LEAVING BAR 3 RANCH AND PAYING OUR RESPECTS TO OFC. J.D. TIPPIT

We left the ranch the morning of Mon. Nov. 3. The ranch was empty. T-Bone headed to work at his gun shop and the only one to say goodbye to us was Dooley the Ranch dog. We gave him a treat and a pat on the head and hit the trail.

Not far from the ranch is the town of Clarksville. Just south of Clarksville, along RT. 37 is a Texas State Memorial Marker. It is honoring the Dallas Police Officer J.D. Tippit. It sits along RT.37 on land owned by J.D.'s younger brother, Ron.

Just like the OJ Simpson murders, you hear the media say Nicole Simpson but rarely did they mention the name Ronald Goldman. They always referred to him as "her friend".

Just like when President Reagan got shot, you hear his name and the name of James Brady and sometimes Secret Service Agent Tim McCarthy, but seldom did you hear of Thomas Delahanty. If they did mention him it was only as "The D.C. Policeman".

Just like 9-11. The media talks mostly about the victims of the World Trade Center, sometimes they will mention the Pentagon victims, but rarely the victims of the 3rd plane that crashed into a Shanksville, PA. farm field. The actions of these people helped save either the U.S. Capitol or The White House. They knew what was happening because when their plane was stormed by the terrorist and diverted and was heading towards the Nations Capital, they had time to call home and that is when they found out what was going on. They were heroes. They took matters into their own hands, stormed the terrorists and saved countless lives and devastating destruction.

Well the same for J.D. Tippit. You hear all about Pres. John F. Kennedy and Gov. John Connally who was also shot in the limousine and Lee Harvey Oswald but rarely J.D. Tippit. So I am going to tell you about him with the help of what I have read.

J.D. Tippit was born in 1924 near Annona, TX. The ranch we were at this weekend was only a few miles away Annona, TX. It is in Red River County and the population there is about 12,000. It is one of  the poorest counties in Texas and very rural.

J.D.'s initials never stood for anything, it was his actual name. He grew up on the farms that his parents rented around Clarksville. They grew cotton and he plowed fields with horses and mules.

He enlisted in the army and became a paratropper. He was awarded the Bronze Star for his combat duties. He was honorably discharged and married his high school sweetheart Marie in 1946.

He took his new bride and headed to Dallas to find work. After several years of working jobs, his friend joined the Dallas Police Dept. and so did J.D. in 1952. His badge number was #848. He became a well liked and respected police officer having been awarded 2 accommodations in his 11 years on the department.

Nov. 22, 1963-After President Kennedy was shot, witness's gave a description of Oswald and a radio lookout was placed. J.D.'s beat was about 2 miles away from where Kennedy was assassinated. He was cruising a neighborhood and there was a man fitting the description. J.D. approached Oswald and Oswald fired four shots into Officer Tippit at point blank range 45 minutes after the President was shot.


This is his patrol car.


Dedication Ceremony for his monument was dedicated on Nov. 22, 2012, 49 years to the day of his death. About 200 people attended the ceremony including J.D.'s widow Marie; their children, Allen, Brenda and Curtis and his brothers and sisters along with many friends and relatives. Many police officers past and present including the two detectives Jim Leavelle and Elmer Boyd. Leavelle is now 94 years old and can be seen in the widely distributed photo that shows him escorting Oswald through the basement of Dallas Police Hdqtrs. He was the one in the light colored suit and matching hat. Leavelle served in the U.S. Navy and was on board the USS Whitney when it was attack at Pearl Harbor.

What was amazing was that J.D.'s father, in ill health and age 99 was able to attend. He passed away on 2006 at age 104.

Several years ago Ralph and I visited the JFK Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza where everything happened. No words could describe it. It was very emotional and I did not see one dry eye there.