Lisa McCubbin

Thank you to Matt Flegenheimer for this well-written, heartfelt piece about my darling Clint in the New York Times.

The Secret Service Agent Haunted by His Failure to Save J.F.K. (Gift Article) He rarely spoke of the assassination he could not prevent. That changed in the final years of his life.

I’ve always loved getting Christmas cards. I loved sending them too. But this year, it's bittersweet to open the envelopes and see the smiling couples, the happy families on vacation, the weddings.

To anyone who has lost someone you love this year, I feel your pain. I feel your heartache. I feel your sense of aloneness.

And to anyone who is dealing with family drama or a sibling or spouse or child or parent who is driving you crazy during this holiday season, stop for a moment and think, what if this is your last Christmas together? Don't sweat the small stuff. Embrace every chaotic moment. Find the laughter, appreciate the touch of a hand, the meaning of a kiss. For there's no guarantee that person will be with you next year.

I'm not sending Christmas cards this year. But to everyone who reads this, thank you for supporting me these past difficult months without Clint. I appreciate every gesture, no matter how big or small. The flowers, the texts, emails, and handwritten cards. The invitations to dinner, the spontaneous walks, including me on trips to Paris, Paros, London, Sweden, Santa Barbara, New York. Thank you. I know I will make it through because of you.

May your holidays be blessed.

November 22 was a date my husband always dreaded. No matter how many years had gone by, the anniversary of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in 1963 brought back the life-altering memories for him as if it had happened yesterday.

The black-and-white photo of him climbing on the presidential limousine to use his body as a shield appeared on the front pages of newspapers worldwide. Taken from behind, it can't begin to capture the horror Secret Service Agent Clint Hill witnessed and desperately tried to prevent.

Clint was just 31 years old in 1963. And while he was hailed as a hero for being the only Secret Service agent to react to the gunshots and for saving First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy’s life, for the next 62 years, he never reconciled with that label. In his mind, he had failed for not being faster than a speeding bullet.

Clint Hill embodied courage, humility, integrity, and patriotism. He was selfless until his last breath, caring more about those around him than his own comfort. He died on February 21, 2025.

I miss him more than words can convey, but on this anniversary, I am grateful—for he is finally free of the demons and emotional pain that scarred his tender soul.

Read FIVE DAYS IN NOVEMBER for Clint Hill’s compelling and authentic account of the assassination and the days surrounding it. https://bit.ly/47WqyeR