Steve Thomas

I suspect now that the un-named Colonel was retired Colonel, Robert L. Castorr - who was "stirring up" anti Castro Cubans (via Fr. McChannn and Lucille Connell) and gun running into Cuba (via Nancy Perrin Rich). To believe that he might be involved with Loren Hall and Hemming wouldn't be a stretch. Steve Thomas

David, Thank you. I appreciate that. Those hsca segregated cia collections are something aren't they? It makes you wonder how well Lester Logue and Jack Crichton knew each other, seeing as how they were in the same business. It's a shame the Colonel and the Major who were in the Reserves weren't named. I wonder what Whitmeyer did after the pilot car got to Parkland. In his after-action report, Lumpkin wrote that he, Senkel and Turner returned downtown to the TSBD. I wonder what Whitmeyer did. I had read that his wife owned an antiques store across the street from the Trade Mart. Maybe he had her come and pick him up. And isn't it interesting that out of all the policemen at the TSBD, it was Lumpkin who Truly told that Oswald was missing. Jack Revill and W.F. Dyson were in charge of the search team sweeping the floors. I wonder why Truly chose Lumpkin. He said that Lumpkin was standing a few feet away and was giving instructions of some kind to.to other officers. I went back and looked at Truly's WC testimony. He seemed to know who Chief Lumpkin was, but couldn't remember Marion Baker's name. "So Mr. Campbell is standing there, and I said, "I have a boy over here missing. I don't know whether to report it or not." Because I had another one or two out then. I didn't know whether they were all there or not." Mr. BELIN. Did you ask for the name and addresses of any other employees who might have been missing? Mr. TRULY. No, sir. Mr. BELIN. Why didn't you ask for any other employees? Mr. TRULY. That is the only one that I could be certain right then was missing. Interesting. Steve Thomas Steve Thomas

The Monroe News-Star from Monroe, Louisiana · Page 13 March 15, 1954 https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/90445615/ George L. Whitmeyer, whose wife, Frances Whitmeyer, resides here at 217 Pargoud Drive, has recently completed a 17-week Associate Infantry Office Advanced Course in Fort Benning, Ga., which is given to company and field grade officers to enable them to return to their units with a more thorough understanding of their command positions. Whitmeyer, in service for 12 years, has served in Hawaii, Europe, Korea, and Japan, and been awarded the Silver Star, Bronze Star, Purple Heart and the Combat Infantry Badge. Steve Thomas

David, Could be. I have to admit I don't know anything about his background. Steve Thomas

In various places, George L. Whitmeyer has been identified as: deputy East Texas sector commander East Texas Section Commander of the Army Reserve U.S. Army, Dallas Sub-section Commander. I would contend that there is no such thing. If you do a google search, using these search terms, the only place you find entries for this search string is in reference to the JFK assassination. These designations just don't fit in the official military chain of command. In his wife, Frances' obituary, it says that she married George Whitmeyer after meeting him in Louisiana, 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. I do not know his status in the Reserves after he came back from Germany. As far as Crichton “forming his own spy unit” consisting of 100 men, with half of them being Dallas Police Officers and him reporting to Whitmeyer, I have been in contact with a former commanding officer of an actual Army Reserve Military Intelligence Detachment, and asked him about these designations. He wrote me back and said, "I'm still puzzled by the title "Deputy East Texas Sector Commander." It just doesn't fit in the scenarios I've been used to, which is why I suspect this unit was not a Guard unit but a Texas State Militia Reserve unit." Texas Adjutant General's Department: An Inventory of Texas State Guard/Texas Defense Guard/Texas State Guard Reserve Corps Records at the Texas State Archives, 1938-1983, undated (bulk 1941-1945) http://www.lib.utexas.edu/taro/tslac/30026/tsl-30026.html “When the Texas National Guard was demobilized in 1947, the 50th Legislature (by Senate Bill 361) created the Texas State Guard Reserve Corps (TSGRC), to provide a reservoir of military strength for use by the state in time of national or state emergency, when any part of the Texas National Guard was called into federal service. When so activated, this Texas State Guard Reserve Corps would function as the Texas State Guard (TSG). The Governor of Texas appointed a Commanding General for the Texas State Guard Reserve Corps, to be supervised by the Adjutant General of Texas. Initially the state was divided into twelve districts, each with a colonel as regimental commander. In January 1958, the TSGRC was reorganized as follows: an Active Reserve, a Ready Reserve, an Inactive Reserve, an Enlisted Reserve, an Honorary Reserve, a Provost Marshal Section, and an ROTC-NDCC [Reserve Officer Training Corps-National Defense Cadet Corps] Group. As the most important component, the Active Reserve was composed of a Corps Headquarters, one Corps Radio Unit, six Defense Group Headquarters, six Defense Group Radio Units, 30 Internal Security Battalions (about half of them strictly cadre units with officer personnel only), and 12 Radio and Rescue Detachments, with a total authorized strength of 10,000 officers and enlisted men.” This is an interesting little tidbit I happened to run across. I do not want to imply that the people referred to are in any way related to the topic in question. It's just interesting. Read the last paragraph on page 3 of this FBI Miami Field Office letterhead memo. https://www.maryferrell.org/showDoc.html?docId=136328#relPageId=1&tab=page Steve Thomas

George, For me, it was his speech at American University on June 10, 1963. It was a stab in the heart to the military-industrial complex. Steve Thomas

Inaugural address: Trump's full speech http://www.cnn.com/2017/01/20/politics/trump-inaugural-address/ Today's ceremony, however, has very special meaning. Because today we are not merely transferring power from one administration to another, or from one party to another -- but we are transferring power from Washington, D.C. and giving it back to you, the American People. For too long, a small group in our nation's Capital has reaped the rewards of government while the people have borne the cost. Washington flourished -- but the people did not share in its wealth. The establishment protected itself, but not the citizens of our country. Their victories have not been your victories; their triumphs have not been your triumphs; and while they celebrated in our nation's capital, there was little to celebrate for struggling families all across our land. That all changes -- starting right here, and right now, because this moment is your moment: it belongs to you. What truly matters is not which party controls our government, but whether our government is controlled by the people. January 20th 2017, will be remembered as the day the people became the rulers of this nation again. The forgotten men and women of our country will be forgotten no longer. Everyone is listening to you now. You came by the tens of millions to become part of a historic movement the likes of which the world has never seen before. We are one nation -- and their pain is our pain. Their dreams are our dreams; and their success will be our success. We share one heart, one home, and one glorious destiny. I will fight for you with every breath in my body -- and I will never, ever let you down. Your voice, your hopes, and your dreams will define our American destiny. And your courage and goodness and love will forever guide us along the way. Together, We will make America strong again. We will make wealthy again. We will make America proud again. We will make America safe again. Eva Peron. Speech to the Descamisados on October 17, 1951 https://www.marxists.org/history/argentina/peron/1951/speech.htm I have a sacred debt to Peron and all of you, to the workers, to the boys of the CGT, to the descamisados and the people. And it doesn’t matter to me if I have to leave shred of my life along the way in order to repay it. I will never cease repaying you and would give my life in gratitude for how good you have always been and are with me. I will not tell you the usual lies: I won’t tell you that I don’t deserve this. Yes, I deserve this, my general. I deserve it for one thing alone, which is worth more than all the gold in the world: I deserve it for all I've done for the love of this people. I'm not important because of what I've done; I'm not important because of what I've renounced; I'm not important because of what I am or have. I have only one thing that matters, and I have it in my heart. It sets my soul aflame, it wounds my flesh and burns in my sinews: it’s love for this people and for Perón. I gave you thanks, my general, for having taught me to know and love them. If this people asked me for my life I would joyfully give it, for the happiness of one descamisado is worth more than my entire life. And I had to come to thank all of you, my beloved descamisados from all corners of the fatherland for being willing to risk your lives for Perón. I was certain that you knew – as did I – how to serve as Perón’s entrenchment. The enemies of the people, of Perón and the Fatherland, have also long known that Perón and Eva Perón are ready to die for this people. Now they also know that the people are ready to die for Perón. Compañeros, I ask just one thing today: that all of us publicly vow to defend Perón and to fight for him until death. And our oath will be shouted for a minute so that our cry can reach the last corner of the earth: Our lives for Peron! Let the enemies of the people, of Perón and the Fatherland come. I have never been afraid of them because I have always believed in the people. I have always believed in my beloved descamisados... I know that God is with us because he is with the humble and despises the arrogance of the oligarchy. This is why victory will be ours. We will achieve it sooner or later, whatever the cost, whoever may fall. Steve Thomas

Lately, I'm beginning to suspect that this 488th and Whitmeyer and Crichton might be buried in the Texas Military Department and the National Guard. One of the reasons I suspect that, is how Whitmeyer is identified in several places: DMN 11-16-1965 " Lt. Col. George L. Whitmeyer, deputy East Texas sector commander said the same units were listed more than a month ago..." Whitmeyer is referred to in combined Batchelor, Lumpkin, and Stevenson, report to Curry as, “ Lt. Colonel George Whitmeyer, U.S. Army, Dallas Sub-section Commander.” DPD Archives Box 14, Folder# 14, Item# 10 p. 20. http://jfk.ci.dallas.tx.us/box14.htm On April 22, 1964 Police Chief, Jesse Curry told the Warren Commission, “I had Deputy Chief Lumpkin, and he had two Secret Service men with him, I believe, out of Washington, and a Colonel Wiedemeyer who is the East Texas Section Commander of the Army Reserve in the area, he was with him. Testimony of Jesse Curry. Warren Commission Hearings and Exhibits, volume IV, p. 170, as cited in the History Matters Archive, http://history-matte..._Vol4_0089b.htm There is no reference in these citations to XXX Regiment, or YYY Division, or ZZZ Army. These references do not appear to be legitimate military command structure references. https://tmd.texas.gov/ The Texas Military Department is composed of the three branches of the military in the state of Texas. These branches are the Texas Army National Guard, the Texas Air National Guard, and the Texas State Guard. All three branches are administered by the state Adjutant General, an appointee of the Governor of Texas, and fall under the command of the Governor. One possible avenue of research might be here: Texas Adjutant General's Department: An Inventory of Texas State Guard/Texas Defense Guard/Texas State Guard Reserve Corps Records at the Texas State Archives, 1938-1983, undated (bulk 1941-1945) http://www.lib.utexas.edu/taro/tslac/30026/tsl-30026.html Steve Thomas

In that combined Batchelor, Lumpkin, Stevenson after-action report, he was referred to as, “ Lt. Colonel George Whitmeyer, U.S. Army, Dallas Sub-section Commander.” (whatever the $%^&* that means.) Steve Thomas

Why wasn't a search warrant executed on 605 Elsbeth St.? Though that list of employees is dated 11/22/63, in Westphal's interview with Larry Sneed in No More Silence, he talks about going home, and then returning to DPD Headquarters to generate the list for Gannaway. So, I'm not sure what time of the evening that list was actually typed up. Revill told the WC that he generated his memo to Curry about meeting Hosty within 30 minutes of having met Hosty at 2:50 in the afternoon. Revill's memo uses the 605 Elsbeth St. address for LHO. If the 605 Elsbeth St. address came off a library card, and Oswald was arrested around 1:50 PM and arrived at Police Headquarters at 2:00 PM, and Fritz began questioning Oswald at 2:20 PM; Police were dispatched to the Irving St. address at 2:30 PM They were dispatched to the Beckley St. address at 2:40 PM Why weren't they dispatched to and a search warrant executed on 605 Elsbeth? Steve Thomas

Paul, The significance of 3610 N. Beckley on Oswald's application for P.O. Box 6225 might relate to Gary Taylor's WC testimony that he thought Oswald was living at the Coz-I-Eight apartments who's address was 1306 N. Beckley during two weeks of October 19 - November 3, 1962 when Oswald went "missing". The Sheriff's Deputies called Decker about the number in Ruth Paine's address book and asked him to run a criss-cross. I don't remember right now if he did it, or he called the DPD and asked them to run it. Steve Thomas

Paul, Thank you. Yes, I have. Basically, with respect to the 488th, I wanted to start from scratch because the more I looked at it, the more tangled it seems to get. I hope to lay this out a little while later, but for instance, depending on who you read, Whitmeyer was either: a Lieutenant Colonel or a Colonel He was in charge of all the Reserve Units in either East Texas, or North Texas or he was a deputy sub-section commander ( forget the wording right now. It's in Batchelor's and Stevenson's combined report to Curry) Crichton was his boss, or Whitmeyer was Crichton's boss. Cricton started his own spy unit made up of 100 men, however, Military Intelligence Detachments were real units of the US Army Reserve System and 90% of them were composed of 9 men. See what I mean? Steve Thomas

From the 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. So, it's conceivable that this is the same Major Whitmeyer that is referenced in the The Monroe News-Star from Monroe, Louisiana · Page 3 September 21, 1955 "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 enlistment, except that they will be required to remain active in the reserve while not on active duty. This six - month period 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." Steve Thomas

Does anyone know of a Whitmeyer connection to Louisiana? I'm picking up references to a Major George L. Whitmeyer as a Reserve local area unit advisor in Monroe, LA in the 1955 - 57 time frame. Steve Thomas

Alistair, Essentially, I agree with you, although it's hard for me to understand how CE 2003 could have been put together before Carr sent the DPD Case Files to the WC in January. On the pages of this version,(of Fritz's Interrogation summary in CD 81) as well as the version in Appendix XI of the WR, a notation has been added to the bottom of each indicating the page references in the Dallas Police Department's Case File. For example, on the bottom of page 8 (of Fritz's Interrogation summary in CD 81) it reads, “I 137D”. On the bottom of Page 8 in Box 15 of the DPD Archives, it just reads, “137-D”. The pages in Box 1 do not have these notations, indicating to me that the draft in Box 1 was done before the Case File was put together. The Case File was arranged alphabetically, and Interviews and Interrogations were put in the “I” chapter. Affidavits were put in the “A” Chapter, Case Reports were filed in the “C” Chapter, etc. Just scroll down and click through the Index tabs in Box 6. As to who added the I, in front of the page numbers in CE 2003 and CD 81, I don't know. Steve Thomas

Alistair, I don't know when CE 2003 was prepared, but it appears to be a copy of CD 81. CD 81 is the DPD Case file that was turned over to the Warren Commission by the Attorney General of Texas, Waggoner Carr in January, 1964. (CD 81). If you compare CE 2003 p. 268 to CD 81 p. 460 https://www.maryferrell.org/showDoc.html?docId=1140#relPageId=286&tab=page https://www.maryferrell.org/showDoc.html?docId=10483#relPageId=460&tab=page they read line by line, word for word, although CE 2003 is a much cleaner copy and looks like it was done on a different typewriter. If there was a change to the copy that's in the DPD Archives, that change had to have been done after the case file went to the Attorney General's Office, and then on to the WC. Whoever made those changes had access to the police department files, but not the documents that were in the hands of the Federal or State authorities. I personally believe that the reason you only find one place where Brennan is added to the police record of the lineup that you find in Box 6, Folder# 1, Item# 73 is because Sorrells was preparing his testimony to the WC in May of 1964 and called Fritz about Brennan being in a lineup. as Fritz said, "We didn't have him in our records". The DPD wouldn't, because it wasn't a police lineup. It was a Sorrels' lineup. That's just my personal belief. Steve Thomas

Lance, I can't answer that, but I do know that an attempt was made to alter the Dallas Police Department records in some respects. You can see this reflected with respect to whether or not an interrogation of Oswald took place at 12:35 on Saturday the 23rd. Compare Fritz's version in CE 2003 and Appendix XI of the Warren Report with the DPD version in Box's 5 and 15. Someone went into the DPD Archives after the Warren Report and its 26 volumes of the Hearings and Exhibits were published and tried to change them. CE 2003 p. 268&269 https://www.maryferrell.org/showDoc.html?docId=1140#relPageId=286&tab=page Warren Report Appendix XI p. 607&608 https://www.maryferrell.org/showDoc.html?docId=946#relPageId=631&tab=page DPD Archives Box 5, Folder# 3, Item# 3 pp. 9&10 http://jfk.ci.dallas.tx.us/box5.htm DPD Archives, Box 15, Folder# 1, Item# 111 pp. 9&10 http://jfk.ci.dallas.tx.us/box15.htm As to who did this and why, I can't say. Steve Thomas

David, I was relying on Dhority and Brown's after action reports in the DPD Archives Box 3, Folder# 5, Item# 11 and Box 3, Folder# 3, Folder# 6, Item# 5 http://jfk.ci.dallas.tx.us/box3.htm Steve Thomas

Aidstair, Just out of curiosity, I looked at the timing of the affidavits and the lineups the other day. Not that's it's germane to the question here, but in the Davis sisters' case, that's the only time I could find, where their affidavits were taken after their lineup. With all of the other lineup witnesses, their affidavits were taken before their lineups. Steve Thomas

Alistair, I agree with you that the Davis sisters were brought in to view a lineup in respect to what they saw regarding Officer Tippit getting shot. After that I believe they were ushered out. There wouldn't haven't been any reason for them to stay. I believe that you think Brennan was brought in while they were still in the room, but I think you are forgetting what Sorrels told the WC, " He (Fritz) said, "I wish he would have been here a little sooner, we just got through with a lineup. But we will get another fixed up."" Steve Thomas

You will see references to MID (Military Intelligence Detachment) or MID(S) (Military Intelligence Detachment Strategic), or STRATMID (Strategic Military Intelligence Detachment). The name would change depending on the time frame you are researching, as the name would periodically change. To the best of my understanding, these were Army Reserve intelligence units. For a better understanding of MID see: Reforming Military Intelligence Reserve Components 1995 - 2005 by Colonel Thomas R. Cagley http://www.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a233391.pdf and Army Regulation 135-382 Army National Guard and Army Reserve Reserve Component Military Intelligence Units and Personnel 19 October 1992 https://fas.org/irp/doddir/army/ar135-382.htm 5.0 Military Intelligence Detachments (Strategic) (MID(S)) Steve Thomas

It was suggested that Brennan appears in Box 15, Folder# 2, Item# 63 of the DPD Archives. Brennan does not appear in this citation. http://jfk.ci.dallas.tx.us/box15.htm If Howard Brennan did participate in a lineup at Dallas Police Headquarters, 1) Who were the "suspects" that were shown to the witness or witnesses? 2) Who were the police that were with the suspects? 3) Who were the witnesses? 4) Who were the police and/or others who were with the witness and/or witnesses? 1) The only "suspect" that I can find that was questioned was Don Ables, and when he testified to the WC, he was not asked, nor did he volunteer any information about a lineup at which Brennan was a witness. Is anyone aware of an FBI interview with Don Ables or Ellis Brazwell where they asked them about a Brennan lineup? 2) No police who accompanied the suspects at the 7:55 PM Davis sisters' lineup reports or testifies that he was at a Brennan lineup. 3) Neither of the Davis sisters testified that Brennan was at a lineup with them. The closes thing I can come to here is when Barbara Davis told the WC that: Mr. BALL. Were you shown a group of people in the police station and asked if you could identify the man? Mrs. DAVIS. Yes. Mr. BALL. Were you alone in that room when you were shown these people? Mrs. DAVIS. No, sir. Mr. BALL. Who was with you? Mrs. DAVIS. My husband, my sister-in-law was with me, and some other men. Mr. BALL. That is your husband Troy, your sister-in-law Virginia Davis, and yourself, and other men? Mrs. DAVIS. Yes. Mr. BALL. Did you know those men? Mrs. DAVIS. No, sir. Mr. BALL. Were police officers there? Mrs. DAVIS. They were all in suits, some sat at the back of the room. 4) None of the police who were with the Davis sisters reported or testified that they attended a lineup where Howard Brennan was a witness. Only Brennan, Forrest Sorrels and perhaps Winston Lawson testified that they were there. So, who was there at Brennan's lineup? I am not suggesting that Brennan was not at "a" lineup. What I am suggesting is that if he was at a lineup, it was not the lineup the Davis sisters were at. What he may or may not have said at such a lineup has been a debate for more than 50 years now. Just as an aside, and this is not germane to the question at hand, I found it curious what Barbara Davis had to say about the man who cut across her lawn, maybe seven to eight steps, 20-25 feet away at 10th and Patton: Mr. BALL. Was he dressed the same in the lineup as he was when you saw him running across the lawn? Mrs. DAVIS. All except he didn't have a black coat on when I saw him in the lineup. Mr. BALL. Did he have a coat on when you saw him? Mrs. DAVIS. Yes, sir. Mr. BALL. What color coat? Mrs. DAVIS. A dark coat. Mr. BALL. I have a jacket, I would like to show you, which is Commission Exhibit No. 162. Does this look anything like the jacket that the man had on that was going across your lawn? Mrs. DAVIS. No, sir. Mr. BALL. How is it different? Mrs. DAVIS. Well, it was dark and to me it looked like it was maybe a wool fabric, it looked sort of rough. Like more of a sporting jacket. Mr. BALL. And the color of his clothes? Mrs. DAVIS. Well, I said he had on--he looked to me that he had on dark trousers, and it looked like a light colored shirt, with a dark coat over it. *Shrug*. I don't know. It was just curious to me. Steve Thomas

David, You see, that's my problem with Brennan. Suspecting, at the time, that there might be a "plot to shoot the President involving several people", and feeling then and still feeling when he testified to the WC that it was a "communist activity", he didn't hesitate to finger these two "colored" guys. It never crossed his mind that these two might be part of the "plot"? Was it because Oswald was the "shooter", or was it because these guys were "colored"? There were people on the next floor down, which is the fifth floor, colored guys. In particular, I only remember two that I identified. Mr. BELIN. Now, I believe you said that after the last shot you jumped off this masonry structure on which you were sitting. Why did you jump off? Mr. BRENNAN. Well, it occurred to me that there might be more than one person, that it was a plot which could mean several people, and I knew beyond reasonable doubt that there were going to be bullets flying from every direction. Mr. BRENNAN. And I immediately identified these two boys to the officers and Mr. Sorrels as being on the fifth floor. Mr. BRENNAN. Spoke to Mr. Sorrels, and told him that those were the two colored boys that was on the fifth floor, or on the next floor underneath the man that fired the gun. Representative FORD. You positively identified them? Mr. BRENNAN. I did, at that time. Mr. BELIN. Is there anything else now up to the time you got down to the Dallas Police Station? Mr. BRENNAN. Well, nothing except that up until that time, through my entire life, I could never remember what a colored person looked like if he got out of my sight. And I always thought that if I had to identify a colored person I could not. But by coincidence that one time I did recognize those two boys. Mr. BRENNAN. I believe at that time, and I still believe it was a Communist activity, and I felt like there hadn't been more than one eyewitness, and if it got to be a known fact that I was an eyewitness, my family or I, either one, might not be safe. Steve Thomas

I think he testified that he watched the presidential limo until it got about 50 yards from the TSBD, and then looked up. BTW, have you ever read the second and third sessions of his WC appearance? http://jfkassassination.net/russ/wit.htm That's the most bewildering thing I ever saw. Mr. BRENNAN. I saw two but I can't identify which one it was. Mr. BELIN. Could it have been neither one of these persons that you saw? Mr. BRENNAN. I think it was one of them. I think it was this boy on the end. Mr. BELIN. You thought it was Mr. Norman. And what about Mr. Jarman? Mr. BRENNAN. I believe it was him, too. Am I right or wrong? Mr. BALL. I don't know. Steve Thomas