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| {{Short description|American Secret Service agent}} | |||
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| {{for multi|the Anglican bishop|William Greer (bishop)|the American politician from Maryland|William C. Greer|the president of Virginia Wesleyan College|William Thomas Greer Jr.}} | |||
| ⚫ | '''William Robert Greer''' ( |
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| {{Use mdy dates|date=February 2012}} | |||
| {{Infobox person | |||
| ⚫ | |name=William Greer | ||
| |image=JFK limousine.png | |||
| |alt= | |||
| ⚫ | |caption=The ] shortly before Kennedy's assassination. Greer is in the driver seat. Agent ] is in the front passenger seat. | ||
| |birth_name=William Robert Greer | |||
| |birth_date={{birth date|1909|9|22}} | |||
| |birth_place=], Ireland | |||
| |death_date={{death date and age|1985|2|23|1909|9|22}} | |||
| |death_place=], North Carolina, U.S. | |||
| |resting_place=Green Hill Cemetery, Waynesville | |||
| }} | |||
| ⚫ | '''William Robert Greer''' (September 22, 1909 – February 23, 1985) was an Irish-born agent of the ], best known as being the driver of President ]'s ] in the motorcade through ] in Dallas on November 22, 1963, when ]. | ||
| ==History== | ==History== | ||
| Greer was born on a farm in ], Ireland, and emigrated to the United States in 1929. He worked for over a decade as a ] and servant to several wealthy families, including the ] in Boston and a family in Dobbs Ferry, New York. During ], Greer enlisted in the ] and was assigned to the ] in May, 1944. After his discharge in 1945, he joined the ] on October 1 of that year.<ref name="Tyrone Times">{{cite news|title=Did Stewartstown native kill JFK?|url=http://www.tyronetimes.co.uk/news/local/did-stewartstown-native-kill-jfk-1-1747006|access-date=January 17, 2013|newspaper=]|date=July 17, 2008|location=Dungannon, Northern Ireland|archive-date=July 29, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120729173942/http://www.tyronetimes.co.uk/news/local/did-stewartstown-native-kill-jfk-1-1747006|url-status=dead}}</ref> In 2013 it was publicly discovered that while in Ireland he had been a member of the Drumbonaway lodge of the ].<ref name=Newsletter>{{cite news |last1=Rainey |first1=Mark |title=JFK’s driver Bill Greer ‘harboured no anti-Catholic sentiments’ |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131126080128/https://www.newsletter.co.uk/news/regional/jfk-s-driver-bill-greer-harboured-no-anti-catholic-sentiments-1-5702786 |work=] |date=23 November 2013}}</ref> | |||
| Greer was born on a farm in ], ], ], and emigrated to the United States in 1929.<ref>'''', 17 July 2008.</ref> After working for over a decade as a ] and servant to several wealthy families in the Boston area, including the ], Greer enlisted in the ] in ], and then joined the ] on ], ]. | |||
| Greer's duties brought him into close contact with Kennedy, and he can be seen in several pictures with the Kennedy family. He chauffeured the president on many occasions, including in Dallas. As with all agents involved, there has much speculation about, and criticism of, his actions on that day. Greer testified before the ] on March 9, 1964.<ref name="WCR-HII">{{cite book |title=Hearings Before the President's Commission on the Assassination of President John F. Kennedy, Volume II |url=http://www.maryferrell.org/mffweb/archive/viewer/showDoc.do?absPageId=15601 |year=1964 |publisher=United States Government Printing Office |location=Washington, D.C. |pages=61, 112–132 |chapter=Testimony Of William Robert Greer, Special Agent, Secret Service |chapter-url=http://www.maryferrell.org/mffweb/archive/viewer/showDoc.do?absPageId=15720 |ref={{harvid|Hearings Before the President's Commission on the Assassination of President John F. Kennedy, Volume II|1964}}}}</ref> Greer testified that he heard three shots, the first he thought was the ] of a motorcycle and so did not react. About three or four seconds later he heard a second shot which prompted him to turn around and as he did so he noticed Governor Connally was wounded. He describes the second and third shots as occurring "simultaneously, one behind the other".<ref>Warren Commission Hearings, Volume II, pp. 117-8</ref> According to Greer's nephew, Ken Torrens, when he asked Greer if he thought Oswald was guilty he replied "No comment".<ref name=Newsletter/> | |||
| Greer took a role close to Kennedy, and can be seen in several pictures with the Kennedy family. He chauffeured the president on many occasions, including the day of the assassination. Like all agents involved, he has been the target of much speculation and criticism for his actions on that day. He testified before the Warren Commission regarding the incident. | |||
| Greer retired on disability from the Secret Service in 1966 due to a stomach ] that grew worse following the Kennedy assassination<ref> |
Greer retired on disability from the Secret Service in 1966 due to a stomach ] that grew worse following the Kennedy assassination.<ref>{{cite news|title=Kennedy Death Car Driver Is Retiring With His Memories|first=Alfred E.|last=Lewis|newspaper=]|date=July 2, 1966|page=A5}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Article 1–No Title|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=February 28, 1985|page=C6}}</ref> In 1973 he relocated to ],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.wbtv.com/story/24015463/secret-service-agent-limo-driver-on-kennedy-assassination |title=Secret Service agent: I was in the front seat when Kennedy was assassinated |first=Steve |last=Ohnesorge |date=2013 |access-date=January 1, 2018 |publisher=Raycom Media |website=]}}</ref> where he later died of cancer. | ||
| ==Analysis and criticism== | ==Analysis and criticism== | ||
| ⚫ | Secret Service procedures in place at the time did not allow Greer to take action without orders from senior agent ], who sat to Greer's right. Kellerman has stated that he shouted, "Let's get out of line, we've been hit," but that Greer apparently turned to look at Kennedy before accelerating the car.<ref>], with Peter F. Stevens, ''The Secret Service: The Hidden History of an Enigmatic Agency,'' (Carroll & Graf, 2002), p. 74.</ref><ref>'']'' by William Manchester (Perennial Edition, 1988), page 160.</ref> | ||
| No agents were disciplined for their performance during the shooting, but privately, ] was bitterly critical of the agents' performance, Greer's in particular, comparing him to the Kennedy children's nanny.<ref>Mary Gallagher, ''My Life With Jacqueline Kennedy,'' McKay, 1969, pp. 343, 351</ref> Greer later "apologized" to her, in a distinctly menacing fashion, as William Manchester recounted in his semi-authorized account of the assassination: "Bill Greer, his face streaked with tears, took her head between his hands and squeezed until she thought he was going to squeeze her skull flat. He cried, 'Oh, Mrs. Kennedy, oh my God, oh my God. I didn’t mean to do it, I didn’t hear, I should have swerved (sic) the car, I couldn’t help it. Oh, Mrs. Kennedy, as soon as I saw it I swerved. If only I’d seen in time! Oh!' Then he released her head and put his arms around her and wept on her shoulder."<ref>William Manchester, ''The Death of a President,'' Harper & Row, 1967, p. 290.</ref> | |||
| Some commentators have criticized Greer's actions during the assassination, noting that he did not accelerate the vehicle to get the president out of danger as soon as he could have. In the confusion after the first shot was fired, the limousine's brake lights can be seen coming on briefly, slowing the car to almost a walking pace. The vehicle accelerated several seconds later, but by then the fatal shot had been fired. (Since that time, Secret Service agents have been trained to accelerate rapidly out of the area if they even think they hear gunfire.) | |||
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| Greer later delivered a heartfelt apology to ].<ref>William Manchester, ''The Death of a President,'' Harper & Row, 1967, p. 290.</ref> Privately, Mrs. Kennedy was bitterly critical of the agents' performance, Greer's in particular, comparing his efforts to those of "Maud Shaw" (the Kennedy children's nanny).<ref>Mary Gallagher, ''My Life With Jacqueline Kennedy,'' McKay, 1969, pp. 343, 351</ref> No agents were reprimanded or disciplined for their actions during the shooting. | |||
| ==References== | ==References== | ||
| {{Reflist|2}} | |||
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| ==External links== | ==External links== | ||
| * {{Find a Grave|17844947}} | |||
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| {{Assassination of John F. Kennedy}} | |||
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| {{Authority control}} | |||
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| {{DEFAULTSORT:Greer, William}} | {{DEFAULTSORT:Greer, William}} | ||
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Latest revision as of 22:35, 10 November 2024
American Secret Service agent For the Anglican bishop, see William Greer (bishop). For the American politician from Maryland, see William C. Greer. For the president of Virginia Wesleyan College, see William Thomas Greer Jr.
| William Greer | |
|---|---|
 The Presidential limousine shortly before Kennedy's assassination. Greer is in the driver seat. Agent Roy Kellerman is in the front passenger seat. | |
| Born | William Robert Greer (1909-09-22)September 22, 1909 Stewartstown, County Tyrone, Ireland |
| Died | February 23, 1985(1985-02-23) (aged 75) Waynesville, North Carolina, U.S. |
| Resting place | Green Hill Cemetery, Waynesville |
William Robert Greer (September 22, 1909 – February 23, 1985) was an Irish-born agent of the U.S. Secret Service, best known as being the driver of President John F. Kennedy's presidential limousine in the motorcade through Dealey Plaza in Dallas on November 22, 1963, when the president was assassinated.
History
Greer was born on a farm in Stewartstown, County Tyrone, Ireland, and emigrated to the United States in 1929. He worked for over a decade as a chauffeur and servant to several wealthy families, including the Lodge family in Boston and a family in Dobbs Ferry, New York. During World War II, Greer enlisted in the U.S. Navy and was assigned to the presidential yacht in May, 1944. After his discharge in 1945, he joined the United States Secret Service on October 1 of that year. In 2013 it was publicly discovered that while in Ireland he had been a member of the Drumbonaway lodge of the Orange Order.
Greer's duties brought him into close contact with Kennedy, and he can be seen in several pictures with the Kennedy family. He chauffeured the president on many occasions, including in Dallas. As with all agents involved, there has much speculation about, and criticism of, his actions on that day. Greer testified before the Warren Commission on March 9, 1964. Greer testified that he heard three shots, the first he thought was the backfire of a motorcycle and so did not react. About three or four seconds later he heard a second shot which prompted him to turn around and as he did so he noticed Governor Connally was wounded. He describes the second and third shots as occurring "simultaneously, one behind the other". According to Greer's nephew, Ken Torrens, when he asked Greer if he thought Oswald was guilty he replied "No comment".
Greer retired on disability from the Secret Service in 1966 due to a stomach ulcer that grew worse following the Kennedy assassination. In 1973 he relocated to Waynesville, North Carolina, where he later died of cancer.
Analysis and criticism
Secret Service procedures in place at the time did not allow Greer to take action without orders from senior agent Roy Kellerman, who sat to Greer's right. Kellerman has stated that he shouted, "Let's get out of line, we've been hit," but that Greer apparently turned to look at Kennedy before accelerating the car.
No agents were disciplined for their performance during the shooting, but privately, Jackie Kennedy was bitterly critical of the agents' performance, Greer's in particular, comparing him to the Kennedy children's nanny. Greer later "apologized" to her, in a distinctly menacing fashion, as William Manchester recounted in his semi-authorized account of the assassination: "Bill Greer, his face streaked with tears, took her head between his hands and squeezed until she thought he was going to squeeze her skull flat. He cried, 'Oh, Mrs. Kennedy, oh my God, oh my God. I didn’t mean to do it, I didn’t hear, I should have swerved (sic) the car, I couldn’t help it. Oh, Mrs. Kennedy, as soon as I saw it I swerved. If only I’d seen in time! Oh!' Then he released her head and put his arms around her and wept on her shoulder."
References
- "Did Stewartstown native kill JFK?". Tyrone Times. Dungannon, Northern Ireland. July 17, 2008. Archived from the original on July 29, 2012. Retrieved January 17, 2013.
- ^ Rainey, Mark (November 23, 2013). "JFK's driver Bill Greer 'harboured no anti-Catholic sentiments'". Belfast Newsletter.
- "Testimony Of William Robert Greer, Special Agent, Secret Service". Hearings Before the President's Commission on the Assassination of President John F. Kennedy, Volume II. Washington, D.C.: United States Government Printing Office. 1964. pp. 61, 112–132.
- Warren Commission Hearings, Volume II, pp. 117-8
- Lewis, Alfred E. (July 2, 1966). "Kennedy Death Car Driver Is Retiring With His Memories". The Washington Post. p. A5.
- "Article 1–No Title". The Washington Post. February 28, 1985. p. C6.
- Ohnesorge, Steve (2013). "Secret Service agent: I was in the front seat when Kennedy was assassinated". WBTV. Raycom Media. Retrieved January 1, 2018.
- Philip H. Melanson, with Peter F. Stevens, The Secret Service: The Hidden History of an Enigmatic Agency, (Carroll & Graf, 2002), p. 74.
- The Death of a President by William Manchester (Perennial Edition, 1988), page 160.
- Mary Gallagher, My Life With Jacqueline Kennedy, McKay, 1969, pp. 343, 351
- William Manchester, The Death of a President, Harper & Row, 1967, p. 290.