Introduce yourself here

[ville huoponen]

Hello folks.

My name is Ville Huoponen, born august 5th in 1979. I am studying at the Helsinki university of technology and residing currently in Espoo, Finland. Of course like many other contemporaries I too had my first more profound encounter with this subject matter when I saw the Oliver Stone movie JFK. However it took many more years until I really got interested in the assassination literature. I was really hooked after my father brought a book Murder in Dealey Plaza from Dallas, TX USA roughly four years ago.

The very first time I found about the murder was in circa 1987 when I was only eight years old and was reading the 1500+ pages long book Chronicle of Our Century. One page told us about the killing of JFK and the very next had the picture and information of Jack Ruby killing Lee Harvey Oswald. It sure looked strange to me and just didn´t make much sense. I guess I was right even back then. Unfortunately at that time I was more interested in He-Man action figures and C-64 computer games. Those sure were the good times.

I´ve read more than dozen books about the assassination and have been especially interested in the medical evidence and the possible Zapruder-film alteration. Also I´m curious about the assassinations of Robert Kennedy and Martin Luther King. I firmly believe that these deaths were not committed by lone nuts either and that the same people who killed JFK were also ultimately responsible for the deaths of RFK and MLK.

Hopefully in a year or two I will be able to write a high-quality screenplay about what happened to the great country of United States of America back in the sixties. Some people are saying that I´m a talented writer and have a good understanding of life. If that is true then I guess I´m going to do what I can and will give my best possible contribution. The John Kerry presidential primary campaign slogan says it well: We´re coming, you´re going and don´t let the door hit you on the way out.

For all you researchers out there - you are the best.

[Horace Coleman]

I grew up in a Midwestern blue collar / industrial town (Dayton, Ohio) that had a major R&D military installation (Wright-Patterson AFB) and a nuclear research facility.

The area was always high on the Russian’s “hit list” during the Cold War. My father and a father-in-law were in the Navy during WWII; one uncle was a driver in the Red Ball Express and another was a Civic Affairs officer in Italy.

I can remember listening to war news from Korea in the mornings before going to grade school. I was a Cub Scout and a Boy Scout (until I got bored sitting around in a church basement instead of being in the woods). I had several good teachers in high school (English composition and literature, journalism, history, civics and social problems).

As an undergraduate I majored in English and had a minor in journalism. During my sophomore year of college, President Kennedy was assassinated and Vietnam was heating up. I went to land grant and ROTC was compulsory during the first two years and optional afterwards. You made your decision toward the end of your sophomore year of college. I needed money to finish school; I could feel the wind blowing.

I had feelings of patriotism; I had no moral, philosophical, political or religious reasons to keep me from taking life or participating in justified killing. I didn’t want to miss the largest “party” that would happen during my generation. I didn’t know much, but would soon know much more, about Vietnam, the history of Southeast Asia, colonialism there, or the Cold War.

I served in the Air Force as an intercept director / air traffic controller in Vietnam from 1967-68 (rotating during the middle of Big Tet) and was in the Air Force from 1965-70.

Three things that have shaped my life (and America’s national course) were the modern Civil Rights era, the Vietnam era, and the Cold War. War should never be a whim.

I belong to the same veteran’s organization that John Kerry once belonged to. I’m a writer, essayist and poet (among other things) and often write and lecture about Vietnam.

Modern events and times are not the same as the Vietnam era but there are similarities and relevance. To paraphrase a distinguished scholar, “Those who do not know, let alone understand history will be very damned surprised!”

Personal note: Horace Coleman was born in 1943; attended Bowling Green State University (BA, MFA); has worked as a university professor, done public relsations work, and been a technical / proposal writer

[Naomi Symes]

In 1994, I established a secure, online bookselling service, Naomi Symes Books, which supplies academics, academic libraries, collectors and history enthusiasts worldwide. We specialise in out-of-print, antiquarian and in-print titles in the fields of social history and women's history: http://www.naomisymes.com

The business builds on my own experiences of studying and teaching History. I took a degree in History at Queens' College, Cambridge University (1991), and then a Masters in Historical Research at Lancaster University (1993). For 7 years, I taught History (A Level, A/S and A2) to 16 - 18 year-olds in York and then Manchester. My particular interests are British women's history and social history post 1750.

[James K. Olmstead]

Greetings: My name is James K. Olmstead and I do historical research into aspects of history for the development of filmscripts. My work covers the basic period of history between 1754 and 2554 (yes 2554 since I develope Sci Fi scripts as well).

Many on this forum know of my work concerning the JFK assassination, however, I also cover Ohio history, the Civil War, WWII, Vietnam and most of the Cold War. I'm a "retired" Cold War Warrior having been disabled in both Viet Nam and Desert Storm, my military service spanned 33 years.

At this time I'm putting the finishing touches to work I presented in November of last year at the C. Wecht Symposium "Solving the Great American Mystery", where I presented key aspects of my work "Questions of Integrity", which deals with the fingerprint evidence.

I have a FOIA request that was "denied" by the USN/USMC concerning the SCM's records of Lee Harvey Oswald, that is being prepare for Judical Review in Federal court. Although I would discuss Lee's Service Record, I can't discuss the legal action.

I do not support any published conspiracy theory nor do I support the "conclusions" of the Warrren Commission or HSCA investigation.

Key areas of interest are Cuba/Mafia and the motive and intent behind Oswald's "involvement". I have several ongoing research projects dealing with these area and I'm always interested in new insight.

[Walt Brown]

I was a former special agent of the Justice Department. I am a longtime researcher of the Warren Commission and the assassination of John F. Kennedy. I am the editor of JFK/Deep Politics and the author of several books on the subject including: The People V. Lee Harvey Oswald (1992), Treachery in Dallas (1995), Referenced Index Guide to the Warren Commission (1995), JFK Assassination Quizbook (1995) and the The Warren Omission (1996).

My most ambitious project was The Global Index to the JFK Assassination, a CD-ROM of 2400 pages, which indexed not just the WC, but also the HSCA, and 100+ of the best known JFK books. There are 17,185 names and over 4 million references, and it is cross-referenced by 175 categories; so if you cannot remember the name of a particular Secret Service agent (or 174 other possible categories), you look through the alphabetic listing of the hundreds of SS agents listed, find the name, and then go to that listing in the Index.

[Lorna Brooke]

I am a graduate of the University of Western Ontario, London, Canada, and have a special interest in personal memoirs, correspondence, the arts, literature and social aspects of the First World War."

I am the author of "An Echo in My Heart: The Letters of Elnora (Kelly) Albright and Frederick Stanley Albright"

[Carly Spreadborough]

I am just about to start my final year of a History Degree at Christchurch University in Kent. I have been interested particular in the John F. Kennedy Assassination since I was 14 years old I am now nearly 22.

I enjoy all aspects of history but the two main areas of interest to me are the History of Witchcraft and Magic and The JFK assassination.

Carly Spreadborough

[Mark McCormack]

Hi I'm Mark McCormack. I taught English in Japan for 5 years and set up an internet English school called www.mypacemyplace.com enabling Japanese English students to study from their home and English teachers from around the World to earn from their home. We use the free Microsoft Messenger to hold real time video connections and display text lessons for the students.

I have co-written the entire curriculum with a group of teaching associates and illustrators and the conversation based lessons have proven successful.

We are still growing and recruiting both teachers and students.

I am extremely interested in news and views concerning the growing trend of internet teaching.

[Daniel Marvin]

Lieutenant Colonel Daniel Marvin, U.S. Army Special Forces (Retired)

Born in Detroit, Michigan on 10 October 1933

I was an Army “Mustang,” first enlisting in June 1952 as a recruit and I later held the rank of Sergeant First Class. I was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the Corps of Engineers and went on to retire as a Special Forces Lieutenant Colonel. A fully qualified Special Forces Officer (Green Beret), Master Parachutist and Combat Infantryman, I am experienced in covert operations: a veteran of eight combat campaigns in the Korean and Vietnam Wars and was thrice decorated for heroism. More significantly I accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as his personal Saviour on 29 January 1984 and since that day I have fearlessly crusaded for truth and justice with the goal of fighting evil that dwells in certain agencies or personnel in our government.

I was schooled in unconventional warfare and learned the fundamentals of guerrilla warfare, special demolitions, underwater demolitions, assassination and terrorism techniques, civic action and psychological warfare operations from veteran Green Beret, CIA and US Navy SEAL Team instructors. In 1964 I volunteered to organize and command a covert operations team of eight Green Beret volunteers; the first Green Berets to be prepared to employ the man-portable atomic demolition device (SADM) with an explosive force equivalent to ten tons of TNT. Our contingency mission was to blow the hydroelectric plant at the ASWAN High Dam in Egypt, under construction at the time by the USSR . That same year Green Beret Master Sergeant Joseph Hill and I were involved in a bizarre series of interactions with the leadership of the Boston Mafia, giving us personal insight into the unique alliance that existed between the CIA, the Mob and the U.S. Army’s Special Forces when their unique talents were needed to conduct extremely critical covert operations, including assassinations and sabotage.

In the Vietnam War I commanded Green Beret Team A-424 in An Phu, South Vietnam from 27 December 1965 through 2 August 1966, leading the first combat actions against enemy forces inside their Cambodian safe-havens. These sanctuaries had been provided our enemies by then President Lyndon B. Johnson. My A Team also conducted counterinsurgency, direct combat, civic action and psychological warfare operations throughout the district of An Phu. Fighting alongside our courageous South Vietnamese Buddhist Hoa Hao “Irregular fighters” they secured and held fifty kilometers of common border with Cambodia and were continually victorious against a numerically superior and better equipped enemy. I considered the Hoa Hao irregulars the most courageous and most motivated foreign fighting men I ever knew.

My small team of Green Berets gained the respect of the 64,000 Hoa Haos of An Phu District. With no civilian doctors or organized medical treatment facilities in place, my two team medics filled the gap, providing a wide range of medical and dental services to the local populace while helping to defend their homes, farms and fishing industry against thousands of Communist insurgents. Victory after victory attested to the valor of the Hoa Hao fighters and their families.

In June 1966, the CIA asked me to assassinate Cambodian Crown Prince Norodum Sihanouk, using my Hoa Hao Irregular fighters in an operation designed to make it appear to have been carried out by the North Vietnamese Communists. I initially accepted the mission but later aborted it when President Johnson failed to honor the quid pro quo wherein I demanded that Johnson deny the enemy their safe havens inside Cambodia and announce that fact publicly in the United States. Within 10 days of my aborting the mission and ordering the CIA agent out of my camp, my men and approximately 400 Hoa Haos were under siege and in danger of being attacked and annihilated by a heavily armed ARVN Regiment sent by the CIA in retribution of my actions. South Vietnamese Lieutenant General Quang Van Dang interceded, ordered the ARVN Regiment back to their home base, and flew into my An Phu Camp and told all os us that we no longer need fear reprisal. There would be no brother killing brother.

When my team departed An Phu on 2 August 1966 it was the most secure area in South Vietnam. My next foreign tour was with the 46th Special Forces in Lop Buri, Thailand where I commanded the Special Forces Logistical Operations Center which provided unconventional logistical support to all covert operations in that area of the world, except Vietnam. On arrival in Lop Buri, I put a halt to an illegal arms shipping operation and initiated an investigation which was proved that some 120 weapons had been illegally sent to the USA and may have been involved in the assassination plot that killed Dr. King. I retired as a Lieutenant Colonel in May, 1973.

Among my most treasured awards is the Hoa Hao purple silk scarf that was presented to me by the Hoa Hao Central Committee when they named me an Honorary Hoa Hao, the only American to receive that special tribute. I now live in upstate New York where I write about my experiences as an unconventional warrior.

[John Ritchson]

I come from an unbroken line of gunsmiths& ballistic experts going back to 1680 when my ancestor established his foundry at Jamestown, Virginia. I also possess a fairly extensive [classical] education although I have no sheep-skins as it were. I have been an active participant in the JFK assassination research community since 1995. My central purpose is to exonerate Lee Oswald as JFK's murderer and to prove massive evidence falsification/tampering in this case with the idea of reopening the case as a murder case with the hope of seating a Grand Jury to conduct a full investigation, and bring to justice those who are still at large.

I would like to think I am fair minded as well as having an open mind and thus I have no problem interacting with those who may possess opposing views, although I must admit in the past to having gotten into some real [xxxx-fights] with a few of the opposition. Still, I can honestly say I didn't start anything and am loath to reduce discourse to such a level. I am however, quite passionate with respect to this subject and am altogether human in this regard. Finally, I have an extensive military background as a US Army Special Forces Operative during the war in SE Asia and am fairly well connected in the Intelligence Community, although it could be argued that I am a detractor and associate mostly with other former intell people who are also detractors. Yet, I concider myself a solid Patriot even if I disagree with most of my government's policies. This then is my life in a nutshell, and I look forward to spending constructive and quality time on this forum.

With Respect,

John Ritchson

--------------------

John Ritchson(SSGT. 499th TC USATC HG US Army Class of 69)

(GunSmith/Ballistician,Black Eagle Gun Works)

(Survivor, SE Asian Games, 11BRAVO7,Tet 1970)

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The most exciting phrase to hear in science, the one that

heralds new discoveries, is not "Eureka!" (I found it) but

"That's Funny..." Isaac Asimov

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[Pat Speer]

Hi, I'm Pat Speer. When I was three years old an old gentleman named Mr. Ellis handed me a Kennedy half-dollar and told me to never forget our former President, who he said was a great man. After deciding to leave the record business, in 2003, I decided it was time I figured out who killed this great man. Since that time, I have created for myself a small library of over a thousand books, mostly on American politics post ww2. While reading through these books, I discovered that there were a lot of details which remain a mystery, particularly about the JFK assassination and Watergate. I think the answers to these questions are important, especially since the current administration seems strangely connected to these not-so-ancient ancient mysteries. (Rumsfeld, Powell, Cheney, Rove, and BushI all have Nixon ties.) I'm working on a book on the JFK assassination and hope to write on other topics as well. I've also written a screenplay about the record business. Wish me luck.

[Richard D. Mahoney]

Richard D. Mahoney received his A.B. at Princeton University in history (magna cum laude), Ph.D. at the Johns Hopkins University School of International Studies in international relations, and his J.D. from Arizona State University.

Mahoney is the former John F. Kennedy Scholar at the University of Massachusetts and has lectured as a visiting professor at Templeton College (Oxford University), The JFK School of Government (Harvard University), the Beijing Institute of Foreign Trade, and the Universidad del Pacifico (Quito, Ecuador). He is professor emeritus at Thunderbird (The American Graduate School of International Management) where, on 11 occasions, the graduate classes voted him "Outstanding Professor."

Mahoney is the author of two books on the Kennedy administration: JFK: Ordeal in Africa (1983: Oxford University Press) and Sons and Brothers, The days of Jack and Bobby Kennedy (1999: Arcade) as well as numerous articles and monographs on presidential history, foreign policy, international trade, and political risk. He has also published a volume of poetry in Spanish entitled Pétalos (1995: Editorial Tulum). Mahoney is fluent in Spanish, English and French and has written and taught in those languages.

In addition to his academic work, Mahoney formed a foundation, Nuestra Familia, in 1998 that started social entrepreneurship projects (the creation of small profit centers that fund social justice and human development) in two Latin American countries.

Mahoney was elected Secretary of State of Arizona in 1990 and ran for the United States Senate in 1994 and governor in 2002. He also served as chief speechwriter in the presidential campaigns of Senators Gary Hart and Paul Simon. Mahoney, 52, is a fourth generation Arizonan.

[Lyn Reese]

Lyn Reese of Berkeley, California, is director and founder of Women in World History Curriculum. She holds a B.A. in History from Mount Holyoke, an MA in History from Stanford University, and has served as resource teacher in California schools. Lyn began developing World History curriculum after receiving a number of U.S. Department of Education Women’s Educational Equity Act grants. She has presented at numerous teacher workshops both nationally and internationally, has researched and published seventeen world history curriculum units for middle and high school levels, written articles for educational journals, contributed to U.S. history texts, CDs, and anthologies on women’s history. In addition, she created and maintains the Women in World History Curriculum web site which provides content, lesson plans, and ways to access curriculum materials. Currently she also is helping create exhibit themes and school programs for the new San Francisco International Museum of Women.

[Janet Davidson]

My name is Janet Davidson. I taught high school English for thirty years in a suburb of Cincinnati, Ohio.

Upon my retirement from teaching in 2002, I took a position as a content editor for netTrekker, an academic search engine which is aligned to K-12 curriculum and state standards in the United States. My responsibilities include overseeing the Language Arts and Foreign Language sections of netTrekker and coordinating the correlation between our assets and state standards.

Janet Davidson

jdavidson@netTrekker.com

[Lia Kelinsky]

My Name is Lia Kelinsky, I am a 17 year old International Baccaluareate student. Co-student moderator of the Student Education Forum, a spin-off of this forum. For High School I have attended the International School of Prague, McLean High School, International School of Toulouse and Marshall High school.

Subjects of interest include History, Spanish, French, English and Psychology.