John Butler

Thanks Mark, I want to commend you again on your exhaustive, detailed work on your motorcade presentation. Unfortunately, I disagree on a few things. People do that by interpreting things differently. This is the way I interpret what Lee Bowers said. Like most Dealey Plaza witnesses, I believe he said different things at different times. This is most likely from pressure from the FBI and other authorities. I think he wanted to tell the truth, but was not allowed to. His wife thought this desire to talk got him killed after being told he was talking to much. As far as I am concerned I think all the railroad workers interviewed by Mark Lane had a script from their bosses. Did they lie? Yes, and I can prove it. This was to point away from any involvement of the railroad companies being involved in the assassination. As far as possible their story would affirm the official story except for the Triple Underpass. Mark Lane was as happy as a tick on a fat dog. He had witnesses that were saying the shooting was coming from the Grassy Knoll, in other words a conspiracy. And, others were happy that the shooting was directed to another place than the Triple Underpass. Sadly, he didn't check his witnesses stories as carefully as one might. There is a well known argument call the Train Game saying there was not a train on the Triple Underpass as the P. limo entered the intersection and turned unto Elm Street. Others say there was. I point to this photo from the tower. You can't see Elm Street except for that small window pointed to by the red arrow. Ray Mitcham surmised this just from the lay of the land. This photo is fairly modern and vegetation may have grown since 1963. I think this would be pretty much the same as '63. I forgot to mention this, but I am using your witness list to re-check witness statements. I have found, I believe, 3 new witnesses to add to my list of witnesses who said they heard shooting when the p. limo was in front of the TSBD and the intersection. The number is up to 57 and I am in the C's in you list.

Thanks Robert, You make many good points on a train in Dealey Plaza. "And President Kennedy is murdered right under some Union Pacific Railroad cars?" This is a bitter argument that is called the Train Game. I call it the Ghost Train of Dealey Plaza. Most people deny that there was a train on the tracks during the assassination. The two policemen on the tracks eventually said there was a train there. Officer White first off and Officer Foster said so later after denying a train was there. I have no reason to not believe what they said. This comes from a Chauncy Holt video. Chauncey Holt said he was ordered onto the train in a box car after the shooting. (I think he was there from the beginning) He knew there was explosives in the car and he was praying they, the unknown they, would not blow it up and make a patsy of him and two others in his team. There's a photo of Chauncy Holt, Bill Shelley, and Oswald in New Orleans. I call it the 3 patsy photo because of this. This video came just before Holt died and he knew he was dying of cancer, I believe. I got the impression he was confessing to being in that boxcar on the train that was on the Triple Underpass during the assassination. I got the impression he was one of the shooters. He didn't say it or vaguely imply it. But, Holt was a career criminal who would never make an admission of guilt for a chargeable offense. He did imply that early on he was an assassin for the crime bosses.

Mark, I agree with your first graphic, but not so much with the second. If you read his WC testimony he mentions not being able to see the p. limo behind a decorative, masonary wall directly after mentioning being able to see the p. limo after the turn onto Houston Street from Main. This testimony and other testimony puts the action on Houston Street, the intersection, and in front of the TSBD. The next part of his testimony is fairly clear even though I feel he is trying to obfuscate what he is saying. Ron Bulman had a great comment:

Thanks Pete, I agree. But, it is also important to know what he knew of the presidential motorcade at the moment of the assassination.

Thanks Ron, You make good points. I understand what he saw in the parking lot is very important. It is unfortunate that nothing came of it. That story has been gone over several times and that was not the thing I was looking for when I first read Lee Bower's testimony. I was interested in if he saw where the p. limo was when he heard shooting. I missed it entirely. His Warren Commission testimony is a bit suspicious in not mentioning Houston Street, Elm Street, and the intersection in any clear way. I am assembling a list of witnesses who saw the p. limo in the intersection and in front of the TSBD when they heard shooting. He will become number 57 on the list based on this testimony. Ray Mitcham hit on a good point that Mark Tyler is now pointing to. Here's a new photo suggesting this is what Lee Bower could see of the TSBD, the intersection, and Elm Street.

Paul, I'm not a great record keeper and I am constantly battling where is that thing I'm looking for. Once I'm through looking at other things. I want to look at Oswalds time in Dallas and whether he was running safe houses for someone.

Thanks James, I built my timeline of the marine service of the Oswalds from Harvey and Lee material, (lots of docs)Jim Hargrove's valuable advice and material, David Josephs timeline (which is invaluable) and Tracy Parnells excellent timeline ( from a single Oswald perspective). It has the things you mention. I built my timeline of the Oswalds marine service so I could speculate on certain things generated by this material. This was so I could explore certain areas. For instance in the new writeup of the military service of the Oswalds there is this "While HARVEY Oswald and Allen Felde were in basic training and infantry training, Private First Class LEE Oswald was a radio communicator at the jet base in El Toro. It appears that LEE Oswald never went thru boot camp or infantry training, but was a Private 1st class assigned to the jet base at El Toro, CA." They stopped at this point due to not have any other evidence to explain this bizarre finding and had to make this conclusion. I would have speculated further. I would have speculated since Lee Oswald left the Marine Corps in March, 1959 he joined at age 16 somewhere around March, 1956 for a 3 year tour. Lee Harvey Oswald could not have been discharged twice from military service. But, Lee could and Harvey could at different times. There is the Steve Landesberg's story of Lee Oswald and he at Camp Lejeune (last time I wrote this I said Parris Island) in the summer of 1956. If Lee Oswald managed to join the Marines in New Orleans on a second try, then he would have been sent to Parris Island for training. He was rejected on his first try as too young. The records for Lee Oswald prior to Oct. 24, 1959 could have been seized by the ONI or CIA people and haven't been seen since. Training at Parris Island and other places before the fall of 1956 could explain why he was at El Toro in aircraft maintenance and repair as a PFC in the fall of 1956. To be working in maintenance and repair he would have to had trained for that earlier. Basically, this would be 2 months for basic training, two months for combat training, and another possible two month or so for repair training. And, then Lee Oswald disappears in March, 1959 and appears months later, perhaps at the Mercer farm for a hunting photo. I dispute this. I don't think it is Lee in that photo. But, it could be in Sept. 1959 if Robert Oswald's memory is bad. The caption on the photo reads the event occurred in Feb., 1959. The next occurrence of Lee is when his cousin, Marilyn Murret, tells John Pic in Japan Lee is in Europe. Then the next appearance is in Nov. 1960 with a Mr. Filian in a safe house in Miami. Lee's time is very mysterious after March, 1959. There are months of unaccounted for time.

Thanks Ray, Thanks Kathy, What Lee Bower could see and not see? This is made fairly clear in Bower’s April 2, 1964 WC testimony: …“Mr. BALL - Were you in a position where you could see the corner of Elm and Houston from the tower? Mr. BOWERS - No; I could not see the corner of Elm and Houston. I could see the corner of Main and Houston as they came down and turned on, then I couldn't see it for about half a block, and after they passed the corner of Elm and Houston the car came in sight again. Mr. BALL - You saw the President's car coming out the Houston Street from Main, did you? Mr. BOWERS - Yes; I saw that. Mr. BALL - Then you lost sight of it? Mr. BOWERS - Right. For a moment. Mr. BALL - Then you saw it again where? Mr. BOWERS - It came in sight after it had turned the corner of Elm and Houston. Mr. BALL - Did you hear anything? Mr. BOWERS - I heard three shots. One, then a slight pause, then two very close together. Also reverberation from the shots. Mr. BELIN - And were you able to form an opinion as to the source of the sound or what direction it came from, I mean? Mr. BOWERS - The sounds came either from up against the School Depository Building or near the mouth of the triple underpass. Mr. BALL - Were you able to tell which? Mr. BOWERS - No; I could not.”... And, …”Mr. BALL - When you heard the sound, which way were you looking? Mr. BOWERS - At the moment I heard the sound, I was looking directly towards the area---at the moment of the first shot, as close as my recollection serves, the car was out of sight behind this decorative masonry wall in the area. Mr. BALL - And when you heard the second and third shot, could you see the car? Mr. BOWERS - No; at the moment of the shots, I could---I do not think that it was in sight. It came in sight immediately following the last shot.” Based on what Lee Bowers said I drew these lines to indicate what he could see. From Lee Bower’s tower one cannot see in front of the TSBD. And, it is difficult to see vehicles on Houston Street due to the decorative, retaining wall of the Arcade. From what Lee Bower said in his WC testimony then the p. limo was on Houston Street hidden behind the decorative, retaining wall of the Arcade for the first shot. The next two shots occurred when the limousine was behind the TSBD and out of sight. The p. limo must have come out from behind the TSBD after the last two shots. My drawing is incorrect as deduced by Ray Mitcham. Kathy’s photo is pretty vague. I think I can see the Federal Annex, the white building on the left. Ray’s comment on not being able to see Elm Street seems to be good. Here's a better copy perhaps: There's a very narrow window which he perhaps could have seen Elm Street where the arrow points. Ray's right you can't see anything on Elm Street pass that point. So, if Bowers saw the p. limo just after the shooting it must have been over to the left just as the p. limo left the cover of the TSBD.

TAD or TDY or TDS is all the same. It's temporary duty at a different location. Usually when TDS (Temporary Duty Station) orders are cut there is a term of temporary service set such as 90 days or some specified time. The TAD on the order movement is actually a smoking gun. It means that Harvey Oswald was on temporary duty and would be on that temporary duty for about a month or more from Aug. 29th when the orders were cut, to begin at Sept. 14 on the Skagit in Yokosuka, Japan to his eventual return to his duty station which occurred probably in mid October. The orders could be read as if the duty station was El Toro and the new location is Japan to catch the Skagit on Sept. 14, 1958 for forward movement to the South China Sea. A date from the timeline says Harvey was back in California by Oct. 29: October 29, 1958: According to Harvey and Lee, “Marine Corps medical records confirm that HARVEY Oswald was at the Marine Corps Air Facility in Santa Ana, CA on October 29. And, October 31, 1958: Lee Oswald receives his last overseas rating and his ordered home to the US. November 2, 1958: Lee Oswald departs Japan by ship, the USS Barrett in Yokosuka, Japan for a 13-day voyage to San Francisco. This indicates Harvey was on temporary duty separate from Lee Oswald. If Harvey Oswald was on the Skagit, then Lee was left behind at Atsugi. If Lee was on the Skagit then who was getting an alleged VD treatment back at the hospital at Atsugi? OBTW, the lone nutters agree that Lee got his VD treatment during the time specified. Here's the way I noted this in a timeline I was working on: September 14, 1958: Lee Oswald is assigned to a rear unit at Atsugi. Note: The assignment to a rear unit at Atsugi and the alleged VD treatment from September 16- October 6, 1958 is the reason some people say Lee Harvey Oswald never went to Taiwan or was later assigned to Iwakuni. They use information on only one Oswald for this belief. September 16- October 6, 1958: Lee Oswald makes repeated visits to the Atsugi Station Hospital for treatment of an alleged VD episode. He actually has a UTI, or Urine Track Infection eventually treated by a sulfa drug Pyridium. Note: Lee Oswald must be the rarest of military people in have had VD and shoot himself with a gun and having it marked as “in the line of duty”. September 30, 1958: Harvey Oswald arrived in Taiwan on September 30. There he was (from Harvey and Lee) “observed by Lt. John Donovan taking photos of troop deployments, fighter aircraft, ammunition bunkers and F-86 aircraft”. Lee couldn't be taking photos in Taiwan if he was still at Atsugi. See the note above. This use of the VD treatment is usually used by the lone nutters to say that a singular Oswald was never in Taiwan or Iwakuni.

Working on reexamining witness testimony in Dealey Plaza I came across Lee Bower. Earlier I had looked at his statements and did not see anything I considered important about the presidential motorcade. Roughly, he said he did not see the p. limo during the assassination. On reexamination I had to ask why. Here is what I think Lee Bower could see from his railroad tower: Is this basically correct? He might have been able to see the motorcade as it turned onto Houston. But IMO, it would have been impossible to see where the red lines are indicating.

Paul, There was also the comment by Marina saying she had 2 husbands. Some take this is just a psychological reference to two natures of her husband Lee Harvey Oswald. I take it she was actually speaking about 2 people, Harvey and Lee. The incident you mention and others brings one to the conclusion that Marina Oswald knew of the double Oswald usage by the CIA. It's my opinion that she lived with each alternatively. If what you say is true then Ruth Paine did also. Ruth Paine, IMO, was the CIA handler (or keeper) for the double agent, Marina Oswald. But, she may have been a triple agent. I base that on what she did after Harvey died. However, there is a part of me that says the Russians may have been aware of the Oswald Project as early as the 1940s. Someone knew and that information and it came out in the Tippit telephone call in November. 1963. There are many odd occurrences concerning the Dynamic Duo. Generally, folks overlook those things. It is speculative, or not evidentiary enough, or it does not fit with the evidence they have accumulated, or the theory they are working out of at that time. There are odd things that can throw a person's views off, and sometimes to a point of 180 degree turn, if true. What if the following was true?: Here is a photo of Harvey's suicide scar. Or, a scar which very closely fits the definition of his suicide scar. The problem is it is on the wrong arm. According to the Russian medical reports the scar should be on his left wrist. Harvey's autopsy doesn't mention this scar on the right wrist. This suicide scar this (?) is on his right wrist. The photo is not reversed. We can see Harvey's left ear in the photo (it is distinctive). There is no mention of cutting both wrists in the Russian reports. If this was really Harvey showing his suicide scar as a means of identification to his superiors saying I am Harvey and not Lee who has been taken to the jail. It could be because some of his handlers suffered from the inability to adequately see the differences in faces. Many people have this problem and there are probably more than you think. So, if this was true would it change your beliefs? For folks on the Forum probably not. This may be unfair, but from what I have seen on the forum a lot of people would simply ignore this because it doesn't fit with what they know and it is so outlandish that it is easy to dismiss. I'll probably get a couple of good kicks for this, but I see this kind of thing here.

Jim, I found this reference to Mrs. J. U. Allen while working on another project. I haven't seen this and I don't quite know what to make of it. I been following the thread, but am still weak on schools and years. I would like to get your thoughts. AFFIDAVIT PRESIDENT'S COMMISSION ON THE ASSASSINATION OF PRESIDENT JOHN F. KENNEDY STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, County of Claiborne, ss: Mrs. J. U. Allen, Port Gibson, Claiborne County, State of Louisiana, being duly sworn, says: 1. I am secretary of Chamberlain-Hunt Academy, a boys military academy at Port Gibson, Mississippi, and I am in charge and custody of its books and records. 2. I have examined the records and files of Chamberlain-Hunt Academy for the years 1945 through 1948, both inclusive, which are kept in the regular and usual course of business under my supervision. It appears from those records that John Edward Pic and Robert Lee Oswald, half brothers and sons of Marguerite Oswald (and for a portion of the period 1945 through 1948 was Mrs. Edwin A. Ekdahl), entered Chamberlain-Hunt Academy in September 1945, on transfer from Davy Crockett School in Dallas, Texas. They continued as students during the school years 1945-1946, 1946-1947, and 1947-1948. Said records show that John Edward Pic was transferred to Arlington Heights High School, Fort Worth, Texas, in September 1948. The records do not show the school to which Robert Lee Oswald was transferred at the end of the academic year 1947-1948. John Pic and Robert Oswald were at the Chambelin-Hunt Academy from 1945 to 1948 and then Harvey and Lee would be with the various Marguerites during this period. But, Harvey doesn't show up until the 1947 school year. Is this essentially what this says?

Steve, Add me to the list also. Maybe the folks interested can help with a few extra reference if we can.

Howard Brennan and the Presidential Limousine Distance IMO, Howard Brennan was cooperating with the authorities on what happened in Dealey Plaza from the very beginning. He was saying what they wanted to hear. This may have been through fear and intimidation. However, he was a bad witness. He did not say completely what they wanted to hear. I think this was his way of not agreeing to a false story. It may have been his way of fighting back. That's an argument without a real answer. Many people think Howard Brennan was a deceptive person. It’s true he did lie. He made mistakes lying and had to make further statements about what he saw. He had to be questioned until he said what the authorities wanted to hear. Were these mistakes intentional, or was he just a bad deceiver. An example of this was what he saw in the 6th floor window, later known as the Sniper’s Nest, of the TSBD. He saw someone in the 6th floor window with a rifle. But, at the time could not identify who. He just gave a description. At a later lineup at 7:PM he did not identify Lee Oswald as the person in the window. Later he changed this to identifying Oswald as in the window, but was uncertain due to seeing Oswald on TV. He gave a really dumb answer on why he didn’t identify Oswald the first time around. He saw a man with a rifle in the window, but didn’t see a scope on the rifle. He heard shots or similar sounds, but said he could say whether the man with the rifle fired those shots. He couldn’t say that shots were fired from the Sniper’s Nest. He said he heard just one shot, but stated there must have been two. And, now to the point of this. Howard Brennan’s initial statements on where the President was when he first heard a shot or noise similar to a shot were not acceptable. Over time he changes this until he gets a suitable answer for the authorities. In his Sheriff’s Office statement of 11-22-63 he said: 50 yards from the intersection of Elm and Houston would be 150 feet from the intersection. This would put the first shot at about the Stemmons sign. That is 100 feet for the TSBD width, 10 or 20 feet from the SW corner of the TSBD to the R L Thornton sign, and another 40 feet to the Stemmons sign. This is about where most people think the first shot occurred or just before the sign. I don’t see the problem here. This more or less matches with the Zapruder film. The next statement he makes on distance to the presidential limousine is on the same day as his first statement. This time it is to the Dallas Police: These answers were acceptable to the Sheriff’s Office and the Dallas Police on 11-22-63. He is pretty certain that the presidential vehicle was 50 yards away. But, some one was not. IMO, the government’s story began to evolve on the afternoon and evening of the 22nd and was pretty much in place by the 23rd. There were evolving variations in later times. The government’s story was the Zapruder film (only this film was not known to all at this time) with 3 shots coming from the 6th floor, last window toward the east. Lee Harvey Oswald was the lone assassin. The following day on the 23rd of November Howard Brennan made a statement to the FBI: On thought, this was not an acceptable answer on where the President was when Brennan heard a shot-like noise. 30 yards equal 90 feet. From where Brennan was this puts the first shot at the SW corner of the TSBD. If you do 90 ft. from the intersection this puts the first shot almost below the trees in front of the TSBD. Several witnesses in the building said they could not see the presidential vehicle when they heard a shot due to trees being in the way. This question had to be worked out between the authorities and Brennan. First, a distance from Howard’s position to the Sniper’s Nest had to be arrived at. Howard said, “Did you ever tell anyone that you were 90 yards away from that window where you saw the gun? Mr. Brennan. No. It was a misunderstanding. My first calculation was that I was about 75-foot out from the window, and the calculation of the window 75- foot up. So the hypotenuse there would be approximately 110-foot. That was my first calculation. But since we made a step of the grounds Friday, I was farther out than 75 feet. Approximately 93 feet is what we calculated Friday.” 93 feet from the window given so that what he saw was perfectly reasonable to see for that distance. It seems this is an exact measurement. However, how exactitude goes out the window when how far he was away from the president’s vehicle: This is one of the statements that lead me to believe that none of the information given by Howard on the distance to the presidential limo is the truth. How far was Howard Brennan from the President when he heard a backfire or shot? Well, he said twice 50 yards (150 ft.), then he said 30 yards (90 ft.). After making these statements he said he didn’t know or “I really couldn’t say”. But, ended with a “short distance I would say,”. That answer was good enough. How far he was from the 6th floor window turns out to be an exact measurement, 93 ft. The next answer Howard gave at the WC hearing on distance was an acceptable answer. This is though it makes no logical sense: “At that time did you make that statement to the FBI — and this would be on 22 November. To the best of your recollection? Mr. Brennan. There was a mistake in the FBI recording there. He had asked me the question of how far the shot was fired from too, and also he had asked me the question of how far I was from the shot that was fired. I cal- culated the distance at the angle his gun was resting that he must have been firing 80 to 90 yards. Now, I Mr. Belin. You mean 80 or 90 yards from where? Mr. Beennan. From Kennedy’s position. Mr. Belin. But could you see Kennedy’s position? Mr. Brennan. No ; I could not. But I could see before and after.” 80 yards at a minimum is 270 feet. This is 270 feet from the Sniper’s Nest to where the President was when Howard saw the man in the window aiming his gun. 270 feet would be somewhere down around the Grassy Knoll. But, at this point Howard could not see the presidential limo. Something was blocking his view. He was seated on the retaining wall giving him a better view than folks on the sidewalk. There was nothing blocking his view. Seeing a gun angled from a 6th story window would not be a reliable way to calculate a 80 or 90 yard distance to the President, particularly when you could not see the vehicle. He didn’t see a scope. He didn’t hear any firing from the TSBD 6th floor. He did not immediately identify Lee Harvey Oswald as the shooter in the window. The description he gave as white, early 30’s, 5’10”, 165 to 175 pounds, and dressed in light colored clothing. His description didn’t fit a 130-pound Oswald killed by Jack Ruby. He couldn’t really tell how far away the President was when he heard shooting. He ended up saying a short distance. And, what was a short distance. Would that be less than 30 yards? IMO, I believe the assassination occurred directly in front of him. He couldn’t see the presidential limousine when shots were heard. Something was blocking his way when there was nothing to block his vision. But, he could calculate 80 or 90 yards to where the President was at from this position by seeing someone aim a rifle from 93 feet away and 65 feet in the air. And, so on. All together reviewing what Brennan said I can see how he is viewed as an untruthful person. Was his lying forced, intentional, or was he just a big fool. IMO, I think Howard Brennan did the best he could to keep from answering fully in the manner that the authorities wanted. He talked around and evaded many of the critical pieces that the police, FBI, and the Warren Commission wanted. A good question that was never asked is "Did you see the same thing that Toni Glover saw". This is not an unreasonable question since they were a short distance apart and both on an elevated position. This is not a vindication of Howard Brennan. I think there is enough here in these statements to destroy Howard Brennan as a witness in court. The question is was he just a bad witness or did he intentionally seek to undermine the people who were forcing him to say things he didn’t intend.

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There was at least one Mercury Monterey. It was the Vice-Presidential security vehicle. They were mostly Chevies and Fords. The motorcade listing gives details on each vehicle as to which make they were.

Steve, He was driving a DPD vehicle. This is in Todd Vaughan's Presidential Motorcade Schematic Listing. This is probably one of the best for information on the motorcade. It doesn't go into the detail that I would like, but provides good, basic information. I use it constantly when dealing with the motorcade events. I don't agree with Mark on certain things, but overall he is making a tremendous effort to put a visual motorcade presentation together. Sorry, I can't upload the file. This is a place where you can see the .pdf and download it. http://jfk.hood.edu/Collection/Weisberg Subject Index Files/M Disk/Motorcade Route/Item 15.pdf

The Warren Commission exhibits misplace Brennan less than 10 feet to the west of where he is shown sitting in Zapruder, Bell, and Dorman. Zapruder, Bell, and Dorman comparison: I don't trust Dealey Plaza films and photos. However, 3 films put Howard Brennan in the same area. It's a fair bet be was where the Bell crop above places him. This differs from the Warren Commission exhibits 477 and 478. In those he is less than 10 feet west of where he is in the Bell crop. 10 feet is based on a foot per square hole and maybe 4 to 6 inches in between holds. There are 4 to 5 square holes difference. These films generally show Brennan facing towards the east in Dorman and Zapruder and less so in the Bell film. In Z 188 Bell is sitting in what may be considered an easterly direction, but he is facing west, head turned toward the west. The directions Brennan is facing at any one time may simply be an expression of where the p. limo is and the time it was viewed. In Zapruder you can't tell whether he is sitting exactly in the same place as the other films. But, he appears to be. If the person in blue south of Brennan is Toni Glover then he is in the right place. That's very difficult to see.

Thanks Mark, I'll check these out tomorrow when I am fresher. Once again thanks.

Thanks Steve, It is to me. It seems like I have made this same mistake before. And, if I am not more careful I'll probably do it again. Learned wrong stays wrong is an old saying in the Educational field.

I base this information on the AMIPA film and Presidential Motorcade Schematic Listing by Todd Wayne Vaughan. It is a black 1959 Cadillac hardtop. Or, at least I think it is a 1959 model. As far as something seeming to be amiss, one needs to understand that this is the Dallas Police Department which was said to the most corrupt in the US in those days.

FROM: Friday, 10 July 2020 18:42 Did EVEN the Warren Commission Believe Howard Brennan? Written by Tim Smith “This appears to be a negative from a moving picture film [Z-188, approximately—and keep in mind, the negative of which he was handed had already been published in Life magazine as a color photo]. And I will hand you a magnifying glass—the negative has been enlarged. This negative appears to be a picture of the Presidential motorcade on the afternoon of November 22nd. I ask you to state if you can find yourself in the crowd in the background in that picture.” From his previously noted reply, Brennan also knew that exhibits CE-477 and CE-478—which were recreations shot in March—were inconsistent with what he was swearing to. The actual photo, CE-479, shows Brennan sitting on the ledge of the reflecting pool, facing east towards Houston Street, not north toward the Texas Schoolbook Depository. Yet, note what author Richard Trask writes: “Brennan had been sitting on the concrete retaining wall by the north reflecting pool and was facing the Book Depository.” (Richard Trask, Pictures of the Pain: Photography and the Assassination of President Kennedy, p. 493) That is rubbish and Trask must know it. He has a keen eye for detail and often brings out matters that the casual reader would not necessarily notice. It is clear from a collection of Zapruder frames that Brennan was, in fact, facing east and had to lean his left arm well back to look over his shoulder to see Kennedy’s car when it was in front of the Depository. Brennan would pose, on March 20 (his birthday), sitting right in the middle of the concrete wall looking into the Depository, and again, David Belin caught him lying." There's no doubt in my mind of Howard Brennan lying with a capital L, lying. But, I don't know whether I agree with this or not. I could be a matter of perspective. This mosaic shows that the retaining wall is curved. This might show Brennan apparently facing east toward Houston St from Zapruder's perspective. I mention this in hope that a better camera perspective person will take a look at the issue. I'm with Tim Smith, hoping he has a better handle on this. Z frame 188: "(Richard Trask, Pictures of the Pain: Photography and the Assassination of President Kennedy, p. 493) That is rubbish and Trask must know it." I have the Trask book and that's pretty much my thoughts on his work. If there wasn't a WC statement available he fashioned one for these photos. He ignored all of the questionable things in the photos in his book. I may be a tad bit unfair here, but I was disappointed with this book. And, here's where I get into big trouble with folks. I think there are different camera perspectives, at least 3, in assembling the stage area of the SW corner of Elm and Houston. This depends on which part of the film one is looking at, pre-gap or post-gap.

Couldn't agree more, but with the exception of the Z film. It can't be trusted on many things. Howard Brennan was on the SW corner of Elm and Houston Street. He is shown there in both the Zapruder film and Elsie Dorman in roughly the same place. However, there are many anomalies on the SW corner. This is one from the Martin film. This striking anomaly is a figure sitting on the retaining wall. It is not Howard Brennan? This person is not in the Zapruder film or the Elsie Dorman film. Some could say this was a camera problem, but the figure is too humanoid to be a camera blob. People scoff at the idea that the films and photos of Dealey Plaza have been edited. There are far to many examples like the above that one has to fairly consider the idea. They say there was not time to do all the editing that one sees. That's not correct. They had these films for a long time before returning them to their owners or in some cases view by the public. IMO, the WC story line was set on the afternoon of the assassination. There were variations later. But, the main story was conceived by some one in Dealey Plaza that afternoon. Again, IMO, it was whoever was supervising the assassination on site. General Landsdale was said to be in Dealey Plaza captured in a photo. He makes a good suspect for this supposition. This Dorman mosaic shows an object of some sort in the place of the Martin figure: This Mosaic and frames from the Zapruder film show there is a significant difference in the number of people on the SW corner in the two films. Nothing that is seen in Dealey Plaza that afternoon can be trusted for truthfulness. The CIA and FBI photo labs have worked these films over to the point that they can't be used in court to convict anyone. There is enough tell-tale clues or errors if you will for this idea to become prominent in just about any film or photo. Folks will say the government never had the Elsie Dorman film. A lawyer kept the film in his safe. She was just an extremely poor photographer. Both the CIA and the FBI were known to be "black bag" experts on burglarizing places. The Elsie Dorman film has definitely been edited to the point of absurdity. If the film had not been edited on Houston Street the real truth and not the WC truth would have been available.

Mark, I am really pleased with your work on the witnesses. You have people I have not heard of before. I use the Alphabetical List of Witnesses and Testimony from McAdams, the JFK 216 Witnesses to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, and The John F. Kennedy Assassination Home Page- Warren Commission Hearings: Testimony Index. You have people that are not on these lists. Great work.

I'm sorry Steve, That's a brain malfunction. I should have said Lead Car. I often mix those up when not thinking. It's a big blooper on my part. The Lead Car, Pilot Car, and Advance Car sometimes gets confused if I'm not concentrating. Because of that when I work on the presidential motorcade I generaly keep the Presidential Schematic Motorcade Listing by Todd Wayne Vaughan handy. I'll go back an edit that post. The Pilot Car is seen in various films and photos generally in the area of Main Street or the intersection of Main and Houston Streets. Here is a good example from the AMIPA film. There is the black Advance Car and the white Pilot Car behind. Thanks again Steve. The correct order of the motorcade has been restored in that post.