Nation: Kenny O'Donnell

One of Kennedy's most devoted aides, Kenny O'Donnell, who had arranged the Dallas trip to straighten out "a party problem in Texas," was riding in the car behind the President when he heard Oswald's shots. "I saw the third shot hit. It was such a perfect shot—I remember I blessed myself. I was rather convinced that it was a fatal blow." Outside the emergency room, O'Donnell talked with Jackie. "I tried to in some way imply that she might leave and come with us, at least to get her out of that room. She was covered with blood. Her response to me was that she would not leave her husband's body. I realized that she was going to stay with her husband, no matter what anybody did, and there was no possible way of getting her to leave." O'Donnell ordered a casket, then tried to take Jackie out so she would not see it. "But she knew what was going on," said O'Donnell.

"She came out and said, 'No, I want to watch it all.' And she stood in the doorway. And then they took it in, and put the body in the casket." 'The Law Must Be Met." At that point came a harrowing incident. "The casket was brought out about halfway," said O'Donnell, "and a gentleman arrived who said that we would not be allowed to remove the body from the hospital until the necessary papers had been signed." O'Donnell agreed, assuming it would be done on the instant, but about ten minutes passed. "I was getting more concerned about Mrs. Kennedy's state all the time—although she appeared composed, as she had from the beginning. Then a gentleman did arrive who has later been identified for me as a judge. The gentleman was very calm and cool and collected. If my recollection is clear, he said something to the effect that as of now this was just a homicide case, and there were certain things that had to be carried out, one of which I interpreted as an autopsy.