Steve Thomas

Vince, Notice the top right hand corner. Letter also by Boise Smith WRR transmitter building. https://tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/qqt01 Texas State Guard. By William C. Wilkes and Mary M. Standifer "In the 1950s the Signal Corps of the Texas State Guard Reserve Corps embraced 500 radio stations statewide. These provided valuable communications assistance to civil authorities and the Red Cross in times of natural disaster." Statement by Colonel John W. Mayo, Chairman of City-County Civil Defense and Disaster Commission at the Dedication of the Emergency Operations Center at Fair Park. http://www.civildefensemuseum.com/fallout/docs/may241961a.jpg This Statement appeared on the Civil Defense and Disaster Commission letter head co-signed by Boise Smith, WRR transmitter Building at Fair Park. WRR was a city-owned radio station. In the Batchelor's Exhibit CE5002 https://www.history-matters.com/archive/jfk/wc/wcvols/wh19/pdf/WH19_Batchelor_Ex_5002.pdf , Boise Smith is listed as a Deputy Chief of Police (along with Lumpkin, Stevenson and Batchelor) and as the Director of the Civil Defense and Disaster Commission. As such, he reported directly to Curry. See this statement by Mayo decrying the artists being displayed at the Art Museum http://washingtonbabylon.com/bunker-command-center-jfk-assassination-merely-worlds-interesting-basement/ "In March of 1955, Col. John W. Mayo, commander of the Dallas Metropolitan Post No. 581 of the American Legion, sent a communication to the Trustees of the Art Museum decrying many of the Museum’s policies and saying that the Post objected ‘to the Museum patronizing and supporting artists … whose political beliefs are dedicated to destroying our way of life." In this same website, it says, " An online exhibit by the Dallas City Hall provides the following historical summary of WRR, the station-of-choice for Dallas-Fort Worth highbrows since 1964, when it switched to an all classical format. Until the departments had their own internal support, WRR supplied and maintained all radio equipment for Police, Fire, Park and Recreation, Water, Public Works, and the former Health Department. At its peak it furnished dispatching services for Dallas County, Cockrell Hill Police Department, and private ambulance services (in the days before 911). WRR discontinued these adjunct services in 1969." "In his book, Family of Secrets, veteran reporter Russ Baker notes: http://washingtonbabylon.com/bunker-command-center-jfk-assassination-merely-worlds-interesting-basement/ Facebook posting by an unknown author. https://www.facebook.com/TexasStateGuard/posts/1576889535692221 Texas State Guard September 27, 2017 · Title: “How about a little bit of HISTORY of the Texas State Guard? “ “With the advent of the Cold War, The Texas State Guard Reserve Corps (TSGRC) was given additional duties — those specific to statewide radio communications and civil defense. By 1951, the TSGRC had 50 fixed radio stations and over 100 automobiles throughout the state – almost all were funded at the personal expense of the operators and heavily used during many natural disasters. With the federalization of the Texas National Guard during the Berlin Crisis in 1961, 71 Texas National Guard Armories were left vacant and a great amount of state property unprotected. To address this, elements of the TSGRC were organized as Texas State Guard Security Units. These units were assigned to the 49th Armored Division and the 11014th Transportation Company, manning their respective armories until these units were returned to their state mission one year later.” From Bill Kelly. JFK Countercoup blog July 22, 2012 http://jfkcountercoup.blogspot.com/2012/07/shenanigans-at-dallas-state-fairgrounds.html “On April 1, 1962, Dallas Civil Defense, with Crichton heading its intelligence component, opened an elaborate underground command post under the patio of the Dallas Health and Science Museum. Because it was intended for ‘continuity-of-government’ operations during an attack, it was fully equipped with communications equipment. Stringfellow and Biggio were working the police radio at the Fairgrounds on 11/22/63 “Army Apparently didn't tell Commission of Oswald's Alias” Dallas Morning News March 19, 1978 in the Weisberg Collection http://jfk.hood.edu/Collection/Weisberg%20Subject%20Index%20Files/F%20Disk/FBI/FBI%20Records%20Release%2012-7-77%20News%20Accounts/Item%20069.pdf “However, (Bill) Biggio, who was directing police intelligence communications at the Fair Park office the day of the assassination...,” Former Dallas police Capt. W. P. Gannaway, who commanded the special service bureau in which Biggio worked, said if Army intelligence in San Antonio or Dallas "had any information pertaining to Oswald, we didn't know about it." “Don Stringfellow, a fellow police intelligence officer working with Biggio at the Fair Park office, was named as the source of information in a secret cable the night of Nov. 22 from Army intelligence in Texas to the U.S. Strike Command at MacDill Air Force Base in Florida. The cable said that information "obtained from Oswald revealed that he had defected to Cuba in 1959 and is a card-carrying member of the Communist Party." THIS CABLE, containing false information, was sent to an Army-Air Force operation set up three years earlier to provide a quick-reacting strike force in case of enemy attack. “ Forum Members might also be interested in perusing the Minutes of the Dallas Park Board, e.g. [Dallas Park Board Minutes, Book 7] Page: 677 https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth532599/m1/677/ Steve Thomas

Vince, Could this person behind the fence be the person (or the hat of the person anyway ) captured in fame 413 of the Zapruder film? (see bottom center) Steve Thomas

"E pur si muove." Steve Thomas

Andrew, Forget that old CT vs LN nonsense. That's like so old 1960'sish, man. I want to go where the action is. Who do I give my money to? Steve Thomas

That's what I want to know. https://www.thedailybeast.com/qanon-the-pro-trump-conspiracy-theory-now-believes-jfk-jr-faked-his-death-to-become-its-leader?ref=home Steve Thomas

Jim, Thanks for pointing that out to the Forum members. It doesn't surprise me that the external links found in that Finding Aid would be out of date seeing as how it was last updated in 2009. The Library's internal holdings should still be good though, I would think. You might send a note to the History and Archives Division about your site address. They might not be able to fix the paper copy, but they might be able to correct the online pdf. Steve Thomas

Does anybody have a good relationship with their reference or interlibrary loan department of their local public library? This looks like this is the hard copy https://dallaslibrary2.org/dallashistory/archives/KennedyAssassinationCollectionGuide.pdf page 151 Box 10. Miscellaneous and Ephemera Box 10.1 Box Inventory Box: Speeches, Government Documents, Memorials (continued) Folder# 40 Letter from George Whitmeyer to son about being in the motorcade. Whitmeyer was in the pilot car. Steve Thomas

I ran across this by accident, so I thought I'd pass it along. This is a finding aid to the JFK assassination collection at the Dallas Public Library. I've included a sample from the Table of Contents, and a cryptic little entry I ran across. Finding Aid for the John F. Kennedy Assassination Holdings MA 88.17 MA 93.5 https://dallaslibrary2.org/dallashistory/archives/KennedyAssassinationCollectionGuide.pdf Dallas Public Library Texas/Dallas History & Archives Division June 2008 Updated through April 2009 10. Miscellaneous and Ephemera 149 10.1. Box Inventory.149 Box: Speeches, Government Documents, Memorials .149 Box: Speeches, Government Documents, Memorials (continued)150 Box: Speeches, Government Documents, Memorials (continued)151 Box: Police Radio Transmissions151 Box: Unpublished Manuscripts 151 Box: Unpublished Manuscripts (continued)152 Box: Published Material 152 “...and former U. S. High Commissioner for Germany. Contents. Roll 1 ...... Letter from George Whitmeyer to son about being in the motorcade. Whitmeyer was in...” Steve Thomas

Robert, The other day, I thanked Gene Kelly for being erudite. You have made this a loftier place to come and visit for a while. Thanks, Steve Thomas

Paul, OBITUARY of Frances Whitmeyer: Whitmeyer, Frances Raby was born February 21, 1922 and passed away April 4, 2009. Frances was born in Athens, Alabama to S.W. and Donna Raby. She graduated from Alabama Women's College in Athens. She moved to New Orleans and worked for the Lykes Steamship Co. and also for the City of New Orleans helping to translate French law into English. She later married George Whitmeyer and they moved to Germany where he was stationed after the war. They moved to Fort Worth in 1961 and then to Dallas in 1963. Monroe News-Star Friday May 30, 1958 page 13 (living in Baumholder, Germany) Monroe News-Star Monday May 16, 1960 page 13 (now living in Mannheim, Germany) Steve Thomas

Who were these "Advisors" and what unit was Whitmeyer "advising" in Louisiana? The Monroe News-Star from Monroe, Louisiana · Page 5 March 25, 1955 https://newspaperarchive.com/monroe-news-star-mar-25-1955-p-5/ “Those reserve officers interested in this program are urged to contact Major George L. Whitmeyer at the office of the unit advisor, United States Army Reserve, building T-39-2, Selman Field...: The Monroe News-Star from Monroe, Louisiana · Page 3 September 21, 1955 https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/89404823/ “Vacancies in the high school student draft deferment group still exist in the reserve army, Major George L. Whitmeyer, army reserve advisor, said Wednesday. The Monroe News-Star from Monroe, Louisiana · Page 3 October 23, 1956 https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/84343273/ “Looking on as Capt. Pipes reads his new commission is Major George L. Whitmeyer, unit advisor.” The Mexia Daily News from Mexia, Texas · Page 1 November 7, 1957 https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/11876796/ “Mr. Castorr. who is now a- colonel in the Active Reserve serving as inspector and advisor to the 90th Division in Texas...” From: Brandy: Our Man in Acapulco: “...in December, 1953 he (Brandstetter) and several other officers were attached to different units for the first three months of 1954 assigned as “Inspector/Advisors” " Steve Thomas

Michael, Is there any record of the phone number called, like in the DPD Archives or something? Steve Thomas

Paul, I don't have a service record for Whitmeyer, so I don't know where he was stationed in Germany, but I do have this: The Mexia Daily News from Mexia, Texas · Page 1 November 7, 1957 https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/11876796/ Mexia Man Receives Appointment Earl McKeilh, (center) is pictured with L. Robert Castorr, of Dallas, Southwestern division manager of the National Federation of Independent Business, and Si N. Meadow, district manager of the organization from Austin. “Earl McKeith was coming out of a local bank Tuesday and came face to face with a man who was one of his fellow Army officers in the early thirties. Earl didn't recognize him but L. Robert Castorr, of Dallas, immediately grabbed Earl's arm and said "I know you." Mr. Castorr. who is now a- colonel in the Active Reserve serving as inspector and advisor to the 90th Division in Texas., and Mr. McKeith, a Reserve. Army captain, were first lieutenants when they served with each other in the Second Infantry Division. They last saw each other in 1930. Col. Castorr served with Merrill's Marauders in Burma during World War II.” “Mr. Meadow was accompanied to Mexia by L. Robert Castorr, the Southwestern division manager for the National Federation of Independent Business. Mr. Castorr formerly served in the U. S. Army with Mr. McKeilh.” From: Brandy: Our Man in Acapulco: “...in December, 1953 he (Brandstetter) and several other officers were attached to different units for the first three months of 1954 assigned as “Inspector/Advisors” " Hood County News-Tablet from Granbury, Texas · Page 8 July 8, 1965 https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/57597412/ “Gets Texas National Guard Commission Gary T. Grogan of Rising Star, technician with the local Soil Conservation Service office, received his commission as a second lieutenant in the Texas National Guard in ceremonies at the Municipal'. Auditorium in Austin Saturday evening, June 1). He was awarded his commission at the conclusion of a Texas Officer Candidate School which he attended at Camp Mabry, Texas. He was assigned to the 1st Bn,. 142nd Inf., Brown-wood, Texas, as battalion antitank platoon leader. Presentation of the diplomas was made by Maj. Gen. Thomas S. Bishop, Texas adjutant-general, Major. Gen: .. William. R. Calhoun commanding , general of the Eighth U.S. Army Corps, was the speaker for the evening. Dallas Morning News 11-16-1965 10 Dallas reserve Units Included In Inactivation By Gene Ormsby Fourteen Army Reserve units in Dallas, including 10 in the 90th Infantry Division, are scheduled to be inactivated immediately, Major Gen. William R. Calhoun commander of the Eighth U.S. Army Corps said Monday in Austin. Lt. Col. George L. Whitmeyer, deputy East Texas sector commander said the same units were listed more than a month ago by Defense Secretary Robert S. McNamara as the ones to be disbanded. Were these guys attached to the 90th Infantry Division of the Texas National Guard? Steve Thomas

My thanks to Mark Valenti for pointing this out to me. Is it possible that George Whitmeyer, of the motorcade pilot car fame, might have interacted with or maybe at least have been aware of Lee Harvey Oswald in the mid-1950's in Louisiana trough the Civil Air Patrol? Lee Oswald joined the CAP in New Orleans in 1955. George Whitmeyer was a “unit advisor” to the U.S. Army Reserves in Monroe, LA. at least from 1954 to 1956. By 1955, Captain Whitmeyer has been promoted to Major. The Louisiana National Guard also had a military base at Selman Field. Could their paths have crossed somehow? The Monroe News-Star from Monroe, Louisiana · Page 7 April 13, 1954 https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/90448363/ “Captain George L. Whitmeyer, local project officer for Armed Forces Day, said today that plans are already well advanced for Monroe participation in the annual observance honoring our young men and women in uniform. All veterans’ organizations, civic clubs, and other patriotic groups are invited to take part in the Armed Forces Day program. Representatives of organizations who wish to participate may contact Captain George L. Whitmever at building T-39-2 Selman Field or telephone 9960. In his forma! proclamation designating May 15 as Armed Forces Day in 1954, President Eisenhower said, “I call upon my fellow citizens, not only to display the flag of the United States on Armed Forces Day, but also to manifest their recognition of the sacrifice and devotion to duty of the men and women in the armed forces by attending and participating in the local observances of the day conducted by the armed forces and the civil authorities.” Local activities presently in the planning stage include a parade, open house, air display and participation by local well known former and present members of the armed forces Suggestions for projects which will best demonstrate Monroe's interest in the purposes of Armed Forces Day are welcomed by the project officer. Although coordinated by the department of defense. Armed Forces Day is endorsed and supported by leading national organizations whose cooperation in past years has assured the success of the occasion.” The Monroe News-Star from Monroe, Louisiana · Page 5 March 25, 1955 https://newspaperarchive.com/monroe-news-star-mar-25-1955-p-5/ “Army Aviation Flight Training Men Are Lacking The commanding general, Fourth army, has announced that .there is a critical shortage of applicants for Army aviation flight training which has resulted in serious programming difficulties for the Army aviation program. The scope of the present Army aviation program and the increased emphasis toward combat employment of Army aviation re|quire maximum command support of this vital program. All company grade officers are eligible to participate in this program. The Army primary flight training course is conducted at Gary Air Force base, San Marcos, I I Texas and the Army aviation tactics course at Camp Rucker. Ala. Those reserve officers interested in this program are urged to contact Major George L. Whitmeyer at the office of the unit advisor, United States Army Reserve, building T-39-2, Selman Field, or phone 9960.” The Monroe News-Star from Monroe, Louisiana · Page 3 September 21, 1955 https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/89404823/ “...the opportunity of this type of enlistment throughout the entire United States and Major Whitmeyer states that any young man in the age group would be well advised to explore its possibilities thoroughly. The reserve armory office at Selman field is prepared to answer any inquries relative to the plan, and such inquiry, without obligation, is encouraged. Vacancies in the high school student draft deferment group still exist in the reserve army, Major George L. Whitmeyer, army reserve advisor, said Wednesday. This program, provided for in the new armed forces reserve act of 1955. provides that young men in the age group 17 to 18 years, may enlist in the army reserve and during the eight - year period of their enlistment remain in a draft - deferred status. During the eight - year period, they will be required to serve on active duty for a period of six months instead of the two years required by the draft. This will constitute their entire military obligation during their inlistment, except that they will be required to remain active in the reserve while not on active duty. This six - month perod of duty on active service will also be deferred while the enlistee is satisfactorily pursuing high school studies, is engaged in seasonal employment or until 20 years of age.” The Whitmeyer's were still living in Monroe as of 1956. The Monroe News-Star from Monroe, Louisiana · Page 3 October 23, 1956 https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/84343273/ William F. Pipes, Jr. right, was promoted from first lieutenant to captain in the U. S. Army Reserves at ceremonies Monday night at the USAR training center, Selman Field. Looking on as Capt. Pipes reads his new commission is Major George L. Whitmeyer, unit advisor. (Staff photo by John I. Fogleman.) OBITUARY of Frances Whitmeyer: Whitmeyer, Frances Raby was born February 21, 1922 and passed away April 4, 2009. Frances was born in Athens, Alabama to S.W. and Donna Raby. She graduated from Alabama Women's College in Athens. She moved to New Orleans and worked for the Lykes Steamship Co. and also for the City of New Orleans helping to translate French law into English. She later married George Whitmeyer and they moved to Germany where he was stationed after the war. They moved to Fort Worth in 1961 and then to Dallas in 1963. In his passport application of September 4, 1959 to attend college in Switzerland, Oswald said that intended to travel to Europe on the Grace Lines leaving on September 21, 1959. When he left New Orleans on September 20, 1959, on the SS Maasden, he used the Lykes Shipping Line. Why? Steve Thomas

Evan, And it's not just the witnesses. I've often wondered where the "French gunman on the knoll" stories of William Reymond and Steve Rivelle came from. If you did have a triangle of fire scenario, It's my private opinion, that I can in no way prove, that there was one team on the knoll, and one team in the TSBD/Dal Tex location coming out of the anti-Castro Cuban exiles milieu. If there was a third team on the south knoll, I'm not sure what their background was. If these teams were not acting independently, but, were in fact, put together by the same planners, then the plan to sew confusion by drawing them from different backgrounds was brilliant. Steve Thomas

It seems to me that if you were going to do some shipping of crates from the U.S. to France, an import-export company would be the way to do it. https://ia601209.us.archive.org/7/items/EmployeesOfGuyBannister/Employees of Guy Bannister.pdf page 23 of a 25 page pdf file. Steve Thomas

https://archive.org/stream/EmployeesOfGuyBannister/Employees of Guy Bannister_djvu.txt Full text of "Employees Of Guy Bannister" MEMORANDUM TO FILE January 6, 1966 FROM: F. SEDGEBEER AND C. JONAU SUBJECT: MISS SHIRLEY BASILE, WF 25 Office 527-6559 Home 891-2506 Resides at 2833 St. CharloS/ Apt. 39 Worked part time for Guy Banister from 1960 to 1961, Also an investigator named Joseph Newbrough worked for Banister with Martin. Newbrough spent 5 years in Federal pen for cmbezzelment. Steve Thomas

The information being provided by Boxley on the munitions (from the Houma raid?) being destined for the OAS, was not coming from him based on first-hand knowledge, but as second-hand information possibly coming coming from a Hugh Ward, or Jerry Milton Brooks. This an interesting website that contains info on Hugh Ward https://isgp-studies.com/DL_1964_05_23_Hugh_Ward_Guy_Banister_associate_airplane_crash This website also contains part of a January, 1968 Ramparts article by William Turner on the Garrison investigation that mentions Hugh Ward. In Turner's article, he also talks about the CMC and Permindex. Steve Thomas Steve Thomas

Pvt. Eugene Dinkin wrote a letter to Jacqueline Hess of the HSCA in 1977. In that letter, he said that his Security Clearance was revoked at the time that "Operation Seaflow" messages were beginning to flow over the teletype lines. http://digitalcollections.baylor.edu/utils/getfile/collection/po-arm/id/23494/filename/23490.pdfpage/page/14 Has anyone ever heard of "Operation Seaflow"? Steve Thomas

In his 1977 letter to Hess, Dinkin told Hess that he had Top Secret and Crypto security clearances. See p. 14: http://digitalcollections.baylor.edu/utils/getfile/collection/po-arm/id/23494/filename/23490.pdfpage/page/14 Curiously, in that same passage about not having decoded any "illicit cryptographic" messages, Dinkin also said that his security clearances "were revoked at the time as "Operation Seaflow" messages were going across the teletype lines." I've looked for any references to "Operation Seaflow", and haven't found any. Have you ever heard of that? (I even looked for other spellings like Seafloat, or Seaflo. If you read the accounts of service members in other Ordnance Groups in Germany at the time, like the 57th, or 59th; several of them held Top Security clearances. https://www.usarmygermany.com/Sont.htm?https&&&www.usarmygermany.com/Units/Ordnance/USAREUR_Ordnance%20Troop%20List.htm At this time, I do not doubt that Dinkin did as well. This a very, very interesting web page. It's a brief history of the 71st Ordnance Group: https://www.usarmygermany.com/Sont.htm?https&&&www.usarmygermany.com/Units/Ordnance/USAREUR_Ordnance%20Troop%20List.htm Source: Email from Ed Donohue, 71st Ord Gp/AWSCOM, 1958-62) 1958: "I enjoyed the TDY missions to various NATO installations, First French Army, British units and German units that worked with our U.S. weapons team. We ran convoys for the different units, 583rd (Ord Co) at Dahn, 529th (Ord Co) at Massweiler, 64th (Ord Co) at Fischbach. There were many convoys that year. It was very exciting being part of these convoys. MP teams were used to protect the missions and we were always heavily armed, carrying white phosphorus blocks to protect and if needed destroy secret crypto equipment and documents if we were placed in that position. NSA regulated our activities in regard to classified communications. Steve Thomas

Gene, Thank you so much. I had mistakenly deleted the original email the National Archives had sent me, and it got saved in some kind of temp\users\blah, blah, blah subdirectory. I haven't been able to find it again and have been disconsolate ever since. I didn't know the "Box" in the transcript of this New Orleans Conference was this person Boxley (or Woods). I would say this. In this transcript, "Box" says that, "Dinkin was a cipher clerk for NSA." I'm not sure where he got this. Dinkin claimed to be a "cryptographic operator" with a Top Secret security clearance. Without seeing his service record, I can't know if that was Dinkin's MOS, or Military Occupational Specialty. but The 529th Ordnance Co., as part of the 71st. Ordnance Group, did do nuclear weapons assembly work under the Advanced Weapons Support Command (AWSCOM) which was activated in March, 1959. There were crytographic operators working with those units in the 71st who held Top Secret clearances. His service number starts with RA, which is Regular Army. He wouldn't necessarily have to be with the NSA, or even the ASA (Army Security Agency) to be doing cryptographic work. Thank you again for your help. Steve Thomas

Gene, I'm sorry, that is not ringing a bell for me. "B talked to a Killien boy who provided him with the present whereabouts of the members of DINKIN's unit. Basically, they were military police." This would take you back to the 564th MP Co. in Massweiler that I referenced earleir. https://www.usarmygermany.com/Sont.htm?https&&&www.usarmygermany.com/Units/Ordnance/USAREUR_Ordnance Troop List.htm Steve Thomas

And who was the "man in the car with me that can identify the suspect..." Who did Hill take from the crime scene? Steve Thomas

I have always been intrigued by this entry in the Dallas Police tapes: http://mcadams.posc.mu.edu/dpdtapes/tapes2.htm 1:26 Dispatcher 21 clear. 1:26. 9 (Inspector J.B. Jones) Yes, it will be done immediately. (1:26 p.m.) 550, car 2 (Sgt. G.L. Hill) 500/2. Dispatcher Go ahead. 550/2 (Sgt. G.L. Hill) I'm at Twelfth and Beckley now. Have a man in the car with me that can identify the suspect if anybody gets him. Dispatcher 10-4. If you look at a Google maps page, 12th and Beckley is about two blocks south and 4 blocks west of where Tippit's shooting took place. The last known direction of the suspect at 1:23 PM, was that the suspect was in the 400 block of Jefferson, heading west. What was Hill doing way down there? Steve Thomas

Just as an aside; according to the organizational chart, the 564th MP Co. was subordinate to the 529th Ordnance. I figure if Dinkin got in trouble at Massweiler, the MP's probably would have heard about it. Steve Thomas