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An original Air Force One tape from the Kennedy assassination listed for sale at $750,000

Listed by Raab Collection, the rare recording represents the most complete recording of radio traffic from Nov. 22, 1963.

President John F. Kennedy waves from his car in a motorcade approximately one minute before he was shot, Nov. 22, 1963, in Dallas. Riding with President Kennedy are first lady Jacqueline Kennedy, right, Nellie Connally, second from left, and her husband, Texas Gov. John Connally, far left. (AP Photo/Jim Altgens, File)
President John F. Kennedy waves from his car in a motorcade approximately one minute before he was shot, Nov. 22, 1963, in Dallas. Riding with President Kennedy are first lady Jacqueline Kennedy, right, Nellie Connally, second from left, and her husband, Texas Gov. John Connally, far left. (AP Photo/Jim Altgens, File)Read moreJim Altgens / AP

They are stunned words of men escorting a dead president.

On Saturday, a Philadelphia historical collection listed for sale an original Air Force One recording from the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.

Listed at $750,000 by the Raab Collection, the tape captures more than two hours of shocked radio conversations between Kennedy aides and military officials during the fateful flight home on Nov. 22, 1963.

Discovered at the bottom of a box of JFK memorabilia at a private auction in 2011, the tape represents the earliest and most complete recording of Air Force One radio traffic from the day of the assassination.

In staticky conversations, Kennedy aides, bearing the casket home to Washington, and White House officials awaiting them discuss grim logistics after a presidential killing — arranging the removal of the coffin; transportation for the blood-soaked first lady, Jacqueline Kennedy, and the new president, Lyndon Johnson; and an autopsy for the slain leader.

Hours earlier, Kennedy, 46, had been fatally shot in a Dallas motorcade by Lee Harvey Oswald.

One of a pair of identical tapes, the finding had caused a stir of controversy in JFK assassination research. Snippets from a heavily edited version of the tape had previously been released by President Johnson. No other recordings were thought to exist.

At the time of their discovery, historian Douglas Brinkley described the tapes as a “serious find” and critical listening for all Kennedy researchers.

Raab recently donated the other remaining recording to the National Archives as part of a settlement that allowed the collection to keep one.

The tapes had long belonged to a senior military aide, Gen. Chester Clifton, who rode in the fateful motorcade and was aboard Air Force One. Raab had the tapes digitized from reel-to-reel form.

“This is a powerful moment in American history,” said Nathan Raab, president of Raab Collection, which has offices in Ardmore and Center City. “It is an incredible object, a unique discovery, and a reminder of our journey as a nation.”

To see the sale listing, visit www.raabcollection.com/presidential-autographs/jfk-original-tape-air-force-one