John Templin Oral History

John Templin (1938-2013) was in Dealey Plaza on November 22, 1963, with his business colleague, Ernest Brandt. Neither man planned on seeing the presidential parade that day, but while having lunch, they made an impromptu decision to see the president and arrived in the plaza approximately fifteen minutes prior to the shooting.  Neither Templin nor Brandt identified themselves to authorities that day. Not wishing to get involved, they left the scene within minutes. Together, they came forward for the first time while visiting the plaza on the thirtieth anniversary of the assassination on November 22, 1993. After their first public interview with a local television station, the friends became regular fixtures in Dealey Plaza on the annual assassination anniversary. They would often bring lawn chairs and sit near their 1963 positions, speaking with visitors, signing autographs, and identifying themselves in Zapruder film frames. Missing few anniversaries, the friends continued this tradition for nearly twenty years until Mr. Templin's passing in May 2013. After that, Mr. Brandt often visited the plaza on his own until his own death in December 2017. While some researchers have cast doubt on the stories shared by Brandt and Templin over the years, no one else has ever come forward claiming to be either of the two men now identified as Brandt and Templin in the Zapruder film.

Ernest Brandt also recorded two oral histories with the Museum in 1994 and 2008. The 1994 recording may be viewed in full here: https://emuseum.jfk.org/objects/4776. -- Stephen Fagin, Curator