Ron Ecker

Gerry Patrick Hemming has stated (at the 1996 November in Dallas conference) that Goodell was among those, including Hemming himself, who "should have been arrested in the immediate aftermath of the assassination." When these arrests did not occur, Hemming said, they knew there was a cover-up. Is there anything at all about Goodell that would make him a suspect? It seems odd that if Goodell was a conspirator, he would be calling for a joint Senate-House investigation of the crime.

I thought JFK had a good idea about what to do with the CIA, if he actually did say he wanted to "scatter it to the winds." But I'm sure that if we got rid of the CIA, we'd have a hard time getting by with only 14 other intelligence agencies.

1. The large exit wound in the right rear of JFK’s head, as seen by witnesses at both Parkland and Bethesda, clear evidence of a frontal shot. 2. At least one shot heard, with accompanying smoke seen, from the grassy knoll. 3. Lee Harvey Oswald (take your pick of reasons here, e.g. could not have pulled off the shooting feat ascribed to him, could not have gotten to where Baker found him on the second floor in time, denied killing Kennedy though he presumably did it to be somebody, had obvious U.S. intelligence connections through the nature of his defection to Russia and return, etc.) . 4. A sham autopsy (inexperienced prosectors assigned to the duty, two brains used per the ARRB’s Doug Horne, faked photos, evidence of pre-autopsy body alteration). 5. The Warren Commission whitewash; there should have been nothing to hide, omit, or ignore if Oswald did it as claimed.

Al, Aren't you describing a military covert operation? I have no doubt that a hit planned and carried out by the military would go down exactly as you say. But there is plenty of evidence that this was not a military operation in Dallas. The military's direct role in all this could be basically confined to cleaning up afterwards with a sham autopsy back in Washington. There is evidence that the ambush in Dallas may have been carried out by anti-Castro Cuban exiles, managed by CIA operatives, and there was some sloppy shooting involved. There is also photographic evidence that some operatives connected to the CIA and anti-Castro Cubans were there to see it, if they weren't directly involved, from a street corner, as ill advised as it may seem. They wanted to be there and have suffered no consequences for it, nor did they expect any, because they knew the government would protect them and they had nothing to fear. There is little doubt in my mind that the black man seen with a rifle in a TSBD window was a Cuban shooter (probably Herminio Diaz Garcia), not a sniper from any branch of the military. There is little doubt in my mind that the black man on the sidewalk who held up a fist or hand as the limo went by was a Cuban and not a military man, and if not simply a signaler may have been a potential walk-up shooter. It made sense to use Cubans in this killing if the intent was to blame Cubans (that is, Castro) for it, for an invasion of Cuba. Any Cuban shooter, if killed or captured (and eliminated a la Oswald) was a potential patsy who could be tied to Castro as a double agent or whatever. In sum, I think the shooting differed from a military operation such as you describe because it was not a military operation. It was carried out by some fearless Cubans and arrogant rogue federal agents who took all the risks, with the military and powers that be having to step in and cover up in a rather haphazard fashion when Oswald got taken alive and a lone nut scenario was put into effect. Ron

The John Hurt whom Oswald tried to call was John David Hurt, who was in U.S. Army Counter Intelligence from 1942 to 1945. http://groverproctor.us/jfk/jfk-hurtbio.html

I have seen excerpts from Hall's testimony quoted in forums, but have been unable to find his complete testimony anywhere on the web. Is it available anywhere? Ron

The surname is spelled Gabaldin in the only book reference I've found (Cover-Up by J. Gary Shaw, p. 164). Is that the correct spelling, or is it Gabaldon?

Larry, According to Peter Dale Scott, Lumpkin was a member of the Army Intelligence Reserve. (Deep Politics, p. 274) Ron

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Maybe Heymann is referring to suppression of reports by Ford's Rockefeller Commission. If the commission suppressed such reports, was Ford that closely involved? In any case, if what Heymann says is true, it's mystifying that Ford's admission escaped everyone's notice except Heymann's. For Heymann not to cite some source for his statement is pretty shoddy work.

I rest my case on the photo comparison posted by James. So there's an age difference. In the book there's a photo of a sculpture by Gibson of what Rogers would supposedly look like in 1992 at the age of 69. Even assuming that it's accurate, it still doesn't look like Frenchy. I should still believe Gibson because she's the expert? As Richard Pryor once said, "Who are you going to believe, me or your lying eyes?"

Gary Mack has referred me to the signed statement that Braden made at the sheriff’s office, at the following link: http://www.history-matters.com/archive/jfk...Vol19_0244a.htm As I told Gary, I find Braden’s story hard to swallow. I don't believe that Braden just happened to be walking down Elm at the time of the shooting (or was just coincidentally in the vicinity of the RFK hit 5 years later), listened to some folks talk about the shooting in the plaza, and then went into Dal-Tex to look for a phone. This gangster was at the plaza to play some role in the assassination. And I don't think he or anyone else involved, after all the planning that went into it, would then have to go searching haphazardly for a phone somewhere, instead of going on about his business, which would be to leave Dealey Plaza. I therefore suspect that his walking around in the plaza first and then going into the building to look for a phone is a cover story for the fact that he was in the building all along, which is why he got arrested. And the man in the plaza with the hat would therefore not be Braden, though there may be some resemblance. But of course there's no way to prove it.

The main flaw I recall in that book is the identification of the tramp Frenchy as Charles Rogers. There is no resemblance between the two men. (That is also a flaw in Chauncey Holt's story.) And before Wim brings up Lois Gibson, she has no credibility, despite her credentials, when she says Rogers is Frenchy. She must have had her reasons for saying that. I don't know her and have no idea what they were, but they had nothing to do with the human form as seen by two human eyes.

It would be nice if Hemming would come on the forum and at least tell us more about Orr. (Or whatever.)

Wim, Why would they walk him out to the plaza instead of putting him into a squad car? Or was the idea to parade him around like the "tramps"? On Holt, has it occurred to you that maybe Chauncey saw a photo of a guy in the plaza wearing a "cowboy hat," and he decided that was going to be Jim Braden in his story? Ron

A used merchandise dealer in Hialeah named Teodosio Bahadue was charged with del Valle's murder, but the charges were dropped before trial in 1969. A sworn statement by Bahadue to detectives is on the Cuban Information Archives website. When the detectives asked Bahadue who killed del Valle, he said, "Who knows? That's a question of sixty-four thousand dollars." Del Valle worked on commission for Bahadue, but the statement implies that de Valle kept the $7,000 that one Manuel Azzam paid for two central air conditioners, which Bahadue subsequently couldn't deliver. Azzam forced Bahadue to write two checks for the money while holding a gun to his head. This was apparently not the only money that Bahadue lost because of dell Valle. Bahadue told the detectives that one rumor he had heard was that de Valle was killed "because he cheated revolutionary (sic) of Haiti; he was very close to Masferrer; I believe he (Masferrer) was convicted of revolutionary (sic) against Duvalier." This is referring to the planned invasion of Haiti that was led by Masferrer in 1966 (with the idea of using Haiti as a base to invade Cuba), and which was aborted when Masferrer and others were arrested for conspiring to violate the Neutrality Act. Is del Valle being accused here of cheating Masferrer some way? It's not clear. In any case, there seems to have been an effort to blame del Valle's murder on a money dispute or something about Masferrer's Haiti invasion and not on del Valle's alleged involvement in the assassination. http://www.cuban-exile.com/doc_051-075/doc0070.html Ron

Jim Braden was arrested in or outside the Dal-Tex Building, and was taken in for questioning. He was therefore not walking around in the plaza.

So he was in two places at once? Is it your theory that while Jim Braden was under arrest, Eugene Hale Brading was free to walk around the plaza? Ron

James, In the photo above of Cuesta with his wife, he looks like the man photographed in Dealey Plaza after the shooting who's wearing the hat with the fancy hatband. Often said to be Jim Braden, but Braden was under arrest at the time. I don't have the photo or I'd post it. Ron

One thing that struck me as odd in Rowland's testimony, although I guess it's not important, is that he said he was familiar with the Texas School Book Depository Building because he had been there on occasion to purchase books. I thought the building was strictly for book storage. It has never been my impression that someone could walk in and buy a book. But that's what Rowland said that he did, after Specter for some reason asked him if he was familiar with the building prior to 11/22. Mr. ROWLAND - That is Houston, Elm running in front of this building. This is the school book depository building. Mr. SPECTER - Were you familiar with that building prior to November 22, 1963? Mr. ROWLAND - Yes; I have been in there on occasion. Mr. SPECTER - You have been in the building? Mr. ROWLAND - Yes, to purchase books. Mr. SPECTER - When were you in the building most recently prior to November 22, 1963? Mr. ROWLAND - Within the first week of November. This was to buy a physics notebook. Mr. SPECTER - What part of the building were you in at that time? Mr. ROWLAND - Just inside the door of the main lobby.

It was actually Lansdale's right shoulder that drooped. And he did apparently have a unique gait. Here are some photos for comparison:

Wim, What if Files (or a non-existent twin) was in Chicago at the time of the assassination? I don't think you've covered that issue. Ron

John, What was Eugene Hale Brading aka Jim Braden doing in the Dal-Tex Building, acting suspiciously enough to get arrested? He may have been doing some menial job, but he was right there at the scene of the crime. Why did the Mafia-connected local gangster Jack Ruby make unusual phone calls, in the days leading up to the assassination, to Hoffa and Marcello lieutenants in Chicago and New Orleans, as well as to long-lost friend McWillie etc? Who ordered Ruby to eliminate Oswald, in broad daylight if necessary? Only someone with total control over him could give such an order. Dallas was in Marcello's territory. JFK was different for a couple of reasons. One, he had been dealing with the Mafia, in particular Giancana, even sleeping with the don's girlfriend, while Bobby was trying to put them all in jail. JFK brought himself down to their level, and the Kennedys were being unbelievably two-faced. Second, there was no danger of political reprisal against the Mafia for participating in the assassination, because they had already been working with the people involved, it was a covert government operation. The Mafia knew it was safe. On the contrary his brother was on a crusade against organized crime. Bobby had Marcello virtually kidnapped, taking him out of the country and dumping him in Guatemala. Marcello wanted vengeance bad, and would hardly pass up a chance to help the government get rid of John and Bobby. And when Oswald needed to be offed, it looks like Marcello took care of it. The Mafia had no power to cover up the conspiracy. That was up to the government. But Mafia had the means, motives, and opportunity to participate in the killing. It was already in league with the CIA in assassination plots, gun running, and what-not. The details of the Dallas hit, in terms of who was given what assignments among CIA, Mafia, and right-wing operatives, Cuban exiles, corrupt cops, etc., we'll probably never know. It was no small conspiracy, and there is evidence that even people who may not have directly participated went to Dallas just to be there. Ron

I don't understand exactly what SS agent Rybka was trying to do at Love Field (or Clint Hill, for that matter, on the other side) that caused Rybka to be left behind. Was Rybka running beside the limo with the intent of then falling back to get on the running board of the follow-up car (and was ordered to fall back immediately), or was he running with the intent of soon getting onto the rear of the presidential limo as it picked up speed, or was he running with the intent of running beside the limo all the way to the Trade Mart?

I think for the same reason that George H.W. Bush wanted to be Reagan's Vice President. Two months after taking office, Reagan was shot. By a lone nut, of course. I recall that LBJ made some kind of remark, before JFK's death, about how many presidents never lived to complete their terms. Does anyone recall that exactly? While many researchers don't seem to think that LBJ was in on the conspiracy, but only involved in the cover-up, there was nothing about him to make one think he would not lead a conspiracy himself. By all accounts, LBJ was about as low as you can get.