1/20/92 Sam Kinney letter (provided by David Lifton)

DSL Note, 3/8/10—Redaction only to hide identity of Kinneys friend.
What this is: 3 page handwritten letter from SS Agent Sam Kinney to his friend, Karl
XXX, dated January 20, 1992. Letter is in envelope with postmark of 10 Feb 1992, Palm
Beach, FLA, and with return address that reads: “S. A. Kinney, 341 Bayside Rd., Palm
Springs, FL. 33461. Was presented as a gift to DSL by XXX by letter dated 6/10/09;
along with autographed color photo of Kinney standing next to SS-679 X in St. Louis, in
1956.
Sec 1: Control file (this section) –any comments, points to be made, etc.
Sec 2: Text of the letter
* * * BEGIN SEC 1 HERE * * *
[TypedCopyOfLr,KinneyToFriendKarl,1/20/92 (edited).doc] Sec 2 2
Sec: Text of the letter
Dear Karl,
First I would like to say, I’m sorry to be so long in the reply to your letter. My wife and I
travel 5 to 6 months a year. We returned home mid Oct and that takes up my time getting
things back to order. I hope you buy (?) that. I’m not much at writing (?) anymore.
Anyway, Karl, I don’t think I can be of much help in the locations of the SS cars you are
seeking to find. There was two of the. I loved both of them. They were called 679-X and
678 X. 679-X was the one I was driving in Dallas. They were replaced after I returned.
I’ve heard stories that one was destroyed by what means I don’t know. I don’t know if
this true or not. One was sold in Texas and one went overseas some place and understand
it is on display some place in Swiss or Finn?
p.2
I have very few pictures of them. We as agents really didn’t take many shots of our cars.
We did receive a few form (sic) White House staff.
I, as you, would like to get the facts of the ass. [means “assassination”—dsl] for the sack
(sic) of history. Hope the movie J.F.K. will force the release of files. I thought the movie
was interesting, but I can’t go along with it. I hope that Stone’s wrong. I can only say
what I saw and heard that day. I heard 3 shots coming from the direction of Book store
and saw 3 shots hit their target. First Pres. Second Gov. Third Pres. Then we were off to
the Hospital and fast. From that point on its been Monday morning Q [means
quarterbacking—dsl]. I have some trouble with all the information and still at this time
have trouble talking or thinking about what happened that day in Dallas, as all of us
agents that were there.
We all felt that we did not do the job that the people of the U.S. paid us to do. That’s a
sad thing for all of use. (sic).
I hope you the best Karl and keep working on this [.] Hopefully the now (?) hid (?) will
know the truth even if it will not bring things back. We lost a great man. He was a
jewell of a man to us and it hurts to read the bad, most untrue things about him.
I am sorry I could [not] give you more info on the case. But I’ll tell you if I get an info on
them I’ll get back with you.
Take care an God Bless
Samuel A. Kinney
U.S.S.S. Ret.
[TypedCopyOfLr,KinneyToFriendKarl,1/20/92 (edited).doc] Sec 2 3

Other JFK trips

Other trips:

RIF # 154-10003-10012: Chicago, IL trip 3/23/63, Dedication of O’Hare Airport
WHD agents on trip: Grant (advance agent), Burke, Pontius, Lilley, Johnsen, Chandler, Giannoules, Lawton, Blaine, Lawson, Olsson, Burns, Paolella, Godfrey, Boring, Greer, Shipman, O’Leary
Chicago office agents: Hanly, Tucker, Martineau, Plichta, Bolden, Cross, Maynard, Stocks, Gorman, Noonan, Griffiths, Motto, McLeod, Russell, Strong
6 motorcycles surrounding limo, Lawton riding on (JFK’s side of) rear of limo, Mayor’s follow-up car with four detectives in ADDITION to SS follow-up car, police facing crowd (not JFK) on the route, noone permitted on overpasses except four policeman guarding them, press/photographers close to JFK, Hatcher with Kilduff
PRS: one threat.





Nashville, TN trip 5/18/63:Agent Paul Doster told the “Nashville Banner” back on 5/18/63 that“a complete check of the entire motorcade route” was done (also, “other [police] officers were assigned atop the municipal terminal and otherbuildings along the route. These men took their posts at 8 a.m. and remained at their rooftop stations until the president and his party passed”. In addition, a helicopter was used, similar to its use on 11/21/63 in San Antonio, Texas). Agents/ important personnel on this trip inc. Salinger, Behn, Kellerman, Greer, Roberts, DeFreese, Duncan, Chandler, Yeager, Nunn, O’Leary, Grant, Sulliman, Lawson, Olsson, Paolella, Burns, and DNC advance man Jerry Bruno. [Materials provided by researcher Bill Adams]



JFK's 11-state "Conservation Tour", 9/24/63-10/63---agents/ important personnel inc. Salinger, Behn, Godfrey, Blaine, Burns, Greer, Shipman, Bruno, Puterbaugh (Duluth, MN), Lawson, Foster, Roberts, Chandler, Burke, Lawton, & Rybka [see also HSCA interviews with Puterbaugh (4/14/78) and Bruno (12/13/77), as well as Bruno’s book “The Advance Man”]. Agents walked/ jogged beside JFK’s limousine+press bus closeby (on 9/25/63, Ashland, WI [film clip in “Executive Action”])



RIF #154-10002-10417: Philadelphia, PA trip 10/30/63
WHD agents on trip: Stout (advance agent), Godfrey, Faison, Behn, Greer, McIntyre, Burns, Giannoules, Paolella, Kinney, DeFreese, Payne, Duncan, Yeager, Zboril
Philadelphia office agents: Jordan, Kelly, Mesaros, Abel.
Close press/ photographers, Hatcher with Kilduff
PRS: two subjects;


RIF#154-10002-10418:Elkton, MD trip 11/14/63
Dedication of the Maryland-Delaware Turnpike
WHD agents on trip: Roberts (advance agent), Boring, Greer, Ready, Sulliman, Zboril, McIntyre, Berger, Morey, Jones, Kollar, Lawton [on faded part of list: Rybka (?)]
Baltimore office agents: Burger and Holmes
Philadelphia office agents: Abel, Kelly, Mesaros
Salinger
PRS: one subject;





RIF#154-10002-10419:SECOND New York City trip 11/14-11/15/63
AFL-CIO Convention
WHD agents on trip: Godfrey (advance agent), Boring, Greer, Grant, McIntyre, Thompson, Sulliman, Roberts, Rybka [follow-up car], Bennett*(PRS), Jones, Berger, Morey, Kollar, O’Leary; Also: Paolella, Burns, Metzinger & O’Rourke [USSS RIF#1541-0001-10093: shift Report, 11/14/63]
NY office agents: Whitaker, Jukes, Gibbs, Gunthers, Sershen, Starr, Mayes, Ward, Phillips, Wong, Thomas, Douglas, Tully, Melchiori, Luzania
*PRS: Bouck notified on 11/11/63, the day after Bennett was “temporarily” assigned to the WHD from PRS, and Bennett was then dispatched to the President’s suite at the Carlyle Hotel, prior to JFK’s arrival on 11/14/63, “to conduct a technical survey”; detective follow-up car along with SS follow-up car, Salinger with Kilduff, close press/ photographers



RIF#154-10002-10420:Palm Beach, FL trip 11/18/63
WHD/ PRS on trip: Johnsen (advance agent), Boring, Greer, Rybka, Norton (PRS), Wunderlich (PRS), Roberts, Stout, Godfrey, O’Leary (etc.) [Bennett-see Secret Service shift reports]
Miami office agents: Marshall, Howell
“same route as described in ASAIC Boring’s survey report dated March 26,1963”
fire alarm system: installed by SA’s Norton and Wunderlich of PRS;
“Two days prior to the arrival of the President, SA’s Norton and Wunderlich [of PRS] made a prelimimary sweep of the residence. On the day of the president’s arrival, these agents made a final sweep of the residence after which they…secured the residence”;
PRS agents Norton and Wunderlich “sanitized and secured the Kennedy residence” [along with Bennett, that makes THREE PRS agents on the Florida trip!]
Salinger with Kilduff
[NOTE: USSS RIF# 1541-0001-10082, Secret Service shift report dated 11/15/63 and written by David Grant, states that himself, Paolella, Burns, O’Rourke, and Metzinger arrived in Palm Beach via NY.Roberts’ shift report from the same day says as much: USSS RIF# 1541-0001-10081. However, none of these agent’s names show up on any of the FL survey reports. That said, the 11/18/63 shift report written by ATSAIC Godfrey (USSS RIF# 1541-0001-100650, states that himself, Burns, O’Rourke, and Metzinger departed Palm Beach at 9:30 a.m. for Washington, D.C. For his part, Paolella was heading out to Chicago to do advance work for a proposed trip to the city that JFK did not live to see, an apparent makeup date for the cancelled trip earlier in the month (USSS RIF# 1541-0001-100650)]

RIF#154-10002-10423:Tampa, FL 11/18/63
WHD agents on trip: Blaine (advance agent), Yeager, Boring, Greer, Rybka, Kinney, Stout, Roberts, Sulliman, Ready, Berger, Zboril, Morey, Lawton, Kollar, Jones, McIntyre [Bennett-see Secret Service shift reports]
Tampa office: Peppers
1964 White Lincoln Continental used for McDill Air Force Base
SS-100-X (JFK’s limo) and SS-678-X (1956 “Queen Mary” Cadillac follow-up car) used for downtown/ suburban motorcade
Salinger, underpasses controlled by police and military units, Sheriff’s office secured the roofs of major buildings in the downtown and suburban areas, agents on limo, Salinger with Kilduff, close press/ photographers (inc. Stoughton in follow-up car), McHugh in between SS agents in front seat of limo; it is noted that “the follow-up car will carry a considerable burden on this trip”;
SA Cecil Taylor of PRS: 2 subjects found;

RIF#154-10002-10422:Miami, FL 11/18/63
Inter-American Press Association
WHD agents on trip: DeFreese (advance agent), Boring, Greer, Coughlin, Blaine, McIntyre, Bennett (PRS), Kollar, Roberts, Lawton, Jones, Zboril, Rybka, Sulliman, Berger, Morey, O’Leary;
Miami office agents: Marshall, Aragon, Bailey, Curry, Jamison, Howell
CIA’s Ted Shackley and William Finch helped Secret Service on this trip
PRS: six pages worth! Subjects inc. Orlando Bosch, Pedro Diaz Lanz, Enrique Llaca, Jr., Rohinski, and Derber;
lead car inc. Dr. Burkley (!); Salinger with Kilduff







ONLY ‘similarity’ to Dallas the author could find, and it involves a very secure location JFK visited—
RIF#154-10002-10421:Cape Canaveral, FL 11/18/63
Final Survey Report dated 1/20/64 (!)
WHD agents on trip: Stout (advance agent), Sulliman, Berger, Kollar, Jones, Boring, Greer, Morey, Rybka, Roberts, Lawton, Zboril, Bennett (PRS)
Jacksonville office agents: McDavid, Walter
8 agents from the Office of Special Investigations (OSI)
PRS: SA Dick Flohr found no threats
Salinger, close press/ photographers