Paul Brancato

Thanks Bill - as usual a well researched essay. In the past I believe you used the word ‘agnostic’ to describe your opinion on whether Oswald was in MC at all. I might be mistaken about that, memories being what they are. If one sees this letter as being genuinely typed by Oswald at Ruth’s typewriter, or written by hand, either way it tends to confirm that Oswald actually did go to the Soviet embassy in MC, as well as the Cuban consulate (I may have consulate and embassy confused here, I often do that). For me, it’s this detail, and also Ruth’s involvement, that has caused me to conclude it was a forgery. But having said that, your logic is well reasoned. It’s hard to determine which of Oswald’s actions point to his working for others in US Intelligence, and which are self motivated for his own purposes. I can see how he may have been primarily concerned with financial security. Then there is his visit to Hosty and the angry note he left there. That story bugs me, as it relies on witnesses only and their stories. There is no Oswald note we can examine. It’s pretty safe to assume he was there though, and motivated to do so, and possibly angry. But if he was primarily interested in financial security, and also interested in the FBI intercepting his supposed letter to the Soviets, might he have found a way to make his visit more productive? It always comes down to who was Oswald? It makes no sense to be that he was on his own, drumming up a spy’s life without the direction of a handler or handlers. I could see how he may have been trying to break away from his Intelligence relationships, wanting a normal family life at some point. But I have difficulty imagining that he really wanted to go to Cuba and then back to the USSR.

Cory - I see the ad (not new news to me) offering $million but don’t see anything implying that he solved the crime.

Question - in a nutshell, from his own perspective why was Oswald with these two Cubans at the Odio’s?

Leslie - where did the document in question originate? This thread starts with an Albarelli email to you and Alan kent about this document in which he writes in parentheses “this from you (sic) the Angleton family member’ as if to identify the origin of the document. Who is ‘you’ referring to? What does ‘sic’ mean here? Did Hank write that? Who is the Angleton family member? Why is the document no longer available? I’m sure this all brings back sad memories for you, occurring as it did right before Hank fell ill.

Surely you are not suggesting that Oswald knew he was the designated patsy beforehand? Who do you suppose ordered him to stay inside?

Leslie - would you post the note from Lafitte to Angleton and the source? Needless to say that is explosive.

I thought that Lemnitzer stood as a character witness in the Senate hearings on Walker, whether he was required at the hearings or not. But of course I may not be correct.

I like the theory too. Gotta wonder if someone somewhere has those dick Clark show tickets

I read quite a bit of this way too long article, and then got curious and followed some links on the right side of the page. I was unfortunately introduced to some horribly anti-semitic crap, which likewise took some deep reading but is undeniably true, and I’m not confused between anti-Semitism and criticism of Israel. I know from first hand accounts of survivors what happened. Perhaps you were not so privileged.

I like the spelling LaFitte

And that’s a good thing in my opinion. He deserves a lot of credit for sticking his neck out.

Pretty sure the inclusion of Willoughby and Cannon came from Russell.

Perhaps Dick Russell could be persuaded to come here and give his two cents on working with Reiner. How many books on the subject even mention Willoughby? Jim - who do you think were the shooters and planners?

Reiner and company make it clear that there is no certainty - by design and complicity in the coverup. But they make a reasonable assumption in the end. Named as the organizers are William Harvey and Charles Willoughby, with the knowledge of Allen Dulles.

It’s interesting to me that 60 years later we still don’t know some crucial and important info that should not have been a mystery.

Yup - good ideas.

Gerry - why would Jackie care if Addison’s disease was revealed? While he was alive maybe. Don’t you think she cared who done it, that her husband was gone, that LBJ was calling the shots?

Hi Gene - thanks for the post. I read through the link you quote from which Larry posted. Plus you added a few more points from Jim D. I do wonder what Burkley kept to himself about the number of bullets etc. He must have been under enormous pressure that day, and surely saddened by the death of JFK. Do you know if his private papers are in a collection somewhere?

But surely it was not Burkley’s decision to make. H wasn’t calling the shots. Is that, in your view, a farfetched statement?

Burkley: ‘The coroner attempted to have the body retained there for a postmortem and investigation of the assassination. That was perfectly understandable, in that this condition existed. However, the people involved were not just anyone, it was the President of the United States. Mrs. Kennedy was going to just stay where she was and travel with the President at any time. It was felt advisable to return the President to the Washington area as soon as possible because of the uncertainty as to what else was happening in Dallas’. This interview from 1967, done for the historical record and donated to the JFK library, does not mention the struggle at gunpoint to take the body from Parkland onto AF 1. It does not appear to be under oath, is not questioning by an investigatory committee. And it doesn’t say what you originally suggested it did. Burkley’s exact language here appears very carefully constructed, does it not?

Did any secret service agents testify to removing JFK from Parkland at gunpoint?

Larry - thanks for straightening me out about JFK’s doctor being behind the forceful removal of JFK’s body from Parkland.

I really appreciate you posting this. Sheehan gets little love from the assassination community at large, which has always puzzled me. In your synopsis you state that Nixon sent the CIA chief of security to meet with Trafficante. Is he identified?

It seems to me that we are missing the implications of Vince’s post here. First of all, why the back and forth about agents vs assets? Clearly the secret service officer identified him as an agent with ID. So why was he there? Then there is the FBI agent who is identified in the YouTube video as trying to get into the operating theater. Did I get that right Vince? You speculate he may have planted 399. here is the question I have for you Vince - who drew the guns that forced the Parkland doctors to give up the body of JFK? Was it Secret Service? If so who, and under whose orders? We know the story of LBJ ordering this by telephone, but If LBJ did order it, who carried it out? And isn’t it possible that LBJ was ordered by parties unknown to do so?

Republican congressman from AZ - last summer. We haven’t heard much about it since.