Steve Thomas

David, Thanks. http://cuban-exile.com/doc_326-350/doc0326.html FAIRHOPE, ALA: By Apr 63 Alpha-66 office in. [R-759-2-161] ADD: 457 OAK STREET [R-759-3-25] May 63 [R-759-3-55] CD 1020 p. 14. https://www.maryferrell.org/showDoc.html?docId=11416#relPageId=16&tab=page "He (Jim Buchanan, brother of Jerry Buchanan) advised that Jerry Buchanan would be available for a few days following the day of interview (April 30, 1964) at 457 Oak St. Fairhope, Alabama, the residence of Craig Sheldon, whom he described as Chairman of the International Anti-Communist Brigade in Alabama." CD 1020 p. 13 https://www.maryferrell.org/showDoc.html?docId=11416#relPageId=15&tab=page Allegedly, Jerry Buchanan and Oswald get into a fight on a dock when Oswald insists on boarding a boat headed out on anti-Castro (bombing?) mission to Cuba. Steve Thomas

David, Cuban Information Archives: http://cuban-exile.com/doc_326-350/doc0326.html ALPHA-66 (Alfa 66) Chronology & Background May 1962 to Nov 1964 FAIRHOPE, ALA: By Apr 63 Alpha-66 office in. [R-759-2-161] ADD: 457 OAK STREET [R-759-3-25] May 63 [R-759-3-55] Steve Thomas

David, Was that last paragraph about Alpha 66 in your post your own words, or was that in the magazine's article? Who is Hawkins? Steve Thomas

From Mary Ferrells's Database: https://www.maryferrell.org/php/marysdb.php?id=1499 BRINGUIER, CARLOS JOSE (DR.) New Orleans head of Anti-Castro Cuban Student Directorate. 201-289248. Got into a scuffle with Oswald in Aug. 1963 when Oswald was passing out FPCC literature. CIA Memo (502, P. 3) admits past contacts with Bringuier and Clay Shaw. SSCIA Dwyer & Greissing interviewed Bringuier 1/12/76 (MMF 1761-1763) (Address in 2003: 16865 J B Ln, Fairhope, AL 36532-6243 334 928-4741 Wife? Michele NO, this is his son's address and phone. Carlos, Sr., lives across street from son and his phone number is 251 990-5976. Now, I'd really like to see that letter. Steve Thomas

Fairhope's significance seems to revolve around the claims by a Jerry Buchanan that he was in a fight with Lee Harvey Oswald in October, 1962 in Miami and that Oswald was distributing FPCC literature in Miami in March, 1963. At the time, Buchanan was living with a Craig Sheldon, who Frank Sturgis said was the Southeastern Director of the International Anti-Communist Brigade. (Just my own thoughts, It's possible that Oswald was trying to infiltrate this group the same way he tried in New Orleans with the DRE and Carlos Bringuer.) FBI Report of SA Joseph T. Boston dated March 30, 1964 Interview of Jerry Buchanan of Fairhope, AL. https://www.maryferrell.org/showDoc.html?docId=1142&relPageId=460&search=Fairhope Buchanan's group, the International Anti-Communist Brigade (of Frank Sturgis fame), had a fight with members of the Fair Play for Cuba Committee in the Bay Front Park section of Miami, FL. In October, 1962. Police broke up the fight. Buchanan said Oswald was there. Also recalled that Oswald was in Miami, FL in March, 1963 distributing literature. Buchanan was living with Craig Sheldon in Fairhope. CD 1020 https://www.maryferrell.org/showDoc.html?docId=11416#relPageId=3&tab=page See CD 1020 page 19 for info on this group's activities: https://www.maryferrell.org/showDoc.html?docId=11416&search=Fairhope#relPageId=21&tab=page See FBI Report of SA Allison A. Catlin dated June 25, 1964. https://www.maryferrell.org/showDoc.html?docId=75614&search=Fairhope#relPageId=3&tab=page Interview of Craig Sheldon. In December, 1962, Sheldon traveled to Puerto Rico, where he met with Bay of Pigs veterans and was raising money for Alpha 66. Sheldon says he is in “regular correspondence” with Antonio Veciana. Copy of Fairhope Courier article January 2, 1963: https://www.maryferrell.org/showDoc.html?docId=75614&relPageId=4&search=Fairhope Steve Thomas

Ron, This is just to help set the scenario. It looks like the City Police took Marina and the kids to City Hall. The County Sheriff's took most of the evidence and Michael Paine. PS: As far as the Rambler? No, it wasn't hers. WC testimony of Richard Stovall: http://mcadams.posc.mu.edu/russ/testimony/stovall.htm “Mr. BALL. Did a Mrs. Randle come in the house also? Mr. STOVALL. No. sir; she didn't. While we were loading this stuff into our car and into the sheriff's deputy's car, we were on the outside,...” WC testimony of John Adamcik: http://mcadams.posc.mu.edu/russ/testimony/adamcik.htm Mr. ADAMCIK. By then we went ahead and took these people and put them in a car. I think Mrs. Oswald took both the children. Mrs. Paine got a neighbor to keep her children, and Mrs. Oswald and her two children were put in our car, the city police car, and Mrs. Paine also went with us, and Michael Paine, Mrs. Paine's husband, went with the county officer, and we proceeded to go to the city police station. Deputy Sheriff Harry Weatherford's Report: http://mcadams.posc.mu.edu/russ/testimony/weatherf.htm “We then loaded all of our findings into our car and brought them and Mr. Michael Payne, taking him and findings to the Dallas Police Station to the Homicide Division.” J.L. Oxford Deputy Sheriff's Report: http://mcadams.posc.mu.edu/russ/testimony/oxford1.htm “We also found about 7 metal boxes which contained pamphlets and literature from abroad. Also, there were cameras and film found. All of this was brought to the City Hall along with Mr. and Mrs. Paine and Mrs. Oswald. The children were also brought along.” WC testimony of Guy Rose: http://mcadams.posc.mu.edu/russ/testimony/rose_g.htm “Mr. BALL. You brought Ruth Paine and Marina down to the police department, did you? Mr. ROSE. Yes; we took Ruth Paine and Marina and Marina's two children in our car and also the blanket--I carried it.” Steve Thomas

Paul, I asked, " If indeed Oswald attempted to insert himself into Cuban affairs,... do you think that that decision was made before he left for New Orleans in April, or after he got there? And you answered, "I would say before, and that might be a good explanation why he went there." Do you think the Walker shooting scenario was a cover story? Or was that a coincidence that happened at the same time? I personally think the Walker shooting was a sham staged by Walker himself to launch him into the Texas gubernatorial race, but that's just me. It's hard for me to envision Marina being strong enough or forceful enough to convince Lee to get out of Dallas. I think that Oswald's job at Jaggars-Chiles-Stovall ended April 6th. His work in Dallas was done. It was time to relocate him. Steve Thomas

Ron, Didn't Ruth drive to New Orleans and pack up all their things (like the rifle supposedly?) in a station wagon and move them back to Irving? Steve Thomas

Ron, I've never put to much stock in this. As I read through Purdue Lawrence's WC testimony, I think got a better picture of the delineation of the motorcade's security assignments. http://mcadams.posc.mu.edu/russ/testimony/lawrence.htm Since this was a City of Dallas event, and would come under the City of Dallas umbrella, I can envision Fritz telling Decker, "You can relax. We got this." I don't know if it was a "stand down" order by Decker, so much as a "Don't get in the way. The City boys got this covered." order. If the Deputies were told to go out front and show your support for the President, and some of them didn't like that very much, I can see that too. There are some Presidents I would not like to show support for too. Steve Thomas

David, Thanks. That explains how they got there. I wondered. It seems like you are saying that the last two items in Stovall's Exhibit A https://www.maryferrell.org/showDoc.html?docId=1138#relPageId=620&tab=page a) an envelope from Ruth to Marina dated July 22nd; and, b ) a letter to Marina from Fairhope, AL. are separate. Who would be writing Marina from Fairhope, AL? Have you ever seen this letter? In his "Recollections", Fitzgerald said he was studying Russian, and that Marina only knew enough English to answer "yes" or "no" to questions. He said that Mrs. Murret could only communicate to Marina through him. He also said that it seemed to him that Marina only had enough education to put her at the high school graduate level; which to me would seem to be more at the level of a pharmacy assistant as opposed to a full fledged pharmacist. The Alpha-66 angle is weird. Steve Thomas

Recollections of Robert Fitzpatrick (25H924) CE 2549 CD 24 pp. 1-17 https://www.maryferrell.org/showDoc.html?docId=1141#relPageId=954 Lee, Marina and daughter June came to Mobile on Saturday, July 27, 1963. Recollections of Robert Fitzpatrick (25H924) CE 2549 CD 24 pp. 1-17 https://www.maryferrell.org/showDoc.html?docId=1141#relPageId=954 Lee, Marina and daughter June came to Mobile on Saturday, July 27, 1963. Fitzgerald has conversations with Marina. Marina tell Fitzpatrick that “she has no living relatives in Russia and that Oswald is away from home a great deal.” (25H925) Mary Ferrells's Chronologies: https://www.maryferrell.org/showDoc.html?docId=40391#relPageId=19&tab=page “The Oswald go to Mobile with the Murrets about noon. Oswald's cousin, Joyce Murret O'Brien and her two children go along. July 26, 1963 The visitor's register at the Atomic Energy Museum in Oak Ridge, Tenn is signed by a “Lee H. Oswald, USSR, Dallas Rd. Dallas, TX.” https://www.maryferrell.org/showDoc.html?docId=40391#relPageId=18&tab=page FBI determines this is not in the handwriting of Lee Harvey Oswald. Steve Thomas

http://www.whokilledjfk.net/oswald4.htm Lee Oswald’s Speech in Alabama Oswald’s Speech and the JFK Assassination In July 1963, Lee Harvey Oswald was living in New Orleans. His cousin, Eugene Murret, was attending the Jesuit House of Studies at Spring Hill College, a couple of hours’ drive away in Mobile, Alabama. Murret asked Oswald to visit the college and give a talk about his experiences of the Soviet system. Oswald’s notes for his speech are given below, followed by an account of the speech assembled by another student, Robert Fitzpatrick. Stovall Exhibit A (21H596) https://www.maryferrell.org/showDoc.html?docId=1138#relPageId=620&tab=page The last two entries on that list are a letter from Ruth Paine to Marina. The envelope is postmarked July 22, 1963 from Fairhope, AL. Does anyone know the date of Oswald's talk? Do you know how he got there? Did Lee and Ruth Paine meet while he was there? Does anyone know what that letter from Ruth to Marina said? Steve Thomas

Paul, If indeed Oswald attempted to insert himself into Cuban affairs, either through divine inspiration or whether he was acting as an agent for someone else (like the FBI), do you think that that decision was made before he left for New Orleans in April, or after he got there? Steve Thomas

Jack Ruby by John Armstrong http://harveyandlee.net/Ruby/Ruby.html “Four Dallas deputy constables (fully empowered peace county-wide jurisdiction) inspected a box containing documents that linked Ruby and Oswald. Deputies Billy J. Preston, Ben Cash, and John Callaghan reported they had seen a motel near New Orleans with Ruby and Oswald's names dated several weeks before the assassination of President Kennedy. They said the receipts showed several phone calls had been placed to Mexico, to numbers identified as the Cuban and Russian embassies. The supervisor (Robie Love), personally turned the box over to Dallas DA Henry Wade, and the box disappeared.” Posted by Bill Kelly in the Education Forum 2/17/2008 http://educationforum.ipbhost.com/topic/12270-dallas-county-das-office-finds-cache-of-jfk-memorabilia/ "AND FROM GARY BUEL'S BLOG: So just how much truth was there to the National Enquirer story quoted yesterday? Deputy Billy J. Preston and some of his associates also spoke to the Dallas Morning News in 1976. I don't have a copy of this article but found this on the web: On March 28, 1976, the Dallas *Morning News* ran an unusual story when four Dallas deputy constables decided to come forward to relate something that had been bothering them for a very long time. Shortly after the assassination the four had examined a box of handwritten notes and assorted other papers in the Dallas County Courthouse, a number of which apparently linked Oswald and Ruby. Deputy Billy Preston, Constable Robie Love, and deputy constables Mike Callahan and Ben Cash all recalled that this box had come from the apartment of a Dallas woman. Preston said, "She was really scared because she had all that stuff. She wanted me to pick it up for her. And I just wished I had made some more copies now." The men couldn't for the life of them remember the name of the woman, except Preston thought her first name was Mary. He recalled that the papers were apparently written by Lee Harvey Oswald. Ben Cash disagreed, recalling that the woman had a live-in "Latin American" boyfriend, and Cash thought the papers had been his. He told reporter Earl Golz that ". . . he mentioned Ruby and he mentioned Oswald in the writings. He didn't mention the third party but he kept referring to a third party. And the third party would have to be him." According to Preston and Love, the box was turned over to Dallas DA Henry Wade in late 1963 or early 1964; Wade told the Morning News that he had no recollection of such a box of papers The deputies tried to recall some of the box's contents. They named newspaper clippings from Mexico; a photocopy of a *Daily Worker* presscard issued to Jack Ruby; a motel receipt from early November 1963 withboth Ruby and Oswald's name on it, as well as references to phone callsmade to Mexico City; papers mapping out a landing strip in Mexico; references to meetings with some kind of "agents" in McAllen and Laredo, Texas (near the Mexico border); a church brochure with handwritten notations concerning a trip to Cuba; and a handwritten note detailing a plan to assassinate President Kennedy during the dedication of a lake or dam in Wisconsin. No one has seen hide nor hair of this mysterious box full of papers since the deputies transferred custody of it." See: Commission Document 385 - FBI Gemberling Report of 11 Feb 1964 re: Oswald https://www.maryferrell.org/showDoc.html?docId=10786&search=%22Mary_Sims%22#relPageId=204&tab=page pp. 199+ On 1/28/64 Billy Preston said he received 33 documents including one 2X4” spiral bound notebook from Mary Sims. (page 200). Irregardless of whether the documents were true or not, it's the fact that they disappeared that's troubling. Steve Thomas

Paul, Saying "Cuban sympathizers" is not the same thing as saying, "Castro supporters". The anti-Castro exiles were Cuban sympathizers too. Perhaps those files were of anti-Castro exiles and what they were up to. Steve Thomas

I've found at least three cases where the testimony of County Sheriff's Deputies seem to be at odds with the testimony of the Dallas City Police: 1) The people who discover the rifle on the sixth floor of the TSBD; Weitzman, Boone, Craig, etc. declare the rifle to be, or believe it to be a Mauser. They are sent back to work and the crime scene is taken over by the DPD. The rifle is determined to be a Mannlicher-Carcano. 2) In the search of the garage at the Paine residence, Sheriff's Deputies find small metal boxes containing the names and activities of Cuban sympathizers. The evidence seized at the residence is turned over to the Dallas Police. The evidence listed in Stovall's Exhibit A in vol. XXI of the WC Hearings contains no such boxes. 3) Sherrif's Deputies search the cars in the parking lot behind the grassy knoll. The list of license plates disappear. Makes me wonder. Steve Thomas

Officer Buddy Walthers, Deputy Sheriff, Dallas County Sheriff's Office 11/22/63 “Sheriff Decker then ordered me, together with Deputy Harry Weatherford and Deputy J. L. Oxford to go to a house at 25115 West 5th Street in Irving, Texas...” FROM: HARRY WEATHERFORD, Deputy Sheriff 11/23/63 “I stayed with Mrs. Oswald and Mrs. Payne while the rest of the men searched the house. They found some literature on Cuban Freedom affairs and some small files...” http://mcadams.posc.mu.edu/russ/testimony/weatherf.htm DEPUTY J. L. OXFORD, Dallas County Sheriff's Department. 11/23/63 “We also found about 7 metal boxes which contained pamphlets and literature from abroad.” http://mcadams.posc.mu.edu/russ/testimony/oxford1.htm Steve Thomas

Paz, Sorry about that. Steve Thomas

Paul, It would have been nice to know what those "activities" were. Buddy Walthers – Sheriff's Report. http://mcadams.posc.mu.edu/russ/testimony/walther1.htm “Upon searching this house we found stacks of hand bills concerning "Cuba for Freedom" advertising, seeking publicity and support for Cuba. Also found was a set of metal file cabinets containing records that appeared to be names and activities of Cuban sympathizers.” WC testimony: http://mcadams.posc.mu.edu/russ/testimony/walthers.htm “We were just--not actually knowing what we were looking for, just searching, and we went into the garage there and found this--I believe it was one of these things like soap comes in, a big pasteboard barrel and it had a lot of these little leaflets in it, "Freedom for Cuba" and they were gold color with black printing on them...and then we found some little metal file cabinets---I don't know what kind you would call them---they would carry an 8 by 10 folder, all right, but with a single handle on top of it and the handle moves. Mr. LIEBELER. About how many of them would you think there were? Mr. WALTHERS. There were six or seven, I believe, and I put them all in the trunk of my car ” Steve Thomas

Pat, Can you talk about that a little bit? Steve Thomas

David, Yeah, and did you notice the "Honest John" headline too? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MGR-1_Honest_John "The MGR-1 Honest John rocket was the first nuclear-capable surface-to-surface rocket in the United States arsenal. " The Cloverleaf Exercises trained with Honest Johns. The Irving Daily News Texan from Irving, Texas May 10, 1966 Page 3 https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/48695616/ Green Door Mystery Solved By Nat. Guard Two Texas National Guard divisions, the 49th Armored Division -- which has a unit in Irving and the 36th Infantry, both learned what was behind the "green door" in Houston this weekend. But mum is the word. The green door just happened to be the color scheme of barracks at Ellington Air Force Base at Houston where one of the U. S. Army’s largest map maneuvers — Exercise Cloverleaf — was field under tight security precautions to train more than 1,000 staff officers and key enlisted men of the National Guard and Army Reserve from a five - state area. The three - day "paper- war" problem, conducted over two weekend periods, provided a realistic command post exercise for both of Texas* National Guard divisions, with the theoretical tactical problems giving commanders and their staffs training in mobile, dispersed operations under conditions of extensive nuclear warfare. Steve Thomas

Pat, I know. If I understand that right, going through the State Archives would cost you $20.00 to find out what issue that article is in, and another $8.00 for a photocopy of the article. The following is obviously a typographical error, but it made me laugh. http://www.topix.com/city/welch-wv "Welch, West Virginia is located in McDowell County. Zip codes in Welch, WV include 24801. The median home price in Welch is $10 which is roughly $10/per square foot. More Welch information. " :-) The population of Welch was 2,406 people in the last census. Steve Thomas

HL, Files, like pictures seem to fall off the grid on this forum after a period of time. I think it has to do with storage space. I don't think James Richards is involved in JFK research any more. Steve Thomas

Jim, Welch Daily News Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/pages/Welch-Daily-News/162972673726414 Location 125 Wyoming St, Welch, West Virginia 24801 Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Welch_News Published in McDowell County, West Va. "While the official company name remains "The Welch Daily News, Inc.", the front-page nameplate masthead was shortened to The Welch News when the publication schedule was reduced from five days per week (Monday through Friday) to its current schedule of three days per week (Monday, Wednesday and Friday). The Welch News and its sister publication, The Industrial News, a weekly newspaper in Iaeger, West Virgina, are the only newspapers published in McDowell County. The Welch News has been operating in the same location on Wyoming Street in Welch since it was established in 1927." West Virginia Division of Culture and History http://www.wvculture.org/history/newspapers/mcdowell.html West Virginia State Archives: http://www.wvculture.org/history/newspapers/mcdowell.html Newspapers on Microfilm The Welch Daily News October 1943-present Research Requests and Fees Photocopying is done by the Library staff within the limits of the Copyright Law and the condition of the material. The standard fee for regular and legal size black and white photocopies is 25 cents per page; 11" x 17" copies cost 50 cents. Oversize document copies require additional fees Research Requests Effective November 15, 2017 A non-refundable fee of $20.00 must accompany each out-of-state research request. The fee covers up to $2.50 in copies and postage. Additional costs will be billed. There is a $10.00 research fee for in-state patron requests. A fee of $8.00 must accompany each out-of-state copy request for a copy of an obituary, newspaper article, land grant, or uncertified county record or state certificate as defined in § 82-6-6.2. There is a $5.00 fee for an in-state copy request. See Archives and History Library Services and Fee Guidelines for complete information. The Archives will not answer e-mail research requests. All research requests must be submitted in writing to the Archives and History Library; 1900 Kanawha Boulevard East, Building 9; Charleston, WV 25305-0300. Current fees are subject to change. A listing of all Library fees is available upon request. The Library staff is unable to do more than limited research through correspondence. Inquiries must be limited to two SPECIFIC requests. Inquiries should provide full name, county of residence, approximate dates and documents requested. For example, "Send me anything on the Smith family" is not a serviceable request. Requests requiring more extensive research will be sent names of individuals who perform this service for a fee. The Archives Library is located in the Culture Center at the State Capitol Complex in Charleston (GPS coordinates: 38° 20'15"N 81° 36'50"W). To visit, take Exit 99 (State Capitol/Greenbrier St.) of Interstate 64/77. Steve Thomas

David, Jose Antonio Echiverria. Any relation to the Homer Echiverria of the Chicago Plot fame? Steve Thomas