No one person has all the qualities necessary to be a perfect leader in every situation.

Mr. Hill, if the situation develops that requires the children and me to go to the shelter, let me tell you what you can expect. If the situation develops, I will take Caroline and John, and we will walk hand in hand out onto the south grounds. We will stand there like brave soldiers, and face the fate of every other American.

The fact that President-elect Kennedy would be the first Catholic president did not sit well with many Americans. There was a fear that, as president, Kennedy's decisions would be based on his religion and dictated by the pope.

President Lyndon Johnson was very, very unpredictable. We never knew for sure what he is going to do next, and he preferred to have it that way; if he could do something as a complete surprise, that was his preference.

I had a great childhood. Even though I never had my own room - I shared the porch with my grandfather and kept my belongings in one drawer of a dresser that was jammed next to the piano - I never went hungry and was always supported by my family.

Somebody had fired a shot at the President, and I had to get myself between the shooter and the President and Mrs. Kennedy. Nothing else mattered.

President Kennedy knew every agent by name. President Johnson knew many of us, but not as many as President Kennedy, probably.

We had been through so much together, mrs. Kennedy and me. More than anyone can imagine. More than anyone can ever know.

I sat there, staring at the television set, the images of her playing over and over, my memories right there on the screen. I was overcome with a deep sense of loss. The tears streamed down my face, and I was not ashamed.

If there was one thing I had learned. . . it was that politics was a damn dirty business.