Author William Manchester contended that agent Emory Roberts made a "switch in allegiance" to LBJ on the way to Parkland Hospital. ("Death of a President", page 165) Presidential aides Kenny O'Donnell and Dave Powers, who rode in the same car with Roberts, said in their book: "Roberts, one of President Kennedy's agents...had decided to switch to Johnson as soon as Kennedy was shot."(see "Johnny, We Hardly Knew Ye", page 32) In addition, author James Hepburn reported: "...at Parkland Hospital (Kellerman's) men started taking orders from agent Emory Roberts."(see "Farewell America", page 299) Finally, Jesse Curry and Jerry ter Horst noted Roberts switch.(see "JFK Assassination File", pages 36 - 37; "The Flying White House", page 215)
In keeping with the above comments, this author had previously traced the critical decision to have Johnson (as well as President Kennedy's coffin) aboard Air Force One, instead of Air Force Two, back to the primary source --- Emory Roberts ( see "The Death of a President", pages 233 - 235; and "A Woman Called Jackie", page 403; also 18 H 736 and 2 H 152).
However, what was missing up until recently was a document of an "official" enough nature to demonstrate Roberts' initiative on November 22, 1963, without the influence of his superior Roy Kellerman or even JFK aide Ken O'Donnell --until now. This excerpt from Lyndon Johnson aide Cliff Carter's diary, (as he dicatated it to secretary Marie Fehmer) certainly speaks volumes and confirms some previous research.