Secret Service Agents from the JFK/LBJ era: who is still alive, who died, who I interviewed

Secret Service Agents from the JFK/LBJ era: who is still alive, who died, who I interviewed

IN RESPONSE TO THIS E-MAIL INQUIRY 3/23/18:

"Mr. Palamara,

My name is A...S..., I am the Historian at Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park. I wanted to chat with you regarding your interviews with former Secret Service Agents during the Johnson Administration. We are in the process of restoring the interior of the Command Post on the LBJ Ranch and we wanted to capture oral histories with agents who are still alive, naturally. I am making up a list based off some images from the LBJ Library, but I was wondering if you maintained contact with any agents who served during the Kennedy/Johnson time period. Don Brett actually just moved down here from Florida within the last year, I hope to meet with him soon. I do know Jerry McKinney, Clint Hill, Michael Shannon, Ernie Olsson, Woody Taylor, Ron Pontius, Charles Marass and William Duncan are all still alive. Thank you for you assistance, I hope to hear from you soon.

Sincerely,

A... S...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

...

Park Historian/Resource Specialist

Oral Historian

"A man without a vote, is a man without protection." President Lyndon B. Johnson

Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park

P.O. Box 329

100 E. Ladybird Lane

Johnson City, TX 78636

...

Our conservation must be not just the classic conservation of protection and development, but a creative conservation of restoration and innovation. Its concern is not with nature alone, but with the total relation between man and the world around him.  Lyndon B. Johnson

---

MY RESPONSE:

Mr. A...,

Thank you for writing. Yes, I have interviewed and corresponded with quite a few former Secret Service agents, especially during the JFK and LBJ years, particularly in the years 1992-2006. I am the author of four books, three of which pertain to the Secret Service (the fourth one, WHO'S WHO IN THE SECRET SERVICE, is coming out 9/1/18). I have appeared on The History Channel, C-SPAN and on the DVD/ BLU RAY A COUP IN CAMELOT, but I digress.

Two caveats: 1) quite a few of these men have since passed away (although, of course, I have them archived in my books and so forth) and 2) being a harsh critic of their performance on 11/22/63 has not endeared me to these agents, to put it mildly. For the most part, the agents were (surprisingly) cooperative and borderline amiable, but I have become persona non grata since former JFK/LBJ era agents Clint Hill and Gerald Blaine both came out with their best-selling books (one for Blaine, three for Hill, all with the same female co-author who is now Hill's companion). In fact, both men were retired and (then) in their mid-seventies and had 0.0 notion of writing a book or books...until I contacted Hill with essentially a "cliff notes" version of my as-yet-unpublished first book which was cause for great consternation, as I was calling out their beloved agency for gross negligence in the death of President Kennedy. Unbeknownst to myself at the time, Blaine and Hill were in constant communication (in person and via the phone & internet), as they knew each other since serving in the Denver field office in the late 1950's!

Hill and Blaine went on to mention myself and my work---twice----on television: C-SPAN, in interviews with CEO Brian Lamb. Once all this came about, I was officially persona non grata, especially when my first book finally came out for the 50th anniversary of the JFK assassination in 2013, not to mention my other books.

All that in proper focus, here is who I interviewed/ contacted/ corresponded with just from the (JFK) LBJ era (1961-1969; LBJ as VP and President [NOTE: Most, but not all, White House Detail. May have protected LBJ as VP, President either permanently or part-time: field office, temp assignment]):

1) SAIC and Chief James Rowley, 9/27/92; deceased 11/1/92;

2) SAIC Gerald Behn, three times on 9/27/92; deceased 4/21/93; 

3) Chief Inspector Michael Torina, 1997 and 2004; deceased 8/21/2008;

4) Shift Leader Art Godfrey, twice in 1996 + 1997; deceased 5/12/2002;

5) ASAIC, SAIC and Assistant Director Rufus Youngblood, 1992 and 1994; deceased 10/2/1996; author of a book 20 YEARS IN THE SECRET SERVICE (1973; new edition coming out 5/31/18 with a new Foreword by Clint Hill);

6) SAIC (later, Director) Stu Knight, 1992 and 1994; deceased 9/7/2009;

7) Shift Leader, SAIC, Assistant Director Thomas "Lem" Johns, 2004; deceased 5/10/2014; Lem and his wife were involved in the 2013 DVD Lem Johns: Secret Service Man ;

8) Shift Leader Jerry Kivett, 1997, 2004 and 2006; deceased 6/26/2010; did a Sixth Floor Museum oral history;

9) Richard E. Johnsen, 9/27/92; deceased 10/2/2010;

10) Joseph Paolella, 1997 and 2003; deceased 9/2017; appeared in the book THE DARK SIDE OF CAMELOT and ABC Special;

11) Robert Lilley, 1992, 1996, and 2004; deceased 2/19/2016;

12) ASAIC and Inspector Floyd Boring, 1993, 1994 and 1997; deceased 2/1/2008;

13) Jerry Parr (later, SAIC Carter-Reagan era and Assistant Director), 1995; deceased 10/9/2015; author of a book IN THE SECRET SERVICE (2013);

14) Dale Keaner, 2005; deceased 4/20/2015;

15) Ed Morey, 2005; deceased 11/7/2014;

16) Don Lawton, 1995 and 1997; deceased 4/5/2013;

17) Jack Ready, 2005; deceased 2/24/2014;

18) John Joe Howlett, 1997; deceased 10/10/2013;

19) P. Hamilton Brown, 1992; deceased 9/2/2013;

20) Talmadge Bailey, 1997 and 2004; deceased 3/11/2011;

21) Frank Stoner, 2004-2005; deceased 2/15/2009;

22) Winston Gintz, 2004; deceased 7/21/2008;

23) Vince Mroz, 2003; deceased 7/22/2008- the day after Gintz, above;

24) SAIC of PRS Robert Bouck, 1992; deceased 4/27/2008;

25) Lynn Meredith, 2004-2005; deceased 4/17/2008;

26) Special Officer Stanley Galup, 2003; deceased 7/15/2007;

27) Uniformed Division John Norris, 1994; deceased 4/30/2003;

28) Assistant Treasury Secretary G. d'Andelot "Don" Belin, 1997; deceased 4/15/2003;

29) Sam Kinney, 1992, 1994; deceased 7/21/97;

30) Dallas Office SAIC Forrest Sorrels, 1992; deceased November 1993;

31) Dallas Office Robert Steuart, 1992 and 1993; deceased 12/11/99;

Agents I interviewed/ contacted/ corresponded with just from the (JFK) LBJ era (1961-1969; LBJ as VP and President) WHO ARE STILL ALIVE (I THINK):

 32) Walt Coughlin, 2003-2005; from Dallas, TX; did an oral history for the Sixth Floor Museum recently (on You Tube);

33) Sam Sulliman, 2003; has Atzheimers; from PA;

34) Ernest Olsson, 2004 [spoke briefly; not cooperative; didn't like to talk about those days];

35) William "Tim" McIntyre, 2005; from California; appeared in the book THE DARK SIDE OF CAMELOT and ABC Special;

36) Clint Hill, 2005; from VA, now lives in San Francisco; has his own website and three books;appeared on the 2010 KENNEDY DETAIL documentary, etc.;

37) Ronald Pontius, e-mail 2000; lives in San Clemente, CA; appeared on the 2010 KENNEDY DETAIL documentary;

38) Jim Goodenough, 2004; from Toledo, Ohio;

39) Charles Marass, 2003; from Gettysburg, PA;

40) Gerald Blaine, 2004-2005; from Colorado; author of THE KENNEDY DETAIL; appeared on the 2010 KENNEDY DETAIL documentary; appears on You Tube re: C-SPAN and Sixth Floor Museum appearances, etc.;

41) Ken Giannoules, 2005 [spoke briefly; not cooperative]; did an oral history for the Sixth Floor Museum recently (on You Tube);

42) Bill Livingood, 1992 and 1997; lives in VA; later the Sgt at Arms for the House of Representatives, Clinton-Obama era!

43) Gerald O'Rourke, 2005; from Colorado;

44) Winston Lawson, 1992 and 2003; from VA; appeared on the 2010 KENNEDY DETAIL documentary;

45) Frank Yeager, 2003 and 2004; from Kentucky;

46) Gerald Bechtle, 1997; from VA;

47) Abraham Bolden, 1993-present; author of THE ECHO FROM DEALEY PLAZA; has own Facebook page;

48) Chuck Zboril, 1995; from Chicago AND Florida; not friendly now- gave my first book a bad review on Amazon :)

49) Radford Jones, 2003; from Michigan; gave interview on You Tube recently; also did a Sixth Floor oral history;

50) Dale Wunderlich, 1999 and 2009; did a Sixth Floor oral history;

51) Bill Carter, 2007; author of GET CARTER;

52) Darwin Horn, 2003-2004; author of DAR'S STORY;

53) Frank Slocum, 2004; from Hawaii;

54) Larry Newman, 2004; appeared in the book THE DARK SIDE OF CAMELOT and ABC Special;

55) Tony Sherman, 2004; appeared in the book THE DARK SIDE OF CAMELOT and ABC Special;

56) Ken Wiesman, e-mail 2000; from Texas;

57) White House Detail (female) Secretary Eve Dempsher, 2003; from Maryland;

Agents I did not contact because they died before I had a chance to contact them (I was born in 1966 and didn't begin to interview agents until 1991/1992)

58) Thomas B. Shipman, deceased 10/14/63; I did interview family

59) ASAIC and Assistant Director Roy Kellerman, deceased 3/22/84; I did interview family

60) William Greer, deceased 2/23/85; I did interview family

61) Assistant Chief Paul Paterni, deceased 2/5/84; I did interview a friend

62) Chief U.E. Baughman, deceased 11/6/78;

63) Coin Hauk, deceased 3/28/2017;

64) Roger Warner, deceased 6/4/2016;

65) Forrest Guthrie, deceased 4/25/2016; author of SPECIAL AGENT IN CHARGE (2014);

66) William H. Patterson, deceased 12/3/2006;

67) Robert Kollar, deceased 11/17/2014;

68) John Gleason, deceased 9/10/2014;

69) Frank Hancock, deceased 2/6/2014;

70) David Grant, CLINT HILL'S BROTHER-IN-LAW!; deceased 12/28/2013; UK interview on You Tube; appeared on the 2010 KENNEDY DETAIL documentary;

71) Louis Mayo, deceased 5/11/2013;

72) Jack Walsh, deceased January 2012;

73) George Chaney, deceased 8/14/2011;

74) George Hickey, Jr., deceased 2011 [I left him alone because a) he was ill and b) he was tormented by the book MORTAL ERROR which alleged that he "accidentally" fired the fatal shot that killed JFK!];

75) Robert Faison, deceased 6/28/2011;

76) John Joseph Lardner, deceased 11/19/2010;

77) Glen Weaver, deceased 4/4/2010;

78) Jim Jeffries, deceased 1/18/2009;

79) Bob Foster, deceased 6/18/2008;

80) James "Mike" Mastrovito, deceased 11/24/2006; I did interview family;

81) Dick Metzinger, deceased 2006; I did interview family;

82) Lawrence Hess, deceased 11/5/2006;

83) Andy Berger, deceased 6/22/2006;

84) Arthur Blake, deceased 4/7/2006;

85) Paul Burns, deceased 4/5/2005;

86) John Paul Jones, deceased March 2004;

87) Treasury Secretary C. Douglas Dillon, deceased 1/10/2003;

88) Bill Bacherman, deceased 5/31/2002;

89) Head of Uniformed Division Ralph Stover, deceased 1/24/2002;

90) Elmer Moore, deceased 12/4/2001;

91) Chief Inspector Jackson Krill, deceased 1/20/2000;

92) Dennis Halterman, deceased 1988; I did interview family;

93) Howard Anderson, deceased;

94) Inspector Burrill Peterson, deceased 11/6/95;

95) PRS agent Walter Pine, deceased;

96) PRS agent Elliot Thacker, deceased;

97) PRS agent Walter Young, deceased 1996;

98) Henry Rybka, deceased 12/25/75;

99) Shift Leader Stu Stout, deceased December 1974; I did interview family;

100) Shift Leader Emory Roberts, deceased 10/8/73;

101) PRS agent Glen Bennett, deceased 4/4/94;

102) Andy Hutch, deceased 1991;

103) Harvey Henderson, deceased January 1994;

104) John J. "Muggsy" O'Leary, deceased December 1975;

105) Lubert "Bert" de Freese, deceased 1991;

106) Ned Hall II, deceased 11/26/98; I did interview family;

107) Bill Payne, deceased;

108) Charlie Kunkel, deceased 6/27/92;

109) Robert Jamison, deceased;

110) PRS agent Elmer Lawrence, deceased;

111) SAIC of Forgery J. Leroy Lewis, deceased;

112) Inspector Gerard McCann, deceased;

113) Jack Parker, deceased;

114) White House Detail Clerk Walter Blaschak, deceased;

115) Inspector Thomas Kelley, deceased;

116) Clarence Knetsch, deceased;

117) Paul Doster, deceased 1987;

118) John Marshall, deceased;

119) Jerry Dolan, deceased 8/10/93;

120) PRS agent (formerly Ike's driver) Deeter B. "Dick" Flohr, deceased 2/24/96;

121) Wade Rodham (Hillary's first cousin!), deceased 1983;

122) ASAIC and Aide to the Assistant Chief for Security John Campion, deceased 1983;

123) SAIC Robert Taylor, deceased 3/12/81;

124) Jack Holtzhauer, deceased 10/19/98;

125) William C. Davis, deceased;

126) Brooks Keller, deceased 4/3/78;

127) Assistant Chief Russell "Buck" Daniels, deceased;

128) Edith Duncan (Bouck and Baughman's secretary), deceased;

129) PRS agent James K. "Jack" Fox, deceased 1987;

130) James Griffith, deceased;

131) Assistant Chief Ed Wildy, deceased;

132) Robert Newbrand, deceased;

133) SAIC White House Garage Morgan Gies, deceased 1980;

134) Thomas Wooge, deceased 10/17/68;

135) Jim Hardin, deceased August 2016:

Agents still living (OR MAY STILL BE LIVING-?) who I did not successfully contact and/ or could not locate:

136) Paul Landis; lives near Cleveland, OH; attempted several times; appeared on the 2010 KENNEDY DETAIL documentary;

137) Warren "Woody" Taylor; did a Sixth Floor Museum oral history;

138) Willliam Duncan; attempted; I did interview family;

139) James "Mike" Howard; did a Sixth Floor Museum oral history; recent lecture on You Tube; recent interviews via Google News;

140) Michael J. Shannon; lives in Grand Rapids, MI;

141) John "Jack" Giuffre; lives in Sarasota, FL; I did interview family;

142) Robert Burke; attempted several times; on C-SPAN in 1997;

143) Donald Bendickson;

144) Robert Lockwood;

145) Toby Chandler; attempted; appeared on the 2010 KENNEDY DETAIL documentary; did a Sixth Floor Museum oral history;

146) Victor Gonzalez; did a Sixth Floor Museum oral history;

147) Ed Z. Tucker; 

148) Joseph Noonan (if still alive, has Altzheimer's);

149) Tom Wells; attempted; from Florida;

150) Thomas Behl;

151) Charles Taylor;

152) Bill Skiles;

153) Harry Gibbs;

154) Ed Mougin;

155) Earl Moore;

156) Scott Trundle;

157) Donald C. Brett; from Sarasota, FL;

158) Jim Cantrell-?

159) Frank Farnsworth-?

160) Tom Fridley-?

161) Bob Till-?

162) Bob Gaugh-?

163) Jim Giovanetti-?

164) Doc Walters-?

165) Jack Warner-?

166) Jim Johnson

167) Milt Wilhite-?

168) Harry Geglein-?

169) Gary Seale

170) Bill Cheslock-?

171) Jerry McKinney

172) Arnie Lau

173) Mac Sweazey-?

174) Bill Straughn-?

175) Mike Kelly-?

176) Carroll Winslow-?

177) Gayle Dobish-?

178) Milt Scheuerman-?

179) Bob Lapham-?

180) Bernie Mullady-?; I did get contacted by the family- unclear if he is actually still living;

181) John McCarthy-?

182) Chester Miller-?

183) Roy "Gene" Nunn; from Texas; worked for FEMA;

184) PRS agent Cecil Taylor;

185) PRS agent Ken Thompson-?

186) PRS agent Thomas White-?

187) PRS agent Max Phillips-?

ADDENDUM: OTHER agents I interviewed from the JFK/LBJ era who are still living [did not feel like renumbering!]:

188) Robert Snow, 2003; 

189) Paul Rundle, e-mail;

190) Kent Jordan;

191) Robert DeProspero, 2011-present; DVD THE MAN BEHIND THE SUIT (I was a producer);

192) Howell "Hal" Purvis, 2005;

SENT SEPERATE MESSAGE-

ADDENDUM II: OTHER AGENTS UNSURE IF STILL ALIVE (EXCEPT 3):

Wes Bishop (Training Division)

D. BALDELLI

WARNER BROWN

A. CHALFANT

JOHN CHIPPS

ROGER COUNTS

EARL DECIMA (TRANSPORTATION DIVISION)

WILLIAM GEASA

JOHN GOLDEN (TRANSPORTATION DIVISION)

GUS HOLMES (TRANSPORTATION DIVISION)

BOB HEYN

DAN HURLEY

KENNETH IACOVONI-DECEASED

WILLIAM J. KIERAN

JAMES E. LE GETTE

ROBERT LUTZ

ROGER MANTHE

ROBERT MELCHIORI

DENNIS V.N. MCCARTHY-DECEASED

BILL MCLARIN (ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF TRAINING)

JIMMY L.C. MILLER

JIM MITCHELL (TRANSPORTATION DIVISION)

ED NOLAND

CHUCK ROCHNER

RICHARD ROTH

D. SHAW

JOHN SIMPSON (LATER, SAIC CARTER AND DIRECTOR)-DECEASED

WILL SLADE (TRANSPORTATION DIVISION)

PHILIP STROTHER

JIMMY TAYLOR

RONALD C. TOWNS

JERRY TERRY

GENE F. WOFFORD

agents from other eras I spoke to and/or corresponded with (post JFK/LBJ EXCEPT *TRUMAN)

DAN EMMETT

BOB RITTER

TERRY SAMWAY

GEORGE ROGERS

REX SCOUTEN*

JOHN CARMAN

DONALD STEBBINS

ROBIN DEPROSPERO

DON COX

EARL DRESCHER

JOHN BARLETTA

WILLIAM MCCORD

TOM HEUERMAN

MARK HARMON

MIKE MADDALONI

77

Sincerely,

Vince Palamara

Vincent Michael Palamara

Vincent Michael Palamara Visit Amazon.com's Vincent Michael Palamara Page and shop for all Vincent Michael Palamara books. Check out pict...

Who's Who in the Secret Service: History's Most Renowned Agents by Vince Palamara (9/1/2018)

Who's Who in the Secret Service: History's Most Renowned Agents by Vince Palamara (9/1/2018)

https://www.amazon.com/Whos-Who-Secret-Service-Historys/dp/1634241819/ref=la_B00GFZHJD0_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1521502286&sr=1-4

CLICK ON IMAGES TO ENLARGE:

America’s oldest law enforcement agency, the United States Secret Service, has never been exposed like this before! For the first time ever, a detailed look at an actual Who’s Who in the Secret Service: History’s Most Renowned Agents. The Secret Service has made many headlines thru the decades, especially in the last five years. This book presents a thorough look at over 100 of the most famous, infamous and interesting agents who have protected presidents from William McKinley to John F. Kennedy to President Trump and all points in between. Students of history will find much to contemplate in this revealing, entertaining and sometimes disturbing book. Who’s Who in the Secret Service: History’s Most Renowned Agents- you will never look at the men who guard the president the same way ever again!

My fourth book WHO'S WHO IN THE SECRET SERVICE: HISTORY'S MOST RENOWNED AGENTS, coming out 9/1/18, hit Amazon this week for pre-order!

My fourth book WHO'S WHO IN THE SECRET SERVICE: HISTORY'S MOST RENOWNED AGENTS, coming out 9/1/18, hit Amazon this week for pre-order!

https://www.amazon.com/Whos-Who-Secret-Service-Historys/dp/1634241819/ref=sr_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1520593855&sr=1-4

Pamela Brown's review of SURVIVOR'S GUILT

My New Review on Amazon of Vince Palamara’s SURVIVOR’S GUILT…

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I must say that since I (finally) entered the JFK research community at full throttle, so to speak, in 1988, there are many researchers whom I hold in great esteem and consider my mentors, but there are only a handful who have been as consistently supportive and helpful in providing detailed information in a timely manner than Vince Palamara. He even sent me copies of SG when it was self-published, and, to put it mildly, rather rambling in nature.

This version of SG is much more taut, with good editing, and makes for, not only a page-turner of an assassination book (not easy to do) but a valuable research resource. I can only complain that, though SG has a good people index, it does not have a topic index, so the researcher must sift through all the references to a person in order to find a specific event. Just the same, there are nuggets and jewels of information presented objectively on every page. Vince Palamara also manages to successfully sidestep a number of issues that have a connection to the limo (my area of specialty) in SG, which only lends credence to the level of information he is presenting.

I think that Vince could have taken even more risks in developing a cohesive theory of the assassination and the SS involvement in it; nevertheless, I have said to him, and firmly believe, that between SG and my recent NID presentation (Midnight Blue to Black — the Vanishing Act of the JFK Presidential Limousine In Broad Daylight, available at ss100x.wordpress.com) the JFK assassination has been cracked wide open for good.

Pamela Brown
ss100x.com

Gary Byrne’s SECRETS OF THE SECRET SERVICE- excellent book; highly recommended!

Gary Byrne’s SECRETS OF THE SECRET SERVICE- excellent book; highly recommended!

As an author of four books myself, and as someone who has literally “seen and heard it all” when it comes to the Secret Service, I was greatly impressed with Gary’s latest offering. I have found that there are basically two types of Secret Service books: somewhat “sanitized” personal memoirs from an actual former agent and tabloid-style “tell all” type works. Luckily, neither of Gary’s fine books fall into either category.

Gary’s writing style is very conversational and easy to comprehend- you don’t have to be an agency expert or former officer to understand all the nuances. In addition, Gary tells it like it is, mincing no words and does not cater to the “politically correct” mindset. Basically, Gary has a true story to tell; the truth “with the bark off”, so to speak. If you don’t like it or if the truth makes you uncomfortable, tough.

Quite frankly, I am mystified by the small percentage of reviews claiming this book is essentially a rehash of his first. When I read them, I wanted to scream “what drugs are you people on?” In point of fact, I found next to no true rehashing of anything in this book. Methinks some people are “trolls” or do not like what Gary is espousing in his book(s); perhaps fans of the Clintons and/or disgruntled former agents who were made men (from the “old boys” network).

Gary does a very good job detailing all the prior major assassination attempts and unfortunate successes thru the decades and even centuries, going back before the Secret Service officially existed and all the way up to modern times. I quite enjoyed his take on some of the more well-known events in Secret Service history. One can tell Gary has an open mind and not a set-in-stone agenda. I appreciated his criticisms of the agency thru the years, while also calling attention to what they got right.

For history’s sake, perhaps the greatest good this book does is detailing, in brutally frank fashion (that could ONLY come from someone who was a former agent/officer and lived it), the Secret Service’s failings and-perhaps most important of all-the essential remedies needed to turn the agency around.

Like Gary’s first book, I found this one very hard to put down. In fact, I am going to reread it very soon!

Bravo, Gary! A very timely book  I recommend to every American who cares about their country and their leader’s safety.

Vince Palamara

https://www.amazon.com/Secrets-Secret-Service-History-Uncertain/dp/1546082476/ref=pd_sim_14_3?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=1546082476&pd_rd_r=8HQQ8PDHQ0DA9VCG70K5&pd_rd_w=Ejz29&pd_rd_wg=zqBAt&psc=1&refRID=8HQQ8PDHQ0DA9VCG70K5