‘Echo From Dealey Plaza' haunts former Secret Service man NONFICTION
‘Echo From Dealey Plaza' haunts former Secret Service man

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Published: May 18, 2008

Abraham Bolden appeared to be set for a successful career as the first black man to serve on the White House security detail during the term of President John F. Kennedy. But a series of events derailed that effort.

At first glance, "The Echo From Dealey Plaza” (Harmony, $24.95) seems fictional, but it is not. It is a story told through the eyes of Bolden, who claims he not only was treated unjustly but has yet to receive exoneration from the U.S. government.

Of course, the reader has to know the facts to make a fair judgment, but the circumstances behind "The Echo From Dealey Plaza” are so intriguing, who knows? In the future, there could be a blockbuster film on this.

In his book, Bolden, a former Pinkerton detective and Illinois state trooper, tells of being called to serve on the White House detail by an esteemed president. When he joined the Secret Service, he became the center of racist jokes and race-baiting. He also observed his colleagues' reckless behavior of drinking on duty and carousing with women.

Bolden was called to investigate two separate plots to assassinate John F. Kennedy, which he says were hushed up by the Secret Service and other government agencies.

When Kennedy was assassinated Nov. 22, 1963, Bolden was called to Washington to discuss the assassination plots and other Secret Service malfeasance. But instead of testifying to the Warren Commission, Bolden was arrested on a charge of bribery. He writes that one of his accusers was a counterfeiter who boasted he had never been convicted.

Throughout the book, Bolden maintains his innocence, and although one of his accusers admitted perjury later, Bolden was sentenced to six years in prison. For more than 40 years, he has sought to clear his name, and the government has never acknowledged making a mistake. On top of that, documents pertaining to his case were destroyed.

"The Echo From Dealey Plaza” paints a picture of a man who has never lost his faith in America, despite the injustices that have been heaped upon him.

— Natasha Mitchell