Larry Hancock

Actually it has been done and published multiple places including in a couple of journals...possibly in the DPUK journal. Somebody got in and filmed views out of each window in the tower. Which I could tell you exactly where to find it but someone must recall seeing it.

Ron, its been years but my best recollection is that one set of tramps was picked up in the railroad annex west of the post office annex building, in the area of the rail yard on that side of the bridge. Bowers report of a single tramp caused the police to check the cars in the train he had put on hold moving from downtown and out of town across the bridge...he saw only a single person in an open hopper car. At that point the yard area was searched, there is no mention of the arrest of that tramp nor does Bowers describe it in his statements. As you say, that train and related search was carried out well after the assassination, when the area had cleared and he had released train traffic. Its possible that tramps were picked up then or for that matter the tramps that were picked up had been on the train from downtown and thought they were headed out of town with the train. -- best I can do from memory

Well I'm not sure I ever thought of them as 'cute' but yes to that, and yes on the branding. That was replaced by notching and ear tags a bit after my hands on time with the cattle. Now they 'band' most of the bull calves for that purpose, but mountain oysters are still a regular at local fund raisers. As for our meat, we always had the old cattle butchered for ourselves so hamburger was the name of the game even then.

Hi Evan, the title is The Oswald Puzzle. It should be published early next year; I would imagine it will show up on Amazon for pre-order by November.

The best I could tell in the context of the review is that the reviewer thought there was too much detail being presented, and that the dialog could have been moved along faster without it. Sort of like a river being took sluggish or slow flowing. Sort of a risk for anyone who attempts to write history I suppose. Too little detail and it looks like you just made it up, too much and its too slow moving - turgid. My problem is that almost everything I write about in terms of history is pretty controversial so I feel compelled to towards detail (also explaining the vast number of footnotes in my books....over 450 in The Oswald Puzzle).

Thanks Ben, my hope is that we have set out point/counterpoint in a fashion that allows new readers that get really interested to dig in and make their own calls in various areas. As I've said here many times my practice is never to argue points or try to change anyone's minds....if my information or take on something makes sense to someone great, but I have never been 'evangelical' in the sense of promoting (or defending) my work. I'm pretty sure David feels the same way. After all it probably can't be worse than a review of one of my books which said it was very important and accurate but "turgid"....my wife told me that was actually not a compliment...grin

Actually I suspect that sacred cows are effectively eternal. I don't expect to BBQ or Chicken Fry or even brand any of them....at best it might be more more like running a few more head into the pen. And yes, I did grow up 'working' cattle...

Thanks Joe, much appreciated. I want to be up front with everyone and say that the book does tackle a lot of what might be considered 'sacred cows' in JFK research and we do take a contrarian position on some of them - but we have worked really hard to make it balanced so in virtually all those instances we have included the alternative views and put in citations or links to them so people have the information at hand to dig into those questions for themselves. Needless to say trying to do something close to history with the WC on one side and the decades of research, theories and books on the other comes close to the definition of risky business. Of course with that in mind, just to make life more challenging, we decided to also offer a totally alternative view of what Oswald was all about on November 22. - if you are going to be out on the a limb you might was well start it swinging while you are there...grin

Jean, the book will discuss the Hidell name at some length and offer some observations on when it was used for what purpose - it was even used on a job application in New Orleans. I don't pretend to be able to resolve all these mysteries and certainly all the debate will continue without or without my observations..grin. But the use of 'Hidell' will certainly not be ignored in the book, that's for sure.

Given where this thread has gone I'm just posting to respond to Jim. My point was simply balance and timing - with the short time to run up to the election I would consider it fair to post or re-post articles about both Harris and Trump on K and K, not just Harris. That was my only point. And yes I absolutely do read K and K routinely and even cite it at points in my upcoming book on Oswald - I actually try to read posts across the board from all parties and books from all orientations as I pick up useful information from almost all sources. I make no pretense of not being biased myself but try to avoid putting myself into a silo of any sort although that never seems to get easier.

That is cool, I have a pretty complete collection of his cartoons in hardcover and softcover books plus a framed print and authenticated print of an illustration showing all his characters in the swamp. Not to mention the original I Go Pogo political campaign cartoon book featuring P T Bridgeport, its a bit worse for wear by now but then so am I.

That does sound like a really good book although as a ten year plus school board member and still very much involved with education in Okla I've seen a lot of it way too close for comfort. The good news is that I'm off the hook on the book for the moment with the manuscript ready to go so I do have some free time....I was thinking something more uplifting though, maybe like rereading my collection of Walt Kelly's Pogo cartoons...now there was a man with some pretty cutting insight on politics and campaigns - I Go Pogo...

I have not read that work but having been around long enough to have observed the evolution of the racist ultra right and its states rights effort (the National States Right Party) into something far different but much more effective it was obvious that things were going. You could see early indications of it with the Hunt empire and how it branched into media control. But that was only a small foretaste of what the really big guys were willing to so. I kind of lost track of what was going on until I began hearing everyday people start talking about what was really important in politics being to 'win' back the Supreme Court - that made it all perfectly clear. When I was growing up we were taught that separation of powers was good, the nations founders understood the risk of total control by any one faction or any single leader was to be avoided. The same party that endorsed that sort of thinking (yeah, I did go to YAF meetings) now has a very different view.

Ben that is also a fair concern, but note that I said I was partisan specifically in the Presidential race which, for me is a matter of ethics, morality and character in terms of the nation,s leadership - not necessarily in regard to specific policies (when I take a quiz on policies I show up as fitting with conservative, liberal, libertarian and green policies). I am very much not in favor of tightly focused partisanship in general or in single issue politics - which I see as gravely dangerous. I am very much in favor of compromise (which I should be given how I test). Its an imperfect world and anyone who tries to make it otherwise is just unrealistic. I'm afraid the worst example of partisanship I see here is with the culture wars, which leads me to really like the slogan 'mind your own damn business'. Its amazing to me, from personal experience, to find that the people who shout for local control turn out to mean local control if you agree with me, otherwise they want the state to step in and mandate (my libertarian showing through I suppose). On the other hand I belong to groups who are totally against federal or state intervention, except when they want tax breaks or laws to protect their activities and businesses. So, do I support partisanship, not generally - unless it is down at the level of morality, ethics, and character. That's where I make choices, in people and politics.

That is a fair question John and I would like to say no there is not - and if I never heard of Trump's history or shortcoming again my life would be a great deal better. I live in locally in a world that refuses to acknowledge or engage with any of his true history so I also appreciate the futility of it. However in this election there are a lot of people, young people, new voters, and even people who avoid politics in general that have understandably tried to ignore the chaos and furor (and bias, including my own) that surrounds him. At this time they have to make a choice to either continue staying apart from the fray and avoiding it all or to engage in educating themselves. My belief is that if they engage they do need balance. If anybody is going to hammer candidates they need to do so evenhandedly, that was simply my point to Jim. Actually I prefer the approach that K K Lane presented in another thread and if anyone has a connection to leverage the issue of openness in records to the Harris campaign I too would endorse reaching out and appealing that she take a stance on it (even though among all the other national priorities at the moment its hard to make that a headline priority, even for me). Unfortunately I have no connections to do that.

I think that is an excellent idea, I've reached out to a couple of people on just that, including Jeff M., but unfortunately I have no connections into the Harris campaign. If anyone does, please do an outreach and appeal to her to issue a statement about transparency, access to records and support for freedom of information. It could even be broader than just JFK, with the new Cold Case Board now operational there is ample opportunity in the MLK assassination as well as other areas. Its going to be hard for any President to overcome the established agency and law enforcement practices of CYA but perhaps Harris could focus her remarks on legislation to be proposed, the proactive rather than reactive role of the Justice Dept and possibly even more funding for NARA, the FOIA process etc. Open investigations records should apply nationally, she might even call for an advisory group to push that sort of agenda. -- if anyone has connections now is the time to use them, Larry

Jim, for a little balance at this particular point before a seminal national election how about doing an article on Trump and his role in open government and transparency..? I mean what he actually does, not what he says he will do... After all you should be willing to 'hammer' both candidates. .....and yes, as I'm making it obvious I am very much an opponent of Trump and a supporter of Harris...full disclosure, total partisanship here and for reasons having nothing to do with either candidate's histories with assassinations and conspiracy. ....although, just to be annoying, having invested lots of time with the MLK case anyone who passes on Pepper is fine with me.

Well that sort of explains it I suppose.... I consider voting, and this election as something deadly serious, especially at this point in time. Its not about the history of the nation but its future (not to sound stuffy but just to be honest and at 77 not yet totally cynical).

Gerry, so again you are telling me that is worth the long term risk to the nation of a Trump presidency...? If so obviously its a personal opinion, but one I will never understand and could never endorse myself. I've decided, as I did back in 1969 that this is again a time to speak up, regardless of consequences.

My point was that even if the records gave total proof that Oswald was in some fashion connected to existing or potential CIA activities ie via case officer records, I am personally unwilling to trade that for the future of our nation. Its a matter of perspective and values. I'd feel that way even if the deal was to give me the records before I voted....

Threaten the core of the nation's democracy, enable revenge against everyone (his words not mine) who might oppose a president who would no legal boundaries on his actions (a Court decision), not to mention voting for an individual who is morally and ethically corrupt (historically provable) in his core behaviors in exchange for documents you have no idea still exist....I'm appalled....

Ben, we are releasing the manuscript to the publisher in a week, this has been the most heavily edited and cited work I've ever done - to some extent because it strives for balance but beyond that tackles most of the major issues and does so with some in a manner (as I have said before) will be considered 'contrarian'. (and no Oswald did not shoot JFK, not that contrarian....). We are also doing considerable work on a large photo section which the publisher has allowed us, but as you can imagine issues of copyright and commercial use make that complex - as does getting the best quality images for printing. Some we will have to purchase, others require more work at the national archives. It will almost certainly be a 2025 book, exactly when I can't say yet.

That's indeed the track I laid out in Tipping Point, specifically individuals who were CIA assets dating back to the Cuba project of 60/61 but who by 1963 maintained some Agency operational associations while increasingly following their own independent activities...something some of them would continue to do so for years. In terms of the Oswald connection, that's as far as I will go without being able to present the total picture that will appear in The Oswald Puzzle. Trying to address a complex, multi-year subject in bits and pieces is never a good idea.

Nope....wrong angle. But on the other point, in spring the Army did inquire with the CIA about using Alpha 66 operationally, up until then their interest had simply been intelligence collections, using Alpha 66r links into Cuba but more especially the collection of any Russian weapons that Alpha 66 might collect on missions against Russians inside Cuba (I first wrote about that connection many years ago, in the first edition of SW, after I had stumbled across the Army documents, including their designation of Veciana as a contact and the Army offers to trade explosives for Russian info and weapons. By 1963, as the Army was being switching into covert operations role against Cuba by JFK - as was well underway already in Vietnam per his direction - the Army was investigating that new role and the possibility of using Cuban groups. The CIA's response was quite negative, characterizing Alpha 66 as quite independent and not controllable.

A good friend of mine, Jack Swike, was a counter intelligence officer stationed at Atsugi - arrived a year or so after Oswald left and had the opportunity to interview many of those who served with them independently of the WC as well as to delve into the very large number of WC interviews of Marines that often don't get discussed. He was personally familiar with what surveillance and CI work was and was not done at the base, matters related to radar operations and related security clearance practices, the the presence of the U-2 there - and interestingly to something not discussed elsewhere - the stationing of a Marine atomic weapons team there, deployed to serve ship based weapons systems including missiles and aircraft. Jack was able to interview a number of key people around Oswald at the time he was in Japan, and wrote about it in his own book - we had him speak at Lancer one year. Jack was a no-nonsense Marine, dedicated to digging into the reality of Oswald in Japan and not one to sensationalize it (meaning as a career Marine he had a good feel for barracks gossip and BS). As a Marine CI officer he was also familiar with all the basic practices actually used in Japan and at the base. You will find him referenced at length in the books discussion of Oswald in Japan...