Tom McAndrew: On this date in history,........News Flash - Dallas - AP/UPI
- Thread starter TheGLOV
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Trite to say, but I'll never forget that day (also a Friday). I was a 6th grade patrol boy at the elementary school. Always had to leave class early to get ready for bus duties. Was walking down the hall and was intercepted by the principal. She gave me a small stack of notes to deliver to the teacher of each classroom. On those was that news. Even at that young age it was shocking.
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I went to the museum in the Texas School Book Depository many years ago, and you can get pretty close to the sniper's perch on the sixth floor and see out the window. I always thought it would have been a much easier shot to make as the motorcade was approaching the shooter in front of the records building, before the motorcade made the left turn onto Elm Street. If I were a lone shooter.
I have been to Dallas a number of times and have walked the path of the motorcade from that day at least through the area of the Book Depository.,,
IMO it’s not too far fetched based on looking at the angle and distance.. that he acted alone... sadly an incredible shot by Oswald.. but not impossible.
others thoughts?
U.S. Marine sharp-shooters could NOT duplicate the number of shots fired (apparently by Oswald) in the timeframe allotted. (Also based on sound, distance and speed of the motor car)
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Thanks for posting. I’ve made posts about this anniversary on this board many times over the years. I’m traveling a good bit today, so I appreciate you picking up the slack for me, @TheGLOV.
IMHO, the only that event that caused anything close to the national trauma that the Kennedy assassination did was what took place on September 11, 2001.
IMHO, the only that event that caused anything close to the national trauma that the Kennedy assassination did was what took place on September 11, 2001.
Not necessarily true. Read Posners book about the actual timeline based on the Zapruder film.
He actually had more time than the Warren Commission estimates.
I was in second grade. They let us out early. I came home and my Dad was home from work sitting in front of the tv crying. My Dad was a WW2 marine vet, and he never cried.
I used to buy the conspiracy line, until I went to Dallas. That plaza seemed so small in real life, compared to the perception of distance from those old videos.
you could toss a baseball from the Grassy Knoll and hit Kennedy. No sniper would have hid there. You could see the back of the fence from the street that connected the School Deoository to the parking lot behind the fence.
And the distance for the shot was nothing. It would have been tough to miss from that window.
you could toss a baseball from the Grassy Knoll and hit Kennedy. No sniper would have hid there. You could see the back of the fence from the street that connected the School Deoository to the parking lot behind the fence.
And the distance for the shot was nothing. It would have been tough to miss from that window.
2nd grade. 7 years old. School was dismissed once the news hit, of course, and I recall walking home alone, in silence, head down, as most every kid did that day.... all highly unusual. And I had no real understanding of what was going on; my young mind could not begin to process any of the news in those 20 or so minutes. It certainly did not seem to be real.
For some reason, and despite the blurring of memory over time, I clearly recall that I had was carrying a small paper bag containing a bottle of liquid medicine and a spoon for some ailment I had. I was sick, but walked myself to and from school, and self-administered my doses of medicine at set times during the school day. No big deal - I was probably one of three or four kids doing the same.... funny in context to how we approach that scenario today.
As Tom said, nothing else came close to that level of initial shock and lack of comprehension until 9/11/2001.
For some reason, and despite the blurring of memory over time, I clearly recall that I had was carrying a small paper bag containing a bottle of liquid medicine and a spoon for some ailment I had. I was sick, but walked myself to and from school, and self-administered my doses of medicine at set times during the school day. No big deal - I was probably one of three or four kids doing the same.... funny in context to how we approach that scenario today.
As Tom said, nothing else came close to that level of initial shock and lack of comprehension until 9/11/2001.
I’m two miles away from Dealey Plaza on a work trip. Feels odd.
Let us not forget: 56 years ago today, Nov 22 1963.
There is no telling how different our world would be had the events of that day not happened. I remember when this was on the news every year as a reminder of what happened. Now too many people are not aware of this day in our history.
There is no telling how different our world would be had the events of that day not happened. I remember when this was on the news every year as a reminder of what happened. Now too many people are not aware of this day in our history.
I was a 1st term freshman at Penn State at the time. Strange thing was at the time wondering whether the PS-Pitt game would be played on Saturday.
Mrs. delco and I were talking about the anniversary and both agree that the only 2 days seared into our memories are the Kennedy assassination and 9-11.
I was in 8th grade Catholic school and, needless to say the, IHMs were extremely upset.
My brother was a senior at PSU at the time... he told me the same thing, that there was a lot of talk about whether the Pitt game would be played or pushed back a week or cancelled. They pushed it back a week.
During a crisis like that, I think people subconsciously look for ways to find comfort, and the routines and holding to plans can be a big help to many. I think Pres. Bush et. al. did the right thing in trying to help the country get back to normal routines, including sports and other mental diversions, as soon as reasonably possible after 9/11.
I have read that Zapruder initially left his camera at home thinking it was too gloomy to take pictures. Apparently his secretary or some other co-worker convinced him to go back home and get it.
Robert MacNeil, who later co-anchored "The MacNeil/Lehrer Report" on PBS, was a young NBC reporter covering Kennedy. When the shots were fired, he got off the press bus looking for a phone to call in the news. He ran up to the Texas School Book Depository and asked a young man where a phone was. The young man said he better ask someone inside. A year and a half later William Manchester was doing research on his book "The Death of a President". In his research and based on what Oswald told the Secret Service that night, Manchester was convinced Oswald was the young man MacNeil spoke to.
Robert MacNeil, who later co-anchored "The MacNeil/Lehrer Report" on PBS, was a young NBC reporter covering Kennedy. When the shots were fired, he got off the press bus looking for a phone to call in the news. He ran up to the Texas School Book Depository and asked a young man where a phone was. The young man said he better ask someone inside. A year and a half later William Manchester was doing research on his book "The Death of a President". In his research and based on what Oswald told the Secret Service that night, Manchester was convinced Oswald was the young man MacNeil spoke to.
Very, very unlikely that Oswald was the shooter or acted alone. Go there, review what happened, walk the grounds, read about the witnesses and the leads and the foreshadowing. And finally, listen to Dr. Cyril Wecht.
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We just missed each other. I’ve been at the Omni the past few days. We drove down Elm on the way to the airport today. Flowers on the street at the spot (getting run over, mind you). Fair amount of folks around.
Oswald was not rated sharpshooter. He had the minimum rating of marksman. Also if his rifle was disassembled, how did he resight the rifle/scope?
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Remember that as well. My dad and I went the following weekend to that game. Pitt I think was ranked 3rd with their only loss being to a Roger Staubach led Navy team, which was ranked second. We almost beat Pitt that day, lost by a point. As an aside, Navy later got drilled by Texas in the Cotton Bowl.
The shot was only about 75 yards. I'm not a sharpshooter....not even close....and I could make that shot all day long. Oswald was a trained marine. Easy shot for him.
Dont know if you shoot. I shoot occasionally. I can hit an 8" pie plate routinely at 200 yards without a scope. A 75 yard shot on a target the size of a human head is not something requiring sharpshooter skills.
Experts during the investigation found the scope off only slightly. They stated that an average marksman would have an 80.5% chance of making that shot with that rifle and scope. Oswald was above average.
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I'd be curious to know which witnesses you find credible. Most have changed their story so much over the years that even some of the conspiracy buffs have trouble considering them credible.
Admittedly Wecht is quite good.....
Not saying it isn't possible. I have a hard time accepting that the head shot came from behind. I've been to Dealy Plaza and I'm familiar with the situation. Its just funny that the paraffin test came out negative, Oswald was approached by a cop on the 2nd floor while drinking a cola (about 2 minutes after the shots were fired) and the slugs recovered from Tippet's body did not match the cartridges found at that scene (also the bullets were more suited to an automatic weapon and Oswald carried a revolver). I don't believe some of the outlandish stuff....but the fact that some documents still are not released 56 years later leaves me wondering....
To me the most credible eye witnesses were the Secret Service agents who were on duty. Interviewed soon after the shooting, they said there were three shots fired from the TSDB. And I've seen videos of sharpshooters who were successful at replicating what Oswald did.
