The Epileptic Seizure

[Roger Fong]

While performing a routine Google search for Jerry Belknap, I ran across a link to the Internet Movie Database, one of my favorite sites. Turns out it is indeed the Jerry Belknap who's the subject of this message, and the film is the Bronson film. This is very curious for a number of reasons.

- What were the circumstances that lead to the listing of the Bronson film at imdb.com? (Nix, Muchmore, Zapruder, Towner, etc are also listed).

- The Belknap listing in the Bronson film appears to be erroneous. From what I've read, Bronson did not start shooting until about 6 minutes prior to the President's arrival. The Belknap incident happened about 12:10 so Belknap cannot be in the Bronson film.

Does anyone have additional information about this?

Link to Bronson film on imdb.com

[Jack White]

While performing a routine Google search for Jerry Belknap, I ran across a link to the Internet Movie Database, one of my favorite sites. Turns out it is indeed the Jerry Belknap who's the subject of this message, and the film is the Bronson film. This is very curious for a number of reasons.

- What were the circumstances that lead to the listing of the Bronson film at imdb.com? (Nix, Muchmore, Zapruder, Towner, etc are also listed).

- The Belknap listing in the Bronson film appears to be erroneous. From what I've read, Bronson did not start shooting until about 6 minutes prior to the President's arrival. The Belknap incident happened about 12:10 so Belknap cannot be in the Bronson film.

Does anyone have additional information about this?

Link to Bronson film on imdb.com

The flashing lights of the ambulance are seen in the early segment of the Bronson film.

Jack

[Gene Kelly]

Any pictures of Belknap?

[Tom Hume]

The link below is to a photograph of Jerry Boyd Belknap I had not seen before.

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=pv&GRid=69084902

The photo was apparently posted by a member of this forum, Linda Giovanna Zambanini. Linda, do you have any new information about Jerry B Belknap to share?

Tom

[Ty Carpenter]

Could it be possible that this episode was an attempt to "abort"? The thinking being that an ambulance blocking the parade route would force an on the fly re-route away from the kill zone. This could explain the reports of several calls in the month ahead of the assassination which to me seem to be used as a timing test. Perhaps the aborters were on time but the motorcade slowed down after hearing reports of this, or the pickup of the "epileptic" went too fast.

[Larry Hancock]

I think its much more likely that the ambulance was timed to be in the intersection and slow or block the motorcade at a critical point..in what would be considered the kill zone.  The motorcade was slowed only minimally, you can actually see the ambulance leaving in film taken from the motorcade.  The same plan was probably in play for the pickup that was stalled under the overpass and diverted police attention for a good while before it two was taken away before the motorcade arrives.  Diversion and blocking are basic military/paramilitary practices in ambush. 

[Ty Carpenter]

Larry,

You are probably correct in your thinking. My thought would also include the use of basic diversionary military tactics, as I think it would have been a military/intelligence type person operating an abort mission. I would think some of the same operational tactics used to facilitate an ambush could also be used to stop one.

Like I said, your thoughts are probably correct, I am just trying to throw some other ideas out there.

And isn't crazy that a pickup truck would be allowed to be sitting there on the parade route? That is just unfathomable to me today.

[Larry Hancock]

It is amazing that the pick up truck was there and left there that long and apparently not with any thought to immediately having it towed away.  But the same could be said for the DPD officers allowing all the spectators on the bridge and it not being cleared in advance - which was in direct conflict with the security briefing which had been given to senior DPD officers.  There just was not much oversight on the motorcade route - the one lead traffic car had gone though the area way to far in advance and there appear to have been on senior officers monitoring the route itself - possibly becasue all of them were focused on the Trade Mart and that's where they were.  The "parade" was being viewed as a traffic problem, not a security matter.  It was very much a different time, at least in America. 

I would also offer that the whole idea of an abort option has been created over the years by people I'm personally dubious about and I would offer two other trips that fall for reference.  When word of a threat in Chicago became clear at the last minute that trip was canceled.  When advance word of potential threats in Miami surfaced there were extreme security measures put into place and a lengthy motorcade route was switched to travel by helicopter.  When there were known threats special measures were taken; the thought that JFK knowingly took himself and Jackie into what was a known ambush in Dallas is the sort of thing that you find in fiction, not reality.  Of course as usual, that's just my opinion, but I've found the abort story to be among one of the prime diversions and that means for myself as well, spent way too much time on it years ago.

 

[Paul Brancato]

1 hour ago, Larry Hancock said:

I think its much more likely that the ambulance was timed to be in the intersection and slow or block the motorcade at a critical point..in what would be considered the kill zone.  The motorcade was slowed only minimally, you can actually see the ambulance leaving in film taken from the motorcade.  The same plan was probably in play for the pickup that was stalled under the overpass and diverted police attention for a good while before it two was taken away before the motorcade arrives.  Diversion and blocking are basic military/paramilitary practices in ambush. 

Larry - for me the keywords are military/paramilitary. It's why I won't dismiss out of hand the idea that General Walker was a key plotter. But whether he was or wasn't, it is clear that Army reserve units and Army Intelligence is all over Dealey Plaza that day, in the DPD and the motorcade. Major clues for me are the similarity to the OAS attempts to ambush DeGaulle, and the presence of Corsican assassins at the scene. Very telling are the actions of Phillipe de Vosjoli, head of French Intel in the US after the assassination. He split DC and headed for Acapulco to hole up with Colonel Brandstetter (follow the army Colonels). 'Brandy' was the co-leader of Jack Crichton's mysterious 488th Army reserve unit in Dallas, who apparently manned the underground Continuity of Government bunker in Dallas. And I would add that Henry Cabot Lodge, who engineered the murder of Diem against JFK's wishes was a reserve Army Major General. Lemnitzer had been removed by JFK from the JCS. For me all this points to the Army, which by the way I'm convinced JFK himself would suspect, judging from his facilitation of the making of Seven Days In May in 1962. I know I'm off on a rant. But it seems so obvious to me. 

[Joe Bauer]

This initial thread from 2007 and 2008 amazes me in how much responding members kept adding great research information as it went along.

The first poster who originally mentioned the incident and the next few asked the basic questions of the ambulance call and the actual fainting spell person and subsequently other forum members began adding a series of great background information that totally enlightened everyone regarding the whole incident including the identity and even photos of Jerry Belknap, his early years biography and his time of death. Also the identity of the ambulance and it's pick up and Parkland hospital delivery time frame.

I personally went from knowing just of the incident happening to feeling quite informed as if I had just taken an interesting college class on this specific JFK assassination subject...all from one thread!

What a great example of not just the multitude of research brains and talent on this forum but also their hard work and willingness to share in such a warm esprit de corps spirit of generosity.

Edited June 1, 2017 by Joe Bauer

[Tom Hume]

Joe, I take your point, but unless I’ve missed something, we know very little about Jerry. 

If I’ve got my research correct, Jerry’s sister is Janice Odom who was the director of development for foundation and organization relations at the University of Texas at San Antonio. I think she retired recently. Husband’s name, James/Jim. Maybe somebody in that neck of the woods should interview her. Janice’s son, Jerry’s nephew, used to own a golf course in the Corpus Cristi area but I can’t locate him right now. 

Ty wrote:

“Could it be possible that this episode was an attempt to "abort"? The thinking being that an ambulance blocking the parade route would force an on the fly re-route away from the kill zone. This could explain the reports of several calls in the month ahead of the assassination which to me seem to be used as a timing test. Perhaps the aborters were on time but the motorcade slowed down after hearing reports of this, or the pickup of the "epileptic" went too fast.”

It’s been a while, but I’ve posted several times in favor of your suggestion above. The fake ambulance calls before 11/22, and the timing and location of Jerry’s fit are certainly suspicious. Once Huston was blocked by Jerry and the ambulance near the Elm intersection, the approaching motorcade should have taken an alternative route. But even though the motorcade was running late, it stopped twice (during the blockage), with Kennedy getting out of the limo to shake hands at one of these stops.

Tom

 

Edited June 1, 2017 by Tom Hume

[David Andrews]

1 hour ago, Paul Brancato said:

Larry - for me the keywords are military/paramilitary. It's why I won't dismiss out of hand the idea that General Walker was a key plotter. But whether he was or wasn't, it is clear that Army reserve units and Army Intelligence is all over Dealey Plaza that day, in the DPD and the motorcade. Major clues for me are the similarity to the OAS attempts to ambush DeGaulle, and the presence of Corsican assassins at the scene. Very telling are the actions of Phillipe de Vosjoli, head of French Intel in the US after the assassination. He split DC and headed for Acapulco to hole up with Colonel Brandstetter (follow the army Colonels). 'Brandy' was the co-leader of Jack Crichton's mysterious 488th Army reserve unit in Dallas, who apparently manned the underground Continuity of Government bunker in Dallas. And I would add that Henry Cabot Lodge, who engineered the murder of Diem against JFK's wishes was a reserve Army Major General. Lemnitzer had been removed by JFK from the JCS. For me all this points to the Army, which by the way I'm convinced JFK himself would suspect, judging from his facilitation of the making of Seven Days In May in 1962. I know I'm off on a rant. But it seems so obvious to me. 

If we see a lot of Army presence in Dealey, we need to look forward to William Pepper's findings about Army intel and snipers in Memphis for MLK's assassination.  The late Rich Della Rossa had similar information on his website, but I imagine that's gone now.

Paul, I don't know about Walker as a plotter.  I suspect he was well-connected in the military right, and useful as a figurehead and an agitator, but had limitations in several directions that excluded him from the higher echelon of military planning.  And it's impossible to look at the coverup and not see CIA cooperation with the military and military right, at least.  I know you know that.  

Edited June 1, 2017 by David Andrews

[Joe Bauer]

If this later re-posted thread inspires and yields even more research information regards the "fit" episode including something on a "blockbuster" level it will make it even more remarkable. 

 

[Ty Carpenter]

Joe,

I I couldn't agree more with your statement. This is the kind of conversation that we need. One where opinions are respected and information organically flows.

This thread puts a thought in my mind about Aubrey Rike.  He has had at least 4 unusual interactions with the assassination. 

1. He claims that the ambulance was called out several times preceding the assassination, but when he arrived, there was no patient.

2. He was the driver who picked up Belknap immediately before the leader of the free world was to make an appearance in that very spot.

3. He says he comforted Jackie at Parkland and helped her slide her ring on JFK's dead finger. 

4. He says he held the crucifix on top of the ceremonial casket so it would not fall to the ground during the struggle.

Of course, I have no evidence of Rikes true intentions nor am I accusing him of anything. I am just trying to get thoughts on the record and hope for further insight from others. I have not read his book either. But does it not seem strange for an ambulance driver to have so much contact with a historic event as well as being allowed to freely converse with and spend a precious moment with the FLOTUS?

Can anyone point me in the direction of Rikes biography? Specifically, I am wondering what his profession was after he quit the ambulance job. 

[Jeffrey Reilley]

37 minutes ago, Tom Hume said:

Joe, I take your point, but unless I’ve missed something, we know very little about Jerry. 

If I’ve got my research correct, Jerry’s sister is Janice Odom who was the director of development for foundation and organization relations at the University of Texas at San Antonio. I think she retired recently. Husband’s name, James/Jim. Maybe somebody in that neck of the woods should interview her. Janice’s son, Jerry’s nephew, used to own a golf course in the Corpus Cristi area but I can’t locate him right now. 

Ty wrote:

“Could it be possible that this episode was an attempt to "abort"? The thinking being that an ambulance blocking the parade route would force an on the fly re-route away from the kill zone. This could explain the reports of several calls in the month ahead of the assassination which to me seem to be used as a timing test. Perhaps the aborters were on time but the motorcade slowed down after hearing reports of this, or the pickup of the "epileptic" went too fast.”

It’s been a while, but I’ve posted several times in favor of your suggestion above. The fake ambulance calls before 11/22, and the timing and location of Jerry’s fit are certainly suspicious. Once Huston was blocked by Jerry and the ambulance near the Elm intersection, the approaching motorcade should have taken an alternative route. But even though the motorcade was running late, it stopped twice (during the blockage), with Kennedy getting out of the limo to shake hands at one of these stops.

Tom

 

Bill Odom is the general manager at Pharaohs Golf Club in Corpus Christi currently. As a golf pro, this might be one time I could be useful. That is, if he could provide any insight.

 

 

Not the right family...I think.

Edited June 1, 2017 by Jeffrey Reilley
Woops