what does "directed them to take the plane parked alongside"mean? If Johnson had directed them to take the plane parked alongside, they would have been spared the climax of their anguish. Yet perspective suggests compassion. Johnson was the President, whether or not they could bring themselves to acknowledge him as such. And as Robert McNamara observed later, "You must remember that he was in a state of shock, too." To his credit, he was now acting decisively. To theirs, they concealed their scars, realizing that any public rift with the emerging administration would be a disservice to the country and, in consequence, to the man they mourned.