The Moschettieri Del Duce Carcano

[John Ritchson]

Greetings:

In 1984, Mike O'Neil, an award winning photo-journalist, working for Life Magazine, one of the world's premere photo-journals, was given permission to photograph the alledged evidence connecting LHO to the assassination of JFK. At the time his intent was to simply take the best picture he could, to preserve for posterity, an accurate photo-record of the evidence. He had no other agenda. He had no idea that years later, the photo would provide a major piece of exculpatory evidence that would cast doubt upon the guilt of LHO as well as doubt upon the accuracy of the WCR. He simply took the best picture he could. This is the way the situation would remain until some 12 years later when researcher, Walt Cakebread, who was engaged in a debate over the issue of the side mounted sling-swivel and was seeking my opinion, sent me a hard-copy

of Mike O'Neil's photo.

Upon examination of the photo, I noticed that the rifle depicted

did not look like any of the other photos of C2766 I had ever seen and informed Walt of this fact. After checking through the liturature and photos, we jointly came to the conclusion that the rifle depicted was not the same rifle as the other photos depicted. Rather, I postulated at the time that it could be a ceremonial rifle of some sort and that further investigation was warranted. Unknown to me at the time, Walt Cakebread was in contact with Richard Hobbs, who is concidered by many in this business, as one of the world's formost authorities on the Carcano rifle. After carefully studying Walt's evidence as well as additional evidence from other scources, Hobbs posted his conclusions on Alexander Eichener's website.

While seeking additional information on the possibility that we were in fact dealing with a ceremonial rifle I went to Eichener's website to see if

I could get a lead on things and while there, I discovered that Hobbs's conclusion was that the rifle was in fact a Moschettieri del Duce Carcano of Mussolini's Guard. He also declared that such a rifle was a very rare bird indeed, with only some 200 units ever being made.

Based upon this new and explosive information, I concluded that

there was no way that such a rifle would ever turn up as part of a cheap consignment of surplus Carcano field rifles being sold out of a Chicago sporting goods store. Rather, based upon my own experience in military service, I decided that this rifle must have been a battlefield trophy that was picked up during WWII after the invasion of Italy, and brought back to the States after the war where it remained part of someone's collection until turning up in Dallas in 1963.

The question then became, who would have been in a position to aquire this rifle, in that location, within that time-frame and then transport it back to the states as a trophy rifle? Also, who would have been in a position to insert

that rifle into the JFK scenerio in such a manner as to implicate LHO? I decided to pursue an investigation based upon this notion. After nearly 2 years, I finally have aquired what I believe is sufficient evidence, albeit circumstancial that provides for a plausable perpetrator.

My information comes through another researcher who has contacted me privately and whose name I do not as yet have permission to publish. There was in fact, a high ranking field officer who was in a position to do everything I have postulated, and who under the circumstances of aquiring a very rare and very valuable war-trophy would have had motive as well as means and opportunity.

According to the US Army's Military History Institute at Carlisle, PA., the

officer in question served in the US Army between the years 1931 and 1961 and during WWII commanded the allies largest unit of special forces commandos in the Italian theater during Operation Overlord, a brigade sized unit of over 2,000 battle hardened men who would form the spearhead of the Allies landing operations from Salerno to Anzio, and was known as the 1st Special Service Force. [The Devil's Brigade, HQed at Ft. Harrison, Montana]

This would have put the commander of this unit in the unique position

after Anzioto recieve the surrender of Mussolini's Guardia del Duce which was headquartered in Rome, and because they were a ceremonial unit and not a combat unit would have likely surrendered to the first Allied troops to enter the city, which most likely would have been elements from the 1st Special Service Force, which would also have taken control of the ceremonial rifles.

On 11/22/63 this high ranking officer was on an airplane when it was announced that JFK had been shot, and witnesses remembered that he moved around the plane introducing himself to the other passengers and asking them to remember that he was with them at that point in time.

Some time after the assassination he was to travel to Mexico and spend 30 days

vacationing with one of the Hunt brothers of Dallas, a vacation that was possibly arranged by Filipe Santiago whose family was and remains a political force in Mexico, with interests and connections extending to Cuba and Central America. That this Career officer was a rabid ultra-right winger is exemplified by his arrest in 1972 for breaking a curfew and attending a prayer vigil for George Wallace. If you havn't figured out yet who it is I'm refering to, it was the very same General Walker that LHO was accused of trying to assassinate prior to his alledged shooting of JFK. Walker was in all of the right places at all of the right times,

and had the power, means and oportunity if not the clear motive to carry out the aquisition and the subsequent planting of the Moschettieri del Duce Carcano in the JFK crime scene.

Even though this all constitutes circumstancial evidence at best, it is more than sufficient to declare General Walker suspect #1 with respect to the Carcano rifle and more than establishes the element of doubt with respect to its alledged connection to LHO.

Respectfully:

[George Bollschweiler]

the  issue of the side mounted sling-swivel

Is it this you are reffering to?

[Shanet Clark]

The AJ Weberman website (search: Coup d'etat in America)

has a good comparative photo essay on the serial #'s

and general appearance of the rifles.

The main thing about the Duce cache is the interchangeable rifles with

NO SERIAL NUMBERS. The numbers were apparently added later,

one gun was smuggled into the morgue for LHO's palmprint, etc.

Interchangeable rifles....General Walker and his associate Maxwell Taylor had them.

[Dawn Meredith]

Greetings: 

  In 1984, Mike O'Neil, an award winning photo-journalist, working for Life Magazine,  one of the world's premere photo-journals, was given permission to photograph the  alledged evidence connecting LHO to the assassination of JFK. At the time his intent  was to simply take the best picture he could, to preserve for posterity, an accurate photo-record of the evidence. He had no other agenda. He had no idea that years later,  the photo would provide a major piece of exculpatory evidence that would cast doubt  upon the guilt of LHO as well as doubt upon the accuracy of the WCR. He simply took  the best picture he could. This is the way the situation would remain until some  12 years later when researcher, Walt Cakebread, who was engaged in a debate over the  issue of the side mounted sling-swivel and was seeking my opinion, sent me a hard-copy

of Mike O'Neil's photo.

Upon examination of the photo, I noticed that the rifle depicted

did not look like any of the other photos of C2766 I had ever seen and informed Walt of this fact. After checking through the liturature and photos, we jointly came to the conclusion that the rifle depicted was not the same rifle as the other photos depicted.  Rather, I postulated at the time that it could be a ceremonial rifle of some sort and  that further investigation was warranted.  Unknown to me at the time, Walt Cakebread was  in contact with Richard Hobbs, who is concidered by many in this business, as one of the world's formost authorities on the Carcano rifle. After carefully studying Walt's  evidence as well as additional evidence from other scources, Hobbs posted his conclusions  on Alexander Eichener's website. 

  While seeking additional information on the possibility  that we were in fact dealing with a ceremonial rifle I went to Eichener's website to see if

I could get a lead on things and while there, I discovered that Hobbs's conclusion was  that the rifle was in fact a Moschettieri del Duce Carcano of Mussolini's Guard. He  also declared that such a rifle was a very rare bird indeed, with only some 200 units  ever being made. 

  Based upon this new and explosive information, I concluded that

there was no way that such a rifle would ever turn up as part of a cheap consignment  of surplus Carcano field rifles being sold out of a Chicago sporting goods store. Rather,  based upon my own experience in military service, I decided that this rifle must have  been a battlefield trophy that was picked up during WWII after the invasion of Italy, and  brought back to the States after the war where it remained part of someone's collection  until turning up in Dallas in 1963. 

  The question then became, who would have been in a  position to aquire this rifle, in that location, within that time-frame and then transport  it back to the states as a trophy rifle? Also, who would have been in a position to insert

that rifle into the JFK scenerio in such a manner as to implicate LHO? I decided to pursue an investigation based upon this notion.  After nearly 2 years, I finally have aquired what I believe is sufficient evidence, albeit circumstancial that provides for a plausable perpetrator. 

  My information comes through another researcher who has contacted me privately and whose name I do not as yet have permission to publish. There was in fact, a high ranking field officer  who was in a position to do everything I have postulated, and who under the circumstances of aquiring a very rare and very valuable war-trophy would have had motive as well as means and opportunity. 

  According to the US Army's Military History Institute at Carlisle, PA., the

officer in question served in the US Army between the years 1931 and 1961 and during WWII commanded the allies largest unit of special forces commandos in the Italian theater during Operation Overlord, a brigade sized unit of over 2,000 battle hardened men who would form the spearhead of the Allies landing operations from Salerno to Anzio, and was known as the 1st Special Service Force. [The Devil's Brigade, HQed at Ft. Harrison, Montana]

  This would have put the commander of this unit in the unique position

after Anzioto recieve the surrender of Mussolini's Guardia del Duce which was headquartered in Rome, and because they were a ceremonial unit and not a combat unit would have likely surrendered to the first Allied troops to enter the city, which most likely would have been elements from the 1st Special Service Force, which would also have taken control of the ceremonial rifles.

  On 11/22/63 this high ranking officer was on an airplane when it was announced that JFK had been shot, and witnesses remembered that he moved around the plane introducing himself to the other passengers and asking them to remember that he was with them at that point in time. 

  Some time after the assassination he was to travel to Mexico and spend 30 days

vacationing with one of the Hunt brothers of Dallas, a vacation that was possibly arranged by Filipe Santiago whose family was and remains a political force in Mexico, with interests and connections extending to Cuba and Central America. That this Career officer was a rabid ultra-right winger is exemplified by his arrest in 1972 for breaking a curfew and attending a prayer vigil for George Wallace. If you havn't figured out yet who it is I'm refering to, it was the very same General Walker that LHO was accused of trying to assassinate prior to his alledged shooting of JFK.  Walker was in all of the right places at all of the right times,

and had the power, means and oportunity if not the clear motive to carry out the aquisition and the subsequent planting of the Moschettieri del Duce Carcano in the JFK crime scene. 

  Even though this all constitutes circumstancial evidence at best, it is more than sufficient to declare General Walker suspect #1 with respect to the Carcano rifle and more than establishes the element of doubt with respect to its alledged connection to LHO.

  Respectfully:

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

_____________________

John:

Excellent research. It is posts like this that keep me coming back to the forums, while most of my researcher friends tell me I am just "wasting (my) time."

Dawn

[Chris Cox]

a book that might be of interest is:

Brogan, Patrick and Zarca, Albert. Deadly Business: Sam Cummings, Interarms, and the Arms Trade. New York: W.W. Norton, 1983. 384 pages.

[Chris Cox]

I have to chuckle as I can't see anything LIFE was publishing was "agenda free" but that's just me. CD Jackson's famous line: "It fell to LIFE to do what LIFE does best." sticks out in my mind.

A recent interview of Billings has him noting that LIFE liked pictures best. The photojournalism was powerful. Dulles said we don't read (between the lines?) and IMHO LIFE took up the slack in case he was right. Pictures tell the story and that's what we saw on our coffee tables the world over.

In honor of MLK today, I'll point to the LIFE article of JE Ray, the supposed assassin. When we look at the school pix of Ray (was it the cover of that issue?) our eye is on an angry looking young boy, but this is not Ray. MLK's family never bought it and I tend to defer to their wisdom.

[John Ritchson]

the  issue of the side mounted sling-swivel

Is it this you are reffering to?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Greetings George:

Those are some of the photos that sparked the debate some years ago on alt.conspiracy.jfk.

I believe some of the work was done by Jack White, Jerry McCleer, and Sam McClung.

The Life Photo is too large to post on this forum as I have pretty much used up my allotment of Band-Width, but clearly shows a black stocked, black strapped,

rifle with side mounted sling-swivels.

In the future as time and circumstances allow I will repost some of my extended evaluations of the Evidence Photo in question with some contempory modifications and editing.

Since it is my Purpose, (Agenda if you like), by the evaluation of the physical evidence, to exonerate Lee Oswald as the murderer of JFK on this and other forums, as the means which I feel are best to force a Grand Jury investigation into the case, I am going back over all of my previous work which has been archived in order to update my work in line with what I have learned since the articles were originally published.

Therefore, in any future publications I make on those subjects, if anyone finds descrepencies in my work it is solely because new facts and information has come to light as I do not tend to be [wishy-washy] as it were, in my posts. And, since

TRUTH and ACCURACY is all important to me I will be the first to acknowledge error if such can be proven and I will always welcome constructive criticism from my friends as well as detractors.

Respectfully:

[George Bollschweiler]

Hi John

concerning the rifle I think you made a very good point. There are two special models that are disigned and manufatured at Terni

the model - Guardi del Re- and the -Moschettieri del Duce-

both have a black rifle butt (stock)so it fitted with the black uniform of the guards.

Both have also ornaments attached and the fixation of the bajonette is different to the other models.

From the ordonary models there are 3 diffrent types made at Terni concerning the

sling-swivel. Most have a side-swivel like Serial # C2766, the serial # CB3759 is

the only one with bottom-swivel and #BZ6549, #BK4534, #BH8366, #AU8217

have both side and bottom-swivel.

Those are some of the photos that sparked the debate some years ago on alt.conspiracy.jfk.

You mentioned that this was subject to a debate years ago, what was the result?

Regards

[John Ritchson]

Those are some of the photos that sparked the debate some years ago on alt.conspiracy.jfk.

You mentioned that this was subject to a debate years ago, what was the result?

Regards

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Greetings:

My take on the result of the debate was that there were at least three different rifles exclusive of the Moschettieri Del Duce Carcano that were presented at one time or another as THE KILL-SHOT WEAPON. This fact was first established by Jack White and later substanciated by me employing a pixel by pixel analysis of the three rifles. I will refer you to Jerry McCleer's website where I believe that analysis is archived. Also, we were able to determine that at least one version of C2166 is an out and out forgery where the lines of demarkation and the serial numbers are clearly visible and can be easily compared to the original C2166. those comparison photos along with my analysis should also be archived on Jerry's website.

Respectfully:

[Shanet Clark]

Could you post that link?

I came to similar conclusions based on the photos and text on AJ Weberman's site.

[John Ritchson]

[quote=Shanet Clark,Jan 18 2005, 02:00 PM]

Could you post that link?

I came to similar conclusions based on the photos and text on AJ Weberman's site.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Greetings:

I think the site you want is as follows:

http://jfkresearch.freehomepage.com/

Respectfully: