The following is written by my friend Merlin Lawson, brother of former USSS Agent Win Lawson. He reflects on one of Win’s favorite “agent anecdotes.”
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My brother, Winston “Win” George Lawson, a native of western New York and a graduate of the University of Buffalo, served in the U.S. Army Counter Intelligence Corps (CIC) before he became a Special Agent in the US Secret Service in 1959. Initially, he worked in the agency’s field office in Syracuse, New York. But after Win completed his Treasury School and Secret Service training at the top of his class and was one of the central agents who cracked a counterfeiting ring in Syracuse, he was noticed by his senior agents in Washington DC. He was transferred to the nation’s capital in 1961 and was based there for the remainder of his distinguished twenty-two-year career during which he was the recipient of numerous awards and commendations. He retired in 1981 as the Deputy Assistant Director for the Office of Inspection.
In 1960, when Win was still a rookie agent, he was given a two-week temporary assignment on President Eisenhower’s protective detail. At this time, President Eisenhower spent most of his weekends at his farm in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. One weekend, Win was working the midnight to morning shift (12 am to 8 am) there, posted just outside of the farmhouse, at the entrance of the nearby barn. This position marked the closest of the agents to the president, who was inside the house.
Win’s shift was nearing completion one quiet, peaceful morning. The sun was ascending over the horizon, and the cawing of birds had just begun when, suddenly, loud explosions were heard – BAM…BAM!!! – from somewhere inside the house.
Win nearly levitated as he grabbed his walkie-talkie and screamed, “Shots fired! Converge on Sunshine!” (code name for the Eisenhower farmhouse.)
He ran to the house, readied his gun, and rushed inside, heading towards the sunporch where the smell of gunfire still lingered. There he found President Eisenhower standing at an open sliding glass door holding a smoking shotgun. Glowering, he turned to Win and muttered, “Those damn crows, I’m going to shoot every one of them!”
Win paused, speechless momentarily, as other agents came charging in.
“Yes sir, Mr. President,” Win responded, and he turned to leave.
Win walked back to the barn, his pulse still racing. He was relieved that his president was safe. He couldn’t say the same for the crows.
By Merlin Lawson, as told to me by my brother.
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LINKS:
NPS: Tour Eisenhower Gettysburg home
Eisenhower Library About Ike Residences
The only thing better than reading this is to hear this story told by Merlin. Thanks!
Thank you! I love this story, too!
Thanks Rick! I am so indebted to Rebecca Youngblood Vaughn for making the posts of former agents or their families possible. There are a million stories to tell.
Thanks so much for sharing with me, Merlin! I love the story.
Thank you, Carolyn. It is a fun memory of a great President and phenomenal General who apparently didn’t realize that shooting a shotgun was not the most ‘prudent’ action under the circumstances.
Thank you for the anecdote, Merlin! I can assure you some of the old crows survived the presidential barrage as their descendants serve on in Washington!
Tom,
Thank you for your service as a Navy fighter jet pilot in Vietnam! Win enjoyed protecting President Eisenhower, as he did all of his protectees. Agents lead incredible lives and with Rebecca Youngblood Vaughn’s help, hopefully their stories will be told.
That was a great story! I can only begin to imagine Win’s reaction at hearing those gunshots. They must have given him quite a scare! I’m sure it was a tremendous relief that the only danger was to the crows.
Indeed! I would’ve been rather jittery after that!
Thanks for reading and enjoying the story. I never learned if they served ‘crow’ for dinner. 😂 I would assume that President Eisenhower was a good marksman.
That was quite a story! I will bet that Win admonished the President, many years his senior, that it isn’t a good idea for him to be firing a gun without letting the Secret Service know what he was going to do! You think? I wonder if President Eisenhower realized the momentary scare he gave to his protectors!
These are good questions. I doubt a young agent like Win would admonish President Eisenhower…Did he,Merlin? I do know this wasn’t the only time the president shot at the crows from his house. I asked Former SAIC of the Eisenhower Detail Herb Dixon and he said, “he did that a lot.”
Rebecca and Merlin, of course I meant my comment in jest, knowing that a young Winston would never have told a general and president what he (Eisenhower) should say and do no matter how much it frightened him to hear those shots being fired.
Thanks for your interest in the story, Chuck. I am guessing that no one other than perhaps Mamie would ever admonish our beloved 34th President. It would be fun to hear from others such as former SAIC Herb Dixon about protecting a former General.
Amen. Sadly, it is more than “some”.
I worked with your brother for over twenty years, and he worked for me for the last six years before my retirement in 1978. Win was a great agent, a wonderful guy, and a great friend. You and your family should be very proud of him and his numerous accomplishments. I am proud to have know Win and to have served with him. I last visited with him at the annual conference in Washington DC, so please pass my regards to him and to Barbara. Thank you.
Paul Rundle
Former USSS Agent Rundle, thank you for your kind words about my brother. I have conveyed your best regards to him and Barbara. He enjoyed very much working with you especially those years with you as his boss. Upon his retirement in 1981, he was very active in AFAUSS and hopefully the two of you were able to see each other at the annual meetings. Also, I personally want to thank you for your “Open Letter Tribute” regarding The Kennedy Detail. Your letter resonated with all who served in the U.S.Secret Servive as well as their families. Thank you!
Merlin Lawson