Audio: LBJ’s Call to Rose Kennedy on Nov. 22, 1963
The National Archives has released a two-hour and 22-minute recording of conversations onboard Air Force One during the flight from Dallas to Washington on Nov. 22, 1963, following the assassination of President Kennedy.
The tape was donated to the archives by the Raab Collection, which deals in autographs, manuscripts and historical documents.
The recording involves conversations between pilots and others on the flight and individuals in Washington, D.C., as the plane sped back to Andrews Air Force Base with the newly sworn-in president, Lyndon Johnson, on board.
The audio includes the logistics of bringing the new president back, including at one point a suggestion that a fork lift meet Air Force One in order to remove Kennedy’s heavy casket.