Mike Rowe Shares Touching Tribute to This American Hero
By Movieguide® Contributor
Mike Rowe just shared a touching tribute to a late friend and an American hero.
“A great man has died, who happened to be my friend,” Rowe posted on Facebook. “His name was Clint Hill, and if you knew of him, it’s probably because you’ve seen him on television. Clint was Agent #9 — the now-famous Secret Service agent who chased down the convertible and threw himself over Jackie Kennedy moments after her husband was assassinated in Dallas, way back in 1963.”
He went on to explain that Hill’s newfound celebrity following the assassination was “a heavy burden,” as he took the death of President Kennedy as “a personal failure.”
In a 1975 interview with CBS, Hill said, “If I had reacted just a little bit quicker. And I could have, I guess. And I’ll live with that to my grave.”
His grief was so great that Hill had even attempted to take his own life.
“Of all the great things for which this man will be remembered, nothing, in my opinion, will top the courage he exhibited when he changed his mind sixty years later and decided to talk publicly about the moment he tried to take his own life,” Rowe continued. “I know how hard that was for a man like Clint. But I also know that sharing his story saved the lives of countless men and women suffering in a similar way.”
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Rowe and Hill met in 2019 at a bar and struck up a conversation. A friendship was soon born; Rowe even gave a toast at Hill’s wedding.
“Clint Hill was a man of manners,” he continued. “A courtly man who deplored bad language, always stood when a woman entered the room, and dedicated his life to the service of others. A private man who was loathe to talk about himself but eventually did so with the help of a woman who loved him. A courageous man who guarded five presidents, risked his life every day for two decades, overcame the kind of darkness that many cannot, and carried in his pocket a business card that spelled out the proper way to make the drink he preferred. A legend in the Secret Service, who was, in the words of Robert Frost, ‘A man acquainted with the night. A man who walked out in rain and back in rain. A man who out-walked the furthest city light…’”
Rowe concluded, “What a man. What a life. Godspeed, Clint Hill.”
The Secret Service released a statement honoring Hill and praised him for his “unwavering dedication and exceptional service.”
“Clint’s career exemplified the highest ideals of public service,” the statement continued. “We mourn the loss of a respected colleague and a dear friend whose contributions to the agency and the nation will forever be remembered.”
Hill passed away February 21. He was 93 years old.
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