Steve Thomas

Ed, In his WC testimony, WC testimony of George Bouhe March 23, 1964 http://jfkassassination.net/russ/testimony/bouhe.htm George Bouhe told the Warren Commission that back in 1962, he thought that Oswald had told him that he (Oswald) had moved into the Carlton boarding house. "Mr. LIEBELER - Do you know where he moved when he checked out of the YMCA? Mr. BOUHE - At some point thereabouts he threw at me when I asked, "Where do you live now?" He gave me, if I recall correctly, a name of the Carlton boarding house on Madison Avenue, but it proved to be wrong." Once upon a time, someone, (and I'm sorry I can't remember who) sent me a clipping from the Want Ad section from one of the Dallas newspapers that showed an room for rent advertisement from Mary Bledsoe's house on Marsalis directly above an ad from the Carlton Boarding House. I've kicked myself because I didn't keep a copy of that Want Ad page. I've wondered if Oswald got the idea to look for places to rent in the Want Ad section of the paper, or if Geprge Bouhe got the idea from there to give to the Warren Commission. Steve Thomas

Doug, The Secret Service version (CD 87) angered a lot of people because the DPD released a version in January, 1974 of the Tapes that they deemed "only relevant to the assassination". That version left out a lot of things such as the 12:45 PM Dispatcher's instructions to Tippit and Ptm. Nelson to move into the Central Oak Cliff area, and the 12:54 PM imstructions to Tippit to remain in Oak Cliff for any emergency that might come in. Memorandum by SS Agent Roger Warner and Elmer Moore dated 12/1/63 These became the SS copy of the Dispatch Tapes found in CD 87 beginning on page 636 and running to page 644. http://jfk.hood.edu/Collection/Weisberg%20Subject%20Index%20Files/J%20Disk/Justice%20Department%20of/Justice%20Department%20of%20JFK-King%20Reinvestigation/Item%2005.pdf Page 5. “On November 29, 1963, SA Warner conferred with Chief Lumpkin, Police Department, relative to reports of Police dispatches covering the arrival of President Kennedy in Dallas, Texas, the subsequent assassination and removal of President Kennedy to Parkland Memorial Hospital. These broadcasts were transmitted on Channel 2 which was an auxiliary channel used by the Police for special occasions. Also Chief Lumpkin provided for transcription on our tape the Police recordings of Channel# 1, the standard Police band which on the date of the Presidential assassination contained the Police broadcasts relative to the capture of Lee Harvey Oswald and the shooting of Police Officer Tippit.” This memo from Warner is on page 339 of CD 87 https://www.maryferrell.org/showDoc.html?docId=10490#relPageId=339&tab=page Steve Thomas

Greg, One quick note. I'm sure you meant to say the witnesses saw the killer run south on Patton and turn right. If he was running north on Patton and turned right, he would be heading east. As far as the different versions of the Dallas Police Dispatch Tapes, this has vexed researchers over the years. It's been a long time since I looked at this, but to my knowledge, there are at least three different versions. Judging from the version you cited, this looks like it came from CD 87 (the Secret Service copy). There are: 1) Secret Service Copy CD 87 Went through Deputy Chief Charles Lumpkin (Dallas Police Department starts at page 637) Commission Document 87 - Secret Service report of 08 Jan 1964 re: Oswald https://www.maryferrell.org/showDoc.html?docId=10490#relPageId=637&tab=page 2) FBI Copy CE 705 Went through Inspector Herbert Sawyer (Starts at page 390) Warren Commission Hearings Volume XVII Current Section: CE 705 - Radio log of channel 1 of the Dallas Police Department for November 22, 1963. .https://www.maryferrell.org/showDoc.html?docId=1134#relPageId=416 The Warren Commission was frustrated by the two earlier versions because the radio callers were not identified, so in July, 1964, they asked the FBI to work with the Dallas Police Department to identify who the various people were. This resulted in CE 1974, found in Volume XXIII of the Commission Exhibits. 3) CE 1974 Warren Commission Hearings, Volume XXIII Current Section: CE 1974 - FBI report dated August 11, 1964, at Dallas, Tex., of transcripts of Dallas police radio transmissions covering ... (starting at page 832) (Commissioned by the Warren Commissio in July, 1964. Identifies the callers) https://www.maryferrell.org/showDoc.html?docId=1139#relPageId=864 The copy I use is Word document copy found on the McAdams web site. I like the Word document copy because I can copy and paste. https://mcadams.posc.mu.edu/dpdtapes/ The Web site says, “The basis for these audio clips is an especially high-quality recording of the Dallas Police transmissions discovered by David Dix in the Minneapolis Public Library. Copies of this tape are available for sale. The transcript of Channel One is based on a transcript edited by Russ Shearer, and the transcript for Channel Two is from Warren Commission Exhibit 1974 (with some minor revisions).” Russ Shearer also did a comprehensive list of all the Police Department's badge numbers that he could identify that I have found useful over the years. I've added to it myself. I would be happy to provide that to anyone who is interested. Steve Thomas

Gil, And just because someone might have been an informant of the FBI, doesn't necessarily mean that that information would be shared with the local police department. Roy Westphal was a member of The Dallas Police Department's Special Service Bureau. He told Larry Sneed in the book, No More Silence: No More Silence https://books.google.com/books?id=7uT-47ysB5MC&pg=PA326&lpg=PA326&dq=Dallas+%22+Roy+Westphal%22&source=bl&ots=eii6yRhLo8&sig=nr0C2_dukxaBfdcQiFnDLg3ugKM&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjt-9Xpi8nRAhVpwFQKHZBBDX0Q6AEIHDAA#v=onepage&q=Dallas%20%22%20Roy%20Westphal%22&f=false page 329 Steve Thomas

Doug, I have always been fascinated by the abrupt change, or insertion, or whatever you want to call it in the flight of the suspect that was broadcast by the Dispatcher that you find in the Dispatch Tapes at around the 1:34 PM mark. Up until that moment, all accounts of the suspect's flight, even as late as 1:32PM, had him running west, either on Jefferson, or in the alley between Jefferson and Tenth. But, all of a sudden, at 1:34 PM. you have this exchange, and I've thought, "What in the world?" https://mcadams.posc.mu.edu/dpdtapes/tapes3.htm 1:34 PM 550 (Sgt. W.R. Westbrook) There's nothing to this Marsalis here. Let's back up to the place where . . . 223 (Ptm. C.T. Walker) 223. 550 (Sgt. W.R. Westbrook) . . . and work to North Jefferson. We've got a witness that seen him go north . . . 223 223. 550 (Sgt. W.R. Westbrook) . . . after . . . shed his jacket. And check from that area towards Tyler. This was repeated by the Dispatcher 10 minutes later at 1:44 PM. 1::44 PM 87 (Ptm. R.C. Nelson) 87. What was the last location anybody had on that suspect out here in Oak Cliff? Dispatcher Running north on Patton. Look who is the source of that flight description. William Westbrook. Did Westbrook talk to Aquila Clemons? Steve Thomas

Gil, It has always intrigued me that the two times Oswald went "missing" in his life, he wound up resurfacing in Oak Cliff. The first was the missing two weeks between October 19-November 3, 1962, and the second time between September 25-October 3, 1963, in the 1963 incident, Ruth Paine allegedly dropped Oswald off in downtown Dallas on October 7th to look for a job and a place to live, He winds up on foot at Mary Bledsoe's place on Marsalis with clothes on hangers hanging on his back. Did he go looking for a job carrying his clothes? Why Oak Cliff? How did he know so much about the neighborhood layout? Steve Thomas

To James DiEugenio: Jim, David Joseph replied to a Thread in the Education Forum entitled, “When was Oswald first ID'd as a government informant? (page 3 of that thread) I think he was replying to Jim Hargrove. back in 2018. https://educationforum.ipbhost.com/topic/24744-when-was-oswald-first-idd-as-a-government-informant/page/3/?tab=comments#comment-373751 “Jim... there's a 2nd page to that report in John's file 3114 Harlendale? “ This would only a couple of doors down from the 3126 Harlendale address where the Dallas Chapter of the SNFC/Alpha 66 people were meeting. Steve Thomas

Stay away from rock concerts. Boardmasters festival: New Delta strain believed to have emerged among 53,000 revellers at Cornwall event https://inews.co.uk/news/health/boardmasters-festival-new-delta-strain-cornwall-event-1172393 “Almost 5,000 infections have been linked to the Boardmasters festival in Cornwall, and with half a million music lovers at even larger events over the Bank Holiday, officials fear revellers are being hit by a new strain of the Delta variant.” “While it is being referred to among hospital staff in Devon and Cornwall as the “festival variant”, it is believed to be a new strain of Delta rather than an entirely new variant. Delta already has around a dozen different strains. “It’s still the Delta variant but they can say it came from the festival, hence why it is being called the ‘festival variant’,” added the official. The South-west peninsula now home to eight of the top ten areas in England with the highest rates of infection. The figures also show that around half of all infections in England are among those under 30, with the highest rate of infection now in the 10 to 19-year-old age bracket.” Kid Rock cancels shows after 'over half' of his band catches COVID-19 in wake of Sturgis performance Bt Matthew Chapman August 30, 2021 https://www.rawstory.com/kid-rock-covid/ Steve Thomas

Greg, I do not want to hijack Jim's article on the FPCC, but I was intrigued by the attire that Masen and the other two guys are wearing in this photo. They look like Army private's caps. In his article, Mark wrote that Masen was "...a captain and received ribbons galore...", but he doesn't say a captain in what. Mark also wrote that, "“He was also a Woodrow Wilson Ranger for two years and attended Camp Dallas for three years) p.26. [Site map of Camp Wolters and Camp Dallas] Portal to Texas History https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth288608/ Description "Map shows original Camp Wolters Texas National Guard camp, Camp Dallas, and roads and facilities of enlarged Camp Wolters; includes segregated area for "colored" infantry regiment.” I could not find any reference to “Woodrow Wilson Ranger” in Google, or The Portal to Texas History. I'm wondering if Masen was in the Texas State Guard Reserve Corps or the Texas National Guard as an ROTC student. Steve Thomas

Wisconsin School District Ditches Free Meals So Students Don’t ‘Become Spoiled’ by Rachel Olding Published Aug. 27, 2021 https://www.thedailybeast.com/waukesha-school-district-ditches-free-meals-so-students-dont-become-spoiled?ref=home?ref=home “In a cruel move that has shocked many parents, the Waukesha School District Board opted earlier this year to end its federally funded program to give free meals to all students. One board member, Karin Rajnicek, said the free, universal program made it too easy for families to “become spoiled” while Darren Clark, the assistant superintendent for business services, worried that families could develop an “addiction” to the service. During the pandemic, the district had signed up for a federal program that funded meals for all students, regardless of economic status, but it has now voted to return to its pre-pandemic program in which students have to apply and receive federal money for meals. About 900 parents and teachers have banded together to oppose the move, calling it insensitive and out of touch.” God forbid the peasants have food. They might get uppity. Steve Thomas

Embattled 'We Build the Wall' group admits they can't pay lawyer after raising millions: report by Tom Boggioni August 27, 2021 https://www.rawstory.com/we-build-the-wall-group/ “According to a report from Fox News 8, the people behind the crowdsourced "We Build the Wall" group who claim on their website that they have pledges for $25 million to build part of Donald Trump's ill-fated border wall along the Texas border are now pleading poverty and claiming they can't pay their attorneys. The group, whose advisory board includes former Trump advisers Steve Bannon and Kris Kobach, as well as wealthy Blackwater founder Eric Prince, has reportedly been stiffing their legal representation, leading McAllen, Texas lawyer David Oliveira to request withdrawing as one of their attorneys." “With the judge granting Oliveria's request and telling Kobach he needs to find new lawyers, the former Trump adviser told the judge, "It might be expensive and few of us have the assets right now to cover a retainer. So we are willing to let counsel step aside but we would like a fairly generous bit of time to find local counsel and also perhaps have a picture of what it involves," only to have Judge Crane admonish him by stating, "This case just keeps getting delayed and delayed; 90 days seems like a long time." "Finding a lawyer I don't think is a big problem. I think finding a lawyer who is willing to risk not getting paid is probably the issue here."” And the grift goes on. The grift goes on. Drums keep pounding a rhythm to the brain.... Steve Thomas

Trump's Border Wall Torn Apart by Arizona Monsoon Rains "Record monsoon rains have blown floodgates off their hinges as Trump's border wall breaks down." By Brian Kahn Sunday 2:10PM https://gizmodo.com/trumps-border-wall-torn-apart-by-arizona-monsoon-rains-1847535174?utm_source=digg “Much of the work was outsourced to private companies that raked in billions, including Southwest Valley Constructors, which did most of the work in Arizona. The company pulled in $2.7 billion in federal contracts and has faced lawsuits from private landowners who claim explosions tied to construction sent “car-sized boulders” onto their land. (There are also multiple OSHA complaints against the company, which is a whole other issue.) The location near San Bernardino Wildlife Refuge is one of a growing number of chinks in the rushed wall. Another section in Texas where levees were destroyed has left hundreds of thousands exposed to catastrophic flooding.” Steve Thomas

Jon Cooper @joncoopertweets 8/22/21 https://twitter.com/MacFarlaneNews/status/1429791281320906753 “I see soon-to-be-dead people.” Steve Thomas

'She failed the country': Fox News host explains why Afghanistan is Jill Biden's fault by David Edwards August 22, 2021 https://www.rawstory.com/rachel-campos-duffy-jill-biden/ If she had been a better wife... Steve Thomas

The Middle East is running out of water, and parts of it are becoming uninhabitable By Frederik Pleitgen, Claudia Otto, Angela Dewan and Mohammed Tawfeeq, CNN Updated 12:08 AM ET, Sun August 22, 2021 https://www.cnn.com/2021/08/22/middleeast/middle-east-climate-water-shortage-iran-urmia-intl/index.html This map shows the most water-stressed areas in the Middle East. The large country in the middle is Iran. To its east is Afghanistan, To its west is Iraq. To its north are the oil-rich Central Asian countries we have been talking about. “The consequences of water becoming even scarcer are dire: Areas could become uninhabitable; tensions over how to share and manage water resources like rivers and lakes could worsen; more political violence could erupt.” Steve Thomas

I don't know where this will go, but I was reading the other day that Afghanistan is sitting on what might be a trillion dollars worth of rare earth minerals, including lithium. The article said that Afghanistan has the world's second largest deposit of lithium after Brazil. I wonder where that is going to leave us in the next decade or two. Steve Thomas

Larry, I was very surprised one day when I was reading a speech by one of the Generals involved in the Algerian Putsch, (I think it was Challe), when he said that the biggest threat in Algeria was the Chinese Communists. Steve Thomas

Paul, That's the thing. The article points out that they all have been. It's the ultimate in political manipulation and crass hypocrisy. Steve Thomas

Larry, That's why I don't think JFK's move to pull out of Vietnam was the raison d'etre for his assassination. Nobody seems to aiming for Joe Biden. Or, has the military/industrial complex milked everything that they think that they can get out of Afghanistan, so it's ok to leave? Or was the threat of world-wide communist domination a bigger threat than world-wide domination by Islamisists? Steve Thomas

This is a very good article: Why anti-vaxx attitudes fit so perfectly with far-right ideology across the globe by Magdi Semrau, Alternet August 21, 2021 https://www.rawstory.com/why-anti-vaxx-attitudes-fit-so-perfectly-with-far-right-ideology-across-the-globe/ “Populist movements characteristically embody the pathos of the masses in opposition to an imagined "elite." The "masses" are, typically, not representative of the public at large, but rather ethnically and culturally homogeneous. Populists are bound together by strong cultural identity and moral superiority and perceive their values as under perceived threat. The populist's opponents—including politicians, academics, scientists, ethnic and religious minorities—are not only corrupt, but actually evil. They are, quite literally, enemies of the people.” “Notice also how, in the United States, Donald Trump and the Republican Party have been actively weaving the threads of populism throughout their own response to the pandemic, from anti-lockdowns, to anti-masking, to anti-vaccines. And they haven't stopped at merely casting doubt on science and inspiring rage towards public health. Trump has declared that those who doubt the vaccine do so because they believe the 2020 election was illegitimate, thus explicitly tying anti-science to political loyalty, as well as to distrust in government, and, indeed, in distrust of democracy itself. Tellingly, this distrust in science extends beyond sowing doubt about vaccines. For example, when Trump was contradicted by scientists about the efficacy of hydroxychloroquine, he dug deeper in his advocacy for the treatment. Now, effective anti-virals have been developed, yet far rightists continue to tout the benefits of hydroxychloroquine, some even claiming it as part of their personal treatment. Thus, as is the case with anti-vaccination, a dubious treatment has itself become a symbol of populist resistance. Hydroxychloroquine, doubted by scientists, is glorified. Vaccination, validated by scientists, is portrayed as a tool of poopoo-esque torture.” Steve Thomas

I think the Taliban may be getting a little nervous. There's an old adage in history; it's one thing to take a country, it's another thing to hold it. You need bureaucrats and worker bees to make the trains run on time, and they see all these Afghans fleeing the country. Who's going to be left to collect the taxes and pay the bills? Somber mood as Taliban are back at Friday prayers by Agence France-Presse August 20, 2021 https://www.rawstory.com/sombre-mood-as-taliban-are-back-at-friday-prayers/ “At mosques across the capital the overarching theme appeared to be an appeal for Afghans to give the new regime a chance: instead of fleeing the country, help rebuild it, was the message.” Steve Thomas

U.S.-made weapons seized by Taliban could lead to regional arms bazaar By PAUL MCLEARY and LEE HUDSON 08/19/2021 https://www.politico.com/news/2021/08/19/us-weapons-seized-taliban-506313 “In brokering the surrender of entire Afghan army divisions over the past week, the Taliban took control of billions worth of American-made weapons and equipment, including small arms, Humvees, pickup trucks, aircraft and drones. In the chaos of the moment, however, it’s unclear to U.S. officials how much equipment the Taliban has seized and how much sits unattended on bases and small combat outposts across the country. That uncertainty over the status of a massive arsenal is sparking fears of a regional arms bazaar that could be a boon to terrorist groups and insurgents. “What we are seeing now is these weapons, which have ended up in the hands of the Taliban, will probably circulate in the region for many decades to come,” said Nils Duquet, Flemish Peace Institute interim director. “At the moment, they’re very instrumental [because] if you want to control territory, you need small arms.” The images that have spread across the world over the past week of Taliban fighters posing in front of captured helicopters and light attack aircraft have allowed the group to further humiliate the former Afghan and American governments. But these images don’t concern longtime extremism watchers as much as the proliferation of guns, bullets and grenades. “I have full confidence that some of this equipment is going to end up in the hands of al Qaeda and other bad actors, it's inevitable,” said Colin Clarke, director of policy and research at The Soufan Group. “This is not going to just end with the Taliban.” Steve Thomas

Ohio Republican Senate Josh Mandel on Wednesday called for increased gun ownership as a response to the "tyranny" of mask mandates. Mandel made the remarks during an interview on Real America's Voice. https://www.rawstory.com/josh-mandel-second-amendment/ "We need to have constitutional carry where patriots can carry a weapon anywhere," he said. "At the end of the day, the Second Amendment is about combatting tyranny from the government. We've got tyranny coming out of the White House with Biden. But we also have tyranny coming out of governor's mansions like right here in Ohio where this squishy establishment Mike DeWine is trying to push mask mandates and vaccine passports on the people." Mandel added: "And that's why we have to arm up." Shades of the American Civil War. Why isn't this man in jail? Steve Thomas

Jessica, Congratulations on your research. You did a lot of work. What do you think the 1950 business is all about? He enlists on July 18th and is discharged on August 5th? What is that all about? Steve Thomas

Joe, Back in 2006, Lee Forman wrote, "I think if anything else is to be learned here it will not be through Elisabeth, with whom I have lost contact, and believe she may have been re-incarcerated due to the shenanigans associated with her fleecing." https://educationforum.ipbhost.com/topic/5746-elizabeth-cole-prior-knowledge/page/2/ Steve Thomas