 Hello, my name is Bill Hanks and I served as a special agent of the US Secret Service from 1970 until 1998. President Johnson had been out of office for a little over a year when I became a special agent. I had the privilege of driving him on numerous occasions during the last two and a half years of his life. I was an agent in the Austin Field Office where we divided our time between working criminal cases and protective duty. As part of the Treasury Department, our criminal investigations included counterfeiting and the forgery of US government checks. Since President Johnson maintained offices in Austin and came to town often, the agents of the Austin Field Office worked hand in glove with the agents of the Johnson Detail. This car, the black Lincoln limousine, which is not armored, was owned by President Johnson and was usually kept at the OBJ Ranch. It was one of three cars used by the President. The other two cars were Secret Service vehicles owned by the Austin Field Office, a black 68 bulletproof Cadillac limousine and a standard white Lincoln Continental. These vehicles were stored at the field office and were driven by field office agents whenever the President arrived in town by air. We referred to any car carrying a protectee as a limo no matter what type of car it was. When I was hired, the special agent in charge of the Austin office, Ken Weisman, gave me a list of about 25 places President Johnson visited in Austin and told me to be able to drive to any of them day or night with no ifs, ands, or buts. This wasn't difficult for me because I had been living in Austin since the 8th grade and knew the city well. I recall the first time I drove President Johnson. He landed on the roof of the Federal Building and boarded our white Lincoln in the basement. The President said, let's go to Lucy's house and I said yes sir and took off. Mike Howard, the agent in charge of the Johnson Detail, rode in the right front seat and other agents manned the follow-up car. Within a few minutes, the tension inside the car began to build. I was driving down streets at neither Mike Howard nor the President had ever seen before. Mike leaned toward me and tapped me on the knee and whispered Lucy's house. I glanced at Mike and nodded yes and kept driving. Finally, an acoustic tone from the back seat came a voice. Mike, may I ask a question? Mike said yes sir, Mr. President. Where in the hell is that boy going? About that time we came around a corner and the President said, well there's Lucy's house right there. I don't think I've ever been that way before. I think that was a little quicker. After driving around town with me several more times, he began to realize that I knew all the shortcuts and back roads that could save him time, which was always important. So I quickly became the driver of choice for President Johnson whenever he came to town. On May 22, 1971, I was assigned to drive President Johnson to the dedication of the LBJ Library. It was to be quite an event. President Nixon, Vice President Agnew, members of Congress, and many other dignitaries were to attend the outdoor ceremony. Dr. Billy Graham was to give the invocation. That Saturday morning, President Johnson needed a haircut, so we took him to a barber shop called the Razor's Edge, located near the present day seat and hospital. We were using our field office white Lincoln that day. Mrs. Johnson actually arrived at the library separately that morning in this car, the black Lincoln limousine, driven by Hal Purvis of the Johnson Detail. We left the barber shop about 9.30 a.m. and headed for the library. Mike Howard was again in the right front seat. As we traveled to the library, the President was going over his speech. At one point, he had to recite how many documents were housed in the library, and for some reason he never could seem to locate the number on the page when he needed it. Finally, Mike Howard said, Mr. President, why don't you write it on your hand so that's what he did. The dedication went off without a hitch, and at the end of the day, the President was very happy. Later that year, I was driving President Johnson and Walter Cronkite around Austin. Mike Howard was again in the right front seat. The President said, Walter, this boy is the best driver I ever had. He knows every Indian trail in Austin. When I was President, I got driven around by a bunch of fast-talking Yankees who couldn't find their way to hell without going up and down the Mar Boulevard. That was about the best compliment I ever received from the President, and it was delivered in typical LBJ fashion. The last time I drove, President Johnson was on January 16, 1973, to the inauguration of Governor Dolph Briscoe on the south steps of the state capitol. President Johnson died six days later at the LBJ Ranch. Sometime later, I was transferred from the Austin Field Office to the Ladybird Detail. Mrs. Johnson, now a widow, said, well, boys, pack your bags, we're going to see the world. Her trips were off the record. No public events, just private travel with friends and family. I spent the next three and a half years with Mrs. Johnson as she visited much of the United States and many countries throughout the world. The years I spent working with President and Mrs. Johnson are some of the most enjoyable memories I have of my 28 years as a special agent of the U.S. Secret Service.