Steve Jaffe

JFK COMMUNITY LOSES ARDENT FIGHTER FOR TRUTH: JAMES WAGENVOORD

Tragically, my friend and co-author, James Wagenvoord, a former editor at LIFE Magazine (in 1963) and prolific author (43 books) passed away last July. We were both scheduled to speak at the CAPA Conference in Dallas next month. CAPA was founded by Dr. Cyril Wecht, MD, JD, who has been a leading expert on the case of the assassination of JFK for all these years. I worked for DA Jim Garrison in 1967-68 as a forensic photo analyst and my memoranda were all submitted to the DA prior to the trial. After he left office many of the DA's files were destroyed or stolen. But I have kept copies of my work. James Wagenvoord, who was also a director of business affairs for LIFE, involved in the Stolley-Zapruder transaction for acquisition of the Zapruder film, and we had an interesting story to tell when we compared notes. Sadly, that book can never be written now. I will introduce a clip (November 20, 4 PM) of James' incredible story which was recorded for one of the prior CAPA conferences. He put his career on the line at LIFE (Time-Life, Inc.) to tell the truth about the case and was shortly thereafter fired. I hope that you'll attend or watch online (CAPA website: www.JFK-CAPA.ORG, or www.CAPA-US.ORG) or join and watch the entire video of the two days of lectures some time this year. 

Vince: I have long admired your work. I wanted to raise a point which you and others have commented on regarding the motorcade route. It has always seemed to me that the planning of the route was actually based on one thing above all else, and that was the selection of the venue for JFK's lunch address. My sources are quite good on that and I've never discussed this, though I plan to write about it in my book. Were it not for the choice of the Trade Mart, the route through Dealey Plaza would not have happened. However, I've always known that the entire plan for the assassination (though there were several) was overseen by the most powerful men in and out of government. Therefore, when I learned of the details of how the Trade Mart was selected, even over the objections of JFK's staffers, I thought that pretty much dictated the route. Once that was set, despite the route that might have been (i.e. from Main to Industrial etc.), it was easy for individuals in key positions (i.e. Secret Service) to make the route work for the ambush. I'd like to know what others think. -- SJ