STATEMENT OF JOE HENNRY RICH, TEXAS HIGHWAY PATROLMAN, MADE ON NOVEMBER 28, 1963.

My name is Joe Henry Rich, employed by the Texas Highway Patrol, and I was assigned to drive the Vice President's security car November 22, 1963. As we came into the downtown area where the crowd was extra heavy, I was instructed by the Secret Service man to Stay as close to the Vice President's cars as possible and so that actually about the only thing I was watching was the car ahead of me. I was staying right on his bumper. We turned off of Houston Street onto Elm Street and that was when I heard the first shot. I noticed a lot of confusion up ahead of me, motorcycle policemen and in the President's car and the President's security car. This Secret Service man in the front seat with me made the remark, "What the hell was that" and about that time I heard two more shots. There could have been more shots, but I could not say. The cars ahead of me started up then at a fast pace and the Secret Service man advised me to get the htell out of there, so I stayed as close as I could to the Vice President's car on the way to the hospital and as we pulled into the hospital at Parkland, the Secret Service man in my car got out as soon as we stopped. I stayed back with my car, but I did see them get Governor Connally out of the car and also take the President out of the car.

After that I was more or less doing security and keeping people back, etc. That is about all I have. Actually I did not see too much.

Joe H. Rich [s]
Joe Henry Rich

Thomas J. Kelley [s]
Witness