Retired Secret Service agent’s career is presidential

CLINTON TOWNSHIP — When protecting the president of the United States, anything can happen.

“You always have to expect the unexpected wherever you are at,” said Radford Jones, a retired special agent of the Michigan Division, U.S. Secret Service.

During his career as a Secret Service agent, Jones provided security for six presidents: John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson, Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan. Secret Service protection continues long after presidents leave office.

On March 29, the Lake Orion resident spoke to about 35 people who attended the Macomb Community College’s Macomb Organization for Retiree Enrichment program at the Lorenzo Cultural Center on the college’s Center Campus. MORE is a lifelong learning initiative that is offering courses through May 18.

Through a slideshow presentation, personal stories and a photo collection, Jones recalled several events during his tenure, including the time the Secret Service figured out how to get Reagan’s 20-car motorcade to a small backyard barbecue in Hamtramck. Jones also recalled an incident that occurred on Easter Sunday in 1966 during Johnson’s administration.

“Myself and another agent were on duty,” said Jones, who grew up in Hillsdale. “It’s about 9 a.m. and the White House operator calls us and she says we just got word from the press that an individual says he’s going to burn himself in front of the White House (to protest) against the war in Vietnam.”

Johnson was not at the White House at the time. Jones, who learned of the man’s name, quickly went to the northwest gate to “see what’s going on.” The agent then ventured down the White House sidewalk, passing about 50 people dressed for Easter Sunday, including a woman holding a little girl’s hand. Jones then spotted a man coming toward him carrying two paper bags.

“I notice the bags are stained. As he got a little bit closer, I noticed he had matches and he’s trying to light them, so I hollered his name,” he said. “He looked at me and I dove at him. We’re wrestling around trying to get the gasoline away from him. Finally, we got him handcuffed. Fortunately, he wasn’t able to set himself on fire because I think some people would have gotten seriously injured. I always think back to the lady with the little girl, whether she may have been burned also.”

A decade later, Jones was involved in the planning of Carter’s inauguration in 1977, which set a new precedent for the 1.7-mile parade route.

“Most presidents have ridden in a car and gotten out at the Treasury Building and they’ve walked to the White House,” Jones said.

Carter, however, told organizers he wanted to walk the entire route down Pennsylvania Avenue rather than be driven. Security wasn’t crazy about the idea, but Carter’s idea prevailed.

“Isn’t the best security a surprise?” Carter asked Jones. “He said if no one knows I’m going to walk the route it will be a surprise. So, we walked the entire route.”

 

‘She made a line right to where the president was because she wanted to kiss him.’
Robert Kennedy’s assassination in June 1968 was a shock. Jones was off duty when his wife told him the news. Jones shared details of the senator’s funeral train procession from New York City to Washington, D.C.http://LorenzoCulturalCenter.com/more

“They put the casket on top of chairs in the train so people could see it,” Jones remembered. “There were all types of people along the route. It was heartening to see the respect they had for the senator.”

Six months later, the senator’s widow, Ethel Kennedy, sent Jones a personal note.

“I got a message (that said), ‘Thank you for all the nice things you’ve done for me,’” Jones said. “These are some of the things you don’t hear about with dignitaries.”

One of Jones’ photos depicted the exact moment in 1975 when Lynette “Squeaky” Fromme tried to shoot Ford in Sacramento, who was swiftly evacuated from the area.

“(Fromme) didn’t load the (handgun) properly so it wouldn’t have fired, but you don’t know that when it happens,” Jones said.

On a lighter note, the MORE attendees chuckled when Jones recalled the episode surrounding Ford’s attendance at the 1979 Major League Baseball All-Star Game at the Kingdome in Seattle. Morganna the Kissing Bandit, who routinely ran onto baseball fields and basketball courts to kiss athletes, sprinted over to the former commander in chief for a smooch. It didn’t go over well.

“She made a line right to where the president was because she wanted to kiss him,” Jones said. “She got stopped and got arrested and spent the night in jail.”

Jones also protected many foreign heads of state, including the U.K.’s Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip when they visited in 1976. During the presentation, the guest speaker also talked about the history of presidential train travel, and related security concerns and issues.

Jones retired as a Secret Service agent in 1983. He also retired from Ford Motor Co. as the manager of global security and fire protection, and worked 17 years as instructor in the School of Criminal Justice at Michigan State University.

“We’re very glad to have him here,” MORE Adult Education Outreach Program Director Dave Tarrant said. “He has a very distinguished background.”

MORE student Art Rathke described Jones as “good speaker” and thought his presentation was “great.”

“It covered a wide variety of topics and was more interesting than I imagined it would be,” Rathke said.

Rathke, 69, of Sterling Heights, has attended other MORE programs and credits Tarrant for always finding good programs.

To view the MORE catalog, visit LorenzoCulturalCenter.com/more. For additional information email MORE@macomb.edu.