with both hands. He said nothing. He just sort of slumped down in the seat.
Nellie Connally maintained that the President didn't speak in later interviews, such as this one, where she said, "And I turned, and I saw the President clutch his throat with both hands and just sink down in the chair. He didn't say a word."
Both of the Connally's, who were immediately ahead of the Kennedy's in the car, said things like, the President had "said nothing," or "made no utterance, no cry," or "didn't say a word."
So if the President didn't say anything like that, did anybody in the car say it?
Well, yes, there is an eyewitness account or two that someone in the car said "Oh, my God, he's been shot!"
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Jean Hill
In her same day Sherriff's Department report, Jean Hill said that Jackie "fell across his back and said 'My God he has been shot":
In her same day Sherriff's Department report, Jean Hill said that Jackie "fell across his back and said 'My God he has been shot":
Just as the president looked up toward us two shots rang out and I saw the President grab his chest and fall forward across Jackies [sic] lap and she fell across his back and said "My God he has been shot". Three was an instant pause between the first two shots and the motorcade seemingly halted for an instant and three or four more shots rang out and the motorcade sped away. I thought I saw some men in plain clothes shooting back but everything was such a blur and Mary was pulling on my leg saying "Get down thery [sic] are shooting".
Jean Hill's same-day Sheriff Department affidavit, from https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth340264/
As it turns out, Jean Hill was not the only bystander who heard Jackie say "My God, he has been shot!" Her friend, who was standing right next to her, heard it also.
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Mary Moorman
Mary Moorman gave an "Antique Mall" interview that is no longer available online, but I fortunately downloaded a couple of clips from it before the video disappeared. This one occurs in Part 3 of my documentary series, near the end of the episode:
Mary Moorman gave an "Antique Mall" interview that is no longer available online, but I fortunately downloaded a couple of clips from it before the video disappeared. This one occurs in Part 3 of my documentary series, near the end of the episode:
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Jacqueline Kennedy's Warren Commission Testimony
Indeed, if we look at Jacqueline Kennedy's Warren Commission testimony, find something along the lines of "Oh, my God! he's been shot!". Despite the terror she must have been feeling at the time, she was able to recall "my husband never made any sound" and herself saying something like, "Oh, my God, they have shot my husband."
Indeed, if we look at Jacqueline Kennedy's Warren Commission testimony, find something along the lines of "Oh, my God! he's been shot!". Despite the terror she must have been feeling at the time, she was able to recall "my husband never made any sound" and herself saying something like, "Oh, my God, they have shot my husband."
Mrs. KENNEDY. No; I was looking this way, to the left, and I heard these terrible noises. You know. And my husband never made any sound. So I turned to the right. And all I remember is seeing my husband, he had this sort of quizzical look on his face, and his hand was up, it must have been his left hand. And just as I turned and looked at him, I could see a piece of his skull and I remember it was flesh colored. I remember thinking he just looked as if he had a slight headache. And I just remember seeing that. No blood or anything. And then he sort of did this [indicating], put his hand to his forehead and fell in my lap. And then I just remember falling on him and saying, "Oh, no, no, no," I mean, "Oh, my God, they have shot my husband." And "I love you, Jack," I remember I was shouting. And just being down in the car with his head in my lap. And it just seemed an eternity.
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Putting It Together
So we've got two people who were in the car who were physically closer to the President than Roy Kellerman saying that the President said nothing after he was shot for the first time. And we have two Dealey Plaza witnesses, Mary Moorman and Jean Hill, saying that the First Lady cried out, "Oh, my God, he's been shot!" And then we have Jacqueline Kennedy herself testifying that she herself had said along the lines of "Oh, my God, they have shot my husband."
The exact words are not as important as the gist, but since there are two people who said the utterance was "Oh, my God, he's been shot!" (with or without the contraction for "he has"), I'll go with that one.
More importantly, there are five people to one against Kellerman actually hearing the utterance from President Kennedy: two who said that Kennedy "said nothing," and three who heard Jackie say something along the lines of her husband being shot.
So I think Kellerman was just confused by the "Boston accent" and thought that the President himself had exclaimed he'd been shot, when actually it was the First Lady, who also spoke with a Boston accent, who exclaimed that her husband had been shot!
I further contend that Kennedy "said nothing" because he had been hit in the head with the first shot. The accounts going against Kellerman "belief," no matter how strong, are further evidence that Kennedy was in a severely injured condition after the first shot.
So we've got two people who were in the car who were physically closer to the President than Roy Kellerman saying that the President said nothing after he was shot for the first time. And we have two Dealey Plaza witnesses, Mary Moorman and Jean Hill, saying that the First Lady cried out, "Oh, my God, he's been shot!" And then we have Jacqueline Kennedy herself testifying that she herself had said along the lines of "Oh, my God, they have shot my husband."
The exact words are not as important as the gist, but since there are two people who said the utterance was "Oh, my God, he's been shot!" (with or without the contraction for "he has"), I'll go with that one.
More importantly, there are five people to one against Kellerman actually hearing the utterance from President Kennedy: two who said that Kennedy "said nothing," and three who heard Jackie say something along the lines of her husband being shot.
So I think Kellerman was just confused by the "Boston accent" and thought that the President himself had exclaimed he'd been shot, when actually it was the First Lady, who also spoke with a Boston accent, who exclaimed that her husband had been shot!
I further contend that Kennedy "said nothing" because he had been hit in the head with the first shot. The accounts going against Kellerman "belief," no matter how strong, are further evidence that Kennedy was in a severely injured condition after the first shot.