(Testimony of Forrest V. Sorrels)
Mr. Stern.
May I see them, please?
Mr. Sorrels.
Yes, sir.
Mr. Stern.
And this covers what you have just been telling us about in connection with the selection of the luncheon site for the President's visit?
Mr. Sorrels.
Yes, sir.
Mr. Stern.
Have you reviewed your memorandum of November 30 recently, Mr. Sorrels, in preparation for your testimony here?
Mr. Sorrels.
Yes, sir.
Mr. Stern.
Is there any respect in which you would like to change anything that is in the memorandum in view of your further consideration of the events described?
Mr. Sorrels.
There is only one point there, about the date that we went by the police station.
Mr. Stern.
Where is that covered in your memorandum?
Mr. Sorrels.
That is in the last paragraph on the first page, where it is stated that on November 15, that we went to the office of the Chief of Police Curry.
I was under the impression that it was possibly the day before. I could be in error on that.
Mr. Stern.
In any event, it was after Mr. Lawson had arrived, and that was on November 13?
Mr. Sorrels.
Yes. I might state here that I had previously received two phone calls from Chief of Police Jesse Curry about the President's trip there. He was, of course, wanting to get the information as soon as possible, so that they could start their preparations. And he actually called me before Mr. Lawson got there, and he called me again after Mr. Lawson had gotten there, before we had gone to see him. And I explained to the chief that, on the first call, there would be someone from the White House detail coming to Dallas, and he requested that I get in touch with him just as soon as he got there.
On the second call, I told him that the man from the White House detail had arrived, but that we were still working on the plans, that it was not definitely known at that time where the luncheon was going to be, and that just as soon as it was determined where the luncheon was going to be, that we would then get in touch with him.
And it was at my suggestion to Mr. Lawson that we go by the Police Department on the first time, because I did not want the chief to feel that we were leaving him out in the dark, so to speak. And, for that reason, I suggested that we go by at the time we did--because, actually, we were still in the process of having these meetings to work out the final plans, and so forth.
Mr. Stern.
That is the visit you refer to in this last paragraph on page 1?
Mr. Sorrels.
That is right.
Mr. Stern.
Your memorandum, Mr. Sorrels, gives me enough information on many of the points we are interested in, and I don't think we have to cover those, unless you would like to add something to them.
I would like to have you tell us about the selection of the motorcade route, what you had to do with that, and what you know of that.
Mr. Sorrels.
After it was determined that there was going to be a motorcade, which was actually after Mr. Lawson got there, we had discussed the ways to get to the Trade Mart, and one of my questions was why don't we bring the President from the Texas Hotel to the Trade Mart by motorcade.
Mr. Stern.
Texas Hotel----
Mr. Sorrels.
In Fort Worth--because I knew we would be able to pick the President up at the Texas Hotel in Fort Worth, and by motor get him to the Trade Mart in a shorter time than it would take him to go from the Texas Hotel to the Air Force Base, and go by plane to Love Field, and from Love Field go to the Trade Mart.
But that was ruled out because the previous plans were that he was to come by plane. And, of course, it would not have been practical to have brought him by motor from Fort Worth if there was going to be a downtown parade, because it would have meant coming in from the west side of the city, and we would have to go right back to the west side of the city to get to the Trade Mart, which would have meant a complete loop through the downtown section.
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