Rebecca Vaughan - 20 Years in the Secret Service by Rufus Youngblood
Dr. Rebecca Youngblood Vaughn, daughter of Rufus Youngblood, shares her father's candid memoir, which includes his first-person account of the Kennedy assassination and its aftermath, as well as highlights from his 20-year career in the Secret Service.
This event is free and open to the public. If you are unable to attend, you may order a signed copy of the book here:
About the Book
When shots rang out in Dallas on November 22, 1963, U.S. Secret Service Agent Rufus W. Youngblood immediately lunged over the seat of the vice president's car and bravely used his body to shield Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson. Faced with the unknown, Youngblood maintained this protective position as they sped toward Parkland Hospital. Throughout that fateful day, he vigilantly remained by LBJ’s side to ensure his safety. This candid memoir includes Youngblood's first-hand account of the Kennedy assassination and its aftermath, as well as highlights from his 20-year career in the Secret Service during which he protected Presidents Truman, Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, and Nixon. Readers will enjoy Youngblood's behind-the-scenes look at some of the most pivotal events in U.S. history, humorous anecdotes, and descriptions of the complexities, risks, and constant tensions involved in protecting America's chief executive. A unique and comprehensive collection of more than one hundred photographs has been added to illustrate this agent's amazing story.
About the Author
Rufus Wayne Youngblood is best known as the U.S. Secret Service agent who shielded Vice President Johnson during the tragic Kennedy assassination. Born in Macon, Georgia, in 1924, he was raised in Atlanta and enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Force shortly after the Pearl Harbor attack. During World War II, he flew in some of the Eighth Air Force’s earliest combat missions. After graduating from the Georgia Institute of Technology with an industrial engineering degree, he joined the Secret Service in 1951 and protected Presidents Truman, Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, and Nixon during his 20-year tenure. He retired in 1971 as the agency’s deputy director. He penned his memoir 20 Years in the "Secret Service: My Life with Five Presidents," before returning to Georgia, where he resided with Peggy, his wife of 53 years, and his family until his death in 1996.
Rebecca Youngblood Vaughn, MD, is the youngest daughter of Rufus and Peggy Youngblood. She is a physician and published author. While researching her parent’s history to write their life stories, Vaughn re-discovered the veritable treasure-trove of mementos from her father's 20-year tenure as a high-profile Secret Service Agent and created a new edition of his memoir, "20 Years in the Secret Service: My Life With Five Presidents." The mother of two young adults, she lives in Acworth, Georgia, with her husband of 31 years. Vaughn is a speaker who brings her father’s legacy to life by sharing his frontline point-of-view of some of the most pivotal moments in U.S. history.
