Charles Hester

[David Andrews]

32 minutes ago, Steve Thomas said:

I wonder if this was the Eastman Kodak lab.

Forrest Sorrels tried to leave the impression with the Warren Commission that he was present in the Dallas Police Headquarters early in the afternoon of November 22nd; testifying that he arrived “fairly close to 2:00PM.”^1.. However, I do not believe this is true.

Phillip Willis was a retired Air Force Major and amateur photographer. He and his wife Marilyn had taken their children out of school that day to go down and see the President and get some pictures. Marilyn Willis told Harold Weisburg that they remained in Dealey Plaza for about an hour after the assassination and then drove out to the Eastman Kodak plant near Love Field to get their pictures developed. She said that they arrived at the plant while Air Force 1 was taking off for the return flight to Washington. From Secret Service accounts, we know that that occurred at 2:47PM. She said that while they were waiting for their pictures to get developed, Abraham Zapruder arrived at the plant with Forrest Sorrels. Both Phillip and Marilyn Willis confirmed to Harold Weisberg that before Sorrels left, all the films had been processed, “and all viewed them”.^2.

 

^1. Testimony of Forrest Sorrels. Warren Commission Hearings and Exhibits, volume VII, p. 352, as cited in the History Matters Archive, http://www.history-matters.com/archive/jfk..._Vol7_0180b.htm

^2.. Weisberg, Harold. Whitewash II: The FBI – Secret Service Coverup. Harold Weisberg, 1966. p. 203.

Steve Thomas

Look for that Jack White thread that I mentioned back then.  There may be better info there on the lab connected to the Hesters.

There should be quite a bit of Hesters exploration in the back threads.

Edited December 31, 2020 by David Andrews

[Steve Thomas]

2 hours ago, David Andrews said:

Look for that Jack White thread that I mentioned back then.  There may be better info there on the lab connected to the Hesters.

There should be quite a bit of Hesters exploration in the back threads.

David,

I wasn't really interested in Charles Hester so much, as Forrest Sorrels. He did more damage than just anybody else I can think of.

Sorrels of the Howard Brennan fame. The Dallas Police Department wanted to have a squad car full of machine gun toting detectives in the motorcade, and Sorrels nixed that. He told the 112th MID that they weren't needed. He squelched Julia Mercer. In Volume VII of the WC Hearings (page 352), he told the Warren Commission that , "in addition to the truck, “… this lady said she thought she saw somebody that looked like they had a guncase. But then I didn't pursue that any further-- because then I had gotten the information that the rifle had been found in the building and shells and so forth.”

Let that sink in a minute.

Steve Thomas

[David Andrews]

1 hour ago, Steve Thomas said:

David,

I wasn't really interested in Charles Hester so much, as Forrest Sorrels. He did more damage than just anybody else I can think of.

Sorrels of the Howard Brennan fame. The Dallas Police Department wanted to have a squad car full of machine gun toting detectives in the motorcade, and Sorrels nixed that. He told the 112th MID that they weren't needed. He squelched Julia Mercer. In Volume VII of the WC Hearings (page 352), he told the Warren Commission that , "in addition to the truck, “… this lady said she thought she saw somebody that looked like they had a guncase. But then I didn't pursue that any further-- because then I had gotten the information that the rifle had been found in the building and shells and so forth.”

Let that sink in a minute.

Steve Thomas

I posted just in case any members were interested in IDing the lab said to be associated with the Hesters.

The Hesters-Zapruder linkage was of some speculation here.  Sorrels  got a good share of close examination in the back threads as well.

Edited December 31, 2020 by David Andrews

[Joe Bauer]

3 hours ago, Steve Thomas said:

David,

I wasn't really interested in Charles Hester so much, as Forrest Sorrels. He did more damage than just anybody else I can think of.

He told the 112th MID that they weren't needed.

He squelched Julia Mercer. In Volume VII of the WC Hearings (page 352), he told the Warren Commission that , "in addition to the truck, “… this lady said she thought she saw somebody that looked like they had a guncase. But then I didn't pursue that any further-- because then I had gotten the information that the rifle had been found in the building and shells and so forth.”

Let that sink in a minute.

Steve Thomas

I wasn't really interested in Charles Hester so much, as Forrest Sorrels. He did more damage than just anybody else I can think of.

He told the 112th MID that they weren't needed.

Clint Hill said many times in late life interviews that they couldn't check on open windows in higher floor buildings because they just didn't have the manpower.

Putting men on the tops of the 40 or so higher buildings was also not even addressed. The DPD or Sheriffs department couldn't bring in 40 reserve officers for this duty?  The 112 MID wasn't needed?

How about placing radio equipped security men or women on the ground who's job would have been to scan with binoculars all the open windows while JFK's limo was traveling underneath? Perhaps one or two every block downtown?

Wasn't one of the most security concerning aspects of threats to JFK the driving of his open limo right underneath 40 higher story buildings and a thousand windows with the potential of someone shooting at him from above? The perfect open shot scenario? 

And in a city and state that was known as one of the most rabid JFK hating ones in the country? Home to the most rabid and powerful JFK hating men and groups such as the John Birch Society, General Walker, wealthiest men on Earth Texas oil, KKK segrgationist even in the Dallas PD, etc, etc.?

Where even the largest local newspaper incredibly allowed that ominously threatening and inciting JFK "Wanted For Treason" ad with JFK's facial picture presented in a "mug shot" way?

Can't believe the Secret Service didn't confront and ream the publisher of the Dallas Morning News Ted Dealey for putting out such a threatening and inciting JFK hate piece just before the JFK arrival in his city.

Or the same regards the black bordered flyer that was also totally inciting of JFK hatred and that reportedly was funded by H.L. Hunt with him even placing these on car windshields himself!

After the Miami security threats ( including Joseph Milteer's taped conversation predicting JFK being shot from above ) just two weeks earlier and taken so seriously by the Miami PD that the motorcade there was cancelled, you'd rationally assume that even tighter security measures would have been taken in well known JFK hating Dallas?

That Dallas Morning News ad and those flyers were outrageously bold and blatant red flag trumpetings that JFK was entering a city of extreme JFK hate sentiment.  

Imagine just two security people ( 112 MID? ) in Dealey Plaza with binoculars scanning the TXSBD building and two or three others while JFK was driving through and especailly during those two speed slowing 90% turns directly below?

Innocent Dealey Plaza sidewalk persons Arnold Rowand and Carolyn Walthers both caught sight of a rifle holding man in higher up TXSBD building open windows ( even before JFK's arrival !)  just idly looking around and without binoculars! Imagine what one trained open window scanning security person with binoculars could have seen ?

Worst high rise security effort one could imagine.

The Julia Ann Mercer dismissal by Sorrels? Again, outrageous. 

The man and his team failed in the worst possible way in their efforts to protect the president, and we are supposed to accept his dismissal judgement of Mercer with any credibility?

How come NO ONE could ever find the truck Mercer and even the police admitted seeing or the young man who got out of the truck and went to the back of it, retrieved what looked like something long in a carrying case ( name one long plumbing or air conditioning tool that is carried in a case?) and who then scampers up the grass hill above and is never seen again?

 

Edited December 31, 2020 by Joe Bauer

[Keyvan Shahrdar]

Thanks Adam and Kathy, this helps.