DOD Response to Manchester's Book

http://jfk.hood.edu/...ester%20320.pdf
March 4, 1967

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MANCHESTER BOOK BJT 1,000
BY GEORGE ESPER
ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER

NEW YORK, MARCH 29 (AP) -THE DEFENSE DEPARTMENT DENIES STATEMENTS IN WILLIAM MANCHESTER'S BOOK THAT PRESIDENT JOHNSON HAD NOT BEEN ADVISED ON PROCEDURES FOR ORDERING NUCLEAR RETALIATION IN THE EVENT OF AN ATTACK FOLLOWING THE KENNEDY ASSASSINATION.

SECURITY OFFICIALS IN THE KENNEDY ADMINISTRATION ALSO DENIED
THAT JOHNSON HAD NOT BEEN BRIEFED, THE U.S. ATOMIC ATTACK CODE
WAS CARRIED IN A FOOTBALL-SHAPED SATCHEL THAT LAY IN THE PRESIDENTIAL JET WHICH TOOK JOHNSON AND THE BODY OF KENNEDY BACK TO WASHINGTON FROM DALLAS ON NOV. 22, 1963.

KENNEDY OFFICIALS SAID THAT AT THE LATE PRESIDENT'S INSISTENCE
JOHNSON HAD BEEN FAMILIARIZED THOROUGHLY ON THE CONTENTS OF THE SATCHEL, MANCHESTER .SAYS IN THE BOOK, "THE DEATH OF A PRESIDENT": "THE DIFFICULTY WAS THAT JOHNSON HAD NO IDEA OF WHAT WAS IN THE BAG. HE KNEW THAT IT EXISTED, BUT HE HADN'T BEEN BRIEFED ABOUT'THE CONTENTS, AND IF THE THUNDERBOLT OF ALL-OUT WAR STRUCK THAT AFTERNOON,' THE .COUNTRY'S RETALIATORY ARSENAL COULD BE SPIKED UNTIL HE HAD BEEN LED THROUGH TAZ SHEPARD'S PRIMERS FOR THE FIRST - TIME."

CAPT. TAZEWELL SHEPARD WAS A MILITARY AIDE TO PRESIDENT KENNEDY. MANCHESTER ALSO WRITES 'HAD RUSSIA ATTACKED ACROSS THE DEW LINE, THE GREATEST MILITARY ESTABLISHMENT IN THE HISTORY OF THE WORLD MIGHT EASILY HAVE BEEN MUSCLEBOUND DURING THE 15 FATEFUL MINUTES OF WARNING TIME AND PERHAPS EVEN AFTERWARD, WHEN SECOND - STRIKE CAPACITY BECAME A FACTOR.*
A SPOKESMAN FOR THE DEFENSE DEPARTMENT ISSUED A STATEMENT YESTERDAY SAYING:

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"THE STATEMENTS CARRIED BY THE PRESS SERVICES ATTRIBUTED TO
WILLIAM MANCHESTER BEARING ON THE NUCLEAR READINESS OF THE, UNITED STATES ON NOV. 22, 1963, WERE UNTRUE.

"ON THAT DATE, LYNDON JOHNSON, AS VICE PRESIDENT AND AS PRESIDENT, WAS FULLY AWARE OF THE PROCEDURES USED TO AUTHORIZE THE RELEASE OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS IN RETALIATION AGAINST ATTACK ON THE UNITED STATES,"

MANCHESTER ALSO SAYS THERE WAS A SLOWDOWN IN COMMERCIAL
TELEPHONE SERVICE BECAUSE OF THE GREAT LOAD OF CALLS IN THE HOURS IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THE ASSASSINATION. HE SAYS PHONES IN THE SENATE AND HOUSE OFFICES, THE WHITE HOUSE AND THE SIGNAL CORPS HAD BEEN PARALYZED TEMPORARILY.

ACCORDING TO MANCHESTER'S ACCOUNT, SEN. EDWARD M. KENNEDY ROAMED THE STREETS IN WASHINGTON, TRYING THE PHONES OF STRANGERS, UNTIL HE GOT THROUGH TO THEN-ATTY, GEN, ROBERT F, KENNEDY, TO LEARN, IF THEIR BROTHER WAS DEAD, 'IT BECAME OBVIOUS THAT IN A NATIONAL EMERGENCY THIS (TELEPHONE SERVICE) WOULD BE THE FIRST LINK TO SNAP, MANCHESTER WRITES.

REGARDING THE PASSAGES ON THE SLOWDOWN 1M COMMERCIAL TELEPHONE SERVICE, THE DEFENSE DEPARTMENT SAID:

'GOVERNMENTAL COMMUNICATIONS, MILITARY AND CIVIL, WERE FULLY
OPERATIONAL AT ALL TIMES AND WERE FAR IN EXCESS OF ANY REQUIREMENT ARISING OUT OF ANY SECURITY EMERGENCY. THOSE SECURE COMMUNICATIONS OPERATE INDEPENDENTLY OF COMMERCIAL SYSTEMS.'

A SPOKESMAN FOR THE CHESAPEAKE AND POTOMAC TELEPHONE CO, IN
WASHINGTON SAID THAT DUE TO THE UNUSUALLY HEAVY TRAFFIC AFTER THE ASSASSINATION, "IF YOU PICKED UP THE PHONE YOU MIGHT HAVE TO WAIT A FEW SECONDS TO GET A DIAL TONE.'
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