JFK Assassination Eyewitness - Julian Read

** Originally Recorded November 10, 2016 ** https://bit.ly/30fvfAv
As an aide to Governor Connally, Mr. Read was one of two members of the press corps who were permitted into the emergency room at Parkland Hospital during that tragic day on November 22, 1963. This video contains detailed descriptions of the developments as they occurred, and his eye witness recollections of an event that shocked America and the entire free world are priceless. It is among the important videos that the library has produced regarding American history.

Deputy White House press secretary Malcolm Kilfduff was the other member of the press corps who gained access to this facility. Mr. Read stood near Mr. Kilduff while he announced the tragic news that President Kennedy had died. The president’s press secretary Pierre Salinger was on a plane to Tokyo when the president was killed. Jackie Kennedy, Nellie Connally, Lyndon and Lady Bird Johnson were the only other non-medical personnel who were permitted into the emergency room.

After Mr. Kilduff completed his briefing, Mr. Read relayed the news that Governor Connally was undergoing surgical procedures and was in critical condition. Mrs. Connally conversed with Mr. Read while in the emergency room, and she recalled those last precious moments of the president’s life. Mrs. Connally kept a diary of this chilling saga, which was lost during her move from the governor’s mansion when Governor Connally retired in 1969. The diary was discovered in a storage box shortly before she died, and Mr. Read helped her pen a book that was based upon this diary.

Traveling from Austin, Mr. Read was gracious to share his story with our guests, and I was deeply honored and greatly appreciated his participation in our cultural art series.