Jim Root

Al What changed after the assassination......Kennedy was dead! Motivation: A trail that may have changed history. It never occured because Oswald was killed. The young Oswald was adamant about having Jonathan Abt (the "Smith Act Attorney") as his attorney, to the exclusion of all others. I find it interesting that in the Warren Reports interview with Abt they ask if he thinks Oswald wanted him because he was an ACLU attorney. The interview is less than two full pages and quickly ends before they explore Abt's relationship to the Smith Act trials and exactly what the Smith Act had been used for. Reading the testimony of several witnesses that heard Oswald while he was in custody, including, Ms. Paine, his brtother and numerous officiers and a Dallas attorney, Oswald wanted Abt the "Smith Act attorney." Why was there an attempt to cover-up this very simple piece of information in the Summary Report. Is it significant? Does the American public, today, realize what the Smith Act was and how it was used by Hoover and the FBI in the late 40's and early 50's? How did Oswald, the "lone nut" know so much about Abt and apparantly about the Smith Act trials? Strange for a "Patsy" that was unknowingly set up. Food for thought. Jim Root Jim Root

Greg Excellent timeline. I have thoughts on Ruby....not well developed....but thoughts. 1). In my opinion Oswald knew more than most want to believe he knew. 2). He had to die! Ruby did the deed.... What do you make of Ruby's testimony in front of Warren? His repeated fear of Edwin Walker in particular? The unfullfilled promise to move him, etc.? Jim Root

Tim Depending on how you look at the time zones while the U-2 was shot down on May 1st in Russia....It was actually April 30th in Washington DC. Eisenhower had given an order that no U-2 flight would be made beyond April 30th. In the legalistic mind of the CIA it was in reality April 30th......History is interesting. Shanet No limo past the book store....no Oswald to blame. Whomever could put the limo past that bookstore is very key to whatever happpend on that day. Jim Root

Tim Goodpasture also carried the papers signed by Eisenhower for the Powers U-2 flight. Jim Root

Tim The question once again: Was Kennedy briefed by Maxwell Taylor? Everybodies "plausible denial" remains in place. And Taylor did receive the greatest reward.....after the Bay of Pigs......Chairman of the Joint Chiefs. Jim Root

Tim Eisenhower came on TV and denied that the U-2 was a spy plane. A tape recording of air traffic controllers trying to unsuccessfully raise the pilot was even played for the American public. The charade lasted seven days until Francis Gary Powers was paraded before the international press by the Soviets. His CIA ID card was shown along with maps of his mission, film from his cameras and his own verbal admission of being on a spy mission. While Humphrey had been been pushing a domestic platform of social reform Kennedy had been questioning the credibility of the Eisenhower Administation in Defense Policy. All indicators were that Humphrey felt he would do well inWest Virginia because of his appeal to the blue collar type workers and the anti-catholic feelings. It is true that Kennedy had the organizational support and a massive amount of money but do not under rate the impact of having had the president caught in a lie and and being the candidate who was stressing the fact that the American President was weak in dealing with the Soviets. Fear is a major motivator. It was not just the primary that was important. The presidential election itself, so close, would not have been close if the Paris Peace Summit had been a success and a Nuclear Test Ban Treaty had been signed by Eisenhower with Nixon standing by his side. An end to the Cold War could have been proclaimed by Nixon. The last weekend in July of 1963, Oswald spoke to a group of students training to be Jesuit priests (his cousin Eugene having invited him). Notes taken by students who were in attendance show that the U-2 incident and the failure of the Paris Summit was very much on Oswald's mind at the time. He was upset with both governments for this failure and, I believe, he realized that he had played a part in that failure. Jim Root

Tim My point exactly. Kennedy was the "Hawk" in the 1960 election. After the U-2 incident Kennedy knocked Humphrey out winning all the primaries after Eisenhower's humiliation at having to admit that he had lied to the American public and that he had to approve the overflights of Russia to attempt to detect their weapons ability. If Kennedy had advance information, from somebody like Taylor, that an incident like the U-2 incident would occur.....would it have shaped his policy positions on how Eisenhower had allowd the US to fall behind in technology to the Soviets? Would he be indebted to a Taylor for this information......? Would Kennedy reward Taylor with the position of Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff which he infact did?

Shanet First: I am conviced that Edwin Walker and Maxwell Taylor knew each other begining in 1927 and that Maxwell Taylor's "go to guy" was Edwin Walker for alot of years (possibly as early as 1934) and in alot of different situations, only two of which were the First Straits of Taiwan Crisis and the Little Rock school incident (Check the Maxwell Davenport Taylor site at Arlington National Cemetary web site). You might also check the transfer of Korean POW's, Greek Civil War and the training of Rangers. This may be one reason the Warren Commission did not want to go into Walker's military record. Second: Edwin Walker traveled from Little Rock, Arkansas to Germany in October of 1959, the same time that Oswald "defected" to the USSR. (My seminar paper "Serendipity" will outline the unusual travels of Oswald to the USSR. Third: Oswald's year long quest to leave the USSR coincides with the "downfall" of Walker with his Pro Blue Program in Germany. I believe that Walker was instructed by Taylor to infiltrate the far right in America and he did what his "friend" (Taylor) ordered when Taylor learned that Oswald would be allowed to return to the USA (dates just happen to coincide). The Russians did a similiar thing with Nosenko (sp).....check the dates of his first contact with US agents and the Soviet approval of Oswalds exit visa. Would it be expected that both intelligence agencies would react in the same manner to an "asset" that neither were quite sure of but that both were very aware of? Fourth: Walker's actions immediately following the assassination of JFK. I believe Walker recognized Oswald and feared he would be implicated in the assassination. His contact with the German newspaper was his attempt to protect himself if Oswald could ID him as the man that helped get him into Russia. After Oswalds death he knew he had better keep quite and support the official line. Fifth: As Chief of Staff of the Army, Taylor was very much in the know about military intelligence matters. In particular the Army's missile program that Eisenhower took away from the Army when he created NASA. I find it interesting that TIROS I was launched on April 1, 1960. It was built by the Army, launched on an Army built Redstone rocket and was the first polar orbited weather satelite. One month later Francis Gary Powers was shot down. His U-2 cover story was that he was on a weather mission.........just coincidence I am sure but was the Television Infrared Observational Satelite designed as more than just a weather satelite (check Time magazines after its launch) or are we to believe that the Army built this satelite for civilian purposes only? Sixth: In a very limited publication printed in Kerr County, Texas in 1958 it says that General Walker, the highest ranking officier to come out of the area, was working on guided missiles. There is nothing in Walker's military record to suggest this. Seventh: If Kennedy were to pull US troops out of Vietnam, as it seems possible he was going to do, Taylor may have seen the possibility of his war slipping away. He had spent his life developing specialized troop to fight just such a "brush fire" war and he was not going to be stoped by the man who he had gotten elected. (Read The uncertain Trumpet) Eighth: Taylor may have had the motive and he had the means to know where Oswald was and to direct the motorcade past that spot. He may have known that Oswald was back in this country and that he was in Dallas when Walker was shot at. One must be able to present the elements of a crime in order to prove a crime. I find to many elements that point toward Taylor. He may not have pulled the trigger but he may have put Kennedy in the path of the bullet. Ninth: The book, Seven Days in May, may have been Kennedy's warning to Taylor to back off. Read the Look magazine review of the movie that came out days before the assassination. The cover has Krushev (sp) on the cover.....did Oswald read that magazine on the day the motorcade route was anounced in Dallas? Appartently the Pentagon (ie Taylor) did not want the movie made. (Check the New York Times Nov. 22, 1963 issue...full page add for the movie Seven Days in May. Also the book was on the best seller list while Oswald planned and attempted the assassination of Walker) Jim Root

1 Lee Harvey Oswald was not a lone nut. He had a motive that the American public could not be allowed to know. He finally figured out that he was a "Patsy" and had been used to help John F. Kennedy get elected. He was going to expose the whole story with his Smith Act Attorney, Jonathan Abt. The FBI passed on to the State Department the fact that Oswald was working at the Texas School Book Depository Building on Nov. 5th. White house staff finalized the route past that building on Nov. 8th. Maxwell Taylor, with access to staff, Kennedy and all those involved with the planning of this trip could have known where Oswald was working (He also may have known that Oswald had been the one to shoot at his old friend and trusted confidant General Walker) If Taylor felt that Kennedy was going to pull out of Vietnam and deprive him of his war he may have wanted Kennedy dead. Putting the motorcade past Oswalds place of employment was the key in the assassination. White house staff, the FBI and the Secrete Service all wanted a reason to cover-up their failures. 2. John F. Kennedy was elected President, in one of the closest elections in US History after Francis Gary Powers had been shot down in his U-2 Spy Plane. This caused the failure of the Paris Summit. If the U-2 had not been shot down, the Summit goes on and Richard Nixon is elected President. Most of us today do not remember who Kennedy was. Oswald was a radar operator for U-2 Aircraft. 3. Maxwell Taylor had left the Eisenhower administration and was brought back into the Kennedy administration as a reward for his part in the U-2 incident ie. the help that it provided Kennedy in getting elected. Taylor helped Oswald into Russia by sending Gen. Walker to pass information about the Russian Embassy in Helsinki to Oswald. The shoot down of the U-2 is a legitimate CIA operation that infiltrates a Soviet controlled Japanese centered espionage ring plus more. 4. If the election had been "throne" in favor of Kennedy the Kennedy image would be damaged, therefore the family had a vested interest in the post assassination cover-up. 5. If information had been passed to the Soviets through a Japanese based espionage ring, in a legitimate covert operation dealing with a legitimate weapons system test, by an unknowing Oswald, that espionage ring would be compromised by conceding Oswald was a US agent. The Soviets would have a similiar reason for wanting to deny involvement with Oswald, it could lead to war if it was known that Oswald had been a Soviet agent. If either country were to claim knowledge of Oswalds espionage activity it would open the door for the failure of the nuclear test ban talks taking place at the time of the assassination. The leadership of both nations did not want these talks to fail as had occured in 1960. Read Edward J. Epsteins' interview of James Jesus Angelton and imagine Oswald as the fly going from orchid to orchid never knowing exactly what he was doing. (How Oswald may have figured out his role is an interesting story in itself) Maxwell Taylor could have pulled off the perfect assassination with everyone (and countries) having their own reason for wanting it covered up.

You can also find a McCloy, Warren relationship in 1942 dealing with Japanese relocation. I have McCloy and Edwin Walker first together at the Battle of Kiska. Maxwell Taylor and McCloy together in Germany. McCloy and Dulles during the OSS to CIA days. Taylor and Walker together since 1927. Etc., etc. etc. Just for good measure how about Walker and the movement of Nazi loot from Merker's Mine. The beat goes on but is it all just coincidence????

Wim Many years ago I developed a hypothesis that Edwin Walker met Lee Harvey Oswald in October of 1959. At the end of nearly a decade of research I now believe that if they met it may have been on October 9th 1959. All of my evidence is circumstantial. I still can only speculate on what, exactly, happened on Nov. 22 but have developed many very different ideas based upon three primary people, Edwin Walker, Maxwell Taylor and John J. McCloy and there relationship to one another. I have found nothing that has led me to believe that my original hypothesis was false. We will never get anywhere without following our instincts. At the same time we can never close our minds to other possibilites. Jim Root

There were two phone numbers for two different John Hurt's found on the slip of paper in the Dallas jail. This to me implies that Oswald may have wanted to contact "John Hurt" but did not have the phone number similiar to his attempts to contact Jonathan Abt. John David Hurt becomes a person of interest because of his connection to counter intelligence but throughout his lifetime he maintained that he had no connection to LHO. I did read recently that upon his deathbed, John David Hurt, suppossedly admited to being the person that had called LHO while he was in the Dallas jail. I put up the name of John B. Hurt for discussion because: 1) Intellegence linked 2) Since the assassination of John F. Kennedy his name has seemingly disappeared from history while those around him were honored 3) Two players in the assassination drama, Maxwell Taylor and Edwin Walker may be linked to him. Perhaps just coincidence. Jim Root

Could this be the John Hurt that Lee Harvey Oswald was attempting to contact after being arrested for the assassination of John F. Kennedy? Because of how I found out about this person I speculate that he may have known both Edwin Walker and Maxwell Taylor. Was this Lee Harvey Oswald's "cutout?" While following an Edwin Walker thread I ran across an unusual person that played a major role in Army Signals Intellegence named John B. Hurt. This John B. Hurt was a Japanese linguist and cryptologist who was an original member of William F. Friedman's team of cryptologist that broke the Japanese diplomatic code prior to World War II. Of the original team, William F. Friedman, Frank Rowlett, Abe Sinkov, Solomon Kullback and John Hurt, only Hurt's name is consistently missing from the history related to this group. All have been inducted into the National Security Council "Hall of Honor" except Hurt. William Friedman is one of only two men to have won both the National Security Medal and the Medal of Merit (the other being J. Edgar Hoover). Yet by the mid 1960's Army Intelligence was following him to make sure he was not diviating from agency policy. His home library was raided by Army agents and 48 of his personal writings were confiscated and classified. John Hurt was one of very few Japanese language specialist employed by the Army in the 1930's. It is interesting to note that Maxwell Taylor was also fluent in the Japanese language and was in Tokyo when this group of code breakers began their work of breaking the Japanese diplomatic code in earnest. Jim Root

I posted this under the topic French Connection but thought it might deserve its own thread. In October of 1940 John J. McCloy was brought into the War Department to reorganize military intellegence by Henry Stimson. Stimson asked him to review the War Department's skeletal intelligence and counterintelligence capabilities and gear it up for the task ahead. (Sabotage at Black Tom, Jules Witcover pg 310)McCloy had had been a member of the firm of Cravath, deGersdorff, Swaine and Wood which represented Bethlehem Steel in their part of the case against Germany known as the Black Tom Affair. McCloy worked this case between 1931 and its successful conclusion (becomming the lead counsul for the whole case) in 1939 when the Mixed Claims Commission awarded $50 million to the American claimants. In his position as Asst. Secretary of War it could be argued that he was in fact William Donovan's boss (note the need to place the OSS under the control of the military). His involvement in the creation of the National Security Council and the CIA, not to mention the World Bank and High Commissioner of Germany makes him, in my mind, a prime candidate to be Americas "C" (phrase used for Stuart Menzies, Great Britains head of all intellegence agencies during WWII and part of the Cold War period). If McCloy was America's "C" the fact that he was needed on the Warren Commission elevates its importance of that commission to a degree and level that even we, perhaps, have not imagined. It would go beyound just a suggestion that Lee Harvey Oswald and the assassination of JFK reached into the highest eschelons of power. Your thoughts, Jim Root

Tosh Perhaps you have insight on this area..... In October of 1940 John J. McCloy was brought into the War Department to reorganize military intellegence by Henry Stimson. Stimson asked him to review the War Department's skeletal intelligence and counterintelligence capabilities and gear it up for the task ahead. (Sabotage at Black Tom, Jules Witcover pg 310)McCloy had had been a member of the firm of Cravath, deGersdorff, Swaine and Wood which represented Bethlehem Steel in there part of the case against Germany known as the Black Tom Affair. McCloy worked this case between 1931 and its successful conclusion (becomming the lead counsul for the whole case) in 1939 when the Mixed Claims Commission awarded $50 million to the American claimants. In his position as Asst. Secretary of War it could be argued that he was in fact William Donovan's boss. His involvement in the creation of the National Security Council and the CIA, not to mention the World Bank and High Commissioner of Germany makes him, in my mind, a prime candidate to be Americas "C" (phrase used for Stuart Menzies, Great Britains head of all intellegence agencies during WWII and part of the Cold War period). If McCloy was America's "C" the fact that he was needed on the Warren Commission elevates its importance to a degree and level that we, perhaps, have not imagined. It suggests that Lee Harvey Oswald and the assassination of JFK did reach into the highest eschelons of power. Your thoughts, Jim Root

William Point taken (sometimes I speak in broad generalizations). Donovan was attacked by the Drew Pearsons of the media world and the whole idea of a peace-time intellegece agency was a sticky subject at the end of the war. Things like "Plan Broiler" (plans for a potential war with Russia) were initiated on July 29, 1947 and "Plan Trojan was adopted in January of 1949. In the immediate post war period there was a major political fight raging in America and alot of it centered around the ability to gather intellegence. John J. McCloy would play a major role in this revolution (of sorts) participating in the think tank that ultimatly produced the CIA. Jim Root

Steve and Wim The Italian OSS Operational Groups during WWII are an interesting group to follow as the OSS transformed itself into the CIA. The competition between the pro-communist factions in Italy and the right leaning anti-German groups in Italy played over into the operatives that worked for the various intellegence agencies. Those same groups had distinct ties to the American Mafia. By the end of the war you find James Jesus Angleton and the anti-communist anti-German groups (read right wing) at the top of the OSS Italian heap. It was not unusual for the former fascist to move back into leadership roles at the end of the conflict. (Similiar to what happened in Germany under the High Commissioner John J. McCloy). In DeGaulle you have a post WWII leader that we did not support until after the assassination of Admiral Darlan. Once the dirty dead was accomplished DeGaulle gained our support as leader of the Free French. I don't believe he ever forgave the United States for not supporting him earlier. My note: Remember that it was Maxwell Taylor who negotiated the surrender of Italians while Italy was still occupied by Germany. Taylor's covert mission into Rome is one of the great heroic stories of WWII. It also places him in the middle of an OSS operation that ties the US to the support of many former fascists in the new Italy. Jim Root

Shanet Just for some backround that may add to your workload in this area. One of my research threads led back to the assassination of Admiral Darlan during World War II. Young idealistic assassin who died within 48 hours. international intrigue, a change in leadership (DeGaulle the benificiary), Great Britian and the United States on different sides of the French leadership question and some Americans on the scene that end up involved in the Kennedy administration. The funeral was a state affair with world leaders attending. All this occured during WWII which allowed for an easy coverup of the events. The assassination covers the gamet of groups (fascist, right wing French, Vichy Government, business leaders, Italian OSS personel, French Military Intellengece and British Intellegence), international politics and spy organizations. Was it an "off the shelf plan" that could be followed later on. You might find a closer look at this subject interesting. Jim Root

Wim My suggestion was, "Who had advance knowledge that JFK was going to be in Dallas and could influence the route he would take?" Jim Root

Wim "Who had advance knowledge that JFK was going to be assassinated in Dallas?" I would be hesitant to add a name to the list in the manner the question is asked. If we knew the answer our research would have already produced its fruit. Advance knowledge that JFK was to be in Dallas was in the newpaper by, I believe the 18th. From that date on, all of the Dallas "factions" could be potential conspirators and would have to be considered as having "advance knowledge." But the question goes in the right direction. "Who had advance knowledge that JFK was going to be in Dallas and could influence the route he would take?" might, if I may suggest, be a more focused question. Also interesting would be to associate the date that Oswald got his job at the School Book Depository with the planning for the route that the motorcade would travel. In my mind, at least, this is a key question. Several on the list, as presented, would be the soldiers, fewer the potential planners. If Oswald was to be the "fall guy" or "patsy" then the route planners and their possible connections/association with the people on your list would be the "persons of interest." Jim Root

I would love to have, among other things, more information on the four officers who were escourting Oswald at the time he was shot by Jack Ruby. I am looking for the more subtle information that is factual (ie Date and location of birth, time on the police force, hometown, what happened to them and perhaps how they were selected). Additional information/speculation would also be helpful. Jim Root PS In fairness, while in Texas doing some research a few years back, I was told a piece of infromation that I have never since been able to substantiate. If anyone has followed this thread I would appreciate some help.

John Thank you for the words of wisdom. I have been researching for nearly a decade now and find that in general discussions with the average pblic many honest people have many different theories about the assassination of John F. Kennedy. In many cases these various theories contridict each other. I have come to the conclusion that not all the theories can be correct while at the same time believing that a majority of the researchers who have developed their theory have gone about their work in a sincere manner. If ever any one answer is to be found, it will only be found by knowledgable people who can set thier egos aside and enter into open discussion without fear of ridicule. Jim Root

I understand that Robert Kennedy was in constant contact with the CIA, Angleton I believe, after the defection of Yuri Nosenko in Feburary of 1964. Kennedy was being told that Nosenko would soon break and might provide additional material about Oswald's connections to the KGB. For a long period of time RFK would call daily to learn the updates on the Nosenko interigation. Nosenko had been a part of the KGB's Second Chief Directorate which was responsible for counterintelligence against enemy agents inside of Russia. At the time Oswald was living inside Russia Nosenko had been in charge of the Tourism Department within the American=British section. After John F.Kennedy had been assassinated Nosinko was in charge of conducting a complete investigation of all contacts between Oswald and Soviet Intelligenc (Epstein) It can be assumed that Bobby Kennedy at least held open the possibility that the Soviets or Nosenko could shed light on who was involved with the assassination of his brother. Jim Root

Debra I sent you an e-mail from this forum a few days ago and have not heard back from you. Today I sent one from my school e-mail to the address you gave. I am not sure where you are located, it is not in your profile. I was under the impression that what remains of the Walker estate has/is controlled by a neice and a nephew. The Edwin Anderson Walker papers are stored at the University of Texas and are restricted from researchers! If you have any contact with family members that could waive the "restriction" I would make another trip to Texas in short order. Jim Root

John I believe this was the "heads up"call that Rankin received before he testified before the HSCA. I read that several years ago so I am drawing off my memory. My thoughts were and have been focussed on this paragraph: "He repeatedly expressed the view that both the FBI and CIA had concealed important material from the Commission, and that the CIA/Mafia plots would have had a “very direct bearing on the areas of conspiracy which we tried to pursue.” He also asked, “Are you looking into the plots on the basis of whether they were covered up by the CIA because some of the very people involved in them could have been involved in the President’s assassination?” I said that yes that was an area of our investigation, and he replied strongly, “Good. Good. You have to look at it that way.” I also said that we were looking into charges that Castro might have retaliated for the plots by killing Kennedy, and he replied, “Where is any evidence of that? I think the other approach would be much more logical.” This was apparently in reference to probing those involved in the plots themselves." I felt, and feel, he was saying three specific things" The intellegence community had the ability to withhold information from Warren Commission. The intellegence committee did, in fact, withhold infromation from Warren Commission. The intellegence community was involved in bizarre plots around the globe. Rankin: "I think the other approach would be much more logical.” Ewing: "This was apparently in reference to probing those involved in the plots themselves." Two additional things here. Ewing was not quite sure what Rankin ment. Secondly, I always keep, in the back of my mind, the fact that Rankin was the man chosen by Dulles and McCloy (Ford). Jim Root