Clint Hill, the former Secret Service agent famed for his courageous act amidst the tragic assassination of President John F. Kennedy, has passed away at 93 years old. His death occurred at his residence in Belvedere, California, as reported by his publishing house, Gallery Books, a branch of Simon & Schuster. The specific cause behind his passing has yet to be disclosed.
Although many may not readily identify him by name, Hill’s courageous actions were immortalized in the stark footage captured by Abraham Zapruder’s home movie. This chilling imagery remains among the most unforgettable visual accounts from the fateful day of November 22, 1963, when Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas.
Honored with Secret Service accolades and promoted for his heroism on that day, Hill harbored a profound sense of guilt over the years. He lamented his perceived tardiness in responding to the assassination attempt, expressing a deep-seated wish that he could have exchanged his life to save the president.
“If I had reacted just a little bit quicker. And I could have, I guess,” a tearful Hill divulged on CBS’ 60 Minutes with Mike Wallace in 1975. This interview came shortly after his retirement, prompted by his doctors when he was just 43. “And I’ll live with that to my grave,” he declared.
In later years, Hill recounted how he was finally able to start reconciling with the traumatic experience of the assassination and finding acceptance of the events that had unfolded.
Assigned to protect First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy at the time of the assassination, Hill was positioned on the left running board of the follow-up vehicle behind the presidential limo traversing Dealey Plaza. Responding to the first gunshots and observing Kennedy slump in his seat, Hill sprang into action. Tragically, Kennedy suffered a fatal headshot moments before Hill reached the vehicle.
The Zapruder film showcases Hill as he courageously leaped from his vehicle, grasped onto the limousine’s trunk, and swiftly pulled himself onto it as the car sped up. He guided Mrs. Kennedy, who had climbed onto the trunk of the limo herself, safely back into her seat.
Hill later took on roles as the lead of the White House’s protective detail and eventually became an assistant director for the Secret Service. He retired with the haunting memories of the assassination weighing heavily on him, leading to a deep depression.
Clint Hill’s life partially inspired the 1993 film “In the Line of Fire,” where Clint Eastwood portrayed a former Secret Service agent traumatized by the JFK shooting.
Born in 1932, Hill grew up in Washburn, North Dakota, after which he attended Concordia College in Minnesota. He served in the Army before working as a railroad agent and beginning his Secret Service career in 1958. His path led him to the Denver office briefly before he joined the elite team assigned to the president.
Following his departure from professional duties, Hill chose to speak publicly about his ordeal only a few times, with the most touching being his 1975 conversation with Wallace, during which he broke down multiple times.
“If I had reacted about five-tenths of a second faster, maybe a second faster, I wouldn’t be here today,” Hill somberly said.
“You mean you would have gotten there and you would have taken the shot?” Wallace asked with palpable concern.
“The third shot, yes, sir,” Hill affirmed.
“And that would have been all right with you?”
“That would have been fine with me,” Hill admitted.
In his 2005 memoir “Between You and Me,” Wallace reflected on the interview as one of the most profoundly moving encounters of his journalism career.
In 2006, Hill and Wallace reunited on CNN’s “Larry King Live.” During this meeting, Hill credited the influential 60 Minutes interview with helping him embark on a journey toward emotional recovery.
“I have to thank Mike for asking me to do that interview and then thank him more because he’s what caused me to finally come to terms with things and bring the emotions out where they surfaced,” Hill revealed. “It was because of his questions and the things he asked that I started to recover.”
Years later, Hill co-authored several books, including “Mrs. Kennedy and Me” and “Five Presidents,” capturing his Secret Service narratives alongside Lisa McCubbin Hill, who he married in 2021. “We had that once-in-a-lifetime love that everyone hopes for,” she declared in a statement. “We were soulmates.”
Clint Hill also became a distinguished speaker, offering insights into his experiences in Dallas. In 2018, he received North Dakota’s highest civilian accolade, the Theodore Roosevelt Rough Rider Award, and a gallery portrait of him stands amongst fellow honorees.
A private funeral will be arranged in Washington, D.C., though the date remains undetermined.
