Kennedy Sworn in as President – 50 yrs Ago Today

President Kennedy - official White House photo

 Fifty years ago today John Fitzgerald Kennedy took the oath of office at exactly 12:00 p.m. Eastern time in Washington, DC.

Kennedy’s inauguration signaled a new generation ascending to power. His predecessor, President Eisenhower was of a previous generation and had served 8 years, since 1954-1961.

Kennedy, or JFK as he was affectionally known, was the youngest man ever elected president at age 43. Teddy Roosevelt was younger when he became president, but he became president after McKinley’s assassination.

Kennedy was also the first person of the Roman Catholic faith to be elected to the office.

The other fascination for people was his young family and his war service. He exuded personality and vigor. New ideas and renewed energy brought hope to young people.

When he was elected it was the height of the Cold War. The United States and the USSR had enough nuclear tipped missiles targeted at each other to destroy the world several times over. This wasn’t just an American or a Soviet issue, but a world living in the shadow of destruction. In fact the official policy of both nations was Mutually Assured Destruction or M.A.D. for short. Simply put if one country attacked the other it was assured both would be destroyed. Sounds crazy, but it was a fact that all of us lived with during that period. No wonder people were looking for new ideas and fresh hope.

Although his presidency was short-lived Kennedy began the dialogue with the Soviet Union on disarmament signing the Test Ban Treaty. This was a first step towards reducing nuclear arsenals.

I remember President Kennedy today for those steps he initiated towards reduction of nuclear tensions.

eBook Published – Near Miss: Attempted Assassination of JFK

My book has now been ePublished  and so far is available at the following sites.

Check it out, http://tinyurl.com/2432nrz Amazon, and http://tinyurl.com/24jlqrc Barnes and Noble.

If this interests you please consider purchasing it at the low price stated.

It will soon be available at Borders.com and Kobobooks.com

The Truth is Out There – The JFK Assassination

It has been almost 47 years since the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in downtown Dallas, Texas on November 22, 1963. Thanks to the release of new documents and the scientific analysis of evidence with new technologies the truth is gradually being uncovered.

Who cares, you say? I believe that to preserve democratic societies the truth must always be uncovered.

First the official version of what happened as outlined by the Warren Commission Report hinges on the following key points,

1. Lee Harvey Oswald was the only gunman. He and he alone killed the president.

2. Only three shots were fired in Dealey Plaza that day. The first shot missed and slightly wounded James Tague who was watching the motorcade. The second shot hit Kennedy in the back, exited from the throat area, entered Governor John Connally seated in front and to the side of Kennedy, this broke several bones in Connally, and changed direction several times. Finally this bullet was found on a stretcher in Parkland Hospital in pristine, undamaged condition. This is the so-called “Magic Bullet” theory.

3. The third shot struck Kennedy in the back of his head causing his death.

4. All shots originated from the sixth floor window of the Texas School Book Depository behind the presidential limousine.

5. There were no others involved in the assassination.

While there have been outrageous theories and ridiculous speculation put forward about the assassination, new evidence and new technological analysis of existing evidence has debunked most of the findings of the Warren Commission. Without firm evidence to identify a motive or actual shooter(s) here are some proven facts that contradict the record,

1. At least one shot and possibly more originated from the Grassy Knoll to the right front of the president. The fatal head shot struck Kennedy in the right front of his head. Analysis of the Zapruder Film proves more than four shots were fired at the president that day. That evidence alone proves more than one shooter.

2. Oswald’s prints were not found on the 6.5 mm Mannlicher-Carcano rifle, that is alleged to have been used to kill Kennedy.

3. A paraffin test done on Oswald at the time proved he did not fire a rifle on November 22, 1963. This is an accepted test in the law enforcement and legal community. It detects GSR (gunshot residue).

4. The medical evidence proves the exit wound in Kennedy’s head was in the rear. Parkland Emergency doctors observed this, as did autopsy doctors, but they were ordered not to report this. Blood splatter, brain matter, and a large skull fragment all found to the rear of the limousine  prove this. Again this was not included in the Warren Commission. In my belief this absolutely proves the fatal head shot came from the Grassy Knoll to the right front of Kennedy.

5. About half of the witnesses to the assassination reported shots from the front of the limousine (the Grassy Knoll). These witnesses were either not interviewed by the Warren Commission, or their testimony was ignored and discounted.

Tape recordings of President Lyndon B. Johnson’s directions to Chief Justice Earl Warren prove the Commission was ordered to find Kennedy was killed by one assassin, that assassin being Lee Harvey Oswald. The findings of the Commission were predetermined by the president, the FBI (J. Edgar Hoover), and the CIA. No other conclusion was acceptable.

I recommend the following books supporting these conclusions:

The Zapruder Film: Reframing JFK’s Assassination, David Wrone, University Press of Kansas, 2003

The Grassy Knoll Witnesses, Harry A. Yardum, 2008

JFK Assassination File: Retired Dallas Police Chief, Jesse E. Curry, Dallas, 1969

In the Eye of History: Disclosures in the JFK Assassination Medical Evidence, William Law, with Alan Eaglesham, JFK Lancer Publications, Southlake, TX, 2005

Head Shot: The Science Behind the JFK Assassination, G. Paul Chambers, Ph.D, Prometheus Books, New York, NY 2010.

Bullet Proof: The Evidence That Guns Leave Behind, Jaime Joyce, Franklin Watts, a Division of Scholastic Inc., New York, NY, 2007.

John Kennedy Wins Nomination – 50 years ago

JFK and Caroline in August 1963-White House photo

I can’t let this anniversary pass. On this day in 1960, Senator John F. Kennedy won the Democratic nomination for president at their convention in Los Angeles, California.

Of course, he went on to win the general election in November 1960 by the slimmest of margins to become president-elect. On January 20, 1961 he was sworn in as the 35th president of the United States. He was also the youngest elected president to take office and the first person of the Roman Catholic faith to become president.

Tragically, he became the youngest president (46 years of age) to die in office when he was assassinated on November 22, 1963 while riding in a motorcade through downtown Dallas, Texas.

Visiting Dealey Plaza

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My entire adult life an eerie fascination has drawn me to the Kennedy Assassination and the events of November 22 – 25, 1963. Over the years I have absorbed everything written on the subject. Now as I wander Dealey Plaza for the first time my brain releases remembrances of that era. I feel at home in a surreal way, not because it is a good place, but rather a familiar one. Memories of the 1960’s and my formative years flood my being.

The first major historical event in my lifetime riveted me at the time and has gripped me since. Historical and political awareness awoke in my young mind over those terrible four days in November 1963.

Forty-six years later like a moth to light, this place attracts me. The Plaza holds no mystery for me. I know every nook and cranny, every conspiracy theory and every person associated with those days.

The Grassy Knoll, the Texas School Book Depository, the Sixth Floor, the Triple Underpass, Stemmons Freeway, Zapruder, Oswald, and the forever young President John Fitzgerald Kennedy flood my mental vision as I wander Dealey.

Dealey Plaza is not an imposing place. It is a small park in the middle of the West End Historic District of downtown Dallas, Texas. The curious come here in a regular flow. They wander, some knowing the tale, others having only read about it. All attempt in some small way to recapture some of the Kennedy mystique.

            The story is the saga of youth lost and what might have been. Like all the others I wonder why and lament the potential killed that day. I think in some small way visiting this site is a way to get closure after all these years, to get my mind to accept that yes, it did really happen.

November 22, 1963 Remembered

Believe it or not it has been 46 years since the tragic events of the weekend of November 22 – 25, 1963.

John Fitzgerald Kennedy was elected November 8, 1960 as the youngest president at 43 years of age. (Teddy Roosevelt was youngest to take office, but he assumed office after McKinley’s assassination.) John Kennedy took office January 20, 1961 with a promise of his New Frontier. Together with his beautiful wife Jackie and young children they charmed the nation and the world.

In preparation for the election of 1964 Kennedy wanted to win the electoral votes of the populous state of  Texas. He decided to make a trip to Texas in late November 1963.

On the morning of Friday November 23, 1963 he and his wife took breakfast in Fort Worth and flew to Dallas afterwards. Their arrival at Love Field was greeted by a large crowd.

A motorcade then left from the airport with a planned arrival at the Trade Mart around 1:00pm local time. Kennedy, his wife, and Governor John Connally of Texas and his wife rode in an open Lincoln limousine through the downtown. On their way they passed the Texas School Book Depository.  As they turned the corner from Houston to Elm Street shots rang out. Kennedy was struck in the back with an exit out the neck. This would have been a nonfatal shot. Seconds later he was hit by a bullet in the head effectively killing him.  The time was 12:30 pm Central Standard Time. He was taken to Parkland Hospital where he was pronounced dead at around 1:00 pm local time.

Lyndon Baines Johnson, the Vice President effectively became the 36th president upon Kennedy’s death. He took the oath of office in Air Force One just before departing for Washington, D.C.

Lee Harvey Oswald was arrested several hours later in a Dallas movie theatre. He was charged with Kennedy’s murder.

Oswald was being moved from the jail to more secure quarters on Sunday November 24th. While being escorted through the basement of police headquarters, Jack Ruby a local nightclub owner with mob ties, stepped forward and shot Oswald at point-blank range. Oswald died later at Parkland Hospital. The truth died with him.

Monday November 25th the funeral of President Kennedy took place in Washington, D.C. Millions watched the event on television in disbelief that this young president could have been taken from us so suddenly.

He was buried in Arlington National Cemetery.

To this day there remain many unanswered questions and mysteries surrounding his assassination.

Edward Kennedy 1932 – 2009

Getty Images

I won’t dwell on this sad story in all the papers and media today, except to say men like him don’t come along very often.

Sure he had faults, most men do, but his public service record speaks for itself. I admire all people like Ted regardless of party affiliation. He stuck by his beliefs, but was still flexible enough to work with the other party to get things done for the common good. In a recent poll GOP members of Congress voted Ted Kennedy one of the best senators to work with on legislation.

I was fortunate enough to actually hear Ted rise and speak in the Senate when I visited Washington, D.C. in 1972. He was most impressive even at that young age.

1968: It Was the Worst of Times, It Was the Best of Times

April 4, 2008 is the 40th anniversary of the assassination of civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr. He was shot at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee. As this sad commemoration approaches I was thinking back on how in retrospect I now viewed this pivotal year.

Here are some of the key events that depressed me,
- The Vietnam War intensified, both the war and the protests
- Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated
- Robert F. Kennedy was assassinated
- Hubert Humphry got the Democratic presidential nomination without even entering a primary
- Richard Nixon got the Republican presidential nomination
- Richard Nixon won the presidential election
- Pierre Elliot Trudeau became prime minister of Canada

Ironically in the mountain town of Golden, British Columbia on a November day, the future love-of-my life arrived to brighten up the world. Fate or luck brought her to me in the future, so the year in fact turned out to be the best for me. It eclipses all other events for me. Life is so strange sometimes.