Rendezvous with Death: The Assassination of President John F. Kennedy

By H. R. Underwood

“After extensive research, the author presents some of the frequently conflicting findings of investigators and government committees over the decades along with many of the minute details associated with the case. In all, Underwood has constructed a highly readable and fact-filled compendium that should prove very useful to students of the tragedy.”
—The US Review of Books


Rendezvous with Death: The Assassination of President John F. Kennedy presents the facts surrounding the assassination of President John F. Kennedy and a detailed explanation of the shooting as it occurred according to the factual evidence. A considerable amount of false trails and leads exist in the evidence, turning the case into a quagmire of contradictory and unreliable assertions. The major task undertaken was to sort out, as much as possible, fact from fiction, and determine truth from rumor and speculation.

Numerous sources and materials were researched to provide the reader with a thorough and well-documented review of the facts presented in the JFK assassination literature. Still, the conclusions presented are my own and are not intended to be presumptuous in claiming a definitive or conclusive solution to the case. Therefore, the purpose of this book is not to convince the reader that I have finally found the answers for most of the puzzling and perplexing questions surrounding this highly controversial case.

Rather, my intention was twofold: (1) to provide the reader with a comprehensive study that presented as many facts as possible regarding the JFK assassination gleaned from a wide variety of sources, and (2) devise a plausible explanation of the assassination based upon that factual information. My conclusions are based primarily on a close examination of the Zapruder film with documentation provided by numerous sources. Although the Zapruder film shows evidence of splicing, it still remains as one of the most significant pieces of JFK assassination evidence. It is hoped that this study will move us closer to the truth.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Trafford Publishing
• Release date: Feb 1, 2013
• ISBN: 9781466953505

H. R. Underwood

H. R. Underwood is a native Texan and an Anglophile. His avid interest in history, intrigue, and interesting tales led to the writing of this book. Enjoy the journey! Thank you.

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CONTENTS

BOOK I: LEE HARVEY OSWALD

Chapter One

A Very Curious Individual

Chapter Two

Mexico City

Chapter Three

The Return To Dallas

Chapter Four

Escape And Capture

Chapter Five

The Murder Of Lee Harvey Oswald

BOOK II: THE ASSASSINATION

Chapter Six

The First Shot

Chapter Seven

The Second Shot

Chapter Eight

The Third Shot

BOOK III: THE CONSPIRACY

Chapter Nine

Sniper Locations

Chapter Ten

The Seeds Of Conspiracy

Chapter Eleven

Evidence Of Cover-Up And Conspiracy

Chapter Twelve

Evidence Of Additional Shots

Chapter Thirteen

The Single Bullet

Chapter Fourteen

The Throat Wound

Chapter Fifteen

The Conspiracy Myth

Chapter Sixteen

The Fourth Shot And The Rear Exit Wound

APPENDICES

Appendix A

Conversion Of Zapruder Frames Into Seconds

Appendix B

Distance Sound Of Shots Traveled By Zapruder Frame

Appendix C

Distance Sound Of Oswald’s Shots Traveled By Zapurder Frame

Appendix D

Zapruder Frame The Occupants Of Presidential Limousine Heard The Shots

Appendix E

Approximate Distance Traveled By Presidential Limousine Per Zapruder Frame

Appendix F

Approximate Position Of Philip Willis From The Presidential Limousine At Zapruder Frames Z157 And Z160

Appendix G

Approximate Distance President Traveled On Elm Street At Time Of First Shot

Appendix H

Approximate Distance President Traveled On Elm Street At Time Of Third Shot

Appendix I

Approximate Distance President Traveled On Elm Street At Time Of Second Shot

Appendix J

Determining The Zapruder Frame Of Oswald’s Second Shot

Appendix K

Determining The Zapruder Frame Of Oswald’s Third Shot

Appendix L

Approximate Distance From Oswald’s Rifle In The Texas School Book Depository To President Kennedy

REFERENCES

Reference Abbreviations

Articles

Books And Government Reports

Documentaries

Internet Articles

Newspapers

Symposiums

PREFACE

After two comprehensive government investigations, the assassination of President John F. Kennedy still remains an enigma in American history, a controversy that has vexed the American conscience for almost five decades. It began on Friday, November 29, 1963. President Lyndon Johnson had been in office for only a week when he issued Executive Order No. 11130 creating the President’s Commission on the Assassination of President John F. Kennedy (Warren et al., 1992, pp. ix and 471). Chief Justice Earl Warren of the United States Supreme Court had reluctantly agreed to serve as chairman of the President’s Commission that became known as the Warren Commission. Six members were appointed to the Commission by President Johnson to serve with Earl Warren. Four of these Commission appointees were members of Congress. Two were senators, Richard Russell and John Sherman Cooper; two were representatives, Gerald R. Ford and Hale Boggs. The two remaining Commission members were appointed from the private sector, but both had previously served in government. These appointees were Allen Dulles, the former Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), and John McCloy, former Assistant Secretary of War during World War II (Warren et al., 1992, p. x).

The function of the Commission was to uncover all the facts concerning the assassination of President Kennedy and to determine if it was in any way directed or encouraged by unknown persons at home or abroad (Warren et al., 1992, p. xiv). The FBI served as the primary investigative agency for the Warren Commission (Meagher, 1992, pp. 316-317). A definite conflict of interest existed when the same agency which kept Oswald under investigation from June 1962 to the day of the assassination became the chief investigatory arm of the Commission charged with establishing the truth as far as it could be known (Meagher, 1992, p. 317). Further, the FBI’s investigation of a possible conspiracy was completely inadequate and focused only on Oswald (Blakey & Billings, 1992, pp. 294-295).

Of the 489 witnesses who gave testimony regarding the assassination, only 94 were called to provide testimony before the Warren Commission. The witnesses were deliberately screened to present only the government’s case in the assassination. No rebuttal witnesses were allowed to testify. Most of the witnesses gave their statements to Commission counsel in Dallas (Shaw & Harris, 1992, p. 2). The attendance of Commission members during the hearings was poor. The seven members of the Commission were never present as a whole body to hear the witnesses called to testify before them (Shaw & Harris, 1992, p. 2). Earl Warren heard at least part of the testimony provided by the 94 witnesses. Representative Gerald Ford heard the testimony of 70 witnesses. Allen Dulles heard the testimony of 60 witnesses. Senator John Sherman Cooper heard 50 witnesses. John McCloy heard 35 witnesses. Representative Hale Boggs heard 20 witnesses and Senator Richard Russell heard the testimony of only six witnesses (Hurt, 1985, pp. 28-29; Meagher, 1992, p. xxx; Shaw & Harris, 1992, p. 2).

The Secret Service conducted a reenactment of the assassination on Thursday, December 5, 1963, to determine how President Kennedy could be shot in the front of the throat if all of the shots were fired from behind him (Meagher, 1992, pp. 33, 135, 146, and 159; The New York Times, December 6, 1963, pp. 6 and 18; Weisberg, 1975, pp. 48, 54, 228, and 490). The reenactment was not successful in providing an answer (Meagher, 1992, p. 135). The FBI conducted another reenactment this time for the Warren Commission on Sunday, May 24, 1964 (Meagher, 1992, p. 33; Warren et al., 1992, p. 97). The Warren Commission’s investigation into President Kennedy’s assassination concluded on Sunday, September 27, 1964, when the Commission issued its report commonly referred to as the Warren Report.

Twenty-six volumes of testimony titled, Warren Commission Hearings and Exhibits, 1964, accompanied the Warren Report. The Commission concluded in its 888 page Report that Lee Harvey Oswald, acting alone, fired three rifle shots at President Kennedy as the presidential motorcade passed through Dealey Plaza on the western end of downtown Dallas on Friday, November 22, 1963. The Commission believed it was probably the first shot that wounded both the President and the Governor of Texas, John B. Connally. The second shot missed the presidential limousine and struck a curbstone. Chips of concrete from the curbstone slightly injured a spectator, James Tague. The third shot struck President Kennedy in the back of the head and killed him.

Initially, the Warren Report received widespread acclaim. However, as the years passed, critics of the Report pointed out numerous inconsistencies and contradictions. The integrity and credibility of the Report was damaged further when it was revealed that the Commission had ignored crucial evidence and witnesses that contradicted the Commission’s findings. By 1976, enough convincing evidence had been compiled by critics and independent researchers to warrant a Congressional investigation.

In the fall of 1976, Congress created the House Select Committee on Assassinations (HSCA) to re-examine the assassinations of Martin Luther King, Jr. and President Kennedy. The House Select Committee conducted an acoustical shot reenactment in Dealey Plaza. Shots were fired and recorded from the sixth floor Oswald window of the Texas School Book Depository and from behind the stockade fence on the grassy knoll. The shot impulses from this reenactment were compared with the shot impulses recorded on a 1963 police Dictabelt recording that allegedly captured the sounds of the shots fired during the assassination from the open microphone of a police motorcycle in the motorcade. The House Select Committee issued its Report in January 1979 (Duffy & Ricci, 1992, p. 234; HSCA Report, 1979, p. I). The House Select Committee concluded that four shots had been fired at the President. Table I represents the shot sequence determined by the House Select Committee (HSCA Report, 1979, p. 80; Moore, 1990, p. 141).

Oswald fired the first shot from the southeast corner window on the sixth floor of the Texas School Book Depository. That shot missed and wounded James Tague. Oswald’s second shot wounded both President Kennedy and Governor Connally. The Select Committee’s time frame for the second shot is interesting. Although there is a gap in the tree foliage for a brief instant at Frame 186, a shot from Oswald’s position in the Depository is implausible between frames 188 and 191 (Warren et al., 1992, pp. 98 and 101; Moore, 1990, p. 197.) The Warren Commission discovered that Oswald’s view of the President was obstructed by the foliage of an oak tree from Zapruder Frame 166 until Frame 210. The third shot was fired from the wooden stockade fence atop the grassy knoll. That shot also missed. The final shot, fired by Oswald, struck President Kennedy in the back of the head. The House Select Committee also concluded that a conspiracy was probably involved in the death of President Kennedy (HSCA Report, 1979, p. 3; Hurt, 1985, p. 33).

Despite two extensive government investigations, the troubling questions about President Kennedy’s assassination still persist. Was a conspiracy involved in the President’s murder, or did Oswald act alone? Was Oswald an assassin or a patsy? How many shots were fired and from what direction? Was the President struck only once in the head or twice from two different directions? Why was one type of head wound described by the Dallas doctors and another type of head wound described in the autopsy report? Did one bullet actually wound both President Kennedy and Governor Connally or did separate bullets strike them? Was the President’s back wound actually lower on his body than the throat wound? Why did the doctors at Parkland Memorial Hospital change their opinions about the President’s throat wound? Why was the President’s autopsy inept and inconclusive? Was another bullet recovered from the President’s body during the autopsy? Was the bullet found on a stretcher at Parkland Memorial Hospital planted, or was it the bullet that wounded both the President and the Governor?

Were two rifles found on the sixth floor of the Depository? Was another rifle found on the roof of the Depository? Was the motorcade route deliberately changed so the President would pass by the Depository? Why was the security for the Dallas motorcade so lax? Did Jack Ruby kill Oswald on his own motivation or was he part of a conspiracy to silence Oswald before he could speak out? Did a cover-up take place in the aftermath of the assassination? Why did the Warren Commission ignore witnesses and evidence contrary to its findings? This study attempts to provide answers to these puzzling and controversial questions by analyzing: (1) the Kennedy assassination literature; (2) witness testimony, (3) material and physical evidence; (4) medical evidence; (5) documentaries; (6) government investigative reports; and (7) the Zapruder film. The study began in March 1991 and initially focused on establishing the number of shots and the shooting sequence. Gradually, the scope of the study expanded becoming much more comprehensive.

Abraham Zapruder, an amateur photographer, was standing on a four-foot pedestal located at the west end of the steps in front of the concrete pergola on the grassy knoll in Dealey Plaza (Thompson, 1967, p. 3). Zapruder was filming with his new eight-millimeter Bell and Howell home movie camera (Thompson, 1967, pp. 1, 18-19, and 376; Weisberg, 1966, p. 184). He filmed the assassination as the President passed along Elm Street directly in front of him. The FBI determined that Zapruder’s camera filmed at a rate of 18.3 frames per second (Appendix A; Thompson, 1967, p. 19; Warren Commission Hearings and Exhibits, 1964, 5H153-154; Warren et al., 1992, pp. 97 and 822). Therefore, the film acted as a stopwatch for timing the shooting. Zapruder’s film, which now belongs to The Sixth Floor Museum in Dallas, is the most crucial single piece of evidence pertaining to the assassination. The Zapruder film provides graphic and horrific visual documentation of the assassination. Therefore, individual frames of this film are used to reference and document various reactions, movements, and body positions crucial to the sequence of events surrounding the shooting. Although the Zapruder film shows evidence of splicing, the events of the shooting depicted on the film are comparable and consistent with the events documented on the films taken by Orville Nix, Marie Muchmore, and Charles Bronson. It is hoped that this study will move us closer to the truth.

H. R. Underwood

2012

BOOK I:

LEE HARVEY OSWALD

I am always with myself, and it is I who am my tormentor.

—Leo Tolstoy, Memoirs of a Madman

CHAPTER ONE

A Very Curious Individual

LEE HARVEY OSWALD had a lonely childhood. He wanted attention. Lee Oswald’s brother, Robert, stated, Here was a lonely boy, needing attention and not getting it ( JFK Assassination: Beyond Conspiracy , 2003). Their mother, Marguerite Oswald, was always saying that her kids were a burden to her. Robert Oswald said this about Lee, Very early on, he learned he wasn’t wanted ( JFK Assassination: Beyond Conspiracy, 2003). As Lee Oswald grew older, he became more preoccupied with getting attention. Robert Oswald provided this example, When he was in the Marine Corps, he was going the opposite direction from the rest of the troops. He wanted to be different from the crowd, stand out from the crowd, and whatever it took, he was willing to do it ( JFK Assassination: Beyond Conspiracy , 2003).

In the spring of 1959, Lee Harvey Oswald seemed anxious to leave the Marine Corps. He applied to Albert Schweitzer College in Churwalden, Switzerland for admission to the spring term in 1960 (Warren et al., 1992, p. 688). Oswald’s tour of active duty with the Marine Corps was not scheduled to expire until Monday, December 7, 1959 (Warren et al., 1992, p. 688). However, Oswald requested a dependency discharge on Monday, August 17, 1959, stating that his mother needed his support. Oswald’s request was recommended for approval on Friday, August 28, 1959 (Warren et al., 1992, p. 688). On September 4, 1959, in anticipation of his discharge, Oswald applied for a passport to attend Albert Schweitzer College and to travel in Cuba, the Dominican Republic, England, France, Germany, and Russia. The passport was issued six days later on Thursday, September 10, 1959 (Duffy, 1989, p. 25; Warren et al., 1992, p. 689).

The next day, September 11, Oswald was transferred from active duty to the Marine Corps Reserve (Duffy, 1989, p. 25; Warren et al., 1992, p. 688). Early on Sunday morning September 20, 1959, just nine days after his discharge from the Marine Corps, Oswald departed New Orleans aboard the Marion Lykes (Duffy, 1989, p. 30; Meagher, 1992, p. 329; Warren et al., 1992, p. 689). Following a circuitous route, Oswald arrived in Moscow on Friday, October 16, 1959, and took a room at the Hotel Berlin (Duffy, 1989, p. 30; Warren et al., 1992, p. 690). On Wednesday, October 21, 1959, Oswald was notified that his visa had expired, and he had two hours to leave Moscow (Anson, 1975, p. 161; Warren et al., 1992, p. 692). Fearing he was about to be forced out of the Soviet Union, Oswald attempted suicide in his hotel room. He was taken to the Botkinskaya Hospital and released the next Wednesday, October 28, 1959 (Anson, 1975, p. 161; Warren et al., 1992, pp. 392 and 691-692). Oswald remained in the Soviet Union until Saturday, June 2, 1962 (Warren et al., 1992, p. 712).

Oswald: An Intelligence Agent

Although much has been written about Oswald’s alleged links to the intelligence community, the documents released from his CIA file indicate that he was not an intelligence operative. Oswald, however, fantasized about being a secret agent and he was an avid reader of the Ian Fleming spy novels (Posner, 1993, p. 91). Robert Oswald described Lee’s fascination with the TV espionage show I Led Three Lives. Robert stated, "Lee’s fantasy life, to me, became apparent in the 1948, 1949, 1950 period… I Led Three Lives—he became really engrossed in that particular TV show, and he was still watching it when I left to go into the Marine Corps in 1952" (Frontline: Who Was Lee Harvey Oswald?, 1993). According to his brother, Robert, Lee Oswald loved intrigue and mystery (Posner, 1993, p. 91). George de Mohrenschildt wrote of Oswald in an unpublished book, . . . he liked to play with his own life, he was an actor in real life. A very curious individual (Blakey & Billings, 1992, p. 386; Hinckle & Turner, 1992, p. 406).

An examination of the documents released from Oswald’s file by the CIA on May 8, 1992, revealed that Oswald was the subject of a coordinated surveillance effort by the CIA, State Department, and FBI while he was in the Soviet Union from 1959 to 1962. The State Department relayed information to the CIA about Oswald’s visit to the U. S. Embassy in Moscow on October 31, 1959. The CIA was informed that Oswald had stated his desire to become a Soviet citizen, and he threatened to provide information to the Soviets (Sckolnick, 1993, pp. 1, 4-8). On January 4, 1960, Oswald was issued an Identity Document for Stateless Persons No. 311479, and he was told that he was being sent to Minsk. Oswald was disappointed that he had been refused Soviet citizenship (Warren et al., 1992, p. 697). He arrived in Minsk on January 7, 1960 (Warren et al., 1992, p. 697). The State Department kept the CIA updated on Oswald while he remained in Russia (Sckolnick, 1993, pp. 19, 21-24, 32, 33-39, and 53-56). Oswald had served as a radio operator at the Atsugi Air Base in Japan which was the base of operations for the U-2 spy flights over Russia and China (Anson, 1975, p. 157; Duffy & Ricci, 1992, pp. 44, 351, and 476; Groden & Livingstone, 1990, p. 161; Hurt, 1985, p. 199-200; Summers, 1989, p. 114).

On May 1, 1960, while Oswald was living in Minsk, Francis Gary Powers was shot down in a U-2 spy plane over Russia near the city of Sverdlovsk (Anson, 1975, p. 174; Duffy & Ricci, 1992, pp. 475-476; Marrs, 1989, pp. 114-115; Summers, 1989, p. 173). Although the Soviets were aware of the U-2 spy program, they lacked the detailed altitude information on the U-2 aircraft necessary to launch a missile attack. As a radio operator at Atsugi, Japan, Oswald had that information (Marrs, 1989, p. 115). Were the Soviets able to shoot down Powers’ plane based on information supplied by Oswald? (Marrs, 1989, p. 115; Summers, 1989, p. 174). The downed U-2 flight compromised the planned summit meeting in Paris between Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev and President Eisenhower. Although the summit meeting took place as scheduled in mid-May 1960, the U-2 incident thwarted any possibility that it would serve as an effective forum for improving the relations between the East and the West (Anson, 1975, p. 174; Summers, 1989, p. 173). Cold War tensions between the Soviet Union and the United States continued.

On November 21, 1960, the CIA furnished a list to the State Department, including Lee Harvey Oswald, of Americans living in Bloc countries who might be called ‘defectors’ (Sckolnick, 1993, pp. 23-31). The State Department had requested the information on October 25, 1960. The FBI also supplied the CIA with information regarding Oswald following his defection to Russia and counterintelligence information after he had returned to the United States (Sckolnick, 1993, pp. 11-18, 40-51, 60-114). Had Oswald been an operative of the CIA on assignment in the Soviet Union, the CIA would not have been collecting surveillance information on their own operative. The documents released from Oswald’s CIA file make it clear that the Agency was not knowledgeable of Oswald and the compilation of surveillance reports from the State Department and FBI indicate that the CIA did not know why Oswald was in the Soviet Union other than to defect.

Oswald’s 201 file was not activated until December, 1960. If Oswald were an intelligence operative sent on assignment to Russia, his 201 file would have been activated by September 1959 when he departed for the Soviet Union. Oswald’s 201 file was opened for counterintelligence purposes because of his subversive activities in the Soviet Union. A CIA document stated that Oswald was debriefed by a CIA official upon his arrival in the United States from Russia (Frontline: Who Was Lee Harvey Oswald?, 1993). At one time, the Soviets had contemplated turning Oswald into a KGB agent. He was under constant KGB surveillance while in Minsk (Nightline: The KGB Oswald Files, 1991). At the time, the CIA and KGB were both using false defector programs for the purpose of infiltration (Summers, 1989, p. 177). No doubt, upon his return to the United States, the CIA was attempting to ascertain whether or not Oswald was a KGB agent. However, the documents contained in Oswald’s KGB file made it clear that Oswald was not an operative for the KGB (Nightline: The KGB Oswald Files, 1991). The picture that emerges from this documentation is that neither the CIA nor the KGB knew what Oswald was doing.

The Return to the United States

In January 1961, Oswald began to consider returning to the United States disillusioned with the Soviet system and bored with the lifestyle in Minsk (Posner, 1993, p. 61; Warren et al., 1992, p. 394). On Monday, February 13, 1961, the U. S. Embassy in Moscow received a letter from Oswald expressing his desire to return to the United States (Warren et al., 1992, p. 274). This was the first time the Embassy had heard from Oswald since November 16, 1959 (Warren et al., 1992, p. 274). Oswald met Marina Nikolayevna Prusakova at a trade union dance probably on March 17, 1961, and they were married on Sunday, April 30, 1961 (Blakey & Billings, 1992, p. 34; Hurt, 1985, p. 211; Warren et al., 1992, p. 702). The Oswalds departed Russia on June 2, 1962, and traveled to Holland. On June 4, 1962, they boarded the SS Maasdam (Warren et al., 1992, p. 712). Oswald arrived back in the United States on Wednesday, June 13, 1962, with his Russian wife, Marina, and his infant daughter, June (Hurt, 1985, p. 212; Posner, 1993, p. 74). On June 14, 1962, the Oswalds flew to Dallas Love Field and were met by Oswald’s family. Robert Oswald stated that Lee was surprised that no reporters were present at the airport to interview him upon his return from Russia. What no reporters?’ He seemed definitely disappointed. He had his notes, how he was going to answer the reporters, why this, why that, why he went to Russia, why he came back. But there was no one to talk to (JFK Assassination: Beyond Conspiracy, 2003). They then drove to Fort Worth and moved in temporarily with Oswald’s brother, Robert (Hurt, 1985, p. 212; Posner, 1993, p. 77). The Oswalds lived with Robert Oswald about a month before moving into an apartment with the mother, Marguerite Oswald, at 1501 West Seventh Street (Warren et al., 1992, p. 715).

On Tuesday, June 26, 1962, Oswald had his first of several counterintelligence interviews with the FBI in Fort Worth (Anson, 1975, p. 187; Blakey & Billings, 1992, pp. 382-383; Posner, 1993, p. 79). Another FBI interview took place on Thursday, August 16, 1962 (Anson, 1975, p. 187; Blakey & Billings, 1992, p. 383; Posner, 1993, pp. 81-82). Through Peter Gregory, the Oswalds began circulating among the White Russian community of Dallas-Fort Worth (Posner, 1993, p. 78; Warren et al., 1992, pp. 400 and 716). Oswald was tolerated among the White Russians out of sympathy for Marina (Posner, 1993, p. 83). Oswald’s extremist politics disturbed the Russian community (Posner, 1993, pp. 84-85). Oswald resented the help being extended to Marina by her Russian-American friends (Warren et al., 1992, p. 400).

In August of 1962, the Oswalds moved into a one-bedroom furnished apartment at 2703 Mercedes Street (Warren et al., 1992, p. 715). In mid-September, 1962, George de Mohrenschildt, who was on the fringe of the White Russian group, stopped by the Oswald apartment on Mercedes Street and introduced himself (Posner, 1993, p. 85). De Mohrenschildt was well-connected with the intelligence community (Groden & Livingstone, 1990, pp. 291 and 300-305; Smith, 1992, p. 230). The House Select Committee established that de Mohrenschildt had connections with the CIA and Army Intelligence (House Select Committee on Assassinations 12HSCA53-55; Summers, 1989, pp. 492 and 625). De Mohrenschildt was probably put in touch with Oswald through the CIA’s local man, J. Walton Moore (Smith, 1992, pp. 228 and 238). De Mohrenschildt had asked Moore if it was all right to associate with Oswald, and Moore described Oswald as a harmless lunatic (Posner, 1993, pp. 87 and 520; Warren Commission Hearings and Exhibits, 1964, 9H236).

De Mohrenschildt stated when interviewed in 1977 that CIA Agent Moore encouraged him to see Oswald, that he would not have seen Oswald at all without Moore’s encouragement (Summers, 1989, p. 198). De Mohrenschildt also finally admitted in 1977 that he had been asked by CIA Agent Moore to keep tabs on the Oswalds (Furiati, 1994, p. 75; Hinckle & Turner, 1992, p. 238). De Mohrenschildt apparently served as Oswald’s CIA baby-sitter while he lived in the Dallas-Fort Worth area (Blakey & Billings, 1992, pp. 34 and 378; Garrison, 1988, pp. 55-56 and 62-63; Groden & Livingstone, 1990, p. 282, 291, 299, and 300; Livingstone, 1993, p. 526; Smith, 1992, pp. 230 and 238). This indicated that the CIA was watching the Oswalds attempting to ascertain their intentions since they were suspected of being KGB agents. This would explain the strange relationship between the shabby Oswalds and the dashing de Mohrenschildt (Hinckle & Turner, 1992, p. 238). It would also provide another strong indication that Oswald was not working for the CIA. However, other evidence indicated that Oswald was FBI informant number 179 (Epstein, 1966, p. 52; Garrison, 1988, pp. 224-225; Weisberg, 1975, p. 475). The House Select Committee investigated this possibility and was not able to discern a relationship between Oswald and any government agency (Blakey & Billings, 1992, p. 38). Oswald, a former defector to the Soviet Union, would not be an informant for the FBI when the Bureau had him under counterintelligence surveillance.

Helen Cunningham of the Texas Employment Commission referred Oswald to Jaggers-Chiles-Stovall on Thursday, October 11, 1962 (Posner, 1993, p. 90; Warren et al., 1992, p. 403). Oswald started work the next day, Friday, October 12, 1962 (Posner, 1993, p. 90; Warren et al., 1992, p. 403). On Monday, October 15, 1962, Oswald moved into the YMCA and stayed there until Friday, October 19 (Warren et al., 1992, p. 719). After October 19, Oswald moved into either a room or an apartment in Dallas (Warren et al., 1992, p. 720). On Saturday, November 3, 1962, Oswald rented a three-room apartment at 604 Elsbeth Street in Dallas. The next day, Sunday, November 4, 1962, the Oswalds moved from Fort Worth to the Elsbeth Street apartment (Warren et al., 1992, p. 720).

Jaggars specialized in print services involving advanced photographic techniques for various publications such as magazines. Jaggars also had a contract with the U. S. Army Map Service requiring strict security (Smith, 1992, p. 230). However, Oswald did not work in that section; therefore, he did not need a security clearance (Posner, 1993, pp. 90-91). Apparently, Oswald did some of his own photographic work while at Jaggers. His fellow workers noted this private work. Dennis Ofstein, a co-worker, recalled a photograph that he had helped Oswald enlarge. It was difficult to forget: it showed a military headquarters in a picture he had taken in Russia (Smith, 1992, p. 230). Rather than doing intelligence work as some researchers claim, Oswald was acting out his fantasy of being a secret agent.

Oswald’s marriage with Marina began to deteriorate following their return to the United States. On Sunday, June 24, 1962, Oswald first struck Marina during an argument. During 1962, Marina was seen with a black eye by Anna Meller, George Bouhe, and Mahlon Tobias (Posner, 1993, pp. 85 and 95-96; Warren et al., 1992, p. 718). Marina stated that Oswald was very unrestrained and very explosive from November 19, 1962 to March of 1963 (Warren et al., 1992, p. 395). In November 1962, Marina moved out temporarily and stayed with her friend, Anna Meller. After five days, she moved in with Katya and Delcan Ford (Posner, 1993, pp. 94-95). After about a two-week separation, Marina returned to Oswald (Warren et al., 1992, p. 401). By February 1963, Oswald was frequently beating her (Blakey & Billings, 1992, p. 381; Posner, 1993, pp. 93, 95-96, and 98-99). On Sunday, February 17, 1963, threatening to send her back to the Soviet Union, Oswald forced Marina to write the Soviet Embassy in Washington D.C. asking for help in returning to Russia (Blakey & Billings, 1992, p. 382; Posner, 1993, pp. 100-101).

Marina stated that the week following this incident was the most violent of their marriage (Blakey & Billings, 1992, p. 381; Posner, 1993, p 102). Oswald became angrier, and the beatings became more intense (Posner, 1993, p. 102). Ruth Paine was introduced to the Oswalds at a social gathering held at the home of Everett Glover, a friend of de Mohrenschildt, on Friday, February 22, 1963 (Blakey & Billings, 1992, p. 382; Warren et al., 1992, p. 13). Ruth Paine, who would play a significant role in their lives, did not like Oswald or the way in which he treated Marina (Blakey & Billings, 1992, pp. 378, 383, 387, and 395; Meagher, 1992, pp. 217-218). On Sunday, March 3, 1963, the Oswalds moved from the Elsbeth Street apartment to an upstairs apartment at 214 West Neely Street in Dallas (Warren et al., 1992, p. 723). Marina preferred the Neely Street apartment because it had a porch and it was more suitable for June (Warren et al., 1992, p. 723).

Even though Oswald liked photographic work, he was not an efficient worker at Jaggers. He was not able to produce photographic work which adhered with sufficient precision to the job specifications and as a result too much of his work had to be redone (Warren et al., 1992, p. 403). In February or March of 1963, Oswald began having difficulty doing accurate work and in getting along with the other employees (Warren et al., 1992, p. 403). On Monday, April 1, 1963, Oswald apparently received a notice of termination (Posner, 1993, p. 110). Oswald was discharged from Jaggers-Chiles-Stovall on Saturday, April 6, 1963 (Warren et al., 1992, p. 403). Oswald did not seem to mind leaving Jaggers. When asked by fellow worker Dennis Ofstein what he would do next, Oswald smiled and said, I might go back to Russia (Posner, 1993, pp. 111 and 524; Smith, 1992, p. 238; Warren Commission Hearings and Exhibits, 1964, 10H203). Oswald did not tell Marina of his termination until Wednesday, April 10, the day of the General Walker shooting (Posner, 1993, p. 113).

The General Walker Shooting

Lee Harvey Oswald had a superiority complex and he was continually frustrated that no one was taking notice of him. Robert Oswald stated, He wanted the attention by being unique. If the worst of the world had been Marxist, he would have been American (JFK Assassination: Beyond Conspiracy, 2003). The Soviets had failed to recognize his significance and when he returned to the United States, there was no fanfare. Robert Oswald stated that their mother had certain characteristics that were so much like Lee: The time and circumstances always seemed to be against her; the world owed her a living; she wanted to be somebody (Frontline: Who Was Lee Harvey Oswald?, 1993.) Oswald was becoming a man desperate for attention. He decided more drastic measures were necessary if he was going to achieve the attention he felt he deserved.

Oswald ordered a .38 Smith & Wesson revolver from Seaport Traders, Inc., of Los Angeles using the alias of A. J. Hidell on Sunday, January 27, 1963 (Warren et al., 1992, p. 174). The revolver cost $29.95. The invoice was prepared on March 13, 1963. The revolver was shipped Railway Express on March 20, 1963 (Warren et al., 1992, p. 174). Oswald told Marina after he returned home on the night of the Walker shooting that he had been planning the attack for two months (Warren et al., 1992, p. 185). It is probable that Oswald ordered the revolver as he began planning the Walker attack. On Saturday, March 9 or Sunday March 10, 1963, Oswald took at least two photographs of General Edwin Walker’s home, two others of the surrounding vicinity, and one of an entrance to the driveway from a back alley (Blakey & Billings, 1992, p. 383; Posner, 1993, p. 103; Warren et al., 1992, p. 185).

[T]he approximate date of photography was determined for the Warren Commission from the progress of construction of a building in the background (Blakey & Billings, 1992, p. 383). FBI photo expert, Lyndal Shaneyfelt, later determined that the photographs were taken with Oswald’s Imperial Reflex camera (Posner, 1993, p. 103; Warren et al., 1992, pp. 185 and 596). While taking the photographs, Oswald realized that it would be much easier to escape if he used a rifle (Blakey & Billings, 1992, p. 383). On Tuesday, March 12, 1963, he ordered a Mannlicher-Carcano rifle from the February issue of American Rifleman and enclosed a U. S. postal money order (Commission Exhibit 788) in the amount of $21.45 (Blakey & Billings, 1992, p. 383; Posner, 1993, p. 104; Smith, 1992, p. 292; Warren et al., 1992, pp. 119-120).

Klein’s Sporting Goods Co., of Chicago received an order from A. J. Hidell for a 6.5 millimeter Italian Mannlicher-Carcano rifle about March 13, 1963 (Warren et al., 1992, pp. 118-119). The rifle with mounted scope cost $21.45 (Warren et al., 1992, p. 119). The Carcano rifle was shipped parcel post from Klein’s on March 20, 1963 (Warren et al., 1992, p. 119). It is interesting that both firearms were processed on March 13 and shipped to Hidell on March 20. Although Oswald, a.k.a. Hidell, had ordered the shorter 36 inch Model 41 carbine version of the Carcano rifle, Klein’s shipped him the longer 40.2 inch Model 91/38 Carcano rifle.

A growing concern regarding the abundance and availability of obsolete junk weapons being unloaded on the American market by foreign governments triggered investigations by the Treasury Department and Congress. Peter Dale Scott (1993) noted that in 1963, the Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms unit within the Treasury Department and Senator Thomas Dodd’s Juvenile Delinquency Subcommittee were investigating both Klein’s Sporting Goods and Seaport Traders for illegally selling cheap junk weapons through the mail. This information was not mentioned in the Warren Report (pp. 249-250, and 256-257). Not only had Oswald received his weapons from the two mail-order companies under investigation, he had also purchased the Carcano rifle and .38 revolver using an alias with no form of identification being required for either purchase which was mandated by federal law for interstate firearm purchases (Scott, 1993, p. 249).

On Sunday, March 31, 1963, Oswald had Marina take pictures of him posing with the weapons (Warren et al., 1992, pp. 127-128). These pictures were taken with the Imperial Reflex camera (House Select Committee on Assassinations 2HSCA361-363, 365, 368-370 (Sgt. Cecil W. Kirk); Posner, 1993, pp. 108 and 524; Warren et al., 1992, pp. 593 and 595-596). Oswald also held copies of two leftist newspapers, The Militant and The Worker (Warren et al., 1992, p. 127). Oswald remarked to Marina that he intended to send a print to The Militant to prove he was ready for anything (Posner, 1993, pp. 109 and 524; Warren Commission Hearings and Exhibits, 1964, 11H296). Oswald apparently sent George de Mohrenschildt an inscribed print of one of these photos.

On Wednesday evening, April 10, 1963, a single shot was fired into the home of General Edwin Walker. The bullet narrowly missed the general as he sat in his study. Marina Oswald stated that when her husband returned home that night, he was agitated and he told her he had taken a shot at General Walker. Oswald also told Marina that he had been planning the attack for two months (Warren et al., 1992, p. 185). Marina stated further that Oswald had prepared a file on Walker containing timetables of busses that served the area and photographs of his home. The file was destroyed after the attack.

However, five photographs of Walker’s home and the surrounding vicinity were found during a search of the Paine’s garage