File photo by Rick Watson.
Lem Johns
Former Secret Service agent Lem Johns of Inverness shows a 1968 photo of himself with President Lyndon B. Johnson, who he served under after witnessing John F. Kennedy’s assassination.
A remarkable life of service ended May 10, when Lem Johns, 88, passed away.
A memorial service held May 14 celebrated the memories of his life and the accomplishments made by the former Secret Service agent who witnessed first-hand the shots fired in Daley Plaza in Dallas on Nov. 22, 1963.
He was about 150 feet behind John F. Kennedy’s limousine — he rode in the third car in the motorcade with his door cracked, and he said the instant he heard the shot, he raced toward Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson’s limo.
Johns’ primary responsibility was protecting Johnson.
“I was in the right rear seat of the car following the vice president’s limo, and I heard a shot that came from the right,” he said.
Even with the lightning reflexes of the Secret Service it was too late for Kennedy, so Johns took his place behind Jacqueline Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson on Air Force One as Johnson took the oath of office to become the 36th president of the United States.
After the assassination, Johns continued his role as assistant special agent in charge, but his duty station moved to the White House as he had previous experience in the White House protecting President Dwight D. Eisenhower in the late 1950s.
“Being in the White House with Eisenhower gave me a chance to learn how things were done there,” Johns said.
As the role of the Secret Service expanded, Johns became assistant special agent in charge for not only the presidential detail but for all the Secret Service, putting him in a position to implement a number of initiatives that helped the Service to be more effective.
Johns created roles for the presidential drivers and mechanics to become part of the Service — drivers helped with advance team preparation whenever the president traveled. Johns also upgraded the weapons used by agents and acquired a bulletproof limousine, even though, he said, the president was hesitant to approve the expenditure.
During the 1968 Republican National Convention in Miami, the Secret Service needed 500 rooms to house the agents necessary to provide security for the convention. Johns soon learned there were so many candidates, delegates and media personnel at the event that no rooms remained for the Secret Service.
Johns phoned the Joint Chiefs of Staff and requisitioned a naval ship to serve as lodging for agents. The chosen ship was dry docked in Norfolk, Va., and undergoing renovation, but it was the only ship large enough to fit the bill.
“I asked them to double the work crews and complete the renovations on the voyage to Miami,” Johns remembered.
A life so full of accomplishments was sure to be noticed as Hoover-based filmmaker John Jenkins took interest in Johns’ experiences with the Secret Service. Jenkins produced a documentary about Johns that aired on Alabama Public Television in 2011; it is now available for purchase on amazon.com.
Much like his career, Johns’ marriage to his wife Nita remained successful for 67 years, up till his passing. Johns said long marriages were uncommon in the Secret Service because of the demands on the agents.
“I always said, being an agent requires a team of two: the agent and his wife,” he said.
Their son, Jeff, also became a Secret Service agent for presidents Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan, and their grandson Michael served as a Secret Service agent for the George W. Bush and Obama administrations.
“At any given moment, an agent is a foot away from history, but I’ve always considered it a great honor to serve,” Johns said.
Editor’s note: A previous version of this story ran in January 2012.
