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OFFICE
OF
THE
CHIEF
DearMr
.
Rankin
:
-538
0-64-vol
.
XVIII--
5
2
TREASURY
DEPARTMENT
UNITED
STATES
SECRET
SERVICE
WASHINGTON,
D
.C
.
20220
In
response
toyourletter
of
April
3,1964,
requesting
furtherinformation
concerning
expressions
byPresident
Kennedy
regarding
the
placement
of
Secret
Service
agentsonornear
his
car
during
the
motorcade,
I
am
attaching
herewith
statements
from
the
followingbearing
onthissubjects
Special
Agent
inCharge
Behn
AssistantSpecial
Agent
in
ChargeBoring
Assistant
to
theSpecial
Agent
inCharge
Roberts
SpecialAgent
Ready
Special
Agent
Hill
April
22,
1964
I
thinkthe
five
statements
taken
together
fairly
reflectthe
understanding
of
the
Secret
Service
concerning
the
President'sviews
and
I
the
obligations
of
theService
in
this
respect
.
Honorable
J
.
Lee
Rankin
GeneralCounsel
President'sCommission
on
the
Assassination
of
President
Kennedy200Maryland
Avenue,
N
.
E
.
Washington,
D
.
C
.
20002Enclosures
(5)
Sincerely,
CommissioN
ExHIBIT
1025
803
 
Statement
of
Gerald
A
.
Behn,Special
Agent
in
Charge,
White
House
Detail
April
16,
1964
The
policyof
special
agents
coveringthe
presidential
vehicle
is
flexible
and
is
based
on
thespeed
of
the
motorcade
;
the
amount
and
type
of
accompanyingescort
;
thenumber,
enthusiasm,
and
character
of
thepeople
watching
the
motorcade
and
howwell-controlled
they
are
by
thepolice
;
and
finally,
but
certainlynot
least
but
perhaps
the
dominant
factor,
thedesire
or
instructions
ofthe
President
.
There
is
always
an
experienced
agent
riding
in
the
front
seat
ofthe
presidential
vehicleandthere
is
an
experienced
agent
either
riding
in
the
front
seat
of
our
follow-up
car
orstanding
on
thefront
rightrunning
board
.
Either
one
orboth
of
these
agents
have
the
author-
ity,ifit
becomes
necessary,
to
eithermotionortell
the
agentsin
the
follow-up
car
to
take
theirpositions
around
the
presidential
car
at
any
time
.
As
stated
in
thefirst
paragraph
the
desires
and
instruc-
tions
of
the
Presidentwere
a
major
factor
in
thispolicy
.
Onnumerous
occasions
during
motorcades
wherethe
pace
was
slow
and
crowds
were
fairly
well-controlled
by
thepolice,butthe
agentswere
none
the
lessin
position
around
the
presidential
car,
the
President
would
eithertell
me
totell
the
agents,
or
he
would
attempt
to
tell
the
agentson
his
side
of
the
car,
to
get
back
.
In
Mexico
City
in
June,
1962,
anindividual
whohadthe
appearance
ofa
typicalbeatnik
worked
his
way
out
into
themiddle
of
thestreet
during
the
welcoming
motorcade
and
attempted
tostop
the
President's
car
.
When
he
found
outthe
driver
would
notstop,
he
came
around
thecar
on
the
President's
side
and
I
hit
him
and
knocked
him
down
.
The
Presidentimmediately
toldme
I
should
not
have
done
this
.
Thisindividual
was
arrested
by
the
Mexican
police,
questioned
and
it
was
discovered
he
was
anAmerican
citizen
who
had
overstayed
his
visa
andwho
had
a
policerecordinthis
country
.
InWest
Berlin
last
June
the
pace
of
the
motorcade
was,
for
the
most
of
theroute,
between
10
and
12
milesper
hour
and
the
WestBerlin
policedid
a
remarkable
job
of
controlling
the
huge
crowds
.
However,there
were
occasions
when
individuals
would
break
away
from
the
police
lines,evadethe
motorcycle
escort
and
standout
near
the
middleof
the
street
waiting
forthe
President's
car
to
reach
them
.
CO]I\IISSION
ExIIIBIT
102
.~---COntinued
 
On
these
occasions
theagents
on
the
running
boards
of
the
follow-up
carwould
leap
off,
runforwardand
push
the
WestBerlinersawayfrom
thecar
.
Practicallyevery
timethis
happened,
the
Presidentwould
either
tell
meto
tell
the
agents
or
wouldattempt
to
tell
theagents
themselves
not
to
dothis
.
His
feeling
was
that
thesepeople
onlywantedto
shakehis
hand
and
should
not
be
pushedawayfrom
him
.
Shortly
after
I
was
promoted
to
SpecialAgent
in
Charge
of
theWhiteHouseDetail,and
I
believe
thisoccurredduring
the
late
President's
tripin
November,
1961,
to
Seattle,Phoenix,
Bonham,
Texas,
and
otherstops,
he
told
me
that
he
didnot
want
agents
riding
on
the
backof
hiscar
.
As
late
as
November
18,
of
lastyear,
he
told
ASAIC
Boring
the
same
thing
.
He
gave
me
noreason
for
this
.
COMMISSION
ESIIII
3IT
1025-Continued
Gerald
A
.
Behn
Special
Agent
inCharge
Qx-~
of 00

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