Lumpkin, Gannaway, and the DPD-Army Intelligence network

[Bill Simpich]

As shown by the post above referring to Gannaway as essentially a traffic cop among federal, state, and local intelligence officers, I think Gannaway is an extremely important figure to look at squarely.

 

It looks to me that Deputy Chief Lumpkin and Gannaway are the ones who spread the phony saga of the non-existent "roll call" and  the lie that Oswald being the "only employee missing".   Isn't this the center of the case against Oswald?  Isn't this how it began?

 

Mark Bridger wrote a great article in 2007 called "The Myth of the Depository Roll Call" - he very carefully explains how it never happened.  Building manager Roy Truly claimed that 10-15 minutes after the assassination he saw shipping employees being interviewed, and for some reason "noticed that Lee Oswald was not among these boys."   Truly admitted that he knew other employees were missing, yet he focused on Oswald alone.  Truly claimed he asked his assistant Bill Shelley if he knew where Oswald was, and Shelley said he didn't know.  In contradiction, Bill Shelley claimed he was the vigilant one  who asked Truly "where's Oswald".

 

When WC commissioner Gerald Ford asked what prompted Truly to think that Oswald was not among his employees., Truly replied:  "I have asked myself that many times. I cannot give an answer."   He then proceeds to speculate wildly, but that was his answer.

 

Truly testified that he turned to his vice president, Ochus Campbell, talked with him, and then decided to report Oswald as missing.  Truly called the warehouse, obtained Oswald's name, address, phone number, and general description.  Truly said, "Chief Lumpkin of the Dallas Police Department was standing a few feet from me.   I told Chief Lumpkin that I had a boy missing over here - "I don't know whether it amounts to anything or not.  And I gave him his description.  And he says, "Just a moment. We will go tell Captain Fritz."   Peter Dale Scott states that Lumpkin was cross-designated with Army Intelligence.

 

On 11/22/63, the Houston Chronicle reported that Oswald became important to the police only after he missed an employee roll call soon afterwards. 'He was the only one who couldn't be accounted for,' Detective Capt. Pat Gannaway said.    There was no roll call and many employees could not be accounted for.

 

11/22/63  Pat Gannaway was the chief of the DPD Special Services Bureau.  His subordinate Bill Biggio was directing police intelligence communications at the Fair Park office on 11/22. (source:  Earl Golz) Many Army Intelligence officers passed through this Fair Park office.  

 

Jack Revill, Don Stringfellow, Bill Biggio and all the members of criminal intelligence division reported directly to Gannaway.  So did vice and narcotics.  Gannaway was a reserve Army Intelligence officer - like Lumpkin and many other DPD officers.  The famous destroyed Army Intelligence file was entitled "Harvey Lee Oswald".  The famous report of "Harvey Lee Oswald" and the employees of the TSBD went from Revill to Gannaway.

 

Ruby would frequent the Special Services Bureau since 1956 to arrange for the city licenses that he needed to operate his nightclubs in Dallas.  (pp. 2-3)   The source for this information, Mary Hartford, was Gannaway's secretary from 1956-62.  Another police chief described Hartford as possibly Ruby's "mistress" because their relationship was so close.  

 

As seen in the August 1963 article in the Dallas papers referred to in the posts above, Gannaway's office where federal, state and local intelligence officers mingled on a constant basis.

 

Paul Brancato's response:   Bill - my thanks as well. Why can’t we connect the dots to the 488th MID? What’s missing?

 

As I may have mentioned to you when we met in SF at the December Symposium, both books about Colonel Frank M Brandstetter, who reported to ACSI for two decades, state that he joined the 488th in 1959. The early literature repeats, without proof, that Lumpkin, Westbrook, Gannaway and others were in Crichton’s 488th. Crichton himself said there were over 100 men in his Unit, 40 of them also members of the DPD, according to an oral interview no one can seem to find now. No one here has been able to find mention of the 488th in extant military files.

 

Equally troubling is that a Colonel Jones of the 112th, about which there is much more info, lied to the WC about his position there. We don’t even know when he got that assignment, and military records show him assigned to Army Intelligence in Massweiler Germany 1962-63. None of this adds up, yet seems very important, since these DPD detectives were all over the Oswald setup and arrest. 

[Paul Brancato]

In Brandy, Our Man in Acapulco, p 158, it states that in the late 1950’s, retired Army Colonel Frank M. Brandsetter ‘kept in touch with Colonel William Rose at the Pentagon’s office of the Assistant Chief of Staff Intelligence. Rose arranged for Brandy to be assigned for training on weekend duties to the 488th Strategic Intelligence Team in Dallas. He contributed to a study of the capability of Soviet oil fields, working with oil and mining engineer Colonel Jack Crichton, MI and US Army retired ...”. Similarly in a co-written autobiography a few years later titled Brandy, Portrait of an Intelligence Officer, the same assignment to the 488th is mentioned, though without referencing Crichton. Crichton does have a bio in the Military Order of World Wars 1995 edition in which it states he was ‘Commander of Strategic Intelligence Unit’ after retirement from active duty. No year or number or other description offered. It would make sense though that this refers to the 488th Strategic Intelligence Detachment, or Unit, or Team - take your pick on the last word.

Steve Thomas, Greg Parker, Ed Ledoux had a 3 page inquiry on the Reopen Kennedy Case website. Greg found a few obits that mention the 488th. 

It seems clear enough that there was a 488th Military Intelligence Detachment. Crichton claimed he started this in 1956. Crichton has a long bio, yet this portion of it is little explored. My question to everyone is where are the military records? Should the lack of confirmation lead is to ignore it? Since several retired Army Intelligence reservists were in the Dallas motorcade, were in the DPD, were instrumental in the post assassination set up,of Oswald, doesn’t it seem like we should get to the bottom of this? 

[Bill Simpich]

I have read the threads on the 488th, and I have read Peter Dale Scott on military intelligence and Dallas, and I have read Larry Hancock on the 112th/316th and Lt. Col. Jones.

Paul, let me ask a couple preliminary questions.   Lt. Green wrote this SPOT report on 11/22/63, which agency is he with?

It looks like the DPD, including Lumpkin and Gannaway, was part of Crichton's 488th.  What was the relationship between the 488th and the 112th?   

[Jeff Carter]

In “Crossfire”, Jim Marrs makes a direct connection between Jack Revill’s list of TSBD employees, which features an incorrect Oswald address of 605 Elsbeth, with a “Harvey Lee Oswald” file held by 112th MI which supposedly listed the exact same mistaken address “605 Elsbeth”. There was no citation in Marrs’ book. Does anyone know if this information has been confirmed?

[Paul Brancato]

8 hours ago, Bill Simpich said:

I have read the threads on the 488th, and I have read Peter Dale Scott on military intelligence and Dallas, and I have read Larry Hancock on the 112th/316th and Lt. Col. Jones.

Paul, let me ask a couple preliminary questions.   Lt. Green wrote this SPOT report on 11/22/63, which agency is he with?

It looks like the DPD, including Lumpkin and Gannaway, was part of Crichton's 488th.  What was the relationship between the 488th and the 112th?   

Thanks for the questions. Wish I had the answers. The spot report you posted mentions a car seen at Dealey Plaza on Nov 20 1963 that “fits the description of the car that Subject (Oswald) was driving”. Hmm. 

The malor problem for some, like Steve Thomas, who does great posting here, is verifying the existence of the 488th MID in military files. 

[Steve Thomas]

10 hours ago, Jeff Carter said:

In “Crossfire”, Jim Marrs makes a direct connection between Jack Revill’s list of TSBD employees, which features an incorrect Oswald address of 605 Elsbeth, with a “Harvey Lee Oswald” file held by 112th MI which supposedly listed the exact same mistaken address “605 Elsbeth”. There was no citation in Marrs’ book. Does anyone know if this information has been confirmed?

Jeff,

 

That's a shame. I'd like to know what file Marrs is talking about.

 

Steve Thomas

[Guest]

I have been given a fairly large bunch of docs on mil. intel by Malcolm, I hope to post these soon.

[Steve Thomas]

On 2/9/2019 at 11:59 AM, Bill Simpich said:

It looks like the DPD, including Lumpkin and Gannaway, was part of Crichton's 488th.

Bill,

 

Lately, I have been looking at the 4150th US Army Reserve Training School in Dallas. Here are some of the names I have run across:

B. David Hinds

https://www.linkedin.com/in/b-david-hinds-83b25a20

 

Captain, Infantry

United States Army Reserve

1969 – 1981 12 years

4150th USAR School, Dallas, Texas

Commandant of the Noncommissioned Officer Academy. Director of Enlisted Training. Instructor in the NCO Academy. Honor Graduate from the NCO Academy. Received a direct commission from Sergeant First Class to Captain.

 

Adam W. Wenclewicz

https://www.alumniclass.com/neshaminy-high-school-redskins-langhorne-pa/military-alumni-view/

Neshaminy High School Redskins Honored Military Alumni

Honored Military Alumni. Adam W. Wenclewicz Class of 1967 ... duty in tachikawa ab, japan & kunsan ab, korea. vietnam vet.us army reserves 4150th usar school dallas ...

https://www.alumniclass.com/neshaminy-high-school-redskins-langhorne-pa/military-alumni-v

 

Col Robert Parker Andrews USAR

https://airandspace.si.edu/support/wall-of-honor/col-robert-parker-andrews-usar

'68, 4150th Dallas USAR School;

 

Col. B.B. Smith

B.B. Smith. Dallas Police Department, Deputy Chief of Police.Director, Civil Defense and Disaster Commission.

Reported directly to Chief Curry.

Daily Palmer Rustler October 14, 1954 page 2

https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth782328/m1/2/

 

George Lumpkin was the Commandant of the 4150^th ARSU Army Reserve School.

1966 Richardson (Texas) Daily News article that describes George Lumpkin as “Commandant of the 4150th ARSU Dallas United States Army Reserve School”.

https://newspaperarchive.com/tags/george-lumpkin/?pc=24581&psi=94&pci=7&pt=23960&ob=1/

 

Lt. Col. Oscar Long

Grand Prairie Daily News from Grand Prairie, Texas · Augusy 21, 1958 Page 6

https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/15220372/

 

Colonel Denzil E. Hutson

Military Order of World Wars

page 109

https://books.google.com/books?id=ibtADE8gMeoC&pg=PA109&lpg=PA109&dq=%224150th%22&source=bl&ots=UtR68IAUl1&sig=ACfU3U1kAl5tdkPkjmuA2M95hEVYoqaF4w&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiHkJONvLPgAhVZJDQIHXTiAGU4HhDoATAEegQIBhAB#v=onepage&q=%224150th%22&f=false

 

This is a very good site in explaining CONARCS, FORSCOM, CAPSTONE and other things:

https://apps.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a236572.pdf

Training and Organization of the US Army Reserve Components: A Reference Text for Total Force Trainers and a Guide to Other US Military Services 1988-1989. published 1991

Page 73

Fifth U.S. Army (19 USARF Schools)

4150TH USARF SCHOOL 10031 East Northwest Hwy (214) 346-6678Air Defense Artillery Dallas, TX 75238-4399

(Lumpkin and Hutson were both Commandants at this training school).

 

Steve Thomas

[B. A. Copeland]

On 2/9/2019 at 9:59 AM, Bill Simpich said:

I have read the threads on the 488th, and I have read Peter Dale Scott on military intelligence and Dallas, and I have read Larry Hancock on the 112th/316th and Lt. Col. Jones.

Paul, let me ask a couple preliminary questions.   Lt. Green wrote this SPOT report on 11/22/63, which agency is he with?

It looks like the DPD, including Lumpkin and Gannaway, was part of Crichton's 488th.  What was the relationship between the 488th and the 112th?   

Hey Bill, have you looked at any ARRB document concerning Jones? Maybe there’s something to be found there.

[Larry Hancock]

B.A.  my paper and  the study that's on available on C.D. - including the extended Prouty interview - are all based on extensive documents including internal memos from the ARRB.  I'm sure there are more available, and that Malcolm got many of them but my writing was based on at least three or four hundred pages of ARRB documents.

[Paul Brancato]

Larry - Bill - Steve - did the 488th MID exist? Were the various DPD officers mentioned in this thread belong to that Detachment? Where are the Army records that confirm what in my opinion must be true? Perhaps the question is moot in some way. But I’m bothered by it. 

Why was Colonel Jones the spokesperson chosen for the 112? How did that come about? Can we take a closer look at his bio? 

[Larry Hancock]

Paul,  I'm afraid I can't help on the 488th; as I've said earlier I suspect the unit may have been a creation of the Texas Guard and only peripherally attached through the headquarters level of the National Guard; I never found any evidence of it being an active regular Army unit of any sort nor a reserve group attached to those units...

As to Jones, I've written everything about him that I know,   it appears to me he was selected by the committee to be interviewed (certainly not selected by the Army as a unit spokesperson) because his name showed up on some of the communications being exchanged with Dallas Police the day of the assassination.  Of course given the questions they were asking they would have been much better off calling people from the local unit in Dallas but since his name was on messages actually relating to Oswald they probably just pulled Jone's name and that was it.  Just a guess on my part. 

[Paul Brancato]

3 minutes ago, Larry Hancock said:

Paul,  I'm afraid I can't help on the 488th; as I've said earlier I suspect the unit may have been a creation of the Texas Guard and only peripherally attached through the headquarters level of the National Guard; I never found any evidence of it being an active regular Army unit of any sort nor a reserve group attached to those units...

As to Jones, I've written everything about him that I know,   it appears to me he was selected by the committee to be interviewed (certainly not selected by the Army as a unit spokesperson) because his name showed up on some of the communications being exchanged with Dallas Police the day of the assassination.  Of course given the questions they were asking they would have been much better off calling people from the local unit in Dallas but since his name was on messages actually relating to Oswald they probably just pulled Jone's name and that was it.  Just a guess on my part. 

Larry - why would ACSI and Colonel Frank M Brandstetter decide to assign Brandy for weekend duties at the 488th if it was only part of the Texas state guard? 

[Larry Hancock]

Paul,  I'm sorry but I really don't stay current on this subject and don't want to comment from memory...could you give me the context...what were these weekend duties at the 488th, and what is a sample of the communications to the 488 in which they were specified?   Unless it was a special duty,  general weekend duties in a Guard unit would be specified on the TO and tasking for that Guard unit, which would come from higher headquarters.  That's routine, if its a special duty that's another story.  Afraid you are going to have to spell it out in some detail for me to offer even a semi-cogent opinion..

My apologies but I suppose you and Steve have written to the national headquarters of the Army, the National Guard and the Army Reserve as well as the historians of each about these services...I've found the service historians to be very helpful in the past as far as Unit histories go, although the Reserve and Guard units have very limited documents still available for this long ago, they generally have good listings of how the overall organization structure and where known units fit, as well as their evolution over time.

 

Edited February 11, 2019 by Larry Hancock

[Steve Thomas]

52 minutes ago, Larry Hancock said:

 

As to Jones, I've written everything about him that I know,   it appears to me he was selected by the committee to be interviewed (certainly not selected by the Army as a unit spokesperson) because his name showed up on some of the communications being exchanged with Dallas Police the day of the assassination.  Of course given the questions they were asking they would have been much better off calling people from the local unit in Dallas but since his name was on messages actually relating to Oswald they probably just pulled Jone's name and that was it.  Just a guess on my part. 

Larry,

 

On pp 55 and 56 of Jones' HSCA testimony, Mr. Genzman is asking Jones about the cable sent to McDill AFB the night of the 22nd.

https://www.history-matters.com/archive/jfk/hsca/unpub_testimony/Jones_4-20-78/html/jones_0055a.htm

Jones said it didn't come from the 112th, and speculated it might have been prepared by a Mr. Arthur Nagel on the staff of the Chief of Staff's office at Fort Sam Houston.

Do you have any thoughts on where that cable came from?

 

Steve Thomas