JFK Assassination Video Captures Motorcade Hurrying President to Hospital

Recently discovered film footage showing President John F. Kennedy’s motorcade speeding toward a Dallas hospital after he was shot will soon be available at auction. The auction is set for September 28 in Boston, featuring an 8 mm home film captured by Dale Carpenter Sr.

The film begins with Carpenter just missing the president’s limousine but still managing to record the motorcade as it advanced along Lemmon Avenue. Following the shooting, the footage continues as the motorcade races down Interstate 35. According to Bobby Livingston, executive vice president of the auction house RR Auction, the vibrant color of the footage and the speed of the vehicles are striking, describing how viewers can “feel the 80 mph.”

In the brief ten-second clip filmed on I-35, viewers can see Secret Service Agent Clint Hill, who famously leapt onto the back of the limousine moments after the shots were fired, positioned over the president and Jacqueline Kennedy. Hill recalled his instinctive reaction during those harrowing moments, expressing uncertainty about whether more shots would follow as he took his position.

The shots were fired as the motorcade passed through Dealey Plaza, in front of the Texas School Book Depository. It was revealed later that assassin Lee Harvey Oswald had taken aim from the sixth floor of the building. The assassination itself was notoriously captured by filmmaker Abraham Zapruder, who documented the tragic event as it unfolded.

After the shooting, the motorcade made its way to Parkland Memorial Hospital, where Kennedy would soon be pronounced dead. This was the same route intended for the president to reach his next stop—scheduled remarks at the Trade Mart.

James Gates, Carpenter’s grandson, noted his family was aware of the film but had seldom discussed it. When handed down to him, Gates was unsure of the footage’s contents. However, his perspective changed when he projected it on his bedroom wall around 2010. Initially, he felt the images from Lemmon Avenue were mundane. But upon seeing the intense moments on I-35, he was overtaken by shock, particularly by Hill’s daring position at the back of the presidential limousine.

Shortly after arriving at the hospital, Hill found himself communicating with Attorney General Robert Kennedy. Describing the tense exchange, he relayed his hesitance to give a grim report, ultimately stating, “It’s as bad as it can get.” Hill remembered the abrupt end of that call, as the gravity of the situation was too much for the Attorney General to bear.

In 2012, as Hill published his memoir titled “Mrs. Kennedy and Me,” Gates connected with Hill and his co-author, Lisa McCubbin. McCubbin Hill expressed appreciation for Gates’s thoughtfulness in wanting Hill to view the footage before sharing it more widely. While Hill had previously recounted his harrowing experience, actually seeing the film brought a visceral reaction, leaving a lasting impression.

Although the auction house has released teasers through still images, it will not be publicly showcasing the footage of the motorcade speeding down the interstate until after the auction concludes. Farris Rookstool III, a historian and former FBI analyst, noted that the footage provides a more cohesive look at the urgent race to the hospital compared to fragmented accounts available from other sources. He hopes the footage will find a permanent home with filmmakers to enhance future historical projects.

Stephen Fagin, curator at The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza, highlighted that the assassination captured the attention of many, leading people to preserve related material. This instinct to hold onto significant artifacts has often resulted in new findings surfacing. For decades, there had been curiosity about a man seen photographing during the event. In 2002, that mystery was solved when Jay Skaggs emerged with unseen photographs, including rare color images of the rifle associated with Oswald’s actions.

The National Archives and Records Administration recently released over 13,000 documents pertaining to Kennedy’s assassination, following a directive from President Biden. While 97% of the extensive collection is available to the public, experts have raised concerns about the continued redaction of sensitive information that could portray intelligence agencies in a less favorable light.

As the upcoming auction approaches, the newly revealed footage serves as a reminder of the events that transpired that day in November 1963, adding yet another layer to the rich history surrounding JFK’s assassination.

Source: CBS News