Rawhide Down_ The Near Assassination of Ronald Reagan - Del Quentin Wilber [129]
Seeing Ruge, Deaver: Transcript of interview of Deaver by Richard Darman, a top aide to James Baker (hereafter “Deaver transcript”). This interview was conducted the day after the shooting and is a detailed reconstruction of events from Deaver’s perspective. The presidential aide forgot he had this record in his possession until shortly before he died, according to Jeff Surrell, one of Deaver’s colleagues at Edelman, a public relations firm, and a collaborator on two of his books. Surrell and Amanda Deaver, the advisor’s daughter, provided me with this key record. Deaver told Surrell that Darman also interviewed Baker and Meese. However, none of these interview transcripts are at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library. Barrett excerpted a small portion of Deaver’s transcript in Gambling with History.
Deaver recalled: Lou Cannon, “The Day of the Jackal in Washington,” WP, April 5, 1981, p. 1.
Realizing that providing: Deaver transcript.
An assistant picked up: Deaver transcript; the assistant is Margaret Tutwiler; interview with Tutwiler.
“Find Jim,” Deaver said: Deaver transcript.
“Do you know the name”: Deaver, Behind the Scenes, p. 19.
Reagan’s systolic blood pressure: Interview with Koenig.
indicated that he was in shock: There is some debate about whether Reagan was in shock or near shock. Dr. David Gens and Dr. Joseph Giordano, who treated Reagan, believe he was in shock. So do several outside experts whom I interviewed, including Dr. Donald Trunkey and Dr. Howard Champion, two of the country’s most respected trauma surgeons.
Only five or six minutes: Interviews with doctors, nurses, and Secret Service agents.
Joyce Mitchell, the ER doctor: Interview with Mitchell.
“O positive,” Parr replied: Interview with Parr.
One of the first to arrive: Interview with Dr. William O’Neill.
“Who’s the patient?” Price asked: Interview with Dr. G. Wesley Price; Kim Darden, “Highpoint Native First to Examine Reagan,” Highpoint Enterprise, April 6, p. 1A.
As he entered the room: Interview with Price; The Saving of the President.
“I can’t breathe,” the president: G. Wesley Price, “An Eyewitness Account by the First Doctor to Get to the President,” Washingtonian, August 1981.
“I don’t hear very good”: The Saving of the President.
Price noticed: Interview with Price.
about five inches: Interview with Gens.
As he did, Drew Scheele: Interview with Dr. Drew Scheele.
Price nodded: Interview with Price.
“Everything is going to be okay”: Pekkanen, “The Saving of the President.”
Price had treated: Interview with Price.
Ed Meese had been: Craig Fuller memo; Richard Williamson memo; Deaver transcript; interviews with Baker, Tutwiler, and Williamson.
“He’s taken a shot in the back”: Deaver transcript.
“Shit,” said Baker: Interview with Baker.
Baker jotted “P hit/fighting”: Interview with Baker; Barrett, Gambling with History, p. 113.
Lyn Nofziger, one of Reagan’s: Interview with Williamson.
“It looks quite serious,” Baker added: Haig, Caveat, p. 151.
“I’ll be in touch with”: Transcript of Baker’s press conference, March 31, 1981, RRPL. Once at the hospital, Baker and Haig spoke by phone and agreed that the secretary of state would be “the point of contact” for information flowing between the White House and the hospital. There are many conflicting accounts of when and how top White House officials learned about the shooting, and even when Baker and his team left the White House. Some press accounts reported that Haig arrived at the White House before Baker left for the hospital. However, this is impossible. Allen witnessed Meese and Baker leaving for the hospital; he then saw Haig arrive. According to his memoirs, Haig left the State Department at 2:59 p.m.—about the same time that Baker would have seen Reagan being wheeled into surgery.
“You want four units”: Interview with Gens. According to medical records, this was actually four units of “packed red blood cells,