Kennedy’s assistant (1912–1998) who was riding in the Secret Service follow-up car directly behind the presidential limousine. Souvenir typescript of Powers’s affidavit following the assassination, two pages, 11 x 8.5, signed at the bottom of both pages in blue ballpoint, “David F. Powers.” In part: “I was assigned to ride in the Secret Service automobile which proceeded immediately behind the President's car in the motorcade…Kenneth O’Donnell and I were observing the size and disposition of the crowd in order to evaluate the local political situation…As we proceeded through Dallas the motorcade slowed down on a number of occasions, but I do not believe it ever stopped…I was very much concerned about our timing and at just about that point I looked at my watch and noted that it was almost exactly 12:30 p.m., Which was the time we were due at the Trade Mart. I commented to Ken O'Donnell that it was 12:30 and we would only be about five minutes late…Shortly thereafter the first shot went off and it sounded to me as if it were a firecracker. I noticed then that the President moved quite far to his left after the shot from the extreme right hand side where he had been sitting. There was a second shot and Governor Connally disappeared from sight and then there was a third shot which took off the top of the President's head and had the sickening sound of a grapefruit splattering against the side of a wall. The total time between the first and third shots was about 5 or 6 seconds. My first impression was that the shots came from the right and overhead, but I also had a fleeting impression that the noise appeared to come from the front in the area of the triple overpass. This may have resulted from my feeling, when I looked forward toward the overpass, that we might have ridden into an ambush.” In very fine condition. RR Auction COA.
