Was there any thought--I withdraw that one, and ask you this: Do you know how it came about that Dallas was chosen as one of the cities to visit?
Mr. O'BRIEN. I don't recall specifically, except that the size of the city, the concentration of population, would make it an obvious stop in Texas, if you were going to be in the State for 2 or 2 1/2 days. It is rather an obvious decision, that the Dallas area would be one of the stops.

Mr. Adams.

As far as you know, there was never any consideration given to omitting Dallas?
Mr. O'BRIEN. I do not recall any.

Mr. Adams.

Well, we are back now at Love Field. Would you tell us what happened there, as far as you observed it?
Mr. O'BRIEN. The President moved over to the fence, where a large crowd had gathered and shook the hands of several in the crowd, as the motorcade was awaiting his departure. All those in the motorcade proceeded to get into their cars. There was the usual amount of minor confusion--people hustling around to locate their car number, and I stood watching the President engaged in this activity, until he had gotten into his car, and a quick observation indicated to me that all those traveling with us had gotten into their cars.
I came very close, however, to being left at Love Field, because I delayed a little longer than I normally would, observing the scene, and, consequently, I had to make a little dash, myself, to hop into a car, to insure that I would travel into town.

Mr. Adams.

When the President was greeting people along the fence there, was he accompanied by Mrs. Kennedy?
Mr. O'BRIEN. That is my recollection.

Mr. Adams.

And do you recall at that time what the Vice President and Mrs. Johnson were doing?
Mr. O'BRIEN. They were engaged in the same activity, as I recall it.

Mr. Adams.

I think you said this was a large crowd.
Mr. O'BRIEN. Yes; it appeared to be a large crowd. The difficulty in judging a crowd from the ground at an airport is obvious. But as we came down the steps of the plane, looking out over the crowd. I had the impression that it was a large crowd for an airport stop, considering the fact the President was about to travel through the heart of the city.

Mr. Adams.

Was it a friendly crowd?
Mr. O'BRIEN. It appeared to be friendly.

Mr. Adams.

Now, getting to the motorcade, what was its organization, as you recall it, in terms of what cars at what places?
Mr. O'BRIEN. As I recall it, following the usual police grouping in the front and sides, the President's car, Secret Service car, the Vice President's car, additional Secret Service car, wire service cars--I would think there probably were two---the VIP cars followed, and then following those cars, which was rather a long line of them, as I recall, were, I believe, one or two buses containing the press, traveling press.

Mr. Adams.

When you refer to the VIP cars, those would include the Congressmen and the other gentlemen you referred to before?
Mr. O'BRIEN. That is right, Senator Yarborough was in the car with the Vice President and Mrs. Johnson. The members of the congressional delegation traveling with us at that point were then in open cars--I would think there were perhaps four open cars to accommodate them.

Mr. Adams.

Which one were you in?
Mr. O'BRIEN. I was in one of those open cars--specifically, I don't remember the order of the car, but I remember the passengers I joined. And as I pointed out, this was rather a quick hop into the car that I made at that point. Congressman Mahon was in the front seat with the driver. Congressman Rogers of Texas, now Judge Homer Thornberry of Texas, and me in the back seat.

Mr. Adams.

Do you know who the driver was?
Mr. O'BRIEN. I do not.

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