Belt 4F7, Telephone Conversation
between
October 1, 1962
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Transcript Abrams: Mr. Geoghegan reports to me that there are [more] than enough trucks at the strip, with a hundred and eighty men in the helicopters. RFK: You got a hundred and eighty men? Where, where are the rest of them? Abrams: Moving on the road. RFK: The, when will they be there? Abrams: Uh, 'bout two hours and three quarters. That would be, uh, quarter of three in the morning our time. RFK: Quarter of five our time? How, how, how many, how many of them are there? Speaker?: [Off the phone in the room.] Quarter of five. RFK: How many of them are there? Abrams: Uh, the, uh, five hundred. RFK: And when do the rest of... Abrams: Behind that, behind that's another battalion, with a, marching right behind them, of six hundred and eighty. RFK: They're MPs? Abrams: MPs. RFK: What was the delay in getting them out of Memphis? Abrams: They, uh, this , uh, I don't know the details of it, uh, Mr. Kennedy. They, uh, this is the best response they could make, apparently, under the circumstances. RFK: Well, who's in charge of that? Abrams: Each, uh, each of those battalions have a, has a battalion commander, and, uh, the, uh, the, uh, both battalions are under the command of General Billingslea. Uh, they had a meeting over here this afternoon, which I did not attend. But they had a meeting in which they discussed all these plans. [Unintelligible conversation in the background in the room.] RFK: Well, didn't they say that they could get off with, and down there within an hour? Abrams: Yes, they, uh, they, uh, expected a much more rapid response than has occurred. I know General Billingslea did. RFK: What happened then? Abrams: I don't know. RFK: Is somebody gonna find out? Abrams: Yes, sir. RFK: [Lets his breath out.] What about the battle group? Abrams: Uh, we have gotten a hold of the battle group and, uh, have diverted them. We got a hold of them at [Selmer?]... RFK: When will they be down there? Abrams:... Tennessee. I don't have a new, uh, estimate on that, sir. We've, uh, it's only been within the last fifteen or twenty minutes that we got a hold of 'em, and it hasn't been recast. But, uh, I can get it very shortly. RFK: Yeah. Will you call me back at the White House? Speaker?: [Words unintelligible.] RFK: Okay. Thank you, General. [Continued on Belt 4G.] |
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