Jim Root

Ron "I doubt that Oswald himself shot at Walker or pretended to. Anyone could have fired the shot into Walker's window, and Walker could have been nowhere around. Did anyone see the shooter? As I recall, someone saw a car speed away. Did anyone see Walker sitting where he allegedly sat as a bullet whizzed by? That is, anyone besides a crony who may have been with him? Walker could have been on the other side of the house, safely out of harm's way." Ron This is my problem and has been for over a decade. If Oswald did not shoot at Walker all of the research that I have done can be dismissed as coincidence. From Walker's relationship to military intelligence, to his association with Max Taylor, to his passive aquatance with a John Hurt (B. of course), to his Pro Blue Program that is timed to Oswald's return to the US, to his travel in Europe that overlaps Oswald's defection and to Oswald being accused of shooting at Walker. For myself, the fact remains that Oswald's trip to Russia was at best "under" investigated. Here we are, over fourty years later, when the case should be very cold and two amatures can discover "new" evidence concerning this trip. The fact remains that Oswald could have gone to Paris and then been on the exact same airplane that he did in fact arrive in Helsinki on. What has led to this "new" information? Following the possibility that Oswald did, as he told both George de Mohrenschildt and his wife, shoot at Walker. Jim Root

Ray Great questions! This is what I love about this forum....we require each to think and expound beyond our own simple thoughts. "1/ How do we know that Helsinki was the only Soviet Embassy authorized to issue tourist visas without consulting moscow? I ask this because I would expect that a centralized beauracracy like the USSR would tend to issue the same instructions to all its embassies." This is the contridiction....because the Warren Commission tells us that the average time necessary to issue a visa was 5-7 days and this was confirmed again in the HSCA Report with the caviat of the declassified information about the Helsinki Embassy. HSCA Report Findings on the Issue of Oswald's Visa: "The relative ease with which Oswald obtained his Soviet Union entry visa was more readily amenable to investigation. This issue is one that also had been of concern to the Warren Commission. In a letter to the CIA dated May 25, 1964, J. Lee Rankin inquired about the apparent speed with which Oswald's Soviet visa had been issued. Rankin noted that he had recently spoken with Abraham Chayes, legal adviser to the State Department, who maintained that at the time Oswald received his visa to enter Russia from the Soviet Embassy in Helsinki, normally at least 1 week would elapse between the time of a tourist's application and the issuance of a visa. Rankin contended that if Chayes' assessment was accurate, then Oswald's ability to obtain his tourist visa in 2 days might have been significant. "The CIA responded to Rankin's request for information on July 31. 1964 (two full months later). Helms wrote to Rankin that the Soviet Consulate in Helsinki was able to issue a transit visa (valid for 24 hours) to U.S. businessmen within 5 minutes, but if a longer stay were intended, at least 1 week was needed to process a visa application and arrange lodging through Soviet Intourist. A second communication from Helms to Rankin, dated September 14, 1964 (almost four months after first being wuestioned by the commission, the man that we now know was monitoring Oswald's movements before the assassination), added that during the 1964 tourist season, Soviet consulates in at least some Western European cities issued Soviet tourist visas in from 5 to 7 days. "In an effort to resolve this issue, the committee (HSCA) reviewed classified information pertaining to Gregory Golub, who was the Soviet Consul in Helsinki when Oswald was issued his tourist visa. This review revealed that, in addition to his consular activities, Golub was suspected of having been an officer of the Soviet KGB. Two American Embassy dispatches concerning Golub were of particular significance with regard to the time necessary for issuance of visas to Americans for travel into the Soviet Union. The first dispatch recorded that Golub disclosed during a luncheon conversation that: MOSCOW had given him the authority to give Americans visas without prior approval from Moscow. He [Golub] stated that this would make his job much easier, and as long as he was convinced the American was "all right" he could give him a visa in a matter of minutes." These two messages from our (US) Embassy begin Oswald's journey on Sept. 4, 1959 and accounts for the extra day of the journey October 9, 1959. We now know that Oswald did not apply for his visa on the first working day that he was in Helsinki but waited till Tuesday to apply. Peter Wronski has written: "Since the beginning, everyone has been questioning the rapidity with which Oswald's visa was issued. It was generally held that Oswald requested his visa on Monday, October 12, the first business day after his arrival in Helsinki. His passport shows that his Soviet entry visa was issued on October 14, a mere forty-eight hours later. Normally, tourist visas took approximately five to seven days to be issued. This unusually rapid issue of Oswald's visa is sometimes cited as evidence of Soviet facilitation of his entry into the USSR. In fact, the situation appears even worse that that: the visa was issued in twenty-four hours or less! Lee Harvey Oswald's 1959 visa application form is still held in Russian archives, but KGB Colonel Oleg Nechiporenko reproduced a photographic copy of it in his 1993 book, Passport to Assassination . In the photo it can be seen that the form is dated and signed by Oswald on October 13, one day later than previously thought. It is unlikely that the Soviet Consular bureaucracy would have allowed Oswald to make a mistake on the dating of the application form. He signed and submitted it on 13 October and within a mere twenty-four hours, the Soviet consulate approved and stamped Oswald's entry visa into his passport." "2/ "How else would Oswald have known to purchase his Intourist reservations first?" Could he have learned this by phoning the Soviet embassy in London or, by phoning the Soviet embassy in Helsinki upon his arrival there?" Another good question! What we do know, according to the official government record, is that the State Department kept this information classified until 1978, first reveiling it at the HSCA hearings. Would the State Department, or an Embassy official who had JUST passed this classified information on to the State Department, then reveal this same information to a young marine, who had knowledge of the U-2 aircraft, who was on his way to the Soviet Union? According to the Warren Commission the Helsinki Embassy had no contact with Oswald. Imagine if this were a court case. On the one hand you know that the US government has the information that was needed by Oswald to enter the Soviet Union, they provieded it to the HSCA in 1978. The government has also said that there was no other embassy that could have issued Oswald a passport in the same quick manner. Now you ask the question.....from whom did Oswald obtain this information that he did in fact have and used? While we must admit that he could have gotten the information from the Soviets we must also admit that he could have gotten the infromation from a US government agent as well. This is the key to this thread. For myself attemptin to answer this question became important when I first noticed that at the same time that Oswald was traveling to Russia, the othre man (Maj. General Edwin Anderson Walker) that Oswald is accused of having shot at, was also traveling in Europe. The fact that the Warren Commission was unable to ascertain from the CIA percise information about how Oswald accomplished his trip to Helsinki has led me to consider the possibility that it may have been Walker that passed this infromation to Oswald, perhaps on an airplane, perhaps at an airport. The question for me has been could these two have met? If Oswald and Walker did in fact meet, even for just a moment in time, the whole assassination story begins to take a different form than what has been seen in past reviews. Jim Root

As I continue to research this intersesting fellow I have learned that he was married to a Russian. Information gathered from family and friends indicates that John B. Hurt was fluenet in Russian, which would not be odd considering that his wife was a native of that land. So I posed the question about this Russian speaking ability to the NSA historian I have been communicating with an received this reply: "Jim: Sorry to be late in responding.... I can only confirm that John Hurt knew Japanese, French, and Latin. Dave In previous communications I had received this comment: " I cannot be more specific about Mr. Hurt's postwar assignments, since most documents about that period are still classified." As I ponder these pieces of information, is it to much to think that John B. Hurt did in fact speak Russian and that he was working on projects that required that ability and that those "assignments.... are still classified?" Jim Root

Ray "Jim, Would not Helsinki have been a fairly logical entry point for any tourist wishing to enter the Soviet Union from Western Europe? What other entry points would have beckoned an ordinary traveller?" The answer to your question would be a very simple yes. But an examination of the record allows us to see other possibilities: WARREN COMMISSION REPORT, Appendix XIII: Biography of Lee Harvey Oswald, SOVIET UNION, Oswald's journey from the USA to the Soviet Union went as follows through Helsinki Finland: "On September 4, [1959] the day on which he was transferred out of MACS-9 [Marine Air Control Squadron] in preparation for his discharge, Oswald had applied for a passport at the Superior Court of Santa Ana, Calif. His application stated that he planned to leave the United States on September 21 to attend the Albert Schweitzer College (Switzerland) and the University of Turku in Finland, and to travel in Cuba, the Dominican Republic, England, France, Germany, and Russia. The passport was routinely issued 6 days later. (Two notes, the Sept. 4 date same as the Hickerson note advising the State Dept. that a Soviet travel visa could be issued easily in Helsinki. The Soviets had an Embassy in Switzerland, in Finland, in Germany, in England and in France but only one would issue a visa in 24 hours. Access to the Soviet Union could be made by air from most of these countires) "Oswald went directly home after his discharge, and arrived in Fort Worth by September 14.... "On September 17, Oswald spoke with a representative of Travel Consultants, Inc., a New Orleans travel bureau; he filled out a "Passenger Immigration Questionnaire," on which he gave his occupation as "shipping export agent" and said that he would be abroad for 2 months on a pleasure trip. He booked passage from New Orleans to Le Havre, France, on a freighter, the SS Marion Lykes, scheduled to sail on September 18, for which he paid $220.75. On the evening of September 17, he registered at the Liberty Hotel. The Marion Lykes did not sail until the early morning of September 20.... "The Marion Lykes carried only four passengers. Oswald shared his cabin with Billy Joe Lord, a young man who had just graduated from high school and was going to France to continue his education. Lord testified that he and Oswald did not discuss politics but did have a few amicable religious arguments, in which Oswald defended atheism.... No one on board suspected that he intended to defect to Russia. "Oswald disembarked at Le Havre on October 8. He left for England that same day, and arrived on October 9. He told English customs officials in Southampton that he had $700 and planned to remain in the United Kingdom for 1 week before proceeding to a school in Switzerland. But on the same day, he flew to Helsinki, Finland, where he registered at the Torni Hotel; on the following day, he moved to the Klaus Kurki Hotel. (Note: Oswald's marine buddy, Anthony Delgado, knew of his plans to go to Switzerland for school and thought that he might have gone to Berlin (another good point of entry into the Soviet Union). "Oswald probably applied for a visa at the Russian consulate on October 12, his first business day in Helsinki. The visa was issued on October 14. It was valid until October 20 and permitted him to take one trip of not more than 6 days to the Soviet Union. He also purchased 10 Soviet "tourist vouchers" which cost $30 a piece. He left Helsinki by train on the following day, crossed the Finnish-Russian border at Vainikkala, and arrived in Moscow on October 16." From the House Select Committee on Assassinations we learned the following information that was not declassified till it was presented to the HSCA! ""The second dispatch, dated October 9, 1959, 1 day prior to Oswald's arrival in Helsinki, illustrated that Golub did have the authority to issue visas without delay. The dispatch discussed a telephone contact between Golub and his consular counterpart at the American Embassy in Helsinki: ...Since that evening [september 4, 1959] Golub has only phoned [the U.S. consul] once and this was on a business matter. Two Americans were in the Soviet Consulate at the time and were applying for Soviet visas through Golub. They had previously been in the American consulate inquiring about the possibility of obtaining a Soviet visa in 1 or 2 days. [The U.S. Consul] advised them to go directly to Golub and make their request, which they did. Golub phoned [the U.S. Consul] to state that he would give them their visas as soon as they made advance Intourist reservations. When they did this, Golub immediately gave them their visas...." Note: To me the key is the Intourist reservations. Without them Golub would not issue the Visa within 24 hours. Oswald, without entering the US Embassy in Helsinki, shows up at the Soviet Embassy with these Intourist reservations and receives his permit. Two documents, one classified until 1978 and the other created within months of the assassiantion confirm what was done and that the proceedure used was classified information that the State Department received on the "extra" travel day, Oct. 9, 1959. How else would Oswald have known to purchase his Intourist reservations first? From whom and where did he get this information? To me this picture seems very clear. Am I blinded by my own research? Jim Root

Ron and J. Raymond Oswald went from La Harve to Southampton then by rail to London. At the time, as is the case today, rail costs in Europe are somewhat standard and the trip from Southampton to London would be about the same as the trip from La Harve to Paris. Going to London first provided the extra day (October 9th) that was needed to gather the information Oswald would need to enter the Soviet Union from John D. Hickerson in Helsinki (I will provide more information on this man soon). The point being, what appears to be a wasted day and additional expense in reality provides the possibility that Oswald would in fact enter Russia in the most efficient manner. In other words if Oswald goes to Paris instead of London he would arrive in Helsinki on the 9th of October before the information had been collected by the State Department he would need to enter Russia easily. Did he know his Soviet entry point before he got to London? Before the 10th? Or was he given this information while in route to Helsinki from London? Jim Root

Tim In reply to your question: "Bad travel agent?" I believe the opposite, I think Oswald had a great travel agent. Let me explain, drawing first from what Chris Mills said in 1993: "In conclusion, it would seem that is more likely than not that Oswald took an ordinary commercial flight from London to Helsinki. The real questions that need to be answered seem to be: a) Why take this route at all? How was this trip financed?" Mills was not aware of the different flights that came together to arrive in Helsinki on those three commercial flights that served that city daily. His question, "Why take this route at all?" may be answered with enough research (more on this later). Mills' question, "How was this trip financed?" must be asked again now that we know for a fact that there were less expensive routes that could have been taken by Oswald. I might add that this "fact" contridicts the Warren Reports conclusions about how Oswald handled his finances in a most frugal manner. But back to your question, "Bad travel agent?" The day that Oswald "spends" traveling to London is October 9, 1959. His passport is then stamped October 10, 1959 when leaving England and October 10, 1959 when entering Finland. As was disclosed during the HSCA hearings, on October 9, 1959 John D. Hickerson, the American Ambassador to Helsinki, sent a followup message to the State Department that discribed the exact procedure that an individual could use to receive an entry visa from the Soviet Embassy in Helsinki. Oswald would follow these directions in the days following his arrival in Helsinki on October 10th when he applied for his visa from the Soviet Embassy. (Hickerson's first message was sent on September 4, 1959, the same day that Oswald applied for his passport in Santa Ana, California) It seems that we have two possibilities. Either Oswald's "travel agent" was US Intelligence agencies who would be aware of all this information, or that Oswald decided to spend his limited travel funds in a less than frugal manner but then stumbled into the only Soviet Embassy in the world (by chance fully prepared) that could issue him a travel visa in 24 hours. What is the standard for "proof" of a US Intelligence involvement in the movements of Oswald. I find this evidence compelling. Wouldn't you agree? Jim Root

Wade Very interesting topic. In the past I have had contact with several of the persons who have signed this letter in regards to this subject. Both Joannides and Karamessines are of unique interest to this case because in the months proceeding the assassination they were following the movements of Oswald. But their past is also of interest. In 1948 the British, because of financial reasons, requested that the US take over operations surrounding the Greek Civil War. Joannides and Karamessines were, I understand, two of the 44 members of a US team operating in Greece at that time. Put in charge of that team, operating the Greek Desk at the Pentagon, was none other than Edwin Anderson Walker. It seems to be a small world that was operating around this Oswald guy. Coincidence? Jim Root

Over the past several months Antti Hynonen and I have been collecting and digesting information about Oswald's trip from London to Helsinki. Without "tipping our hand" to the surprizing information that has been uncovered I thought I would start with a small tidbit and ask for your imput. Let me begin by saying that Chris Mills has agreed to allow us to use his "Flight of Fancy" as a starting point for expanding the fine research that he did in 1993. http://www.manuscriptservice.com/DPQ/mills~1.htm Antti was able to obtain flight information from the source (in Helsinki) on Finn Air operations in 1959 as opposed to the information that Chris used from London (now Heathrow) Airport archivists. One of the many facts that we have uncovered is that if Oswald had traveled to Paris on October 8, 1959 instead of going to England on an overnight ferry (think about this, a FRUGAL Oswald spending a great deal of money when he did not need to if he knew where he was going) his airline ticket would have cost about the same to fly into Helsinki (based upon 1959 exchange rates about $4 difference in price). Perhaps even more surpizing is the fact that he would have had three choices of flights from Paris to Helsinki. Here is the kicker.......The three choices would have him arriving on the same exact planes that he could have arrived on by leaving London: The 17:05 Flight, the 17:35 Flight or the 23:35 Flight. Why then did Oswald need to go to London, spending additional precious limited funds, to get to Helsinki when there was a less expensive way to accomplish the exact same goal? Jim Root

Mark Your comments are well stated. It is my personal belief that Oswald had, at sometime, been used by US intelligence. That does not allow me, in my mind, to then transend over to believe that the US intelligence community therefore killed Kennedy any more than beliving that because Oswald's wifes friends neighbor helped him get a job at the TSBD building they, therefore were involved in the assassination of JFK. But I disagree with you on this point: "By the very nature of the CIA, it is highly doubtful that ANY incriminating evidence was ever committed to paper. " I think the work of John Newman and Jefferson Morley shows that documents that deal with Oswald can teach us a great deal about what occured. The fact that he was being watched and monitored at the highest eschelons of the CIA should be an indicator that Oswald was a person of higher than ordinary interest. It is not a matter of searching out documents, it is a matter of focusing on what documents to search out. For example, Hosty's note of November 4th was never, to my understanding, given an exhibit number and has therefore never been requested by researchers. Yet we now know that Hosty's September note made it to the office of Richard Helms. If his November note made it to Helm's office in a timely manner the CIA knew where Oswald was working before the assasination occured, they, it can be assumed, allowed the motorcade to pass the building and may never have provided information to the Secrete Service about this man. Somewhere, hidden away, there may well be a document that will confirm if we are going in the right direction. One place I would like to look is in the personal papers of Edwin Anderson Walker that are restricted from researchers indiffently while stored at the University of Texas. Why the restrictions and what did he know that we are not allowed to find out? And the beat goes on. Jim Root

Gerry If I follow, are you speaking of the mentor or the mentee? Or do we end with, "it was traced back to the "diverse-sexuality" of the ranter. 'DON'T ASK, AND I WON'T TELL !!'" Jim Root

A question to ponder When Oswald travelled to the Soviet Union there were many newpapers, nationwide, that apparently carried the stroy of the "defecting Marine." When he returned, much to Oswalds surprize, there was no press coverage (he was prepared to answer questions in two different ways) dispite the fact that a State Dept (?) rep was there to meet him and his family. Was this an example of a minipulated press? Jim Root

Tim We may agree to disagree but here goes a few thoughts. "It might be more productive to look for evidence to EXCLUDE certain possibilities." I have attempted to exclude Walker's inclussion in this mess since I first began. He exists within the Warren Report and his biography touches many of the major players that surround potential government involvement in the assassination or the coverup of that important information (I look at the two events as separate "crimes", assassination/cover-up). "I think most would agree that the chance that Ruby was not part of a conspiracy is almost infintesimal." I agree but believe he was only part of the cover-up without pre-knowledge of the assassination. "Someone within organized crime had the clout and enforcement ability to order Ruby to take out Oswald. Most likely Trafficante or Marcello." While Trafficante or Marcello indeed had clout it is my opinion that Ruby's religion may have played a role in his decission to "take out" Oswald. The night of the assassination Ruby goes to his Synagogue. Ruby then shows up with three "reporters" and anounces that he is interpreting for the Israeli Press. When he finally takes a lie detector test he fails a question about the person who presented this information to the Warren Commission. This "problem" with the test is brushed off because it is decided that Ruby may have moved but if he did move it was not noticed or recorded. After conviction and for the remainder of his life, Ruby spoke of the Holocaust and treatment of Jews. The Moussad would certainly have the "clout and enforcement ability to order Ruby to take out Oswald" and the record seems to support this possibility. Since the US intelligence community has had a close relationship with Israeli Intelligence (Angleton as contact) this suggestion would be consistant with involvement by US intelligence in the silencing of Oswald. "Another important issue to be considered is whether Oswald was working for U.S. intelligence. The problem is that the answer to this question can cut in either direction depending on one's viewpoint. If LHO was linked to US intelligence, some would argue that such association demonstrates the involvement of US intelligence in the assassination, even if LHO was only a patsy. Others, myself included, would argue that an association of LHO with US intelligence would exclude any US intelligence involvement in the assassination since you do not use your own agent as a patsy." You have summarized my conundrum. The "important issue to be considered is whether Oswald was working for U.S. intelligence" and in what way? Without trying to draw bits and pieces from 200+ posts I do believe I can make a GREAT circumstantial case that Oswald's entry into the Soviet Union in 1959 was orchestrated by US intelligence assets. I also believe that Walker played a roll in Oswald's movements and I have more than enough information to place Walker within the relm of military intelligence operations (example Hemmings post about former Forceman that became Rangers that became UW experts). There is one man, General Maxwell Taylor, who repeatedly used Edwin Walker for his most sensitive jobs. IF Walker was the man who passed information to Oswald on his way the the Soviet Embassy in Helsinki, Finland it is possible that only three men would have known. Oswald, Walker and the man who assigned him the task (Taylor?). Walker would not have known that Oswald had returned to the US so would have had no reason to suspect that Oswald may have shot at him in April. But Maxwell Taylor would have been in a position to know that Oswald was back in the US and (since he was being monitored by the FBI) that he was in Dallas at the time of the attempt on the life of Walker. And Taylor would be in the position to direct the motorcade past the TSBD where the CIA knew that Oswald worked. I can imagine the shock on Walker's face whern he saw Oswald on television after his arrest (following the above scenario). This shock, and fear that he would be the patsy, would explain the Walker interview with the German newspaper, in less than 24 hours of the assassiantion and why Walker would have believed that Oswald would have shot at him in April. Of the two crimes, the assassination and the cover-up, the use of Oswald would assure the cover-up. There is no way that US intelligence could admit that Oswald had been used as an asset while explaining that THEY had played no part in the assassination. This is the reason I believe that the "biggest guns" (Dulles, Warren and McCloy) were called in and willingly participated without actually knowing what had go wrong. Tim, I understand this is very different from your theory but I have a hard time understanding how "Trafficante or Marcello" played a role in Oswald going to Russia. There is a WHOLE FORREST out there! Jim Root

Shanet "Compared to the NSA, JCS and MI agencies, the FBI and CIA are just window dressings" Couldn't agree more. Remember that in the 50's NSA stood for No Such Agency. I might add that before the US entry into WWII John J. McCloy was sent by the Secretary of War, with the blessing of the President, to study the British Intelligence system. He then established and oversaw the OSS, although Donavan is given the credit. He was the lead agent in keeping portions of the Army Intelligence Agencies alive when Truman ordered the OSS disolved. McCloy wrote the plan and authorized the orders that led to the development of the CIA and the NSC. He was around for the beginning of NSA, NATO and the regeneration of Germany. It is my belief that McCloy is the one man who was tasked with keeping all the "agencies" together just as the British have a single person they designate as "C" for CHIEF over all intelligence organizations. Jim Root Jim Root

Tim Thank you for the compliment but I tend to disagree with your conclusion: "...unlike Jim I do not think we can start with one assumption and then try to find the evidence to prove it." Does one need to examine every tree to identify a forest? Like you, Tim, I consider myself a conservative and am generally supportive of our government, although not always pleased. I do not vote a straight party ticket and in many ways feel that the conservative party in America has lost sight of its founders beliefs. I thank God daily that our "Cold Warriors" guided us into the 21st Century without destroying the planet and accept that they were not perfect nor did they always opperate in the most moral ways. Having said that, when I first picked up the Warren Report my thought was to better prepare myself to defend its findings. Within 30 pages I was faced with a dilemma by the name of Major General Edwin Anderson Walker. I was not familier with this man and wondered why his name had been "covered up" to obsurity in the assassination debate. With that my journey within this forest did begin. My walk has allowed me to examin a remarkable amount of information that, to often, follows a trail that continues to lead back to Walker or his associates. Two points: A). The conclusions of the Warren Commission do not work without the attempt on the life of Walker being attributed to Oswald. If there was a conspiracy, the Walker event must have been a part; but it occured seven months before the assassination. If he was not part of a conspiracy, with his backround and important associations, why would "they" make him a part of the story? . No one becomes a Major General in the post WWII downsizing of the military unless they played a "roll" in WWII. When I first began my quest the only information readily available portrayed Walker as a "right wing" nut involved in "race riots" in Mississippi and as the leader of the Airborne Troops that protected the black students during the integration of schools in Little Rock, Arkansas. Two point: A). This is an unusual contridiction (as I was to learn was so much of his life). . If Walker was the commander of Airborne Troops in 1957 he must have been a combat officer in WWII. When I first found information about Walker's military backround, two things stood out: A). He had commanded the 1st Special Services Force....a group that, as Gerry Hemming points out, produced alot of future UW men. . He was traveling to Europe at the same time that Oswald was defecting to Russia. Yes Tim, it is this single tree that I continue to scale and the higher I climb upon its branches the more of the forest I can clearly see! If you are not hypsiphobic don't be afraid of the height of this tree. Jim Root PS If you are open to every possibility can you accept that Oswald might have shot at Walker?

Mark Good post: "According to the aforementioned book Eugene G Fubini took over in 1963. It doesn't say which month. A sub agency of Defense, it is "watched over" by the Deputy director of defence, research and engineering. The book was published in 1964 so things may have changed. Nor does the book cite who Fubini's predecessor was, only that the job of overseeing the NSA was previously held by military men." This means that on the flow chart in 1963 the NSA would have been under the control of General Maxwell Taylor and you can bet that the same FBI notes (Hosty) that were being read in Richard Helms office (before the assassination) via Thomas Karamessines made it to the upper echelons of the NSA as well. Jim Root

Gerry At the time you were in LA, around the Cuban Embassy, and meeting Oswald did you have contact with John Patrick Cannon of the Socialist Workers Party who was also in LA (Fair Play for Cuba)? In hindsight do you find it odd that so many Forcemen and Rangers, that Edwin Walker had commanded or trained, ended up as intelligence opperatives (since they knew Walker and Oswald, whom you met, is supposed to have shot at Walker)? Do you have any information on the early insertion of US personel (appeox. 14) that went into Vietnam in 54/55 and their journey through Hawaii? Early development of Green Berets and Walker's involvement? Jim Root

Greg You get my agreement on this one. All of my research remains focused on proving or disproving a basic hypothisis that I developed upon first reading the Warren Report I must admit that before reading the Warren report I believed that there was no conspiracy. Since that time I have attempted to remain focused on the role of Edwin Anderson Walker. It amazes me to find his name comming up in events that surround others that are connected to the assassination story. For example in the recent James Richards post, "A Name" Gerry Hemming writes: "Within a couple of hours he discovered that amongst our cadre were Korean veterans who had been [like Davy] US Army Rangers. Thereafter he was quite amicable and hinted that he would "straighten out" the "Leg" CIA assholes who had misinformed him [a "Leg" or "Straightleg" is a non-paratrooper.]" I responded: "When Mr Hemming speaks of Korean War era Rangers, is he refering to those "Rangers" that were trained by Edwin Anderson Walker?" The end of Hemmings response: "The prime objection to Walker was his blatant homosexuality behavior and the fact that he screwed uthe UN Partisan Ranger Ops in Korea during 1951." This seems to confirm that, once again for better or for worse, Walker was associated with and, it seems, had commanded and trained these same men that Gerry speaks of. My whole line of research began when I read the Warren Report testimony of Edwin Walker. This simple statement started my search and continues to haunt me. Mr. Liebeler stated: "I don't think we have to indicate a great deal of your background for the record,..." I continue to add more flesh to Walker's backround and the last post from Mr. Hemming continues to help me while following this trail. Thank you all for your help on this forum and stay focused while walking "that fine line!" Jim Root

Gerry (from your post) Walker was the # 2 Commander of the U.S. Army/Canadian Army Regiment that was featured in the Wm. Holden movie "The Devil's Brigade". He was not portrayed in the movie due to objections by veterans of The 1st Special Service Force; and principally by the late Duff Matson of Miami [Check-out the Soldier of Fortune article (1980s) RE: Duff and his Everglades Cuban training camp. Duff was one of the last of the group styled as the "Dirty Dozen" [Hollywood screwed-up the whole story]; and was General Bob Frederick's prime WWII bodyguard. Duff donated one of his residential properties for the use of our 82nd Airborne Division Association for meetings. The prime objection to Walker was his blatant homosexuality behavior and the fact that he screwed uthe UN Partisan Ranger Ops in Korea during 1951. Airborne & Semper Fi, GPH My information is that Walker was enraged that the Rangers were being used as front line shock troops and taking outragously heavy casualties while in Korea. His belief was that they were to be used for deep penetration or to be inserted behind enemy lines in small groups by air, which is what they were trained for. When the higher brass, it seems, failed to understand or accept their usefullness they were disbanded. Walker would return to Korea, first as an artillery commander, then as a trainer of Korean Troops. He was last involved in the POW exchange for which Maxwell Taylor received so much credit. Reguarding, "his blatant homosexuality behavior" While I have avoided this subject on this board, Walker, apparently, was arrested at least twice for solicitation of, I believe, clhildren in public restrooms. I also have a document from the family of a Canadian Forceman that aludes to this behavior as well. While serving in Germany (1959-1961) there is a story that Walker's driver committed suicide while in his jeep. It was Walker who, very casually, reported the incident as if it were an eveyday occurance. It is an interesting story when you look at the total man. I also have infromation from an American Forceman that served in Walker's 3rd Regiment that Maxwell Taylor trained FSSF soldiers in infiltration techniques that took them into Rome to gather intel while they were at Anzio in WWII and that Taylor was considered an 'honorary" Forceman. Frederick and Taylor were both students at West Point while Taylor was an instructor and this Forceman seemed to believe that the three were close friends. Any thoughts, Jim Root

When Mr Hemming speaks of Korean War era Rangers, is he refering to those "Rangers" that were trained by Edwin Anderson Walker? The more I read Hemming's words the greater my interest! Jim Root

NSAM 55 gave control of paramilitary operations to the Joint Chiefs. My copy is reprinted below. JUNE 28, 1961 NATIONAL SECURITY ACTION MEMORANDUM NO. 55 TO: The Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff SUBJECT: Relations of the Joint Chiefs of Staff to the President in Cold War Operations I wish to inform the Joint Chiefs of Staff as follows with regard to my views of their relations to me in Cold War Operations: a. I regard the Joint Chiefs of Staff as my principal military advisor responsible both for initiating advice to me and for responding to requests for advice. I expect their advice to come to me direct and unfiltered. b. The Joint Chiefs of Staff have a responsibility for the defense of the nation in the Cold War similar to that which they have in conventional hostilities. They should know the military and paramilitary forces and resources available to the Department of Defense, verify their readiness, report on their adequacy, and make appropriate recommendations for their expansion and improvement. I look to the Chiefs to contribute dynamic and imaginative leadership in contributing to the success of the military and paramilitary aspects of Cold War programs. c. I expect the Joint Chiefs of Staff to present the military viewpoint in governmental councils in such a way as to assure that the military factors are clearly understood before decisions are reached. When only the Chairman or a single Chief is present, that officer must represent the Chiefs as a body, taking such preliminary and subsequent actions as may be necessary to assure that he does in fact represent the corporate judgment of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. d. While I look to the Chiefs to present the military factor without reserve or hesitation, I regard them to be more than military men and expect their help in fitting military requirements into the overall context of any situation, recognizing that the most difficult problem in Government is to combine all assets in a unified, effective pattern. cc. Secretary of Defense General Taylor Is it strange that NSAM 55 was produced within days of General Taylor being selected to study the Bay of Pigs fiasco? Is it even stranger that Preident Kennedy would "cc" this memo to Taylor, but not to Admiral Burke or Allen Dulles that were also members of the four man study team along with Taylor and Bobby Kennedy? Kennedy supposedly did not know Taylor before this period of time but within days of their "first meeting" the Joint Chiefs of Staff would usurp control of paramilitary ops from the CIA with, it seems, Taylor in the loop. Within months Taylor would facilitate his own rise to Chairman of the Joint Chiefs and control of paramilitary ops. In March of 1951 General Taylor had written a memorandum, "indicating that his staff was perparing a study on the use of eastern European refugees, as indivduals or in units, to conduct UW (Unconventional Warfare)" Aaron Bank, From OSS to Green Berets. Taylor planted the seeds in 1951 that would produce the fruit he would harvest when he possitioned himself within the Kennedy administration. As I recall, in Taylor's first post assassination meeting with LBJ, LBJ, at the request of Taylor, reaffirmed NSAM 55. Jim Root

John I believe Ian Flemming and his brother were part of the XX group that controled the pre invassion deception (counterinelligence) plan against Nazi Germany. Is it not possible that, during the Cold War, the Brits had their own Operation Mockingbird that used former intelligence persons to produce the "company" line for public consumptions? Would a Dr. Zhivago type character be a great introduction to the West of the "real" Soviets in a post Stalin world? Is it strange that governments might support that type of creativity? Jim Root

Larry Where do you think Ian Flemming's 007 would fit into this? Did the British have a similar program? What about the Soviets? Just thoughts. Jim root

John and James Great collection of pictures and related stories, some of which I had read before. Richard Bissell caught my attention (story) when I noticed that he was in Germany with McCloy and Taylor. John you might want to add him to that list of distingushed persons whose names continue to pop up. U-2 associates him with Oswald.....nice pieces of a puzzle. My question. While with the OSS was Richard Bissell associated with what I have come to call the Italian Group? Jim Root

John I sincerely believe that if one studies the life of Edwin Anderson Walker you will be drawn into a web that contains some of the most significant events of the 20th Century (not the least of which is the Kennedy assassination). His connection to the assassination, I beleive, was not a coincidence (anyway you wish to view the events that occured on that November day in Dallas). The Warren Commission did a great job of avoiding Walker's military record and intelligence involvement as well as his close connection to Maxwell Taylor while being forced into explaining away the events surrounding the shot at him. A coincidental letter from John J. McCloy five months before the assassination only adds to this mystery. This direct flight that was not in fact a direct flight now adds another avenue of research.......if only I had more time and money! Jim Root

John One suggestion where you state: "One irregularity is that there was no registered flight to Helsinki from London on the day he was said to have gone, if this is the case, how did Oswald get there?" There were three Finnair (former Aero) flights that Oswald could have traveled. Chris Mill, I believe in 1993, discovered that two of these would have arrived in Helsinki in time to allow Oswald to check into his hotel. I know that Antti Hynonen has been collecting some historical information on the flights into Helsinki. He has shared copies of the flight schedules from 1959 with me and he has discovered one additonal strange fact.....the direct flight to Helsinki that the Warren Commission sites was not, apparently, a direct flight. It seems it made a stop in Berlin along the way (which sparks my interest because of General Walker's travels to Germany at this same time). Amazing what new information can be uncovered 46 years later. Jim Root