May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963)
"Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable."
American politician who served as the 35th President of the United States from January 1961.
His presidency was at the height of the Cold War.
He dealt with with managing relations with the Soviet Union.
He was assassinated on November 22, 1963.
Ten days before JFK's death, a man in a New Orleans bar overheard someone bet that the president would be dead in three weeks.
The man didn't report the conversation until after the assassination.
A British newspaper received an anonymous phone call before the president was shot.
The caller said that Cambridge news reporter should call the american embassy on London for some big news.
MI5 was able to determine that the call came in 25 minutes before the president was shot.
There were questions about the motorcade.
The motorcade routes were chosen by secret service agents,Winston G. Lawson and Forrest V. Sorrels.
The route had too many twists and turns.
This supposedly caused the motorcade to drive too slow.
Secret servicemen sent in advance to check out the route noted that there were over 20,000 windows over looking the route.
They didn't have enough men to station at every window.
They inspected none of the windows.
One week after the assassination Lindon B. Johnson created a commission to investigate the circumstances of the assassination and the killing of Lee Harvey Oswald.
The commission was headed by Court Justice Earl Warren.
The official result from the committee was that there was only one shooter and that shooter was Lee Harvey Oswald.
Lee Harvey Oswald was in Russia in 1959.
He tried to renounce his American citizenship.
He had a history of violence.
While he was in the military, he became certified as a sharp shooter with an M1- rifle.
He was under active surveillance by the F.B.I.
The F.B.I. never told this to the secret service.
Oswald was employed by the Texas School depository, which was on the motorcade route.
The bullets came from Oswalds gun he had ordered through a catalog.
The gun was found hidden near the sixth floor window along with three bullet cartridges.
Oswald had attempted to murder Major General Edwin Walker on April 10, 1963.
45 minutes after the assassination of the president, Oswald killed Dallas policeman J.D. Tibit with a revolver.
Oswald was killed by night club owner Jack Ruby.
Two days after JFK's death, F.B.I. director, J. Edgar Hoover
dedicated a memo.
The memo reads:
"The thing i am concerned about is having something issued so we can convince the public that Oswald is the real assassin."
There were three bullets fired.
One bullet missed.
The second hit Jfk in the throat and went through the seat and hit governor Conally in the back.
It exited below his right nipple.
Then through his right wrist.
It ended in Conally's left thigh.
And the final bullet hit JFK in the back of the head.
In a deposition from 1975, former C.I.A. director, Richard Helms was asked:
"Is there any information involved with the assassination of President Kennedy, that which in any way shows that Lee Harvey Oswald was a C.I.A. agent or am agen...."
The document released to the public ends in mid sentence...
There supposedly was footage different from the Zapruder film.
It went missing.
People that saw the footage swear they have seen puffs of smoke coming from the grassy knoll or a second shooter.
Lindon B, Johnson and JFK had an argument the day before the assassination.
LBJ played a big part in JFK going to Dallas.
LBJ's right hand man had been warned, by a high profile lawyer, that political area was not safe.
And he feared for the president's safety.
The president was not informed.
Other officials, even JFK's brother, Bobby knew this and said nothing.
In footage of the assassination, you can see the "Umbrella Man".
You can see one lone man holding an umbrella over his head.
Kennedy is shot when he passes by the umbrella man.
The umbrella man sits next to another man on the grassy knoll after JFK is shot.
Through history people have used umbrellas as a symbol of protest.
A department of defense weapon developer testified that he had invented a weaponized umbrella.
One of my questions is... where was his secret service.
The secret serviceman that ran up to his wife, was her agent.
Also, why were the running boards up on the vehicle?
Why did the secret service not let the body be autopsied in Texas?
Why did the secret service fight and basically kidnap the body to take in back home?
The House Select Committee on Assassinations was formed in 1976 to conduct the assassinations of JFK and MLK.
The committee formed after the Senate committee confirmed that the C.I.A. had purposely withheld information from the Warren Committee investigation.
The former head of the C.I.A. was on the Warren Commission.
Scientific acoustical evidence establishes a high probability that at least two gunmen fired at the President.
The committee believes, on the basis of the evidence available to it, that Kennedy was probably assassinated as a result of a conspiracy.
The committee also believed that the Soviet Government, the Cuban Government,
the national syndicate of organized crime, as a group, and the
- The Secret Service, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Central Intelligence Agency
were not involved.
President Kennedy did not receive adequate protection.
The investigation into the possibility of conspiracy in the assassination was inadequate.
The committee believe that four shots were fired.
The fourth shot came from a second assassin located on the grassy knoll, but missed.
The HSCA concluded the existence and location of this alleged fourth shot based on the later discredited Dallas Police Department Dictabelt recording analysis.
A Prelude to Death
June 13, 1962: Lee Oswald return from the Soviet Union to live in Texas.
January 15, 1963: John Connally is sworn in as Governor of Texas.
March 12, 1963: An order for a rifle with a mounted scope is sent to Klein’s Sporting Goods from someone named “A. Hidell” (an alias used by Oswald) to be delivered to a P.O. Box that he rented.
March 13, 1963: Order received by Klein’s Sporting Goods from A. Hidell P.O. Box 2915 Dallas, TX for an Italian Carbine 6.5 W/4X Scope.
Total cost is $21.45 for rifle with serial number C2766.
Oswald is given notice in sometime in March that he will be terminated from his job.
April 6, 1963: Oswald works his last day.
April 10, 1963: Someone fires a bullet and misses retired General Edwin Walker, an advocate of far right politics and strongly anti-communist.
The shot came from a distance of less than 40 yards.
The case remained unsolved until two weeks after the death of Lee Oswald when his wife admitted to the FBI it may have been her husband.
April 11, 1963: U.S. Rep. Albert Richard Thomas (D-Tex) announced his retirement from Congress due to health reasons.
June 6, 1963: Rep. Albert Thomas announced he is reconsidering based on the advice of Vice President Lyndon Johnson.
April 23, 1963: Vice President Johnson tells reporters in Dallas that President Kennedy may visit Texas sometime this summer.
June 5, 1963: President Kennedy, vice president and Texas native Lyndon B. Johnson, and Governor John Connally were together in a meeting in El Paso, they agreed to a second presidential visit to the state of Texas later that year.
June 6, 1963:Kennedy later decided to embark on the trip with these goals in mind: help raise more Democratic Party presidential campaign fund contributions; begin his quest for reelection in November 1964; and, Kennedy-Johnson ticket had barely won Texas in 1960, He wanted to help mend political fences among several leading Texas Democratic party.
June 24, 1963: Oswald applies for a US passport in New Orleans, stating he intended to depart during the period from October to December 1963 as a tourist for 3 months to one year’s duration.
The next day he was issued a US Passport.
September 17, 1963: Jack Valenti sends an invitation to the White House asking President Kennedy to attend an Appreciation Dinner in Houston on November 21, 1963 honoring Albert Thomas for his decision not to retire from Congress.
The invitation is received at the White House on September 19, 1963
The invitation is received at the White House on September 19, 1963
Lee Oswald is issued a 15 day Mexican tourist card using the name LEE, Harvey Oswald.
September 20, 1963: President Kennedy addresses the United Nations General Assembly
He offers the Soviet Union a joint expedition to the Moon.
The proposal is controversial with Congress.
Raises questions about how much money should be in the NASA budget.
September 21, 1963: Rep. Albert Thomas, a member of the powerful House Appropriations Committee and Chairman of its Subcommittee of Independent Offices reviewing the Kennedy Administration’s record $5.3 billion 1964 NASA budget proposal.
Sent a letter to the President asking for clarification of his U.N. speech regarding Soviet-US moon landing.
He wonders that proposal indicates a weakening of America’s effort in the space program.
September 23, 1963: President Kennedy responds to Congressman Albert Thomas letter about U.S. Space Program by writing him a “Dear Al” letter explaining his position.
Late that night Lee Oswald leaves New Orleans travels to Mexico City in hopes of gaining entrance to Cuba, where travel has been banned from the United States.
September 24-28, 1963: President Kennedy embarks on an eleven-state conservation tour.
Includes Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Minnesota, North Dakota, Wyoming, Montana, Washington, Utah, Oregon, California, and Nevada.
September 24, 1963: At a press conference in Austin, Texas, Governor Connally announces he will visit Washington DC October 2-4, 1963.
He hopes to see the President.
The decision is reached this evening by the White House to accept the invitation to the Albert Thomas dinner in and turn it into a 2 day political trip encompassing all the major cities of Texas.
Kennedy had wanted to visit Texas at some point, he had not planned to go at this particular time.
Because of the invitation to speak at the Appreciation Dinner in Houston for Albert Thomas on November 21, 1963, the President decided to time his visit to Texas around that event.
September 26, 1963: The Dallas Morning News is the first newspaper that announces the visit to Texas by President Kennedy November 21-22, 1963.
September 27, 1963: Lee Oswald arrives in Mexico City.
He visits the Cuban Consulate three times in an attempt to secure a visa to Cuba and to the Soviet Embassy to obtain a visa from them but is denied in both.
September 30, 1963: Lee Oswald purchases a bus ticket using the alias Mr. H. O. Lee leaving for Mexico City for Laredo, Texas at 0830 on October 2, 1963.
1:00 pm: 46-year-old John F. Kennedy, 35th President of the United States, is declared dead, becoming the fourth US president killed in office.
2:13 p.m. : Police find the weapon used to kill the president on the 6th floor of the Texas School Book depository.
October 3, 1963: Oswald arrives in Dallas and spends the night at the YMCA.
October 4, 1963: Governor Connally meets with President Kennedy at the White House.
Oswald returns to stay at the Paine’s residence in Irving, Texas for the weekend.
October 10, 1963: The House of Representatives voted 302-32 to pass the 1964 fiscal year Independent Offices Appropriations Bill containing funding for NASA and 25 other independent government agencies.
Guiding the bill, House was the Chairman of the subcommittee Rep. Albert Thomas.
The bill prohibited NASA from spending any of its budget on a joint Soviet Moon landing.
October 11, 1963: Kenneth O’Donnell sends a letter of reply to Jack Valenti formally accepting his for the President to speak at the dinner honoring Rep. Albert Thomas.
October 15, 1963: Ruth Paine calls the Texas School Book Depository.
Convinces building superintendent Roy Truly
to give Oswald a job interview.
Truly interviews him that same day and hires Oswald as a temporary employee.
He starts training the following day.
October 20, 1963: Kenneth O’Donnell, special assistant and Appointments Secretary to President Kennedy, calls Jerry Bruno the advance man for the Kennedy trips, and asks him to come to the White House to discuss the planning of the trip to Texas.
October 21, 1963: Bruno meets with O’Donnell and is told to contact Walter Jenkins one of Vice President Lyndon Johnson’s top administrative assistants to get his input for the trip.
October 24, 1963: Bruno meets with Walter Jenkins who tells Bruno the stops Governor Connally has suggested.
First fly to San Antonio on November 21 and motorcade to Brooks Air Force Base.
Then flys to Houston and motorcade to the Rice Hotel where the Albert Thomas dinner was originally scheduled to take place that evening and stay overnight there.
On the morning of November 22nd fly to Fort Worth to receive an honorary degree at Texas Christian University.
Fort Worth motorcade the short distance to Dallas for a luncheon at the Statler Hilton Hotel.
Finally a fundraising dinner in Austin. Jenkins suggested Bruno go to Texas, meet with Governor Connally and evaluate the sites himself and to meet with Senator Ralph Yarborough .
United States Ambassador to the United Nations Adlai Stevenson II gives a contentious speech on what is designated United Nations Day at the Dallas Memorial Auditorium.
He is hit across the face with a picket sign and then spit upon.
October 29, 1963: Jerry Bruno flies to Texas to evaluate the stops for the Kennedy.
He is told that the Statler Hilton Hotel in Dallas is now unavailable for the Dallas luncheon because the ballroom is reserved.
Governor Connally suggests the Dallas Trade Mart as an alternative luncheon site.
October 30, 1963: Bruno is flown to the various cities in Texas that the President would visit in Clifton Carter's private plane. Carter is one of Vice-President Johnson's top aides.
The San Antonio and Houston sites are checked and confirmed as acceptable by Bruno.
Visiting Texas Christian University in Fort Worth he is informed by school officials that TCU has no intention of conferring an honorary degree on the President.
Only the use of their campus as a location for a speech was approved by the university.
Bruno informs Gov. Connally of this development and Connally says he will meet with the University Board of Regents the next night.
Bruno visits the Trade Mart, and doesn't like it because of the many catwalks that would be over the President.
He feels that in light of the Stevenson incident which had just occurred a few days earlier the catwalks could present a security problem.
He asks to be shown other available sites in Dallas.
Kennedy's upcoming trip to Dallas was first announced to the public in September 1963. The exact motorcade route was finalized on November 18 and announced to the public a few days before November 22.
During the third week of October 1963, Lee Harvey Oswald was living in a rented room Oak Cliff district of Dallas.
Several people, including Stevenson, warned JFK against coming to Dallas.
Kennedy ignored their advice.
Dallas Police Chief Jesse Curry increased the level of security during Kennedy's visit; he put into effect the most stringent security precautions in the city's history.
Curry even deputized citizens to take action for any suspicious acts that could have been pointed towards the president.
Thursday, November 21, 1963, 11:07 p.m., Air Force One lands at Carswell Air Force base on the outskirts of Fort Worth, Texas.
Air Force Two also lands at Carswell with vice president Lyndon B. Johnson, the Texas governor John Connally, and Senator Ralph Yarborough.
At 11:35 p.m., the First Couple arrives at the Hotel Texas in Fort Worth.
On Friday, November 22, 1963, at 8:45 a.m., the president is speaking before breakfast in a square across Eighth Street, accompanied by Congressman Jim Wright, Senator Yarborough, Governor Connally and Vice President Johnson.
At 9:10 a.m., JFK takes his place in the hotel’s Grand Ballroom for the scheduled speech, the First Lady arriving amid loud applause 15 minutes later.
Roy Kellerman, the Secret Service agent in charge of the trip, is advised by Kenny O’Donnell that the presidential limousine should have its bubbletop off if it’s not raining in Dallas.
Later, press secretary Mac Kilduff shows the First Couple a disturbing advertisement seen in The Dallas Morning News, ironically and critically headlined ‘Welcome Mr. Kennedy to Dallas’.
The Assassination
November 23, 1963
10:40 a.m.: In Fort Worth, Texas, Kennedy's motorcade departs Hotel Texas for Carswell Air Force Base.
11:20 a.m.: Air Force One departs Carswell Air Force Base for Dallas, Texas.
11:35 a.m.: Air Force Two arrives at Love Field in Dallas
11:44 a.m.: The Kennedys and Connallys disembark Air Force One and are greeted by the Johnsons.
11:55 a.m.: The motorcade leaves Love Field for its 10-mile trip through downtown Dallas.
The motorcade cars had been lined up in a certain order earlier that morning.
The original schedule was for the president to proceed in a long motorcade from Love Field through downtown Dallas, and end at the Dallas Business and Trade Mart.
12:30 p.m.: As the president's limousine passes the Texas School Book Depository, shots are fired from a sixth-floor window.
President Kennedy and Governor Connally are both wounded and rushed to Parkland Hospital.
President Kennedy is shot in the neck and head.
From one bullet, Conally sustains three broken ribs, a punctured lung and a broken wrist.
The bullet finally lodged in his left thigh.
Wire services report three shots were fired as the motorcade passed under the Stemmons Freeway. Two bullets hit the president and one hit the governor.
12:36 p.m.: President Kennedy's limousine arrives at Parkland Memorial Hospital.
Emergency efforts by Drs. Malcolm Perry, Kemp Clark and others are unsuccessful at reviving the President Kennedy.
Governor Connally's injuries are critical but not fatal.
12:40 p.m.: Viewers of the live soap opera As The World Turns receive the first national television report of the shooting from CBS News anchorman Walter Cronkite.
12:45 p.m.: Dan Rather of CBS calls Parkland Memorial Hospital; a doctor there tells him he believes
Kennedy is dead.
12:50 p.m.: Kennedy's top military aide General Godfrey McHugh calls Air Force One from Parkland to state that they will soon be leaving for Andrews Air Force Base.
1:15 pm: Lee Harvey Oswald kills Dallas Police Patrolman J. D. Tippit approximately 45 minutes after the assassination.
1:26 p.m.: Lyndon Johnson departs Parkland Memorial Hospital for Love Field.
2:00 pm: A bronze casket carrying the president's body, accompanied by Mrs. Kennedy and the Johnsons, leaves Parkland Hospital to board Air Force One.
2:15 pm: Lee Harvey Oswald, a 24-year-old ex-Marine, is arrested in the back of a movie theater where he fled after shooting Patrolman Tippit.
2:39 pm: Lyndon Johnson is sworn-in on the runway of Love Field aboard Air Force One.
6:00 pm: Air Force One arrives at Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland.
The coffin bearing the president's body is taken by ambulance to Bethesda Naval Hospital for an autopsy.
The flag-draped coffin is taken to the East Room of the White House early the next morning following the autopsy.
7:15 pm: Oswald is arraigned for the murder of Officer Tippit.
November 23, 1963: Oswald is arraigned for the murder of the president.
November 24, 1963: As Oswald is being transferred from the Dallas city jail to the county jail, nightclub owner Jack Ruby shoots and kills him.
The shooting is, inadvertently, shown live on TV.
Jack Ruby is immediately arrested.
November 25, 1963 - Kennedy is buried at Arlington National Cemetery with full military honors and representatives from more than 90 countries in attendance.
November 26, 1963 - Jack Ruby is indicted in Dallas for the murder of Lee Harvey Oswald. He is later convicted, has the conviction overturned on appeal and dies of cancer in 1967 awaiting a new trial.
September 24, 1964 - The Warren Report is released with the following conclusions, "The shots which killed President Kennedy and wounded Governor Connally were fired from the sixth-floor window at the southeast corner of the Texas School Book Depository." And "The shots which killed President Kennedy and wounded Governor Connally were fired by Lee Harvey Oswald."
October 26, 2017 - The US government releases more than 2,800 records relating to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in an effort to comply with a 1992 law mandating the documents' release. President Donald Trump keeps roughly 300 files classified out of concern for US national security, law enforcement and foreign relations. In a memo, Trump directs agencies that requested redactions to re-review their reasons for keeping the records secret within 180 days.
No comments:
Post a Comment