President Kennedy's Secret Service Detail- the JFK years: 2019

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Secret Service agent Winston Lawson has passed away 11/7/19

I spoke to Lawson in 1992 and corresponded with him a few times in 2003. He was the lead advance agent for the Dallas trip (Clint Hill's brother in law, David Grant, was his assistant). Lawson told me that it never came to his attention that President Kennedy ever requested that the agents not ride on the rear of the limousine. Lawson was responsible for the limited number of motorcycles next to JFK's limousine.

With Lawson's passing, that leaves just Clint Hill and Paul Landis alive representing agents in the motorcade.

Agents Walt Coughlin, Ron Pontius, Gerald Blaine, Robert Burke, Bill Duncan and Ken Giannoules are still alive (they were on other parts of the Texas trip).

https://www.legacy.com/amp/obituaries/pilotonline/194399504

Winston G. Lawson, 91, of Virginia Beach died Thursday at Lake Taylor Transitional Hospital in Norfolk. He was born in western New York to Cecile Lawson (nee Post) and Merle Lawson. After graduating from high school in Buffalo he headed at age 16 to the University of Buffalo, graduating in 4 years with a History and Government degree. While at UB he met Barbara Barrett, who was the younger sister of his fraternity brother. They married in 1950. During the Korean War he served in Army Counterintelligence. After the war he used that experience to join the United States Secret Service where he served under 7 Presidents from Eisenhower to Reagan. Some of his favorite memories are from his time guarding Vice Presidents Humphrey and Agnew. After a long and distinguished career in which he rose to Acting Assistant Director he retired and went on to serve another 10 years with the intelligence community. Following that career he worked for Reverends Billy and Franklin Graham doing security around the world. In addition to his careers of service he volunteered for numerous organizations like Meals on Wheels, Francis Asbury United Methodist Church, Association of Former Agents of the United States Secret Service, Samaritans Purse, and others. He is survived by his wife of 69 years, Barbara; daughter, Andrea (Don); son, Jeff (Denise); brother, Merlin (Nina); grandchildren, Matthew, Reid, Rhianna, Riley, Matt S., Emma, and Brandon, and several beloved nieces and nephews.

Thursday, August 29, 2019

Secret Service agent Ernest "Ernie" Olsson, Jr.- passed away 7/1/2019 + Secret Service agent Larry Newman- passed away 12/21/2017

Secret Service agent Ernest "Ernie" Olsson, Jr.- passed away 7/1/2019

I spoke to Olsson briefly- he said he didn't talk about those days. The only thing he confirmed was that he did speak to the HSCA.

He grew up in Ames and graduated from Ames High School in 1950. Following graduation he continued his education at Drake University obtaining his Bachelor’s degree in 1955.

Ernest met the love of his life Beverly May Scheuermann in 1951 and the couple was married in Ames, on June 15, 1952. The couple then lived in California, Arizona and Missouri and settled in Virginia where they raised their four children.

Ernest was a Veteran, serving in the United States Air Force from 1955 until 1958. Upon returning from active duty, Ernest continued to serve his country working for the United States Secret Service where he protected Presidents Eisenhower, Kennedy and Johnson, retiring in 1981.

https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/ames-ia/ernest-olsson-8765733

Secret Service agent Larry Newman- passed away 12/21/2017

I spoke to Newman at length a couple times in 2004 and he was a valuable source of information. He was one of the four agents who spoke to Seymour Hersh for The Dark Side of Camelot.

After college, Larry completed basic training in the Air Force Reserves and was honorably discharged so that he could join the Washington State Department of Game. In 1960 he was appointed as an agent with the U.S. Secret Service. He served several prominent figures over the course of his 23-year career including service on the White House detail in Washington D.C. during the Kennedy administration, during which time he met his wife, Susan. Larry also worked with presidents Ford and Carter

http://funeralinnovations.com/obituary/234791/Larry-Newman/

BOSTON, MA - AUGUST 7: President John F. Kennedy, center, leaves Children's Hospital in Boston after visiting his son on Aug. 7, 1963. His third son, Patrick Bouvier Kennedy, was born in Falmouth, Mass., on Aug. 7, 1963, five and a half weeks early. The baby was rushed to Children s Hospital in Boston shortly after for a treatment of a respiratory ailment. President Kennedy is staying at the Ritz Carlton Hotel to be able to be near his son, the first child in 65 years to be born to a sitting president. The baby died on Aug. 9, 1963. (Photo by Herbert Capwell/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)[/caption]

LARRY NEWMAN DISCUSSES THE DEATH OF PATRICK KENNEDY:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=raJBcjIosRg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kHaTh8nDM9I

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

Secret Service agent Charles T. "Chuck" Zboril 1936-2019

https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/naplesnews/obituary.aspx?n=charles-t-zboril&pid=193435668&fhid=6126

Chuck Zboril of Bonita Springs, FL passed away Saturday morning July 13, 2019. He was born March 6, 1936 in Detroit, MI to the late Charles and Anne Zboril. He has been a resident of Bonita Springs since 1998 previously residing in Rolling Meadows, IL.

He was in the Marine Corps, discharged in 1958 and married Jean on July 12th of that year. He graduated from Michigan State University in 1962 with a degree in Police Administration. He spent 23 years as a special agent in the U. S. Secret Service and 13 years as Asst. Director of Security at McCormick Place in Chicago, IL.

He enjoyed life in Florida, golfing with friends, traveling and spending time with family.

Chuck is survived by his loving wife and best friend, Jean (Bowen) Zboril and their 3 children, Douglas (Marcia) Zboril, David (Lisa) Zboril and Donna (Mark) Vukelich. Chuck was also blessed with six grandchildren, Tyler, Jacob, Ryan and Anna Zboril and Zoe and Owen Vukelich. He is also survived by his brother, James (Betsy) Zboril.

https://vincepalamara.com/2016/10/15/lee-harvey-oswald-and-chuck-zboril-served-together-in-the-same-marine-corps-unit/

CLICK ON IMAGES TO ENLARGE:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ryt_QbutM3w

One can sometimes not realize the ramifications of something written years ago and literally under their own nose until the right context comes about. Well, the context came last night in the form of a very predictable one-star review from former Secret Service agent (and dear Gerald Blaine friend and colleague) Chuck Zboril. I harken back to a famous line (one of many) in the Oliver Stone movie “JFK”, wherein Kevin Costner , after making a vital point buried in the 26 volumes of the Warren Commission, says (paraphrased) “but the idea gets shuffled around and the point gets lost.”

TURN TO PAGE 121 OF MY OWN BOOK “SURVIVOR’S GUILT”:

“Blaine even erroneously thought [SAIC Gerald] Behn was on the Florida trip, a testament to the frequency of his [Behn’s] trips with the president.” [author’s interview with Blaine 2/7/04]

TURN TO PAGE 294 OF MY OWN BOOK “SURVIVOR’S GUILT”:

“Zboril was sure that Kellerman, who wasn’t even on the Florida trip, was present in Tampa: “I thought it was Roy Kellerman, not Boring, in the car on the Tampa trip…that’s my recollection.” [author’s interview with Chuck Zboril 11/15/95]

Beyond just the general credibility gap issues, by this specific “recollection” of a supervisory agent OTHER THAN FLOYD M. BORING having been on the Florida trip and having rode in the presidential limousine, these two fine gentlemen have, independent of one another, totally impeached ole Blaine’s book “The Kennedy Detail” even further: how can Blaine write so authoritatively that he heard BORING over the radio relaying JFK’s alleged instruction to remove Zboril and Lawton from the rear of the limousine WHEN HE CAN’T EVEN GET THE NAME OF THE ACTUAL AGENT IN CHARGE OF THE TRIP AND RIDING IN THE PRESIDENTIAL LIMOUSINE CORRECT?

Likewise, how in the world can Zboril vouch for Blaine and his book when he, perhaps in an even worse case of “faulty memory”, ALSO CANNOT GET THE NAME OF THE ACTUAL AGENT IN CHARGE OF THE TRIP AND RIDING IN THE PRESIDENTIAL LIMOUSINE CORRECT…AND BORING WAS THE AGENT WHO ALLEGEDLY RELAYED THIS ORDER/ KIND ANECDOTE/ PRESIDENTIAL WISH (TAKE YOUR PICK) *TO* ZBORIL!

in entirety:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2fRNOHyJ_DA&feature=youtu.be

Secret Service agent William "Tim" McIntyre 1935-2019

Secret Service agent William "Tim" McIntyre 1935-2019. I spoke to McIntyre in 2005 (when he lived in California). He was one of the four agents who spoke to Seymour Hersh.

https://www.gvnews.com/news/secret-service-agent-who-was-with-kennedy-dies-at-his/article_80973b48-c8e7-11e9-90fe-e3f1c1120ae4.html

William "Tim" McIntyre, a Sahuarita [Arizona] resident and former Secret Service agent who was 30 feet from President John F. Kennedy when he was assassinated, died Sunday. He was 84.

McIntyre had been with the Secret Service about nine months when Kennedy was killed Nov. 22, 1963, in Dallas. McIntyre, then 28, was assigned to the follow-up car behind the presidential limousine.

According to his statement to the Warren Commission, which investigated the assassination, McIntyre was standing on the left running board behind agent Clint Hill when he heard three shots fired within five seconds. He saw the second shot hit Kennedy in the neck and the third strike his head. Hill ran to the limo and shoved Jacqueline Kennedy back inside after she climbed onto the trunk.

As for Kennedy, McIntyre said his father was criticized in the 1990s when he shared stories with journalist Seymour Hersh for Hersh's book "The Dark Side of Camelot."

McIntyre told Hersh he felt guilty for violating federal law for allowing unsavory characters, including prostitutes, into the White House to visit Kennedy.

"While he held him in high regard as a president and a good negotiator with foreign countries, the Cuban Missile Crisis, that kind of thing, personally he was kind of put in the middle a few times by the president and he didn’t appreciate it," McIntyre said. Other agents expressed similar feelings.