Jack Ruby Had a Security Clearance!

[Jim Hargrove]

Bill Kelly wrote the following:

JACK RUBY’S SECURITY CLEARANCE

A new edition of Mel Barney’s book “Four Wars” includes an Addendum entitled “Jack Ruby Had U.S. Security Clearance,” and details how Jack Ruby had a Security Clearance that permitted him to fly on a special Texas Instruments airplane.

The airplane, a B-26, which was identified as a “Texas Instruments Incorporated – Flying Laboratory,” had special, newly developed equipment – a “Automatic Terrain Following Radar Laboratory.”

Official records indicate that Ruby flew on the plane twice in Washington DC in 1961. Ruby, who killed JFK assassination suspect Lee Harvey Oswald while he was in the custody of the Dallas Police, is known to have had a special association with Richard Nixon and served as an FBI informant, but his special federal security clearance was not previously known.

The remainder of this article can be read at:

http://jfkcountercoup2.blogspot.com/2013/01/jack-rubys-security-clearance.html

[Chris Newton]

Official records indicate that Ruby flew on the plane twice in Washington DC in 1961

He flew twice on the same day? or was this one round trip flight? ...meaning he flew to DC once and then flew back?

[Larry Hancock]

I looked into this at the time, talked with Jack several times about it and in particular about that aircraft, who might have been interested in it for what purpose etc. Its a fascinating story but totally dependent

on his memories as far as I recall, in terms of both the identification and his memory of the log in sheet. I'd like to see someone dive into it really deeply, I could never take it further than that or come

up with a scenario that would make much sense given the details of the timing, Jack's activities and what the motive of putting him on such an aircraft could have been. The ground following radar aspect of

the aircraft technology is pretty interesting in regard to covert mission operations but it was still in development and being marketed at that point.

[Chris Newton]

Hi Larry thanks for that info.

I found that the owners of the planes Texas Instruments used were Joe and Jerri Truhill. Joe was a famed Marine pilot and Jerri was one of the women chosen (in secret) for the Gemini Space program. Jerri was a famed woman pilot in her own right. Joe and Jerri owned Air Services, Inc. out of Addison, Tx. and leased planes to several corporations.

I'm trying to put together he details of the early terrain following radar test flights. The link below has some info on the flights.

http://www.mercury13.com/jerri.htm

"Joe's Air Force"

There's a reference to a P-51 that Joe owned:

http://www.mustangsmustangs.com/p-51/who/case/23

Edited September 26, 2016 by Chris Newton

[Chris Newton]

Let me be clear.

I believe Mel Barney that Jack Ruby, "our" Jack Ruby, was on his plane. He makes it clear it wasn't a case of mistaken identity because he had taken clients to Jack's clubs and knew Jack personally. His doesn't seem the type that would risk reputation for folly.

http://www.latech.edu/techtriumphs/gbarney.php

Maybe Jack Ruby had a security clearance in 1961-62-63, if so, let's find out.

https://www.amazon.com/Four-Wars-Mel-Barney-ebook/dp/B008BUHBEY

Edited September 26, 2016 by Chris Newton

[Sandy Larsen]

For those who didn't read the article, here's a copy of the relevant log page. Ruby's name appears twice. Apparently it was a round trip.

Also this page:

Question is, was this merely a "joy ride" that some of Jack Ruby's friends on the flight sneaked him in for? Or did he really have a security clearance?

In the bottom of the two photos, in the text of the book, it says that the author "highlight[ed] the Addendum information about [Ruby's] U.S. security clearance requirement." Whatever that means. (Buyers of earlier editions of the book can request a copy of that Addendum.)

This sounds real, but I'd like some confirmation that it wasn't just a joy ride. I'd like to see the Addendum.

Edited September 26, 2016 by Sandy Larsen

[Larry Hancock]

It would also be good to get more detailed about what a "security clearance" can really mean or might have meant for this particular incident. I'd suggest defining specifically what it meant in terms of getting on the list, who actually gave the clearance - was it the company, some agency, etc. Being on a list as being cleared by "security" can mean a number of things depending on who is "security" and what rules they impose for clearance. The other area would be to post a bit of context for Jack at that point in time....how does it tally with the time frame were he was treated as a potential informant, where was he traveling then, what would have put him in D.C. on that date....

I probably should elaborate a bit although I'm sure Chris and others know these distinctions quite well - personally I have held a military/government security clearance related to military duties, but I have also held various security clearances totally unrelated to that - several for what would strictly be called access control, issued by Corporate or industrial security groups. That has extended to clearance to enter government restricted facilities for business purposes, cleared by yet a different level of industrial security, required by everyone doing business with the government. There are different levels and standards for that too, my company was on government sales lists and had one level of clearance, others that I visited were actually classified business and that was another matter entirely, just to get inside one of their buildings. So just a caution, being on a cleared list produced by "security" can mean lots of things.

Edited September 26, 2016 by Larry Hancock

[Guest Rob Caprio]

Just a thought as I couldn't support any such claim. Does anyone think that Jack Ruby could have been imbedded in the mob by a government agency? He was from Chicago and perhaps he was recruited early in life. There are some agencies that would have wanted LHO silenced as much as the Mob, etc...

Just trying to see how this information, if accurate, could fit into the overall picture.

Edited September 26, 2016 by Rob Caprio

[Chris Newton]

It would also be good to get more detailed about what a "security clearance" can really mean or might have meant for this particular incident.

Hey Larry I agree.

I know I can think of at 2 instances in my military career when I was in vehicles I had no "official" authorization to be in and I was in them only because I had a "friend". One was an aircraft the other an artillery system, the COPPERHEAD was one of the Army's most secret systems back in the 80's so much so that the name of that system was mentioned only in whispers when I was at Graf.

Among the questions concerning this "Ruby Flight" would be, "Was it a "joy ride" or did it have an operational purpose?".

Edited September 27, 2016 by Chris Newton

[Chris Newton]

I have a crazy theory about this.

The test flights were described as low-level on-the-deck flights out of Texas across the Gulf.

These were twin engine B-26 Bombers.

Look what's going on in September, 1961.

What if there was an opportunity taken to fly these special planes into Cuba for a black-op?

If the hand written notation is incorrect and these were Texas flights then I'd have a reason to (big maybe) put Jack on them.

Edited September 27, 2016 by Chris Newton

[Larry Hancock]

Chris, one of my thoughts early on was that it was some sort of cover for Cuban operations. But as far as I could tell the flights were all out of the East Coast, far beyond any effective operations over Cuba.

Also why put Jack in on a flight which was still clearly a marketing/sales flight. As I read it these were flights were not developmental as much as sales and marketing demonstrations. At one point I thought somebody

might have had a plan to insert Jack into Cuba and flew him just to show him that it was safe - Jack being something of the nervous type. Perhaps the key is to try and dope out what Jack could have contributed at that pint in time? How could he have been used?

Anyway, its a very interesting track and one I wrestled with but with no success...we know more now so its definitely worthwhile - good luck!.

Edited September 27, 2016 by Larry Hancock

[Chris Newton]

Larry:

They flew North American B-25's, the venerable twin-engine bomber from WWII and Korea, the same planes used by Jimmy Doolittle and his Raiders to bomb Tokyo in 1942. They flew them under contract to Texas Instruments, Incorporated, developing the Terrain Following Radar (TFR) and "smart" bombs that were later known for their great job in the Gulf War. Harrowing and VERY dangerous flying, they would launch at night due to the absolute secrecy of the missions and fly out over the Gulf of Mexico. Then they would drop down right on the deck sometimes churning water with their props, and turn on the TFR and let it go. Those of you that are pilots recognize the inherent dangers of doing this: darkness, no visible horizon reference, down LOW, unable to visually detect relationship to the water or even SEE it, and trusting a new, untried system with your life at speeds in excess of 180 knots. It was VERY top-secret stuff, and scary!

To me that sounds like they are flying from somewhere around the Gulf which is in the area of operations of both the arms smugglers and the CIA.

link:

http://www.mercury13.com/jerri.htm

[Chris Newton]

And we have this unresolved sighting which generally fits:

http://digitalcollections.baylor.edu/cdm/compoundobject/collection/po-arm/id/13227/rec/11

[Larry Hancock]

Chris, I think there were two sets of flights, developmental flights out of Texas over the Gulf and marketing flights out of Virginia; if I recall correctly those involved flights over the Appalachians. You might want to

check out this link on the history of the radar:

http://www.ti.com/corp/docs/company/history/timeline/defense/1950/docs/58-terrain.htm

Flights over the Gulf out of Texas certainly are reasonable enough for development, but I don't quite follow his remarks about the secrecy of the developmental flights? Certainly there was nothing secret

about the marketing flights he wrote about in Virginia, they were just very low altitude. That would have been one of the flights he logged Jack in on according to his remarks. I'm wondering if what he

was describing occurred after they actually signed a government contract and were developing specific military systems for it?

After all the F-111 actually flew with that radar only a few years later so it had to be fairly well developed in 1961, they were actively trying to sell it and bidding on contracts. Of course it

would not be the first or only time the CIA used new technology, just trying to figure out what they would have done with one of the planes or Jack in the fall of 61, following the BOP all

the Cuban operations really turned down for most of the rest of the year, the CIA was more busy exfiltrating people by boat than anything else. The big question is what Jack would have to

contribute to anything the CIA was doing at that point in time?

[Chris Newton]

Larry.

Agree. I was grasping for straws. I no have clue how any aircraft systems testing or marketing could involve Jack Ruby.

My gut feeling is it has something more to do with the Truhill's aircraft and flight crew leasing operations than TI's product.

Joe Truhill published a book about escaping from a South America coup by flying through the Andes. It never says he was CIA but the description raises questions. There were also several news stories about this incident. (not amazon's description btw)

https://www.amazon.com/Time-Vultures-Joe-Truhill/dp/1588201570/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1475035800&sr=8-1&keywords=Joe+Truhill

Maybe Joe and Jerrie's Air Services, Inc. was a precursor for Air America. P-51's, B-26's and obviously pilots if Jerri is doing some flying.

The other clue was Mel Barney's admission that he took clients to Ruby's club and knew Ruby. That would suggest potential buyers and flight operations in the Dallas area. Maybe Jack supplied someone with "entertainment" and they reciprocated with a joy ride.

Edited September 28, 2016 by Chris Newton